Mike shook his head. “No way to know for sure what triggered their interest. Maybe they keep an eye out for any anomalies when someone is injured or dies in combat. If there are others with your ability, you might not be the first one to have popped up on their radar.”
First or not, how could he defend himself against an enemy with no name and with no obvious agenda?
“Any suggestions about what I should do?”
Mike turned to lean against the railing. “You mean short of turning yourself in, don’t you? Because if you’re thinking that would be the simple answer, think again. If they get their hands on you, there’s no telling where you’ll end up or what they’ll do. You might never see the light of day again.”
Eli wanted to punch something. They were just spinning their wheels now. Meanwhile, Safara had to be wondering what was taking them so long.
“Why don’t you guys sit down while I check on the coffee?”
Doc headed for the chairs, but Mike hung back. “I brought each of us a burner phone. I want you to call one of us daily. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll come running.”
“Make it every other day. I don’t always get reception up here, and I don’t get to town every day.”
“Fine, but if one of us doesn’t hear from you for seventy-two hours, don’t let it be because you forgot to check in. I’d have to do some serious ass kicking.”
“Seriously? Why would I forget?”
Mike’s smile turned sly. “Maybe because you and the lovely Safara picked up where you left off before we got here this morning, which could definitely cause a man to lose his train of thought.”
Damn, he thought they’d put up a better front than that. “What gave us away?”
His friend laughed. “Nothing, but you just did. I wondered if you would admit it if my suspicions were on target. I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get too carried away. I’m not exactly in a position for happily-ever-afters, and Safara has her own reasons for not wanting anything beyond the short term.”
Mike crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve gotta tell you, Eli, you don’t look at her like she’s just a good time on a weekend pass.”
What could he say to that? If he denied the truth of Mike’s words, he’d end up lying to his friend and himself while insulting the special connection between him and Safara.
“Go take a load off. I’ll go see what’s keeping the coffee.”
“Sorry I brought it up.”
“Don’t be. Someone should know that the two of us are involved. If those guys come after me, she could get caught in the crossfire. If you don’t hear from me, promise you or Doc will check to make sure she’s all right. I’ll send you both her contact information.”
The major’s shoulders snapped back as if he were standing at attention. “You have my word on that, Sergeant.”
It would’ve seemed weird to salute when they were both out of uniform. Instead, he held out his hand and said, “Thank you, sir.”
Mike’s stance softened just a hair. “I’d do the same for any of my men, Eli. You might not be on active duty right now, but our bond goes deeper than the uniforms we wear.”
Which was why Eli wouldn’t hesitate to lay his life down for this man and so many others like him with whom he’d served. When battles raged and lives were on the line, a soldier fought for those who served side by side with him. That kind of loyalty couldn’t be bought; it had to be earned.
“I’ll go get that coffee now.”
“I like cream and sugar in mine. And Sleeping Beauty over there will take his any way you want to give it to him, preferably cold and full of grounds. After we drink it, we’ll head back down to civilization.”
Then his friend smiled and wandered back over to where Jamison sat dozing with his feet up on the railing and his baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes. As Eli headed inside, Mike started giving Doc hell for sleeping on the job, a little taste of normalcy in a world that had gone crazy.
15
Where had the time gone? Yesterday, Mike and Doc had hung around with her and Eli until after lunch before finally heading back home. It had been fun watching the three men taking potshots at each other with stories laced with good humor and insults. She envied the depth of their friendship. Thanks to both her job and her ancestry, Safara knew very few people with whom she could drop her guard and let it all hang out.
Trust normally came slow to her, yet Eli had somehow crashed through all of her carefully constructed protections to take up residence in her heart and her bed. Well, technically, she’d ended up in his bed, but even that was out of character for her. That wasn’t to say she had regrets about her impulsive behavior other than how bad it was going to hurt to walk away from him.
After Mike and Doc left, she and Eli had explored the mountainside, enjoying their time together even if their hunt for the missing rogues was unsuccessful. They’d returned to the cabin for a leisurely dinner, and then spent the night in each other’s arms. The sex had been great even if a bit desperate at times. Both of them were painfully aware of their precious few hours together flying by, this private interlude drawing to an end.
