Chapter 8

Alex

It might have been a mistake, but it was one he would live with, even if he wasn’t as sorry as he should be. This was not his usual way of handling things, especially when working, but he was comfortable playing with strands of her long dark hair in the late hours. The sleeping bag offered little comfort on the hard cave ground. She was using him as a pillow. Once out of this, when things were settled, he would have to find a regular place, preferably with a bed, for their next romp.

He drifted in and out enough to get sleep to count, but not enough to not be aware of their surroundings. Alex kept them warm in front of the fire, away from the cave entrance and protected from anything that came towards them. The dozing helped him since he could work off little to no sleep for days when needed. Layla had drifted off to sleep once they got into the cave and snuggled into his warmth. He didn’t feel like he would break her since she was built more like an Amazon, tall, muscular, and lean. She didn’t feel delicate and could handle him without issue, something Alex enjoyed. She had a wildness within her that called to him—a piece he ignored, pushed down, and worked to keep under restraint. It came when she got off, and they merged. It was strange. He had met people for years, and she had made a mark within a day. Once they were done, they would have to figure out what this meant. It felt like he had been waiting for her and didn’t know it.

He drifted in and out long enough to recover. He glanced at the phone to see that dawn had passed into the early part of the morning. They had both slept for several hours. The cold had kept them bundled together under the sleeping bag and twisted together. Her long dark hair was entwined with his fingers, legs tossed together. Soreness from the previous evening sleeping on the hard floor woke him completely. She rolled up, graceful given the situation, and with a smile, she wandered farther into the cave. It would give him time to see what the General had in mind. Help hadn’t arrived or had missed them. Alex knew the General—he wanted Clark taken out and expected Alex to do it using Layla as the bait. The issues beforehand paled now that they had been together. She was something he couldn’t just risk on the off chance.

He hit the speed dial to wait for General McNamara to respond, to explain what the plan was or even if they had bothered to make one. The line clicked, linking them together. Before Alex could speak, the General began.

“You’ll get over it, Douglass.” The statement silenced Alex, the attention drawn from years of habit of being the good soldier, never asking questions, and doing what he was told. He grimaced, though, waiting to hear any sort of explanation. “There is a mining town about two days’ walk away from your current position. There, you will set up a trap with the bait to bring Clark down, and then recovery will arrive. Copy.”

The General hadn’t even bothered asking it as a question, saying it as a statement of fact. Something he would jump at, do as he was told, endanger the life he was to protect just to catch Clark. “She can be taken out of the equation. He won’t know she isn’t really there.”

“He is using his contact. If he finds out it is a ruse, he disappears and waits us out. Do you want to take the chance?” Alex paused, searching for a better reason to destroy this plan. “Don’t bother trying to get out.”

“And if he catches us beforehand?” Alex asked, holding his temper and attitude, which were attempting to escape. The training had its uses.

“Win.” The line died without even a chance to attempt to change the order. Allowing Clark to go was unacceptable, but endangering a civilian bothered him. He sat up, tugged on his clothes, and waited for her to return. He had a few choices, but the best was to attempt honesty. The General hadn’t bothered to tell him not to tell anyone else.

Layla returned, dressed and vaguely cleaner, with her face damp and mismatched eyes shining. The cold water she used for cleaning probably woke her. She began to pull up items for breakfast before he stopped her, having her sit so they could talk. She tossed him one of the packaged granola bars before settling down, knees touching his, a faint wisp of what continued to surprise them both waking again. Alex pushed down everything before he began. He explained the truth of what he was doing here and what the orders were. Help wasn’t coming until Clark was dead; she was the bait to bring down a dangerous killer, and he was stuck between.

She listened, not whispering a question or seeming surprised. She ate her bar, watching him, weighing his words with a few nods of understanding. Once his last words fell, she tilted her head to stare at him, not in horror or dismay but in curiosity.

“Isn’t this classified or something?”

“Probably, but we are out in the field. Choices need to be made. Once we've been taken back to the military base, they will have enough paperwork to classify it to hell and back, but now I need to know where you stand. I’ll probably get you somewhere safe and get Clark. It will take longer than my boss wants.”

“Then we get Clark before getting the heck out of here.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. It might be harsh, but Clark is an evil son of a bitch who will come for me at some point. A life looking over my shoulder won’t be much of one. Besides, once you finish this, you'll be done with favors to McNamara and can return to normal.”

“Yes, because working with the FBI is completely normal,” Alex said before thinking, giving her a smile and a swift shake of his head. “We will do this, but you will need to keep your head down.”

“I will do my best, but I am not completely incompetent. I can help.”

“You can help by staying alive,” Alex stated.

“I will. Now, on the map, this is the town they are talking about for the setup. It was one of those fake towns built by the military in the ’50s for nuke testing. They are not sturdy or well built, and I think if we take this path,” Layla started, tracing a line over the map, “we can make it in about a day and a half, cutting down some of the time they expect, and we can mount a surprise attack.”

“There is concern about secrets leaking out. I like this adjustment.” She nodded, pointing out some of the dynamics of the map.

“We are going to do a little climb. We have supplies and can free climb to save a few hours. How do you feel about climbing?”

“I can handle it. Saving time is worth it.” They agreed, packed up the items from the evening, and resupplied themselves. They pushed the backpacks out of the cave, sending Alex out first, adding a few scraps to his previous ones, and she crawled out after him. Heading toward the town in the distance, they covered the tracks they made leaving the area.