Chapter 3
MARCUS
The vibration of my watch jerks me awake. My eyes fly open, and my body is immediately alert. I glance at my watch and find a red flashing dot. It’s sector three, set up to cover the widest gap leading from the main trail to Allegra’s camping spot.
It’s probably another curious animal. But two tripped sensors in two nights makes me uneasy.
I slide out of my bivy and check that my gun is in its holster. There’s a knife strapped to my thigh and a smaller one tucked into my wrist strap. I don’t know how good they’ll be against a bear, but force of habit has me armed more than I need to be for keeping one woman safe on a mountainside.
Day two’s camp is a clearing in the forest with the stream on one side and thick trees surrounding the area. Keeping low to the ground, I move slowly and silently with deliberate movements, pausing to listen to the still night around me.
There’s the faint crackle of leaves, the distant trickle of water, and the slow inhale-exhale of my own breathing.
I move again, slowly making my way to section three. I crouch by the laser emitter and check my wristwatch. All is set back to normal, but something definitely crossed the invisible laser wire.
Moonlight peeks through the canopy, giving me a shattered picture of my surroundings. There are no obvious tracks on the path, and the foliage appears undisturbed.
I scan the campsite. Allegra’s tent rustles in the breeze. She set it up with the door facing the stream, and I can’t see the opening from here. There’s no movement and no light, so I assume she’s fast asleep.
There’s a sound behind me, a shift in the rhythm of the night. My body tenses as I listen. It’s a shift in the soundscape so imperceptible most people wouldn’t notice. But I’m trained to notice such things.
I pivot slowly on my haunches as my ears strain for the noise again. I hear it to my right, the soft crunch of dry leaves. Then a sharper rustle—closer, more purposeful.
My body tenses, and my training kicks in.
I spin around and step into the sound. A shadow moves in the undergrowth, and a figure emerges from the shadows.
I lunge forward, coming to my full height as I sweep my left arm up in a hook.
My upward trajectory connects with their center of gravity as I drive my shoulder into their stomach.
They go down easier than expected. They’re lighter than I expected too, and the momentum takes us both by surprise. They let out an ‘oof’ sound as they hit the forest floor.
I slide the knife out of its sheath at my wrist and land on top of the perpetrator with one arm pinning them down and the other holding my blade at their throat.
My veins hum with adrenaline, every heartbeat loud in my ears, as I look down on the face of Allegra.
Her eyes are wide, and her breathing is ragged; her entire body is taut. She raises one arm out of my grasp, holding cold steel to my throat. Her knife presses hard enough to nick my skin and cause a sharp pain. She swallows hard, and my blade bobs on her throat.
I stare at her for a long beat. The only sounds are our ragged breathing.
Her body is hot under mine, her soft curves holding us both off the ground. I’m hit by her scent of wilderness and chamomile and something distinctly feminine that makes my heart flutter wildly, and it has nothing to do with the knife she’s holding to my throat.
It would be an intimate moment if it wasn’t for the pure fear reflected in the whites of her eyes.
“Easy…” I pull my blade back away from her skin, but she only presses hers harder to mine. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She trembles under me, and her knife shakes, causing the blade to cut my skin. I grit my teeth at the sharp pain.
Her hand shakes, but not from weakness. She’s holding the blade so damn tight her knuckles are turning white.
Allegra is absolutely ready to use that blade.
She doesn’t know I’ve been sent to protect her.
She’s a woman traveling alone, and I’m the creep sneaking up on her in the middle of the night.
The woman is terrified, and terrified people do whatever they can to protect themselves.
I could disarm her in seconds. She’s no weakling, and I’m not a big guy. But I’m wiry. Under my five foot eight height is a set of strong muscles trained for combat. I could have her flipped over and the knife out of her hands in seconds.
It will defuse the situation, but I still have nineteen more days on this mission. I’ll lose any chance of trust. Besides, it will make her feel weak and powerless, and that’s the last thing I want to do.
“I’m going to drop my knife.” I speak slowly. “I’m going to move my arm and let it fall.”
She doesn’t say a word as I slowly and deliberately move my arm holding the knife away from her. I let the knife go, and it falls with a thud to the forest floor.
Her gaze remains on me, and the tension remains in her body, causing her entire chest to rise up and down. “Can you lower your knife now, Allegra?”
Her eyes widen in shock, then her brows furrow in anger. The blade presses into my skin a little deeper, and blood trickles down my neck.
When she speaks, her voice is low and tight. “You’d better tell me who the fuck you are and how you know my fucking name.”