Chapter 14 Marcus
MARCUS
The light is fading through the forest canopy when I find a place to set up camp for the night. It’s a small clearing deep in the forest. There’s not much space here, but the thickets provide shelter to camouflage the tarpaulin, and the thick canopy should shield any smoke from a fire.
I set a grueling pace today, and Allegra rolls her shoulders when she slides her pack off.
Her face is dusty, her hair sticking to her skin with perspiration.
But she doesn’t complain. She’s dusty, stubborn, and still pushing forward despite the setbacks.
Most people would have folded days ago, but Allegra is determined to get that sample. I have to admire her for that.
I set up our shelter, dragging shrubs over it so that it’s hidden from view.
I doubt anyone followed us this far into the woods.
I haven’t had that prickly feeling on my neck again, and I’ve been zigzagging our course, avoiding the main paths and the river.
That means all we’ve got for water is what’s left in our canteens. But for one night, it will do.
While Allegra gets the fire going and heats some food, I set the perimeter sensors. It’s hard to get a clear line between them on the thick forest floor, but I plant them as best I can. Like a lot of things right now, it will have to do.
I scout deeper into the forest, widening the perimeter, looking for any inconsistencies in the lay of the land. But we’re well out of the animal routes here, and everything looks calm.
When I come back to camp, Allegra has the fire going. She’s perched on a log, hunched over her laptop. She has the case popped open, but the screen is blank. The frown on her face tells me everything.
“Any luck?”
She shakes her head. “It won’t start.”
She lifts the laptop and carefully turns it over, showing me the smashed base. I can only hope it’s just the casing. I can’t tell whether the hard drive is damaged or not.
“Someone might be able to pull it and recover the files.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. At least I’ve got the camcorder.”
The camcorder sits on a log, plugged into the solar panel that’s charging in the thin light that comes through the canopy.
A thought occurs to me. “Let me see the footage from today.”
Her brows knit, then understanding crosses her face. “You want to see if I captured anything.”
The viewfinder is small, so we sit close together as she rewinds to today’s footage. Her face fills the screen—bright-eyed, smooth skin, looking a little road-worn but still beautiful. In the background is the ridge. That’s where I keep my attention.
Allegra talks about the waypoint, its importance, and what she is testing for here. And then I see it.
A shadow moves across the back of the screen up on the ridge.
“Pause.”
She hits the pause button.
“Is there a way to zoom in?”
“Only a little bit. Without it connected to a monitor, we’re stuck with the viewfinder.”
She taps the zoom button twice, giving us a better look. Then she rewinds and hits play. Up on the ridge is a dark shape—a man dressed in black. The figure is blurred, but his stance is deliberate.
My gut clenches. I was right. This isn’t an amateur or another hiker. This is a pro.
Allegra leans closer to see, and I catch the earthy, strong scent of her after days on the road. My head spins, but I force myself to focus.
She frowns at the shape, then turns to me. Her face pales, lips parting. “Someone was watching.”
I want to shield her from the truth, but there’s no point. She needs to know what we’re up against.
“Yes. They were watching. But they’re not here now.”
She shivers, and I instantly put an arm around her. She doesn’t turn away, and I run my hand down her arm in soothing rhythmic strokes. She leans into me and lets out a long sigh.
“How do they know I’m here?”
She echoes the thought that’s been running through my mind. Someone talked. But who?
I want to reassure her, to tell her she’s safe. But I won’t lie to her.
Even by the most direct route, we’d still have to spend tonight in the wilderness.
It’s only one more night, I tell myself, hoping like hell her stubbornness won’t get her in trouble.
My one relief, and the reason I haven’t slung her over my shoulder to carry her out, is that they don’t seem to want to harm her.
I don’t care if she loses her research. I’ll make damn sure she gets home in one piece.
We share a can of chicken soup and my last ration pouch. We eat in silence, then put the fire out, neither of us wanting to sit in the dark too long.
Allegra slips into the sleeping bag while I do a final walk of the perimeter.
I keep low to the ground and take my time, stopping to listen to the sounds of the night, the scuffle of small animals and the rustle of leaves.
Insects call to each other in the undergrowth.
My ears tune in to the environment, and I’m satisfied nothing is out of place.
When I come back, I expect to find Allegra asleep, but she’s wide awake.
I slip in beside her, trying not to tug the sleeping bag away from her. Her body trembles next to mine, and I don’t know if it’s from cold or fear. I roll onto my side, and on instinct, wrap my arms around her.
“You’re cold.”
I pull her toward me, and she leans her head against my chest.
“I’m scared,” she whispers.
The admission sits heavy between us. I bet there’s not much that scares Allegra Simpson.
I pull her closer, my lips finding the top of her head.
I kiss her hair, wanting to tell her I’ll keep her safe, that there’s nothing to be scared of.
But I can’t lie to her. I’ll protect her as best I can, but the truth is, I don’t know what we’re dealing with out here.
I keep all of this to myself, pressing another kiss to her forehead.
She doesn’t pull away. Instead, she shuffles higher, her breath warm against my cheek. And then her lips brush mine.
I search her face in the dark, kissing her cheeks, her eyes, her mouth. She doesn’t pull away. She meets me with soft, deliberate kisses.
Our tongues meet, and the kiss grows hungry, then pulls back, insistent then uncertain. Heat and hesitation collide until we both surrender to the warmth of each other’s lips.
In the darkness, I can’t see her. I feel my way with lips and hands, running them down her back. She shifts to press closer, her body molding to mine, soft curves meeting hard planes.
Her hands slide tentatively over my hips and across my chest, roaming over parts of me that haven’t been touched in a long time. Heat awakens in me with every movement.
I slide my hands down her sides and over her hips. She moves against me, a soft moan escaping as her body presses into mine. I can’t hide the hardness pressing against her, but she doesn’t draw back. Instead, she tilts her hips, creating friction that sparks between us.
My mouth trails down her neck to the delicate hollow of her throat. Suddenly I want to feel more of her. I slide my hands up, hooking her shirt, tugging it over her head. She gasps at the cool air on her skin. I cup her breasts, fingers brushing her nipples until she moans.
I should stop. I should pull back. But the sounds coming from her mouth leave me powerless. She clings to me, seeking reassurance.
My hand slides between her legs, and she gasps as I find her secret warmth. The dark heightens every sense. I can’t see her, but I imagine her eyes flickering shut.
“Tell me to stop,” I breathe against her ear.
“I don’t want you to,” she whispers. “Please. I need this.”
The truth in her voice is raw. Whatever she’s been holding on to—months of stress, the weight of her research—she needs this release.
My hand slides inside her leggings, seeking out her wet heat. Her back arches, and her hips grind into my palm.
“Marcus.”
Her fingers dig into my biceps, clutching tight. I kiss her lips, her neck, her breasts. Her moans rise in the dark as she grinds against me. She buries her face in my shoulder, muffling her cries.
Every touch is instinct and surrender, her body giving in against my palm. Her shudders build, and her grip on me tightens until finally she breaks, moaning into my shoulder as release rips through her.
Her nails dig so tight into my arm there’ll be marks tomorrow.
Her body trembles, her breath ragged. I move my hand again, teasing her until another climax shatters her.
Every instinct inside me screams to go further, to take her completely. But I stop myself. I’ve already crossed a line. Allegra is my mission, and as much as I want her, I can’t press for more.
So instead, I bring her over the edge again and again, until her body collapses against mine. She nestles into me, her breathing unsteady, her soft body pressed tight against me.
I ache with the strain of holding back, but I don’t push for more. Instead, I tug her clothing gently back into place.
She trembles less now, her breathing steadying, and soon she drifts into sleep.
I lie awake in the dark, listening to the sounds of the night, with my heart still pounding.