Free The Belial Library (The Belial Series) by R.D. Brady Page B

remember, our tribe split in two.  One group would stay attached to the world, to learn if there was danger to the cave. The other would stay with the cave as its protectors.  We would meet twice every year to renew our bond to each other.  I fear what will happen to them. ”
    Nana glanced through the back of the truck, her voice gravely serious.  “We’re getting close.  You two must stay near me and Elena when we arrive.”
    Minutes later, the truck slowed and came to a stop.  Doors slammed. 
    Two men appeared at the tailgate.  One raised his machine gun as the other opened it.  “Out.”
    Elena and Jen scooted out of the truck with Nana and Laney following behind them.  Laney looked around, her hopes plummeting.  They were in the middle of nowhere and there were at least thirty heavily armed men.  How the hell were they going to get out of this?
    Warren was nowhere to be seen.  No doubt he’d gone for medical attention.  But the Safari's-R-Us man appeared, his khakis beginning to look limp in the heat, with sweat rings around his neck and armpits. 
    Laney took a perverse satisfaction in his discomfort.  He looked like the type used to air-conditioned lecture halls, not the rigors of the field.
    He walked up to Nana, wiping his brow with a stained handkerchief.  “Now, Lucia, where are these Guardians?”
    Nana looked him straight in the eye.  “All around us.”
    The trees erupted with screams.
     

    CHAPTER 17
     
    Baltimore, Maryland
     
    Jake paced along the wall of windows in Henry’s office. His mind was a scramble of horrific images, with Laney center stage. 
    Damn it.  He hated standing around twiddling his thumbs, waiting for information.  He already had equipment moving into place, but before he stormed into a foreign country, doors needed to be opened. 
    He glared at the image of the destroyed village frozen on a computer monitor.  Little good diplomacy was going to do for those poor bastards.  
    Needing a distraction, he watched Danny at the conference table. Danny’s eyes were glued to his screen, his eyes flying over the keyboard.  Danny had provided Laney the only protection he could, a computerized guardian angel.  Jake could more than handle himself in the physical world, but Danny was the warrior in the electronic one.
    Jake walked over to Henry as he disconnected his call. 
    Henry’s face was serious.  “I just spoke with the U.S. Consulate.  They already knew about the attack.  An unknown group hit the village late last night and then followed the villagers to the church where the survivors had taken refuge.”
    “Where were Laney and Jen?” Jake asked.
    “They were camping down the hill from the village.  They apparently rescued a young girl from the village who was about to be -” Henry paused with a quick glance at Danny.  He lowered his voice. “abused.  They took out three or four armed gunmen in the attempt.”
    Jake felt the kernel of hope bloom.  That’s my girl .  “Where did they go after that?”               Henry met his eyes.  “The church.”
    Jake’s stomach plummeted.  “Are they all right?”
    Henry looked away, his tone more guarded.  Danny came to stand next to him.  Henry reached down and pulled him close.  “They tried to escape at the church, but were caught.” 
    Henry took a deep breath.  “There were reports that one of the American women was shot.  I don’t know which one.  The eyewitness reports conflict.  The two Americans were then bundled along with the village’s leader and her young granddaughter into a truck, and disappeared to the north."
    The memory of Laney bleeding into the ground in Montana flashed through Jake’s mind.  This couldn’t be happening again. "What size of a force was it?"
    Henry shook his head.  "There aren't any reliable reports on that."
    Jake nodded, knowing eye witnesses often weren’t much help in these situations.  "I read that the oil companies were making a