Free Around-the-Clock Protector by Jan Hambright Page A

clean.
    A curse rested on his tongue as he waited…hoping the crewmen would let it go.
    The rise and fall of their voices gave no indication they were concerned about the ice pack lying in the floor of the Humvee. It was only going to make sense when the pilot of the C-130 radioed Belvoir’s central command and let them know they’d inadvertently dropped off more than an empty vehicle. Carson listened to yards of parachute silk skim across the grass before he heard the clank of a gas tank lid rattling loose, and the sound of fuel gurgling into the rig.
    They’d be on their way soon. Worried, he glanced over at Ava. With her ankle possibly broken, they’d play hell moving any faster than a couple of turtles in a snowstorm.
    They needed transportation.
    “Do you think you can belly crawl to the tree line?” He looked over at her and watched her eyes flicker open.
    “Do I have to?”
    “If you don’t want to wait for nightfall and a miserable hike out of here on that ankle.”
    She raised herself up on her elbows and looked down at her feet. Carson couldn’t help but stare at the tiny bulge in her abdomen. He swallowed against a zap of worry and refocused on her face. “I want you to crawl into the brush and change into your street clothes. I’m going to do the same.”
    “Okay.” She glanced over at him and he watched courage gather in her demeanor.
    “I’m going to come running out of the grove, waving my arms. They’re going to stop me and I’m going to make some outrageous claims. Go with it.”
    “All the way.”
    “Let’s move. We don’t have much time.” He turned onto his belly and moved through the grass with Ava not far behind. Still listening to the movements of the crew, they reached the tree line and paused. The landscape sloped off gradually, leaving them a secure spot just below the lip of a slight ravine.
    Carson sat up and pulled off his pack. Digging into it, he pulled out Ava’s clothes along with his own.
    She flinched as he slid down the zipper on his flight suit, and she turned away, grabbing her own clothes from the pile.
    The sound of her zipper gave him pause as he wriggled his shoulders out of the fabric and pulled on his T-shirt.
    The sight of Ava’s bare back put fire in his veins and he recalled the feel of her skin under his lips.
    “Dammit,” he whispered under his breath as he refocused his energy on getting dressed, instead of lusting after her. He needed to keep his head in the game.
    She pulled on her blouse and he stared at her back, remembering how he’d caught the men holding her in the woods. They’d had her shirt up, her back exposed.
    He pulled on his pants. It was significant, but why?
    “I’m going to take off. You’ve got less than two minutes to finish dressing and stuff the flight suits into my backpack.” He reached in and pulled out a camera before looping the strap over his head. “Be ready.”
    “I will.” She stared up at him. He was taken by the look of sheer determination on her face. She’d been a good agent. She’d received commendation for superior service. Somewhere in that brain of hers were the answers that were going to save her life, and maybe his. He just had to hang tough until he found them.
    Standing up, he lurched forward at a run. “Help. Somebody please help.” With one hand, Carson held the camera to keep it from bouncing as he ran, and with the other he waved at the stunned crew staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.
    “Help.” He ran straight for them, judging their reactions as he moved in closer and finally stopped just short of the Humvee.
    “My wife’s been injured. She’s right over there. Can you help us?”
    “Slow down, sir. Are you aware this is a restricted area?”
    “Restricted? From what?”
    “Civilians.”
    “No way. We were on Telegraph Road. There weren’t any signs.”
    “What are you doing here, sir?” The senior officer stepped forward and Carson sized him up.
    “We were