Free Under Fire: The Admiral by Beyond the Page Publishing Page A

this. They’ll want her out of here for sure. An extraction
this far into the game,” he rubbed his chin, “risks blowing
everything. The sub gets out into the Pacific and the chance of
getting it is none to fucking none.”
    Gemma bent and lifted the corner of the tarp
that a few minutes ago he’d been imagining them having sex on, her
hot body shuddering under him. Fuck. He’d turned into a horny
teenager. Gemma was tugging on the cloth, backing them off. She
shook the square, and when it settled dropped onto it like she was
at a picnic in a perfectly civilized park.
    “We’re staying here,” she said. “You go back.
Do your job. When it’s clear, send someone for us. We’ll be safe.
Go.” She flipped her hand, shooing them away. No one moved. Gemma
drew her knees up and hugged them, looking like a one-woman sit-in.
Ben didn’t know about the rest of the men, but it was damn clear to
him she wasn’t going anywhere. Personally, he’d much rather be
rescued and spend the night in a bed with a belly full of food.
But, hell. He sat next to her, making it a two-person
sit-in.
    The three men towered over them, staring.
Everything on them was camouflaged, blending with the jungle, from
the rifles attached to their chests, to wicked-looking knives
strapped on their legs, to body armor, pistols and faces.
Camouflaged swamp monsters that come and go silently. Could break a
neck, or slam a man to the ground before he even knew they were
there. Seeing these guys, he had no doubts all the stories about
Navy SEALs were true. They could handle anything. Anything, that
is, but the admiral survivor woman. From the way they looked at
Gemma they didn’t quite know what to do. Vegas made a hand signal
and they turned their backs, talking quietly. Ben leaned close to
Gemma and whispered, “What now?”
    She shot him a look, then paused and said
louder than necessary, “The SEALs are going to go back and they’re
going to do their job. We are going to stay here.”
    Hunter shot them a look over his shoulder.
The three continued their conversation for several more moments.
They turned and Vegas sighed heavily. “Ma’am, I don’t want to lose
this operation any more than you want us to lose it, but your
safety is—”
    “Stop.” Gemma stomped on his words and rose.
“Nothing is more important right now than this operation. We’re
perfectly safe here.” Ben stood also. “As long as we are still and
quiet. Which, I promise we will be.” Her eyes darted to the tree
where the bullet ants lived. “And I’ll be careful to make the
shelter where we can’t be seen or heard.”
    “Ma’am, you stay here and I have no way of
protecting you. I can’t leave a man here. If something happens to
you, it’s on me.”
    “Then suggest something, Lieutenant.” Gemma
sighed and folded her arms.
    Vegas rubbed the back of his neck and looked
side to side. “We don’t expect the loads to come in until the high
tide, between eleven thirty and twelve tonight. Right now, the
three men guarding the sub are sleeping off a drunk. If the drugs
come in on the midnight high tide those men will get up around ten
thirty to prepare.” He paused and scratched the stubble on his
chin. “You know you’ve got me between a rock and a hard place. I
report your presence, the operation is over. I don’t report and
something happens, my ass is grass. You come with us and get hurt,
my ass is in a wood chipper.”
    “What have you decided to do with us,
Lieutenant?”
    “ Ah, shit! I don’t want to lose this.
You’ll come with us. We’ll have a better chance at protecting you
if something goes wrong. We’ll fix a hide where you can be
comfortable. That way I know you’re safe. One of us will stay here
with you and before dusk will bring you in.”
    Gemma folded her arms and lowered her gaze,
examining the jungle floor while she appeared to be thinking it
over.
    “Okay.” She raised her head. “But I want to
know the plan for when that boat