Free Soldier of Fortune by Diana Palmer Page B

most capable under fire?” he said gently. “I have seen him come back from the grave. And their opponents have traveled far,
señorita,
and are already decimated in numbers. They will not expect such an attack here. We have seen to it that their intelligence is distorted.”
    “But what if something goes wrong?” she burst out.
    He sighed. “Then it is in the hands of God, is it not?”
    She thought about that for the next three hours, pacing and sweating and worried out of her mind.
    “Shouldn’t we have heard something?” she asked finally, her face contorted with fear.
    Laremos frowned. “It is rugged terrain,” he reiterated.
    “Yes, but…listen!”
    The radio broke its silence, and Gabby made a dive for it. She gave the correct identification and waited.
    “Panther to Red Rover,” J.D.’s voice said curtly. “Bravo. Tango in ten. Out.”
    She keyed the mike. “Red Rover here. Alpha. Omega. Out.”
    The code words meant that the group had arrived undetected and would make their play in ten minutes. She’d radioed back that the message was understood and that there was no new intelligence to convey.
    She looked up at Laremos, feeling her heart go wild as she realized how close the danger was. “Ten minutes,” she said.
    “The waiting is the hardest, is it not?” he asked quietly. “I will have Carisa fix us another pot of coffee.”
    He strode away, and Gabby prayed and chewed her nails and stared at the radio as if it held the key to salvation.
    Long, agonizing minutes later, it came to life again. “Panther to Red Rover,” J.D. said tightly, as gunfire and an explosion of some sort sounded in the background. “Charlie Tango! Heat up the coffee. Out!”
    Her fingers trembled as she returned, “Red Rover to Panther. Bravo. Omega. Out!”
    She’d just signed off when Laremos came tearing into the room, eyes flashing.
    “Raise them quickly! One of my men just reported that he’s sighted a group of what he thinks are drug smugglers moving toward Archer’s position!”
    She grabbed the radio. “Red Rover to Panther. Red Rover to Panther. Come in, Panther!”
    But there was no answer. Frantically she tried again and again, and still there was no answer. Her frightened eyes went to Laremos.
    “They must be under fire,” he said heavily, “or they would answer. We can only pray that they spot the newcomers in time.”
    She stared at the radio, hating it. She tried it again, and again she gave the message. There was no answer.
    Her mind went wild.
J.D., answer me,
she pleaded silently.
I can’t lose you now, I can’t!
    As if he heard her, somewhere miles away, the radio blared. “Red Rover, we’re cut off by another armed band—nasty-looking guys, and lots of them,” J.D. said sharply. “They’re heading into the jungle coordinates two clicks from position Delta. Gabby, get the hell out of there, they’re going in your direction…!”
    The radio went dead. Gabby stared at it helplessly and then at Laremos.
    “Madre de Dios,”
he breathed. “I should have realized…Carisa!” he yelled. A stream of Spanish followed, and Laremos grabbed one of the weapons. He thrust it into Gabby’s numbed fingers.
    “Carry it. I will teach you to use it when I must,” he said curtly. “Come, there is no time. Aquilas!” he yelled, and the short man who’d driven in from the airport with them came running in. There was another stream of Spanish.
    “My men will cover us,” Laremos said curtly. “We must hurry. The smugglers will not care who are terrorists and who are not, they will cut us down regardless. Aquilas says there are government troops not too far behind. But we cannot involve them.” His wary eyes sought hers. “You understand?”
    “Because of the rescue,” she said, smiling wanly. “It’s all right,
señor.
Just, please, get me to J.D.”
    He looked at her searchingly. “I understand. But do not underestimate the group,
señorita.
We were once…quite something.”
    He led