Echoes at Dawn

She centered her attention on her body, paying attention to where she hurt and how it differed from the residual pain of the endless torture she’d endured. Her breaths were strained. Shallow and painful.

“Ribs,” she managed to gasp out. “Think I have broken ribs. And my arm. It hurts but it’s growing numb. I can’t feel my fingers.”

“Yes, I can see,” Rio said as he carefully picked up her hand.

He turned his head and nodded at one of the men. She tensed when the big burly man closest to Rio hovered over her. He was a mountain. Arms bulging with muscles. He barely had a neck as thick as he was. Legs like tree trunks.

“She’s lost feeling in her fingers,” Rio said as if discussing something as mundane as the weather. “We’ll have to set the break.”

Her pulse exploded and she tried to sit up, but Rio put a hand on her shoulder. “Be still, Grace.”

The command in his voice froze her in her tracks.

“Can you heal yourself?”

The idle curiosity in his voice baffled her. He was so calm. Unruffled. He spoke of her abilities like they were the most natural things in the world. She glanced nervously between the two men, wondering if this was some kind of trap, though she couldn’t imagine what it could be.

The people who’d kept her captive knew well her abilities. They wouldn’t have to ask questions. Was this yet another faction who wanted to use her?

Panic was rising swiftly when Rio simply put his hand on her cheekon her and softly caressed. “Take deep breaths, okay? We’re going to help you. This is Terrence. He’s my second in command. That’s Diego right behind him. Diego acts as our medic when Donovan Kelly isn’t around to patch us up, but Terrence is going to set the break for you.”

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. She had no idea who any of these people were, but Rio continued a steady stream of conversation, ignoring her befuddlement.

“This is going to hurt like a son of a bitch. I won’t lie to you. But I need you to be strong. If you scream, you’ll draw attention and that’s the last thing we need. I’m going to knot one of my shirts, and I want you to bite down on it as hard as you like. But don’t let out a sound. Can you do that?”

If he only knew how much she’d silently endured, he’d never ask that question. But she simply nodded, knowing that whatever they did wouldn’t touch what she’d already gone through.

He took out a T-shirt from his pack and began folding and knotting it into a long rope. “You didn’t answer my question. Can you heal yourself as you do others?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I mean it’s different, but I do heal faster. But there’s been so much…” She closed her eyes, holding back more tears. “I don’t know…”

Rio spoke in low, soothing tones. “It’s okay, Grace. I’m going to make sure you get out of this.”

Something in his voice settled her. Maybe it was the calm promise or the absolute conviction. Some of the fear faded and she relaxed, letting out her breath in a whispery rush.

“That’s my girl,” Rio murmured.

He carefully placed the shirt between her teeth, feathered his hand over her jaw and then eased her mouth shut over the material.

“Be strong.”

She closed her eyes and nodded, not wanting to see what was coming.

Strong hands gripped her arm in a surprisingly gentle manner. She could instantly tell the difference, knew that it was Terrence who held her hand.

And then he simply pulled and twisted, all at the same time. His strength took her completely by surprise. Her eyes flew open and her teeth bit savagely into the shirt. Her body bowed with the instant flash of pain. As she lay panting, her nostrils flaring with the ragged breaths she tried to suck in, a sense of relief settled over her.

Her arm ached from the manipulation, but the constant red-hot pain had subsided. Diego stepped in and quickly bound her arm, using two sturdy saplings one of the other men had fetched. He wound strips of cloth tightly around the sticks so it was impossible for her to move her arm.

Rio pulled the knotted shirt from her mouth. “Better?”

She nodded, still not trusting herself to speak.

“Okay, this is what’s going to happen. We have to move and I can’t spare the manpower necessary to keep you immobile. We don’t have a stretcher, which means I’m going to carry you out while my men surround us and provide cover. With a broken arm and ribs plus God only knows what else you’ve got going on, there’s no easy way to do this. It’s going to suck.”

She tried to smile at the blunt way he put it, but her lips trembled and she gave up with a sigh.

“I’ll need at least one hand free so I can hold a gun and protect us both. Terrence will secure you to my back. We once carried a teammate’s wife out of the jungle just like I’m going to carry you, so it’ll work. I don’t wanthe x2019;t you to worry. If you don’t trust in anything else, you trust in the fact that we’re going to get you out of these mountains.”

The unwavering conviction in his voice gave her the first hope she’d experienced in many weeks.

“I won’t let you give up,” Rio continued. “I know you hurt. I can only imagine what those bastards did to you. But you aren’t giving up, Grace. You’re a fighter. Your sister’s a fighter.”

Tears shimmered in her vision again, making Rio grow hazy. “I can’t talk to her. I’m not sure I can talk to anyone…like before I mean.”

Rio leaned over, his face close to hers. “You’ll get it back. I heard you last night. It’s there. You just have to heal both in body and spirit.”

“Who are you?” she whispered around the knot in her throat.

He smiled then, white teeth flashing against dark skin. “I’m the man who’s going to get you the hell out of here, and then I’m going to hunt down those sons of bitches who hurt you and gut every last one of them.”

She shivered at the menace in his voice but was oddly comforted by the savage vow.

“We need to roll, Rio,” Terrence said, startling her. She’d forgotten his presence. Had forgotten all of the men standing in close proximity.

Rio nodded and then stood, towering over her. She suddenly felt very small and insignificant and extremely vulnerable as she lay huddled on the ground, surrounded by the warriors with death in their eyes.

This time Terrence knelt by her side, his voice quiet and she suspected purposely gentle so as not to scare the bejesus out of her. It was a little late for that…

“All right, Miss Grace. This is what’s going to happen. The men are going to fashion a sling of sorts that will secure you to Rio’s back. I’m going to lift you very carefully. I’ll try not to hurt you.”

She nodded her understanding.

He smiled at her, and she decided he was an extremely handsome man despite his fierce appearance. Moreover, she believed him when he said he’d try not to hurt her.

He slid his arms underneath her body. “Deep breath.”

She sucked in, closed her eyes, and he lifted upward. She was amazed at the ease with which he picked her up. She opened her eyes and watched him. There was no evident strain. Just calm focus.

Diego appeared on her other side.

“Diego’s going to hook his arm underneath your leg,” Terrence explained. “I’m going to take the other.”

She appreciated the patience he demonstrated and how he explained every step so she wouldn’t be frightened. At this point, she was ready to be done with it all. The sooner they left this place where she was hunted, the better she’d feel. Maybe then she could begin healing.

She nodded her acceptance, and as soon as she did, Diego stepped forward and slid his arm underneath her legs. He hooked his other arm behind her, and he and Terrence held her up to Rio’s back.

The other two men quickly wound the long strips of cloth they’d secured together underneath her bottom and underneath her legs. They did a series of figure eights, coiling rope and material up and over Rio’s shoulders then under and around her legs and behind until she was solidly supported and attached to his back.

Diego positioned her splinted arm at Rio’s side just underneath his armpit and then secured it to Rio’s body as well.

She had no idea how on ead hea how rth Rio was going to be able to move with her plastered to his body the way she was, much less carry a gun, but he didn’t seem at all bothered by the prospect.

“How are the ribs?” Rio asked.

“Okay.”

“They’ll hurt when he starts walking,” Diego warned. “Try to press against him to minimize your movements as much as possible. The more you jostle, the more it’s going to cause you pain.”

She nodded again and pressed in as close to Rio as she could get. Already she was exhausted and they hadn’t even begun the journey out. She didn’t even know how far they had to travel and she didn’t want to ask because she wasn’t sure she could handle the answer.

Instead she was going to put herself in their hands because she had no other choice. She had no idea who these men were—only that they knew her sister and they professed to want to help her.

She’d been prepared to die. It shamed her that she’d been so ready to give in. At her absolute lowest point, these men had appeared, refusing to let her give up. Rio had promised to take her home, though she had no inkling of what home meant. She’d spent too much time on the run, separated from her only family.

The idea that she was finally safe and could see her sister after so long was more than she could comprehend.

“Ready, Grace?” Rio called over his shoulder.

She took a deep breath, realizing that she was venturing into the unknown once again. Only this time she wasn’t alone, and that bolstered

her flagging resolve like nothing else could.

“Ready.”

CHAPTER 3

RIO’S admiration for Grace grew with every passing hour. He knew she had to be in excruciating pain and yet she bore it stoically, never uttering a sound as he carried her over the uneven terrain.

His team had set a grueling pace that would have most people reduced to begging. But she hadn’t uttered a sound. But he felt her. She wasn’t a strong presence in his mind. He thought she was probably tightly protecting herself. But he could still sense the remains of the mental pathway that had been briefly forged between them, and he knew she was suffering.

“Bad news,” Terrence said grimly.

Rio looked up to get the report from the man he’d sent ahead to scout the area where they’d left the vehicles. Terrence’s lips were set into a fine line, and he kept looking to where Grace’s head rested on Rio’s shoulder as if he hated having to say what he was about to.

Diego pulled up, standing to the side of Terrence and Rio. He too glanced at Grace, but his gaze was seeking, trying to discern her condition.

“Tell me,” Rio said impatiently.

He couldn’t be concerned with Grace hearing bad news. Hell, how much worse could it get anyway? She’d already been to hell and back.

“We’ve got company. Hard to tell from the distance I was doing recon, but our hiding spot has been made and they’ve set up an ambush.”

Rio bit out a string of swear words that had Grace stirring against him. He went still, not wanting to cause her greater discomfort.

“Rio?”

Hearing his name on her lips did odd things to him. His heart turned over at the way she tried to mask her fear. She obviously had no idea how much she was broadcasting. Her fear was a tangible, living thing. He could smell it. He could feel it. He could damn near taste it as it vibrated t/p>ihrough the air.

“What will we do?” she whispered.

Terrence and Diego both put a hand out to her, each seeking to comfort her.

“Don’t you worry, Miss Grace,” Terrence said gruffly. “We’ve faced a lot worse. We aren’t going down to a bunch of good ole boys with peashooters.”

Rio felt her lift her head and he grimaced at the effort it took her. She trembled against him and his gut clenched. She wasn’t doing well at all. He knew it like he knew nothing else. They had to get her somewhere she could have medical attention or she wasn’t going to make it.

“Where will we go?” she asked.

Her head rested on his shoulder again as if she no longer had the strength to hold it up. He could feel her breaths huff out in tiny little bursts against his neck.

It was then he felt the desolation and…the acceptance. Her acceptance. She’d resigned herself to death. Embraced it even. Sorrow surrounded him, pulled at him. She knew she was dying but she didn’t want to die out here in the cold. In the unknown. Afraid. She didn’t want to die afraid.

Rage blew through him. Helpless rage. He wanted to hit something but he remained still, not wanting to add to her pain. He met the gazes of Diego and Terrence.

“We don’t have much time,” he said in a low voice. “We need a backup plan yesterday.” He stared hard at his teammates, his lips curled up in a snarl. “She’s not dying on my watch. Split up. Find us a place we can hunker down and give her some time to heal. We’ll figure out a plan after she’s taken care of.”