Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (15 page)

By the time they topped out and began seeing some grass and trees mixed in with the rocky hillside, Mia’s calf muscles were burning. The air was hot and humid and sticky. She paused to wipe the sweat out of her eyes.

The man behind her didn’t like her to stop. He grunted, motioning with the gun. Mia tried to buy a little more breathing time. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”

He looked insulted. “Of course we are not lost! Go!” He jerked the gun again.

Mia sighed, slapped at an insect buzzing her arm, and plodded onward.

Before long, it looked like to her that they were following some kind of animal track. She couldn’t see the turquoise water anymore, just more and more rock and spiky grass. Then the man in the lead ducked under some more rocks and disappeared from sight. Marti and Mia obediently followed him. The bright sun abruptly vanished, and Mia realized that they were inside a cave.

Mia’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, and she could see that there were several men already in the cave. Some were squatting around the flickering yellow flames of a small fire. Others were lying on blankets. A lot of guns and knives were scattered around. Mia could smell smoke and dank stone and something else.

“Phew!” Marti waved her hands in front of her face, wrinkling her nose. Mia’s own nostrils quivered. The guys didn’t have a nice flush toilet.

Every head turned toward the women. Hard, unfriendly eyes stared at them. Mia didn’t feel too comfortable. She didn’t think Marti did, either, because Marti crossed her arms and rubbed her hands up and down.

A big man got up from where he was sitting on a boulder and walked toward them with the fluid grace of a panther. He said a few words. While one of the armed men stayed by Mia and Marti, the other started talking in a low voice, gesturing at the two women. The big man studied Mia and Marti like they were stinkbugs.

Mia instantly recognized him from the action movie.

Cadero looked like a mercenary. Big and tough, a mean, lean machine. His black eyes were cold. He sported a jagged scar down one side of his face that stood out against his brown skin. His long black hair was tied back with a leather thong. He was pretty darn good-looking in a dangerous, macho way.

Mia heard Marti let out a tiny sigh. She knew exactly what Marti was thinking. Marti had always liked the beefed up Latin types.

“Rambo at
one o’clock
,” Mia muttered.

“Oh, yeah.”

Cadero overheard her. He thrust the guard back with one hand splayed on the man’s chest. A fanatic light had leapt into his eyes. “You know John Rambo?” It was like he shot the question at her out of a pistol.

“No, but I know all about his legend,” Mia shot right back at him. “Have you ever heard of Sylvester Stallone?”

Marti squeaked. “Mia!”

Cadero looked confused. “Who is Sylvester Stallone?”

“Sly Stallone and John Rambo are close. Very, very close.” Mia thought about it and smiled. “Closer than brothers. He’s the man behind Rambo.”

Cadero looked intrigued. “Do you know Stallone? I would like to know this man who is, as you say, closer than a brother to John Rambo.”

Mia sighed. Sometimes it was hard to remember where she was. She shook her head. “No, I’ve just read about him.”

He considered what she had said then shook his head with disapproval. “This Sylvester Stallone should not jeopardize his connections. He should keep a lower profile. What does he do?”

Mia debated how to tweak the truth. “Sly is like Rambo’s money man.”

He looked impressed. “Ah, then it is comprehensible. Everyone needs a financier.”

Mia grinned, starting to enjoy herself in a jerky way. “Sly Stallone is really close to Rocky Balboa, too.”

“The fighter! Yes, yes! This Sly Stallone, he chooses good men!”

“Quit already, Mia!” Marti glared at her.

Mia couldn’t help it. She laughed. She pointed at Marti. “And she is one kickass mama. She kicked the commandant’s butt!”

Cadero’s gaze swung away from Mia and zeroed in on her best friend. His stare was intent and hot and assessing. Marti blushed. She said modestly, “Well, I did get in a few good hits. And I broke one of the guards’ noses.”

“What is this? A guard, too?”

Mia could tell that Cadero was impressed. She thought that could only be a good thing. “The guards outnumbered Marti, three to one.
And
her hands were tied.”

“Madre dios!” Cadero took a step toward her, looking down at Marti as if she was spun of pure gold. “Such fire! Such courage!”

Marti pouted her lower lip. Her eyelashes fluttered. She looked adorable. “The commandant shouldn’t have hit my friend in the face.” Her voice was all breathy.

Cadero leaned over her. He raised one hand to gently cup her face. “You are truly a prize, mi linda.”

Marti giggled.

Mia noticed that no one was expressing worry about her sore, bloodied face. Mia pouted a little herself. Not that anyone noticed. “The commandant thought so, too. He said that he would enjoy taming Marti. That’s why we climbed down the wall. We didn’t like the looks of his little fun-house torture chamber.”

Cadero jerked around. His black eyes blazed. He snarled. “I will kill him twice over! Once for my sister! And again, because he dared to voice such sacrilege!” He waved his hand as though he had just remembered. “Oh, and also because I am the leader of the revolution.”

“Yeah?” Mia glanced around at the motley crew in the cave. The raggedly dressed men, even if they were armed, didn’t look like much of a revolution. “It looks like you need some help. I know just the man.”

His whole face lit up. “John Rambo?”

“No! Aiden Smith.”

Chapter Ten

It took a while for
Cadero
to get over his disappointment that he wasn’t going to get Rambo’s help, but he grudgingly agreed that Special Ops was a good second-best. He grimaced, making his scar twist in a grotesque way. “I do not trust outsiders, you understand. But perhaps we can help each other.”

He issued orders that a secret message was to be taken to the cantina. The bartender would relay it through channels to Aiden, so that a meeting could be set up. He pointed at Mia then jerked his thumb at a man who stood nearby. “You will go with my man. You will be hidden above the cantina. When this Lieutenant Aiden Smith comes, then he will believe what you tell him about me and my men.”

Mia nodded happily. She was going to get out of the stinking cave and see Aiden again. She couldn’t wait. “Okay! Come on, Marti. Let’s get going.”

Cadero showed his very white teeth. His black eyes gleamed. “Your chica remains with me. I must have insurance. Perhaps I shall take her to my sister.”

Marti’s eyes rounded. She looked up real quick into Cadero’s face then dropped her gaze. She circled one toe of her expensive leather slip-on in the dirt of cave.

“Uh, you mind if I talk to my chica privately?” Mia smiled politely. Good manners couldn’t hurt anything.

Cadero waved his hand. “But of course not! It is natural that you will wish to say good-bye.”

Mia didn’t like the sound of that. Cadero walked away, and so did the guard. Darting a wary gaze around, Mia grabbed Marti’s arm. She hissed at her, real low. “I can’t leave you here! You’ve got to sneak out or–or something!”

“I can’t. You heard him. He wants me for insurance.”

Marti didn’t look frightened. Mia couldn’t figure it out. She shook her girlfriend’s arm. “Marti! What if something bad happens? I–I might never see you again.”

Marti got a small grin on her face. “Mia, it’s going to be
all right
. He’s going to take me to his
sister
, remember?”

Mia stared at her, frowning. “Yeah, so?”

Marti shook her head, like Mia was really dense. “He’s taking me to meet his
family
, Mia! Get it? He
likes
me.”

“So, you’re okay with me going off by myself.” Mia was feeling kind of hurt.

“Well, of
course
not, silly! Something bad might happen to
you
! But I just
know
everything is going to be all right.” Marti gave her a hug. It made Mia feel a little better.

The guide came back to fetch Mia. “It is time to go.” He jerked his head toward the cave entrance. Mia followed him.

At the cave’s entrance, Mia hesitated and looked back. Marti waved at her, looking cheerful. Mia waved back and ducked out of the cave. The guide led her away into the rocks and spiky grass. When Mia glanced back again, she couldn’t even see where the entrance to the cave was anymore.

* * * *

The trek was a long, dry, hot one. At last, Mia could see the colorful crowded buildings of the town. The church bell tower rose above the tallest flat roofs. The commandant’s fortress-like compound hulked above everything else.

Getting unobserved into the town was not that hard. Mia’s guide just slapped a floppy native hat over her head and a big woolly blanket thing over her shoulders that hung down to her knees and hid her clothes. Mia felt kind of hot. Not
that
kind of hot, but sweaty, sweat trickling down the back
hot
. Her face felt prickly, despite the shade of the hat. Under the blanket, her clothes clung to her sticky skin.

Armed soldiers in trucks rumbled through the narrow, dusty streets. When the trucks roared past, the townspeople and chickens and dogs had to scatter out of the way. The yelling and clucking and yelping mixed with the curses that were shouted after the soldiers. Some of the people shook their fists. But no one paid any attention to Mia or her guide. She just plodded along, watching the dust puff up under her plodding feet. Mia wasn’t really thinking about a whole lot, but her mind did seem to be stuck in a rut.
Ice-cold Coke. Iced tea. Frozen margarita.

At the cantina, Mia was led upstairs and pushed into a tiny airless room under the roof beams. The man muttered for her to keep the shutters closed over the windows. Then he left her there alone and shut the door. It was pretty dim in there, just fingers of sunlight coming in through the uneven wooden shutters.

Mia sat down on the narrow bed. The heat was really bad. She dragged off the hat and the blanket thing. That helped, but not by much. Mia decided it might be cooler if she sat on the floor.
Everyone knows heat rises.
She was just as hot, and her butt went to sleep on the hard boards.

Mia didn’t know how long she waited. She wasn’t really worried or anything. She vaguely suspected the heat kind of put her into a stupor, so she had no worries at all. Her head started to pound. She closed her eyes and drowsed.

Then the door opened, and a big figure slipped into the room. Mia scrambled unsteadily to her feet, ready to defend her virtue. Her head swam, and she staggered. “Oh, crap.”

Large hands grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Mia!”

Mia’s head lolled back, and she blinked, very slowly. Aiden’s face swam into sight. Mia giggled in relief. “Oh, it’s you!”

He shook her gently. His deep voice was all rumbly and concerned. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m just so hot.”

He lowered her down to sit on the bed. Next thing Mia knew, a canteen was tilted to her lips, and she was greedily drinking tepid, metallic water. Mia had never tasted anything so good in her life.

Mia perked right up. She tilted her head so she could smile at Aiden. “Hi there, lover boy.”

His calloused fingers grasped her chin, lifting her face more toward the murky light. “What happened to your face?”

“The commandant hit me.” Mia pouted. This time it worked.

Aiden’s face went tight, and he barely breathed. “
I’ll kill him
.”

It was very satisfying on some visceral, primitive level. Mia waved her hand like it was not a big deal. Brave, brave Mia. She felt very British for some reason.
Keep a stiff upper lip, lads.
“It’s nothing. Really, I’m fine.”

Aiden stared at her, his brows gradually lowering in a gold bar over his glacial eyes.

“That’s just like you, Mia.” There was an annoyed tone in his voice.

“Excuse me?” Mia narrowed her eyes at him. She did
not
like his tone of voice.

“You came back for me. You risk yourself to get me back to my team. You somehow manage to get kidnapped by a madman. You blow it off that he hits you!”

Aiden’s face was turning red. Mia couldn’t believe it. He was being so unreasonable. He obviously knew he couldn’t yell because they might be overheard by unwelcome parties. But he was spitting out the words in hissing whispers.

Brave Mia was morphing into thoroughly pissed Mia. She glared at him. “You
like
it that I’m brave! You said so!”

“I changed my mind!”

Mia squealed in outrage, kind of like Doris Day in a ladylike snit. Being in a movie was growing on her. Her inner drama queen was coming out.

Mia slugged him on the chest. He didn’t even blink.

Aiden showed his teeth in a shark grin.