Surviving Passion (23 page)

            Her skin prickled. Selena cast her eyes frantically about, but she could not see him anywhere and tried desperately to calm herself. She did not want to look like she’d been alerted to anything. It could be her imagination, she considered, but the signal had never failed. Selena squeezed her eyes shut, praying that he would stay away. It must have been a half hour or so before Jake and Clint began to conspire in low tones.

            “He’s out there now,” Jake was saying. He squatted down to poke around the dirt with a nasty-looking knife.

            “It’s still too early. I gave him a mess of a trail,” Clint replied. “It’ll prolly be a couple of hours before he figures out which damn way is up.”

            Jake gave him a sly glare before answering. “Don’t be an idiot, Clint.” Then he cast an intelligent gaze in the direction of the trees. “He’s out there alright. Don’t underestimate him now that we’re so close. Remember our agreement. You wanted our help, you cowardly bastard, so now you stay the fuck out of my way and do as I say. You’re not gonna fuck up my one interesting fight.”

            “Just as long as I get her,” Clint replied sullenly.

            Selena took the time now to examine Jake more closely. As she had observed at the time of their first battle, he would be a little shorter than Dan, but carried more bulk. Selena’s eyes were glued to him as he rose from the ground and began to pace, staring darkly into the trees. Something in the way he was moving triggered alarm in her mind. Who was he, she wondered, and where had he come from? What were his skills? Her stomach roiled. There was a reason he was the leader of this posse. Selena wished she could tell more about people by observing them. Dan would know just by watching him walk exactly how dangerous Jake was.

            Two men emerged from the dining hall, wrapping a chain around the door handles and weaving it into a knot. They came down the stairs to join the others.

            Every passing minute was becoming thicker with tension, Selena realized. It was palpable in the heat of the cloudless sky and in the stillness of the wind. It felt as though the whole world was waiting. Her restraints were driving her mad. The thought of being helpless in the face of such horror was unbearable. She whimpered in frustration.

            Jake looked to have run out of patience. He finally stopped pacing and turned to face the trees, striding out in the open alone.

            “Dan!” he suddenly roared long and low. After such quiet, the explosion of noise was deafening and Selena jumped back instinctively. He turned his malicious gaze on her, and she shrank away in fear. He smirked before returning his eyes to the trees.

            “Dan!” he screamed again, drawing out the cry for several seconds. “We’re gonna take turns on her until you come out,” he yelled, laughing before beginning to pace again. He went on more quietly as he continued to watch the trees, “We’re thinking to keep most everybody alive so we’ll have food whenever we pop in for a visit. If you don’t come out,” his voice grew more savage as he finished, “we’re gonna cut a throat every hour until you do! Choice is yours.”

            Selena stared wide-eyed at Jake, feeling the tears sting her eyes.
No!
she thought desperately. She wanted to kill them all. Such was her fury that Selena hadn’t noticed that Clint had come close. To her surprise, he reached up and cut her bonds, dragging her towards the dining hall. Her arms fell limply to her sides, now completely numb.

            “Don’t want you getting killed by accident,” he explained gleefully as he marched her up the stairs and pinned her against the wooden railing. “This is when the show starts. Didn’t I tell you we had some good shit planned?”

            Selena felt the terror overwhelm her rage. This was all wrong. Her heart raced as she stared out unblinking. Clint roughly grasped her wrists and held them to the railing.

            A black shape appeared then at the edge of the trees. A painful sob forced its way from her chest as Dan strode out to meet them.

Fifteen

            Dan made his way to them with measured steps and confident grace. Not a shadow of fear could be seen on his face as Selena watched him stride out alone, one man against eight who thirsted for his blood. Suddenly he was so beautiful that her insides ached. She frantically wished that she could stop time now, in these last moments. She imagined them riding away together and leaving this nightmare behind. Memories of all the times she’d run from him flashed through her mind, but in that moment she would have given anything in the world to run
to
him.

            His eyes never moved from Jake as he drew near, and he halted fifteen paces away.

            A guttural chuckle rumbled from Jake’s throat as he stood facing Dan with his hands loosely on his hips. He was clearly savoring the moment. “Why howdy, Dan. Nice day isn’t it?”

            Dan eyed his enemy grimly before responding, “My life for theirs’.”

            Jake cocked his head as Dan removed his dagger and let it fall to the ground. Selena’s tears flowed freely down her cheeks now and Dan chose this moment to look at her.

            “I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you,” he said, as though struggling to believe it himself.

            Selena shook her head. This wasn’t right. She couldn’t accept it, even as the enemy slowly began to assemble in a half-circle around him, their weapons drawn and ready.

            Jake chuckled again and soon he laughed fully. His men did not join him.

            “Whew,” he said wiping his eyes when he had recovered from his fit. “Don’t be silly now, Dan. You thought I was gonna execute you? Now where’s the fun in that? I may be a bastard but I ain’t wasteful.”

            Dan’s eyes flashed to Jake. His brow furrowed as he studied the other man. By now, the lackeys had formed a full circle around him, but caution kept them at a distance.

            Jake smiled and began to amble around the outside of the line his men formed, daring to take his eyes off Dan to watch the ground as he went. “Clint here tells me your daddy was in the Special Forces. That true?”

            As Jake circled, Dan kept the other man in his peripheral vision, but never turned.

            “Not the chatty one, are ya?” Jake asked, still smiling. “Near as I know, that was a real fancy branch of the
U
nited States Army. Must be a lot of pretty technique you got. See, I couldn’t see much in the dark durin’ your little raid.” He stopped walking and studied Dan carefully for several moments before continuing his march. “Call me curious, but I’d like to see how you go.” He scratched at the back of his neck, explaining, “You can think of it as … tryin’ out a new horse.”

            Selena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jake was going to make him fight.
He’s insane. He’ll lose half his men, or all of them.

            “Now I’ve got half a mind to give you a fair match. You against me,” he continued. “But I’m still a little sore at all that sneakin’ around in the dark you’ve been doin’. Seems hardly fair to cut a man’s throat in the middle of the night when he’s takin’ a piss now don’t it, Dan? Sure, you didn’t break no code. What’d they call that, a
co
vert operation?” He laughed again, shooting Dan a dark smirk. “Not a fair fight at all. And I’m afraid that means you ain’t gettin’ one, neither.”

            Selena felt a spike of savage hope. He could beat them. Dan was indestructible. She watched his face desperately, looking for some glimmer of his thoughts, but though his eyes burned as always, his expression revealed nothing.

            “You’ll fight,” Jake went on. “You’ll fight because if you win, these people will continue livin’ their normal lives … almost. As a friendly gesture, I’ll give you a little tip. Don’t underestimate my men here. Only the stupid ones got killed in that raid. Wasn’t much of a loss, really.” He turned his gaze to Clint. “Well how ‘bout it Clint? I’m in such high spirits, I think I’d like to offer you first slice at your friend Dan, here. That is, if you feel like it.”

            Selena and Dan locked eyes and she knew he hoped the answer was yes. Killing Clint would be his first priority, but Selena hoped the answer was no. Seven men against him were terrifying enough.

            “I couldn’t be happier just enjoying the show, Jake,” Clint answered with quiet malice. “Especially since I have his woman to attend to.”

            He let go of her wrist and placed his hand on her middle. Selena froze as his fingers began to slide under her shirt.

            She kept her eyes on Dan who stared back wildly. He seemed to have reached the limit of his tolerance and looked ready to snap. She sighed, forcing herself to appear, not just unafraid, but even disinterested in Clint’s exploration of her flesh. She had to show Dan she was strong enough to handle it. It may have been the hardest thing she’d ever done, and she swallowed a wave of nausea. Dan’s murderous stare moved to Clint who stopped what he was doing immediately.

            “Course,” Jake grinned. “Who am I to argue with that?”

            Clint
was
a coward, Selena realized, just like Jake had said. He could have gone for Dan any time over the past several years and didn’t. He bullied her because he thought he could get away with it. She found herself hopeful again that Dan would win. Although his weapon lay in the dirt at his feet, Clint was still afraid of him.

            “Guess it’s all us, then,” Jake said.

            Selena’s heart began to hammer faster in her chest as the men in the circle grew tense.

            Finally, Jake stopped walking and turned to face Dan straight on. For once, his expression was deadly serious as he growled, “Now pick up that knife.”

            Dan cast his eyes to the ground and took a steadying breath, clearly working to recover from his rage. Very slowly, he lowered himself into a squatting position and took up a handful of dirt. He rubbed it between his palms before reaching out to grasp his dagger. Selena almost missed it, but a blade had appeared in his other hand as well. It seemed he had pulled it from his boot and was making no attempt to hide the fact. Very deliberately, Dan rose to his feet again and held his arms away from his sides as though waiting to deliver a deadly embrace.

            “Alright boys,” Jake bellowed lustily. “Kept you waitin’ long enough. You land a blow, you get one of them women all to yourself for a day, real romantic like. Clint up there’ll keep track. Won’t you, Clint?”

            A look of furious disgust contorted Dan’s features and he seemed to struggle to maintain his discipline. Selena began to squirm against Clint’s vice-like hold as the start of the fight drew near. He clamped his hands on both of her wrists again, squeezing so hard that she was forced to cry out. Dan’s pinched gaze darted to her for a second, and she fought for air as the moment became suffocating. Angry with herself for distracting him, she resolved to keep still and quiet, no matter what Clint did. Her stomach bunched into painful knots as she waited for Jake’s order.

            “You ready, boys?” he queried savagely.

            Dan’s grip on his weapons tightened.

            “Well, get to it,” Jake commanded quietly.

            Three darted in at once with frightening speed and Dan spun, slashing one on the arm and kicking another out of the way when the man overshot his target. Dan jumped back as the third came at him, but had to circle to avoid the men waiting behind him. One of them lurched forward, trying a fast slash from behind, but Dan was quick enough to evade him as well and scored a blow to the back of the man’s head with the blunt of his dagger. He seized the moment to plunge the other blade into the man’s side. He crumpled with a cry of agony.

            Selena’s eyes burned as she refused to blink. She didn’t want to see but try as she might, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

            Just as Dan recovered another man came in low from behind and slashed at his ankle, rolling out of the way as one of his friends charged again. Dan sidestepped the blade, but a second too late, and it cut into his lower leg.

            Although Dan didn’t react, Selena gasped. She couldn’t tell how bad the wound was. It was happening too fast. Clint laughed fiercely in her ear, pressing more tightly against her from behind.

            “Dave scores,” Jake cried out in jubilation.

            Five men remained, and Dan crossed his daggers over his head to parry the downward slash of the next attack before spinning to evade another.

            Jake was pacing around on the outside of the circle again, looking as though he was simply itching to throw in. He seemed to be restraining the impulse for the purpose of study and keenly watched every parry, thrust, blow and evasion that was executed.

            After the first man fell, the others put more emphasis on speed, and many times they feigned an attack before jumping back again. They forced a response whenever they could, staying just out of reach. It became clear that they were now playing chicken in order to tire him. Dan knew this and did what he could to conserve energy, watching his enemies’ movements more closely, looking at their eyes for cues. He seemed to focus mostly on Dave and somehow Selena knew that self-defence wasn’t Dan’s only reason for watching him. He didn’t want the man to live to collect his prize.

            One man rushed him from the front and another from behind. Selena couldn’t help but cry out when he narrowly ducked out of the killing stab aimed at his back. In a flash, Dan dropped a dagger to grab the man’s wrist, pointing the blade it held menacingly at the attacker in front of him. He savagely planted his elbow twice into the gut of the man behind him before plunging his remaining knife behind into his belly. As the man behind him fell dead, Dan went for his dropped dagger. The man in front of him aimed a fierce kick at his head, but Dan ducked as he scooped up the blade and quickly got to his feet.