The Maze (ATCOM) (12 page)

His
tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring its softness and tasting her. The
kiss was nothing more than a continuation of what they had started the night
before.

The
water rippled around them like a cloud of silk, gliding over their bodies and
increasing the erotic sensations. Their legs entwined, bodies straining to get
closer. Noah caught her moan in his mouth and deepened the kiss, aware they
were drifting toward the end of the tunnel.

Suddenly,
the water around them dropped, tearing them apart and sweeping them down. As
quickly as the water came, it left, taking them with it. Like on a water slide,
they slipped and slid feet-first toward the end that had opened up enough to
let them out.

Noah
could see the top of Attie’s head as she plummeted down ahead of him and then
disappeared. He barely had time to right himself before he plunged down after
her and was free-falling through the air. Attie landed with a splash in a pool
of water.

He
immediately followed, took a deep breath and went under, then began swimming
toward the surface.

Taking
a couple deep breaths, he treaded water and searched for Attie. The pool was
deep enough to break their fall without injury, so she shouldn’t have been hurt
in the fall. Looking up, he saw that the drop was at least fifty feet. Water
dribbled out the opening.

Noah
shook his head. He certainly hadn’t expected anything like this when he signed
on to rescue Brendan. Santiago had gone to a lot of trouble to build this maze.
They’d gone from one cave into another, only this one was bigger than the last
and filled with jungle fauna. Lush greenery and warm, humid temperatures. This
room wasn’t what it appeared.

He
wouldn’t underestimate Santiago again. They had been dropped into this room for
a reason and Noah was going to be prepared for anything.

Where
was Attie?

Turning
in a circle he searched the water for her. Just as he was preparing to go down
after her, she surfaced with a gasp and slipped back under again. Diving for
her, he grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her to the surface.

Coughing,
she allowed him to float her to the edge of the pool and haul her out. He
deposited her on the edge and lifted himself out beside her. When he crouched
beside her, she was still taking deep, gulping breaths of air. Her chest heaved
with each one.

He
put a hand on her shoulder. “Slow, deep breaths.”

Attie
started coughing and turned away to spit out a mouthful of water. She remained
bent over, trying to catch her breath. Noah absently rubbed her shoulder until
she straightened and shrugged it away.

“I’m
fine,” she choked and coughed again.

Noah
gave her a minute to regroup, and scanned the area around them. Artificial rock
walls surrounded the pool and wild orchids of all colors grew around it. If not
for the walls surrounding them on all four sides and the cameras in the corners,
he’d almost believe he was in South America. He had to hand it Santiago—he paid
attention to detail. Well thought out, whatever it was. A couple screeching
monkeys and birdcalls would make it authentic.

Attie
got up and moved away from him, her boots squishing on the cement. He glanced
over to see her muttering to herself and touching her lips. Could she still
taste him there? With a certain amount of male arrogance he believed she could.
He could still taste her, and damn if he didn’t want to kiss her again.

He
could see the turmoil on her face as she studied the area around them, probably
thinking the same thing he was. What waited for them in this room?

Noah
rose to his feet and looked up at the camera in the corner. Attie suddenly spun
around and stalked over to him. “What’s he waiting for?” she whispered. “And
what was with that kiss? Carlos doesn’t expect us to carry on this charade, so
you can stop kissing me whenever you please.”

She
was angry. Good. She wasn’t as immune as she pretended. Attie Devayne had
erected walls between them, but she was having trouble keeping them from
crumbling. He intended to storm every one until none were left. He didn’t
expect to succeed without a few battle scars of his own, but she was worth it.

“It
wasn’t a charade,” he said.

“What
are you grinning about? This isn’t a game, Kincaid, remember that.”

Her
eyes were brilliant when she was angry. “I’m well aware of what this is,
Attie.”

“Then
keep to yourself.”

“Okay.”

Infuriated,
she narrowed her eyes to slits. “You do this on purpose, don’t you? Just to get
a rise out of me.”

“Not
a difficult task, but, no I don’t. You take things too seriously.” Wasn’t that
what Camron was always telling him?

“The
situation warrants it, I’d say,” she said, her voice rising.

“Agreed,
but no need to add to the tension with overreactions.”

Her
mouth snapped open, then shut. Her eyes aimed darts at him. “I do not
overreact.”

“Okay.”

Her
eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Okay?” she repeated.

Noah
nodded. “How about a truce for now?”

Warily
she studied his face. “A truce?”

“You’re
starting to sound like a parrot,” he said mildly.

She
stepped back. “Fine.”

With
that settled, they began searching for a way out. They had nothing else to do
and talking didn’t seem to get them anywhere except in a fight. Attie was upset
because she didn’t like not being in control. Carlos had taken that away from
her. Hell, he didn’t like it any better. It proved once again that Carlos
Santiago was a sick bastard who needed control.

So
what did he have in store for them next?

Chapter
11

Attie
had once underestimated Carlos Santiago. Looking around her now, she realized
the extent of his anger toward her. He was going to make her suffer.

And
it scared her. The admission wasn’t easy, but now that she said it maybe she
could deal with it.

She
knew what he was capable of and God help them all. Especially Brendan, who was
alone in this…maze. What else could she call it? So far they’d gone from a cave
into a room that reminded her of South America.

The
large-leafed plants, colorful orchids and humidity resembled the jungle she’d
lived in for almost six months. Six long, tormented months. Had she really
spent that much time with Carlos on his estate? Somehow it had seemed much,
much longer.

So
far everything was familiar. Carlos, the gowns, the necklace, the extravagant
rooms and meals, the armed guards. Carlos wielded his money and power like
weapons, and they had hurt plenty of people. She had witnessed his ruthlessness
when he brandished that power. The memories would stay with her forever. At
that time she hadn’t been able to do anything about it. This time she could.
She wasn’t in the position she had been then.

Something
brushed against her leg. Attie froze and looked down slowly, not knowing what
to expect. Vegetation. Frowning, she glanced around and saw Noah studying the
cameras mounted on the ceiling from across the room.

What
were they doing here? What waited for them in the bushes? She hated the waiting
Carlos seemed to enjoy. He liked to play with his prey like a cat with a mouse.
Noah didn’t seem to be bothered by it and that only made it worse. Nothing
bothered him.

His
ironclad control had wavered last night when he told her she scared the hell
out of him. She’d never seen him show that kind of emotion. She couldn’t deny a
small part of her wanted to see him lose control. To be the one he lost it
with.

Letting
out a long breath, she continued on. Her imagination was working overtime.
Nothing in here. A leaf brushed against her leg, that’s all.

“Attie,
over here.”

At
the sound of Noah’s voice she followed a path through the vegetation to the
other side of the room where he crouched near a tall plant with man sized
leaves.

“What?”

“Look
at this.”

She
leaned over his shoulder and peered at the long, thin…

“Snake
skin?”

“Looks
like it.”

She
followed the length of it where it disappeared beneath the vegetation.

“How
long is it?”

Noah
slowly pulled it out. Attie’s eyes widened.

“It
must be ten feet long!” A chill ran down her spine. The last time she had seen
a snake that long was in South America in a cage on Carlos’s estate. With a
sharp, indrawn breath she straightened and glanced around her.

“Oh
no,” she breathed.

Noah
glanced at her over his shoulder. “No.”

“Yes,”
Attie said, backing up.

Noah
rose to his feet.

“Anaconda,”
Attie breathed, searching frantically around her for it. “Carlos raised them as
pets.”

Noah
took a step back, too.

“Carlos
used to starve his snakes so that when one of his employees got out of line he
could feed them to his pets and make everyone else watch as the snake swallowed
them whole. It was a slow, agonizing process that taught everyone a very
valuable lesson.”

“Disloyalty
will not be tolerated,” Noah guessed.

“Exactly.”

“Then
we can only assume there is a very large, very hungry anaconda somewhere in
this room with us?”

“Yes.”

Shoulder
to shoulder they backed up, searching in both directions for the snake that
belonged to the skin they’d found. Attie’s heart pounded so loud she was sure
Noah could hear it, but he made no comment if he did. She’d had a great dislike
for snakes ever since South America. “I think it brushed my leg over there,”
she said, pointing.

“Then
we won’t go over there.”

“Yeah.”

“Is
your knife in your boot?”

Attie
glanced sideways at him. “If you recall, I came to dinner wearing an evening
gown and heels. Where would I have concealed a weapon? Besides that, I never
made it back to my room, thanks to you.”

Noah’s
eyes dropped to her chest. “I can think of a couple hiding places.”

Attie
sent him a look that clearly conveyed her thoughts. “Very funny,” she muttered.

Something
rustled in ferns to their right.

“It’s
coming,” Attie whispered.

“Move
toward the pool.”

“Anacondas
are amphibious,” she said in a fierce whisper.

“Only
open spot in the room to see it coming.”

Looking
down, Attie noticed a knife in Noah’s hand that hadn’t been there before. Not
much of a weapon against a ten-foot snake with a hide as thick as leather, but
better than nothing. An M16 would have made her happier, but that was neither
here nor there.

They
were close to the pool now. Waiting. One of the tall plants swayed nearby.
Attie stiffened.

“Just
how are we supposed to battle a snake?” The words were out of her mouth before
she could stop them, more out of habit than concern. She had always looked to Noah
for answers in the academy and in the field and he always provided them.

Some
habits die hard, she thought, wishing she could take the words back. She didn’t
want Noah to think she had forgotten her skills. It had been a while since
she’d been in the field and she might be a little rusty, but she remembered
everything she had been taught.

When
he didn’t answer, she wondered if he had heard her. Moments later he spoke, his
words sending a chill down her spine.

“I
don’t know, Attie.”

A
giant snake slithered out of the underbrush and barreled toward them. No chance
to form a plan.

Attie
didn’t have time to contemplate the fact that Noah Kincaid didn’t have the
answer to her question.

The
snake came at her in a blur of motion. Noah gave her a push that sent her
stumbling sideways. She landed on her knees, recovering quickly, and turned to
see the anaconda knock Noah into the pool with a splash.

“No,”
she shouted, leaping to her feet. Wishing she had a weapon, she ran to the edge
of the pool and looked into the churning water to see the snake roll over Noah.

Water
sloshed over the edge of the pool with each turn, soaking her boots even more.
Very meticulously the snake wrapped itself around its prey, coiling tighter
with each roll. It would eventually squeeze the life out of him and then ingest
him slowly over time. She didn’t wish that kind of death on her worst enemy.
Well, Carlos maybe.

Noah’s
dark head came up out of the water and disappeared back under again. His arm
holding the knife was pinned at his side, rendering it useless. Without
thinking, Attie dove in the pool. She got caught in the waves, dragged under
and tossed about like a buoy before she was able to regain control of her
movements and break free of the surface.

Bobbing
in the water, she waited for Noah to roll her way. If she was quick enough she
could grab the knife and drive it into the snake’s eye, enough to get its
attention and release its grip briefly. It was the only chance they had.

The
snake spun a gasping Noah out of the water and Attie lunged. She fought the
waves and churning water, thankful she had strong legs, because it took every
ounce of her strength to do it. She missed the knife. Instead she latched onto
Noah’s arm and was dragged under with them.

Water
filled her lungs and mouth as she was pulled with amazing strength beneath the
water. Her lungs rejected the onslaught and she took in more water as she felt
a tug on her arm. Just as she was sure she was going to drown, she broke free
of the surface and somehow managed to let go of Noah’s arm.

Gasping
for air and coughing up water, Attie tried to stay afloat as waves crashed her
against the edge of the pool. It took her a minute to realize that she held the
knife in her hand. Somehow Noah had passed it to her. Her back slammed against
the edge, sending her into a coughing fit. She took on water as the waves grew
more frequent and heavier. She had to act now or Noah wasn’t going to make it.
The snake was wrapped around him to his chest.

Fury
built inside her, bubbling over until she forgot all about her burning lungs
and battered body. She put the knife between her teeth and rode a wave out of
the pool.

With
steady determination, her training kicked in and she perched on the edge of the
pool, knife in hand, poised to strike. She was fed up with water in general and
she hated snakes.

The
snake’s head surfaced and with a primal shout Attie leapt at it and drove the
knife into its eye with all the force she could muster. She imagined she looked
ridiculous as she flew through the air and landed with a huge splash in the
water but she didn’t care. Dammit, this snake wasn’t going to take Noah from
her. She wasn’t sure if she was referring to Carlos or the anaconda, probably
both, as she drove the knife to the hilt.

A
wounded scream filled the room.

From
her or the snake?

Suddenly
it stopped rolling and started thrashing wildly. It swung its head around and
threw her out of the pool. She flew through the air.

She
landed hard on her back beside the pool with a sickening thud that knocked the breath
out of her in a painful rush and sent shock waves through her entire body.
Light exploded behind her eyes as she slid to a stop beside a group of red
orchids. Too stunned to move, she lay, trying to get her lungs to work
properly.

The
anaconda thrashed in the water, each angry movement dousing her with water.
When she opened her eyes the splashing had stopped and all she could hear was
the gentle lap of the water against the edges of the pool. Had she passed out?

Noah.

She
moved to sit up, but a shadow fell over her before she could. She went
immediately on the defensive and prepared to fight. Noah dropped to a knee
beside her. His head bent forward and one arm rested along his waist. He was
breathing heavily, eyes closed.

She
came to her knees beside him. “Kincaid?”

He
swayed.

She
slid an arm around his waist and took most of his weight on her shoulders. No
easy task, since he was a solid wall of muscle.

“Come
on, Kincaid, on your feet,” she said, trying to stand.

“Need
a…minute.”

“We
need to get away from the water. I can’t stand for both of us.”

He
stood, bringing her with him. Considering he had just had the life squeezed out
of him and he wasn’t breathing normally yet, he had amazing strength. She
wouldn’t be surprised to find a couple broken ribs. Or worse.

She
kept her arm around him as they made their way slowly away from the pool, aware
he was carrying his own weight, but unwilling to let go in case he passed out.
She didn’t know the extent of his injuries and she wasn’t taking any chances.
Something jabbed into her waist and she glanced down to see the knife she’d
used on the snake in Noah’s hand. She glanced over her shoulder to see if the
anaconda was still there or if it had slithered off to lick its wounds, but Noah
blocked her view with his shoulder.

“It’s
dead,” he said, his tone flat and final.

Attie
ducked around his arm and got a look at the pool, filled with blood and a dead
snake before he nudged her head back around. Nausea rose in her throat.

They
dropped to the ground together, Noah favoring his right side.

“Ribs?”
she asked, studying his face. The only sign of discomfort he showed was in the
thin line of his mouth.

When
he didn’t respond, she reached out and lifted his shirt. She wrung it out
before pushing it up toward his chest. She knew he was in pain. He’d just been
death-rolled by a giant snake—he wasn’t going to walk away unscathed.

“Hold
this,” she ordered, indicating his shirt.

“Damn
it, Attie, back off,” he muttered when her fingers prodded his ribcage.

“I
have to make sure your ribs aren’t broken. If they are, then we have to wrap
them. Be quiet and sit still.”

Leaning
forward, she peered at the rapidly darkening bruise covering his bottom two
ribs. The bluish mark stood out against his smooth, bronzed skin. She let her
hands glide over his ribcage, a smooth mix of taut flesh and lean muscle.

“Does
this hurt?” she asked, prodding his side. At his sharp intake of breath, she
froze. She glanced up to see a white ring had formed around his mouth and his
eyes were closed. “Almost done with this side.”

“I
don’t think they’re broken. Let’s see the other side.”