"A man can always hope."

She managed an elegant sniff of indignation, taking the mug of soup he handed to her. "How long before the hit man comes back?" It was a much safer subject.

"He could be holed up a couple of miles from here. It depends on how badly injured he was. He was moving fast and thinking the entire time."

"Which means it wasn't that bad."

"That would be my guess. Franz is scouting and I've sent out a couple of other friends, not human in case you 182.

were wondering. They'll raise the alarm if he shows himself within a couple of mile radius. If he's smart, he's laying low waiting for us to settle down."

Rachael's heart jumped. "You mean you think he'll be coming back tonight? Why aren't we getting ready to get out of here? I can make it. It's silly to just sit here and wait for him to shoot at us."

"We're not just waiting for him, Rachael. We're fortifying ourselves and preparing for battle."

"I don't want to battle anyone. You know the old fight-or-flee adage? I believe fleeing is the smart thing to do. There must be one of the native huts I read about where we can go."

"He's a walking radar system, Rachael. He can track us, no matter where we go.

If you don't want to shelter with the elders in the village then we have to face him."

Rachael shook her head sadly. "Everywhere I go, I bring death." She looked away from the door. "I'm sorry, Rio. I really am, that I brought this man into your life. I thought I could escape."

"It was his choice to take this job. Eat your soup."

Rachael sipped at the broth cautiously. It was very hot but she found she was suddenly hungry. "I'm still trying to get used to the idea that leopard men actually are real, not a myth, and you want me to believe I'm a leopard woman."

She laughed softly. "It can't be real, but I saw it with my own eyes."

"I'll be happy to demonstrate for you." He wanted to get her to his safe house as quickly as possible. She wouldn't be happy with the move, and he was certain it would hurt her leg, but he felt they had no choice. The sniper wouldn't wait long. If Rio had been the hunter, he would have already been making his way slowly, patiently, back into position for the kill.

Rio dragged his large pack out. He kept it filled with necessary items for a quick getaway. He added extra shuts for Rachael. He cut the seam of a pair of his old jeans up to .p "I'm smins to have vou out these on."

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"Lovely. I like the look. Are we going walking in the moonlight?" She set the soup on the small end table and held out her hand for the jeans. Her gaze met his steadily, but he saw her swallow hard. The prospect of trying to walk with the injury she'd sustained was daunting.

"Yes. Let me help you." He eased the material over her swollen ankle and calf.

Her courage shook him. He expected a protest but as usual, Rachael was game.

She broke out into a sweat while dressing. "I'm out of shape."

"We're not going to talk about shapes again, are we?" He teased, needing to find a way to take the pain from her eyes% He ran his fingers through her hair. The silken strands were damp. "Are you going to be able to do this?"

"Of course. I can do anything." Rachael had no idea how she was going to stand up and actually put weight on her leg. Even with Kim and Tama's green-brown brew smeared in globs over her calf, her leg was throbbing. She was certain when she looked down to inspect the damage she would see arrows piercing her flesh. She handed him the soup mug. "I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be."

He handed her a sheathed knife and the small gun. "The safety's on." He shouldered the pack, reached down for the fifty-pound clouded leopard. "We can't leave you behind, Fritz. I have a feeling our friend is going to be feeling vindictive. You'll have to stay out of the house."

The cat yawned but stayed on his feet when Rio set him on the verandah. "Go, little one, find a place to hide until I return." He watched the small leopard limp onto a branch and disappear into the foliage. Rio looked back to see Rachael struggling to her feet. "What in the h.e.l.l do you think you're doing, woman?"

"I think it's called standing but I seem to have forgotten how," she answered, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's the green gunk you put on my leg. It's weighing me down."

"Rachael, I'm going to carry you. I don't expect you to walk."

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"That's silly. I'm weak more than anything else. It isn't that painful. Well, it's painful because the swelling hasn't gone down yet."

He gathered her into his arms. "I spent all these years alone. No one ever argued with me."

"And now you have me," she said with evident satisfaction, settling into his body. "Do you have any idea where we're going? I thought you said he could track us."

"I did say that, didn't I?" He was already moving through the network of branches, far faster than Rachael considered safe.

Despite the heavy pack and her additional weight, Rio wasn't even breathing hard as he landed on the ground and began to jog, weaving through the trees back toward the river. She buried her face against his neck, trying not to cry out with each jarring step.

The roar started softly, a m.u.f.fled, distant sound that quickly began to gain in strength. Rachael lifted her head in alarm, suddenly afraid of where he meant to take her.11.THE forest appeared stately, the majestic trees rising like great cathedral pillars all around them. Smaller trees were scattered everywhere, creating a patchwork effect of silvery leaves, explosions of color and dark patches of bark. Staghorn ferns hung from trees, the vivid green p.r.o.ngs rustling in the slight wind as they hurried by. Moonlight filtered through the c.h.i.n.ks in the canopy, casting flecks of light here and there on the wet forest floor. Rachael caught glimpses of leaves in every shade of red, iridescent greens and blues, anything to increase the refraction and absorption of light into the leaf pigment.

Rachael clung to Rio as he jogged through the forest. The dark never seemed to bother him. He moved at a sure, steady pace. She heard deer bark the alert signal of predators in the area as they pa.s.sed, causing Rio to swear under his breath. Two very tiny deer burst out of the bushes ahead of them and raced into the undergrowth.

The roar of the river grew. The continuous croaking of frogs added to the din.

Rachael's stomach lurched crazily.

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"Rio, we have to stop, just for a minute. I'm going to be sick if we keep going."

"We can't, sestrillaj we have to reach the river. He can't track our scent in water." Rio continued moving over the thick, wet vegetation on the forest floor.

It was dark and damp with small pools of water here and there. These and forest wallows didn't slow him down. He avoided the unnatural pile, of leaves and twigs signaling the nest of the resident bearded pig. Ticks carrying anything from tick fever to scrub typhus were often abundant in the nests and Rio took care to stay away from them.

Rachael concentrated on the forest rather than her discomfort. Twice she caught glimpses of large deer with thick horns, the samba deer, largest in the forest.

It was dizzying to be rushed through the forest at night. There was an eerie feel to the way the canopy swayed above them, continually changing the patterns of light through the trees. Plants and fungi covered tree trunks so that plants appeared to piggyback on top of one another, creating a lush environment. Every now and then Rio gave a soft, grunting cough, alerting the animals to his presence in the hopes the nightjars wouldn't raise an alarm as they darted overhead catching insects on the wing.

The roar became louder. Rachael realized they'd been traveling at an angle upriver to meet the flooded banks. She put her mouth to Rio's ear. "You're not taking me to your elders, are you?"

He heard the little catch hi her voice. "I want the sniper to think I am."

Rachael didn't answer, comforted that he wasn't abandoning her. They were slogging through the swamps, climbing carefully over the myriad of tree roots extending out from the base of the trunk creating little mini cages. Water lapped at Rio's knees. The look of the forest changed as they neared the river's edge. More light was able to penetrate the canopy, and many of the trees were

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smaller with crooked trunks and branches that draped low to hang over the water.

"Aren't there alligators and other reptilian things here?" Rachael asked. The roar of the river was deafening. The moist heat curled her hair even more, creating a ma.s.s of springy whorls and spirals. She had avoided the mangroves and swamps as much as possible along with all the other members of the group bringing medical aid. The edges of the river could be as dangerous as they were beautiful.

Rio waded out in the fast-moving water. "We're going to swim, Rachael. Hopefully Tama's potion will protect your leg from any further infection. I'm going to tie you to me, in case you get swept away by the current."

"Are you crazy? We can't swim in this." She was horrified. In the dark, the river appeared swifter and more frightening than it had during the day. Or maybe without bandits rushing out of the forest it seemed more dangerous. "We have no choice if we're going to get you to safety, Rachael. As long as he knows where you are, we're handicapped. He's mobile and we aren't. I swear, I won't let anything happen to you."

She stared into his face. Into his eyes. Studied Ms firm jaw, the tiny lines etched into his rough features. Rachael lifted her hand and traced one small scar down low near his chin. "Lucky for you, I'm a heck of a swimmer." She smiled at him, trusting him when she hadn't trusted anyone for as long as she could remember. "My name is Rachael Lospostos, Rio. It isn't really Smith."

"Somehow I knew that already." He kissed her upturned mouth gently. 'Thank you.

I know that wasn't easy for you."

"It's the least I could do when I got you into this mess." Her dark eyes glinted with amus.e.m.e.nt. "You can kiss me again though. If I drown, I want to take the taste of your perfectly lovely mouth with me."

"You know you're distracting me. If we get eaten by an alligator, it's your fault."

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"I heard they don't like fast-moving water," she said and fastened her mouth to his. They merged instantly the way they always did, sinking into one another and spinning away from the world.

Rio struggled to remember where they were and the danger they were in. She had a way of sweeping away sane thoughts and replacing them instantly with urgent hunger and need. Very carefully he lowered her feet into the rushing water, reluctantly lifting his head as he did so. It was the only way to breathe and keep his sanity and wits.

"I've got you, Rachael." His arm around her waist steadied her as he looped a rope around her and secured it around his own waist. "I'm not about to lose you.

We're going to wade out where the water is moving faster, lift our feet and travel downstream with the current. We don't want anything to let him know what direction we're going. A leaf, the bottom of the river near the banks disturbed, anything at all can be a clue. We'll travel downriver for some time."

"Let's do it then." She didn't want to lose her nerve. She grinned at him. "At least I know you're not attracted to me because I look great." She swept a hand through her hair and took the first step. Her injured leg, even with the support of the water, didn't want to take her weight so she stretched out full length and began to swim.

Rio went after her, pride welling up at her courage. The moonlight fell across her face as she swam, and he watched the beads of water pour off of her. She used sure, strong strokes, cut cleanly through the water, almost as silent as he was. There it was again, that strange disorienting feeling of familiarity. He had been swimming with her before. He had seen an exact image, he knew the moment she would turn her head and take a breath of air.

The current was stronger in the center of the river and took them both with little effort, carrying them downstream. Rio caught her hand and held tight as they both bent knees and lifted feet to avoid rocks and snags as they