Son of a b.i.t.c.h!

"Back!" he whispered harshly. "Everybody back!"

It was a trap of some sort. The branch had obviously been pulled down on purpose. And the groan? Just the cherry on top.

This close to the fort, it had to be meant to get the attention of the people inside, but why someone would want to do that was something he'd have to figure out later. Right now, he needed to get away.

Crouching, he ran into the cover of the brush, and then oriented himself so he was heading back to the point where he and the others had originally split up.

He ducked below several branches and went the long way around a dense thicket, taking the quieter path.

He sensed motion a split second before he heard the near-silent step. As he started to turn, someone wrapped an arm around his neck. He grabbed it with one hand, and tried to pull it off while twisting his gun around with the other so he could shoot his attacker, but the person behind him rammed a knee into the side of the gun's suppressor, and slammed it upward again, this time into Quinn's fingers.

Quinn tried to hold on, but the gun slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. Around him, the world was starting to go black as the blood to his brain was being cut off.

In a last-ditch effort, he staggered forward and then thrust himself back, hoping to throw the attacker off balance. Though the man didn't let go, the move did loosen his hold around Quinn's neck, and brought Quinn back from the brink of unconsciousness.

He grabbed the man's arm with both hands and yanked down hard. He could feel his attacker lose his balance, so Quinn dropped to a crouch. The guy rolled over his back, sprawling to the ground on the other side.

Quinn s.n.a.t.c.hed up his pistol, pointed it at the man. "Don't move."

CHAPTER 55.

THOUGH NATE DIDN'T have a very clear view from his position, he was able to make out three soldiers as they moved off in different directions.

How the h.e.l.l did I miss three?

Clutching tightly to his rock, he moved in as close as he dared and waited for one of them to pa.s.s by.

A minute pa.s.sed, then two.

Suddenly a voice cut through the silence. It was a whisper, hard and decisive, but too low for Nate to make out the words. For a second, he heard someone run, then all went quiet again.

Come this way, he thought. Right here. I'm waiting.

He closed his eyes and listened intently.

The noise was slight-the branch of a bush, maybe, its leaves rubbing together for only a second.

Someone was close.

A light step. It could be heard only because it was just a few feet away.

As Nate opened his eyes, a man pa.s.sed his position and started walking away. Oddly, he wasn't wearing fatigues like the others, but he had to be from the fort.

Another one lost from the herd.

With the guy's friends probably close, Nate had to be careful about drawing their attention, so he set the stone on the ground. For this one, he would use his hands.

Three steps forward.

On the fourth, he knew the man had heard him. He threw his arm around the man's neck and squeezed.

CHAPTER 56.

"NATE?" QUINN SAID.

Nate, dirty and bruised and beaten, stared up at him. "Quinn?"

Quinn reached down and helped Nate to his feet.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"What are you doing out here?" Nate shot back.

"What do you think we're doing here? We came to get you."

"The others with you...?"

"Orlando and Daeng."

Nate closed his eyes, his head lolling back, relieved.

"Are you all right?" Quinn asked.

Before Nate could answer, Daeng emerged from the bushes to the left. He pulled to a sudden stop when he saw Nate. "Well, that was easy."

Quinn rubbed his neck. "Not quite as easy as you think."

Orlando joined them a moment later. "Oh, thank G.o.d," she said.

She threw her arms around Nate, but he instantly winced and pulled back from her grasp.

"Sorry. Just a little sensitive," he told her.

She moved around behind him, and lifted the back of his shirt before he could stop her. "What the h.e.l.l?"

Quinn stepped over so he could see. Nate's back was lined with bright red welts and open wounds that could have only been caused one way.

"You need to sit down," Quinn said.

"I'm okay. Really, I'm going to be fine."

"No," Orlando said. "You won't be fine if we don't do something. These wounds are going to get infected, if they're not already."

"It's fine."

"We need to take him back to the boat," Orlando said to Quinn.

"No," Nate said.

Ignoring him, Orlando went on. "The sooner we get him to a hospital, the better."

"No!" Nate repeated. "Not yet. There are others still being held."

"We know," Quinn said. "Peter, right?"

Nate wrinkled his brow. "Yeah. And three more."

"Lanier, Berkeley, and Curson."

He smiled in genuine surprise. "You figured it out?"

"Pullman got us started, then we had a nice chat with your friend Burke."

"That b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Nate said, his eyes narrowing. "He set me up."

"That, he did."

"Did you kill him?"

"Thought that was a choice you should make. He'll be easy to find, though."

Nate nodded, but said nothing.

"I'm serious, Nate," Orlando said. "We've got to get you out of here."

"Not until we get the rest of them. They're going to be killed, probably sooner now that I've escaped."

"And exactly how did you do that?" Daeng asked.

"I'll tell you over a beer later." He looked at each of them. "With your help, I think we can do it."

"What's your plan?" Quinn asked.

"I've been picking them off one at a time. Have seven of them out of the picture already."

Quinn was impressed. "The tree branch and the groan was your attempt to get the rest to come out."

"Yeah. Shouldn't be much longer. If we get into position, we can start getting rid of them a lot faster."

"Now that there are four of us," Quinn said, "maybe we don't need to worry about them at all."

__________.

QUINN, ORLANDO, NATE, and Daeng watched from the brush as eight soldiers exited the door in the fort wall, and moved as a group into the jungle toward where the noise had occurred.

As soon as they disappeared, Quinn and the others jogged over to the door.

"Everyone ready?" Quinn whispered.

The three others pressed themselves against the wall, off to the side, holding their guns in front of them.

"All set," Nate said.

Quinn raised his fist and knocked. In Spanish, he said, "Open up. I found one of the missing men. He needs help!" He knocked again. "Hurry, hurry! He needs medical attention!"

Something that sounded like a bar moved on the other side. The latch turned.

A soldier opened the door and looked out. "Where is he?" he asked. He then seemed to realize Quinn wasn't who he expected. "Who are you?"

"We've come to pick up our friends."

"What?"

The other three stepped out to where they could be seen, their guns pointed at the soldier. The man's eyes widened. He reached for the rifle on his shoulder, but before he could pull it off, Quinn stepped inside and twisted it free.

The man seemed to suddenly find his voice, and started to yell as he ran toward the interior door. Quinn jabbed with the rifle, knocking the man down and cutting off the warning. He rolled the guy over with his foot.

"You open your mouth again, it'll be the last time. Sit up against the wall. Hands on your knees."

While Quinn dealt with the soldier, the others stepped inside. Daeng immediately closed the door and dropped the locking bar in place.

"You down here all by yourself?" Quinn asked the soldier.

"Go to h.e.l.l," the man said. He spat at Quinn.

Nate came up next to Quinn. "I know you. You were one of the guys who helped escort me to your boss's office yesterday. Bet you also helped take some of my friends out of their cells."

The man's look of defiance slipped. "I...I was just doing what I was told."

"Did you watch as they whipped us?" Nate asked.