Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard Read Free Book Online

creature, as sensitive to
atmosphere as any finely tuned barometer. That trait had enabled her to hold Turego at bay for what seemed like an endless succession of
days and nights, reading him, sidestepping him, keeping him constantly
disarmed, and even charmed. Now the same instinct warned her of danger. There
was some slight change in the very air that stroked her bare arms. Warily, she
leaned down to pick up her backpack, slipping her arms through the straps and
anchoring it this time by fastening the third strap around her middle.
                  The sudden thunderous burst of automatic
weapon fire made her whirl, her heart jumping into her throat. Listening to the
staccato blasts, she knew that several weapons were being fired, but at whom?
Had her friend been detected or was this something else entirely? Was this the
trouble he'd sensed that had made him shy away from the clearing? She wanted to
think that he was safe, observing everything from an invisible vantage point in
the jungle, but with a chill she realized that she couldn't take that for
granted. Her hands felt cold, and with a distant surprise she realized that she
was trembling. What should she do?
                  Wait, or run? What if he needed help? She
realized that there was very little she could do, since she was unarmed, but
she couldn't just run away if he needed help. He wasn't the most amiable man
she'd ever met, and she still didn't exactly trust him, but he was the closest
thing to a friend she had here. Ignoring the unwillingness of her feet and the
icy lump of fear in her stomach, Jane left the shelter of the giant tree and
began cautiously inching through the forest, back toward the clearing. There
were only sporadic bursts of gunfire now, still coming from the same general direction.
Suddenly she froze as the faint sound of voices filtered through the forest. In
a cold panic she dove for the shelter of another large tree. What would she do
if they were coming in this direction? The rough bark scratched her hands as
she cautiously moved her head just enough to peer around the trunk. A steely
hand clamped over her mouth. As a scream rose in her throat, a deep, furious
voice growled in her ear, "Damn it, I told you to stay put!"
     

  Chapter Three
 
                  Jane glared at him over the hand that still
covered her mouth, her fright turning into relieved anger. She didn't like this
man. She didn't like him at all, and as soon as they were out of this mess, she
was going to tell him about it!
                  He removed his hand and shoved her to the
ground on her hands and knees. "Crawl!" he ordered in a harsh
whisper, and pointed to their left.
                  Jane crawled, ignoring the scratches she
incurred as she squirmed through the undergrowth, ignoring even the disgusting
squishiness when she accidentally smashed something with her hand. Odd, but now
that he was with her again, her panic had faded; it hadn't gone completely, but
it wasn't the heart-pounding, nauseating variety, either. Whatever his faults,
he knew his way around. He was on her tail, literally, his hard shoulder
against the back of her thighs, pushing her onward whenever he thought she
wasn't moving fast enough. Once he halted her by the simple method of grabbing
her ankle and jerking her flat, his urgent grip warning her to be quiet. She
held her breath, listening to the faint rustle that betrayed the presence of
someone, or something, nearby. She didn't dare turn her head, but she could
detect movement with her peripheral vision. In a moment the man was close enough
that she could see him plainly. He was obviously of Latin ancestry, and he was
dressed in camouflage fatigues with a cap covering his head. He held an
automatic rifle at the ready before him. In only a moment she could no longer
see or hear him, but they stayed motionless in the thick tangle of ferns for
long, agonizing minutes. Then her ankle was