Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks Read Free Book Online Page A

cuts to your entire body. You’ll be weaker and now you risk infection. You have to stay strong, Nathan. Don’t let them defeat you. Not when escape is so close.
    Then rest with me. I’ll sleep better if I know you’re here with me. I may not be able to protect you, but at least I’ll know you’re safe.
    She yawned and he pulled her a little closer, liking the way she fit so well against him, even if it was all in his mind.
    For the space of a few moments, he could forget that they were thousands of miles apart, that he was imprisoned in hell and that she was somewhere he couldn’t protect her.
    Just for now, they were together, her much smaller body curled into his.
    As ridiculous as it sounded, he could forget his present circumstances. He could forget the endless pain and suffering because holding her was like holding a ray of sunshine.
    She gave him hope when nothing else had been able to penetrate the dim world he’d descended into. And so he hung on with all the fierceness he could muster, because now that she’d found him, he wasn’t going to let her go.
     

CHAPTER 6
      “SON of a bitch, this is pissing me off.” Donovan stared down at the email message on his phone and let loose another string of expletives that had his brothers wincing.
    “What’s going on, Van?” Ethan demanded.
    Donovan looked up to where his brothers were packing gear and loading up their packs for the trek into the Afghani Mountains. There was grim acceptance of their possible fate. Each of them knew there was a good damn chance they wouldn’t come back, but there wasn’t an alternative. Not for them.
    “He’s in a cave or so the latest email says. A fucking cave. Like there aren’t a million of those in these mountains?”
    Garrett frowned. “But are there that many capable of holding prisoners? There are a few here that have been used as outposts for the Taliban.”
    “We’ll question the locals and hope to hell we can buy information,” Sam said. “Our guide should be here soon then we’ll take out.”
    Behind him, Rio stood quietly talking to his team while Steele and his team stood to the side, waiting. They were all mostly silent, their faces impassive.
    A few moments later, a young man dressed in tattered pants and shirt appeared out of the dark. He wore a Western-style hoodie, but it was thin and holes riddled the sleeves and back.
    “You are Sam Kelly?” the boy asked.
    Sam took a step forward. “Yeah, that’s me. Are you Aamil?”
    The boy nodded solemnly. “We must hurry. It is too open here. I’ll take you into the mountains.”
    “Whoa, wait a minute,” Donovan said.
    The boy turned, a slight frown on his face.
    “What do you know about caves around the Korengal Valley? A big enough cave to house prisoners.”
    Aamil swallowed nervously. “I know of a few, but they are heavily guarded. It’s too dangerous.”
    “To hell with dangerous,” Garrett said. “P.J. and Cole can take them out with their hands tied behind their backs.”
    “Glad you’re so confident in our abilities,” P.J. said dryly. “Do the rest of you plan to do anything or are Cole and I going in alone?”
    “Smart-ass,” Cole muttered.
    “I want to question the locals,” Sam said to Aamil. “I need to know where those caves are and what kind of activity is around them.”
    Aamil hesitated. “It will cost you double what we agreed upon.”
    “I don’t give a damn what it costs,” Sam growled. “Just take us there.”
    “We should go then. It’s better to travel in the dark.”
    “Fall in,” Sam called softly. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
    As they melted into the night, Donovan adjusted his rifle and stared into the darkness. He hoped to hell they weren’t getting jerked around. It pissed him off that this asshole emailing him obviously knew enough about Nathan’s family and situation to send a fucking SOS email but he couldn’t supply more than Nathan was in some cave in Korengal Valley?
    It