Ghostwalker 04 - Conspiracy Game

been tortured and needs help. Can you get him out of here?”
    “The soldiers in the city are all stirred up. That’s why I brought you coffee rather than have you go out this morning. A few dead bodies were found early this morning, reportedly rebels. The fear is that they’re infiltrating the city, and that’s why the army is on alert. They were searching bars last night.”
    “The rebels are looking for Jack. He escaped from their camp.”
    “And they want him bad enough to come into Kinshasa, with soldiers on every street corner?” Jebediah scratched his head. “You’re right, we’ll have to get him out of here.
    They’ll look closely at us because we’re foreigners. I’ll get clothes for him and you keep him out of sight. Is he strong enough to travel?”
    “Yes, but I don’t have any idea how. He needs a doctor, though. If you have antibiotics in your travel kit or any of the others do, bring them to me.”
    Jebediah nodded. “Are you sure you’re all right, Briony? He didn’t hurt you?”
    She shook her head. “He protected me, Jebediah.” She wanted to share with her brother the things Jack had revealed about the “GhostWalkers,” but the fact that she felt no pain around Jack and did with her brothers would bother Jebediah. He’d be hurt by the revelation, and she’d made up her mind a long time ago that she was done hurting her family. They weren’t ever going to know how much she really suffered in their presence.

    Jebediah cast a quick glance at the bathroom door. “He must have contacts as well. Has he said anything about what he was doing here? Whether he was supposed to reach an extraction point?”
    “He hasn’t said much of anything.”
    “That would be Jack. He plays it pretty close to his chest. I’ll get him clothes, keep the door locked.”
    Briony followed him and locked the door, setting the coffee aside for Jack when he came out of the shower. She was going to give him another shot of antibiotics the moment he came out, feed him and get more fluids down him. He had to get strong fast and that meant he needed to kick the infection.
    The water shut off, and a few minutes later Jack emerged, towel wrapped around his narrow hips. His dark hair was still wet and the raw knife wounds were red and angry-looking scattered over his body. With stitches everywhere, he looked a little like Frankenstein. He had broad shoulders and powerful arms, and was well built, with massive upper body strength and defined muscle. His face was all masculine, tough and weathered with several scars. Other older scars, both from knives and bullets, marred his skin in several places over his body.
    “You look a little worse for wear,” Briony observed as she handed him another bottle of water. “Drink this, take another pill, and you can have the entire cup of coffee. I won’t even ask for a sip.”
    She looked beautiful to Jack. Sunshine and flowers in a meadow. He tried not to stare at her, taking the water and downing the pill she gave him without question. It hurt just to look at her, and her scent was plain driving him crazy. He turned his back on her and walked to window to check the alley below them. He heard her sharp inhale and knew she was staring at the mess of his back. The front looked worse, but he was alive so he wasn’t complaining.
    “I don’t mind sharing the coffee with you.” His voice was gruff—or maybe rusty. He hadn’t really used it in a while. When talking was necessary, Ken had done most of it. Jack hadn’t meant for his statement to come out intimate, but it sounded that way, an invitation.
    Just being close to her stirred up his body, and his blood pounded in his veins. It was disconcerting to have such a strong reaction to a woman.
    “Jack you’re prowling around the room like a caged tiger. Sit down and let me look at your wounds.”
    He glanced at her, and his heart did a peculiar somersault, his pulse raced. He pressed one hand to his chest, shocked at the way he couldn’t control his response to her. He sat down because it was easier than trying to walk when it was becoming painful. He realized at once that that was a terrible mistake. She bent over him, her body so close to his he felt her through his skin. Her scent enveloped him until he couldn’t do anything but breathe her in. He was acutely aware of every detail of her body—the curve of her cheek, the length of her lashes, the steady beat of her heart. Every stroke of her fingers, as she