She turned away and went back to her work. Her movements were stiff with fatigue, but sharp with determination.
"I'll sleep when this is over."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next morning, a buzzing, flashing light brought Noelle out of her state of concentration. She'd been losing her ability to focus anyway, due to her increasingly massive fatigue. As good as she was at missing sleep and still functioning, she was really starting to feel the effects of this stressful situation. If she didn't take a break soon, she was going to start pounding her head against the drafty cabin wall.
Noelle rubbed her eyes and stood to see what was making all that noise. David's phone sat on top of his zipped duffel bag, blinking and vibrating impatiently.
Noelle didn't dare answer it, and a quick scan of the cabin told her he was nowhere around. She picked up the phone, hooked it on her waistband and went out in search of him.
She had no idea if the call was important or not, but she didn't want to take any chances that he'd need to talk to whoever was on the other end right away. She just hoped the phone had voice mail, because she wasn't going to answer it and take the chance the call would give away their location.
The air outside the cabin was nippy but smelled clean. After being inside the cramped space for so long, it was nice to have the bright, open sky over her head rather than heavy wooden beams. Her coat kept out the worst of the cold, but she shoved her hands deep into her pockets to keep her fingers warm.
With a little rush of embarrassment, Noelle knocked on the door of the outhouse, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything important.
He didn't respond, a fact for which she was immensely grateful.
A light dusting of snow covered the ground and Noelle could see David's big boot prints etched plainly into the snow. She followed the path, which headed into the trees growing on the slope leading down the mountain. About: fifty yards along, the footprints vanished along with the snow.
Noelle stood there, looking around for any sign as to which way he'd gone. She found none.
Rather than wander around in the trees and get lost, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted for him.
On the third shout, he appeared silently out of the trees, panic sharpening his features. He pushed her to the ground, his hand covering her mouth, his body pressing hers flat against the cold earth.
"We're not alone," he whispered against her ear. "I just hope they didn't hear you yelling."
Fear lanced through her and she went stiff beneath; him. She tugged at his hand, which he moved so she could whisper. "The Swarm?"
David shook his head while staring at her mouth. He stared for a long time, her question apparently forgotten. Just when she was sure he was about to kiss her, he rolled off her and braced his weight on his elbows. His shoulders were hunched and his voice was clipped and harsh. "Hunters, but I'm not taking any chances. I've been watching them all morning."
Lying on the ground without David's warmth protecting her left her feeling cold and vulnerable. When she tried to sit up, David said, "Stay down. They're just down in the next valley."
She rolled to her belly and propped herself up on her elbows, mimicking David's position. "What are they doing?"
David pulled out a pair of binoculars and peered down into the valley. "Drinking beer, mostly. It doesn't look like they heard you."
"Isn't it a little early for beer?" asked Noelle.
David shrugged. "Guess not for them. They've been out here since daybreak."
"Why would the Swarm sit around drinking beer when our cabin is less than a mile away?"
"I don't think they would, but even if they are just hunters, if they stumble across the cabin, it's going to cause problems. Caleb's cabin isn't supposed to exist, at least not on public records. If these fools mention that we're staying up here to someone back in town, we'll have to leave."
"Can't we just go somewhere else?"
David shook his head. "This place is about as safe as it's going to get unless you want to keep moving around. I didn't think you'd be able to get as much work done that way."
Just the thought.of trying to work in a moving car made her stomach queasy. "So what do we do?"
"I'll keep watching them and make sure they don't get any closer."
"And if they dori
He gave her a sinister little smile. "I'll convince them this is a bad way to go."
"What are you going to do? Set out bear traps or something?"
"Or something. Right now, I need you to go back to the cabin, where you'll be safe. I'll handle things out here."
Noelle didn't really want to go back to the cabin alone. She knew she should be brave and tough and force herself to go back to work, but she was tired and worried.. She was feeling particularly vulnerable with those men down in the valley below, though she didn't want to admit anything of the sort. David had enough to worry about without having the added worry of her feelings. She was a big girl and could take care of herself, at least under normal circumstances.
Unfortunately, these were far from normal, and she really needed to be close to someone she trusted.
David.
"I'd rather stay. The work isn't going too well and I needed a break to clear my head."
"I'll take you for a walk later. Right now I really need you out of harm's way. Even if those men are just hunters, they're still drinking and carrying weapons. It's not a good combination." He gripped her shoulder, feeling her through her coat. "And you forgot to wear your vest." He said that last part with a paternal frown better suited to a naughty child than a full-grown woman.
Noelle didn't like it a bit and she fought off the need to get defensive with him. He was right. She never should have left without wearing her Kevlar vest. She'd have to get used to it if she wanted to live. "I was in a hurry," she said, remembering why she'd come out here to begin with. "The phone was ringing." She dug under her coat and pulled it from her belt.
David took the phone, his look grim. "Did they just call once?"
Noelle nodded. "I think so. I mean, I was working, but it did distract me."
"Hell of a phone," he muttered as he turned it off.
"Aren't you going to call and get a message or something?"
"No." He didn't elaborate.
"What if someone's trying to get in touch with us? What if it's urgent?"
"Look," he said in a frighteningly even tone. "Someone at that safe house leaked your location. That's what caused the attack. I'm not about to trust anyone until I know who that leak was."
Noelle couldn't suppress a little shiver of fear as it raced up her spine. "You don't have any backup?"
He looked away, but not before she could see the frustration lining his face. "I'll do fine without it. You should go."
Suddenly, it no longer mattered if he thought she was a coward. As long as he let her stay, he could think whatever he wanted. "Do you mind if I stay a while? I could, you know, be your backup."
His features softened and he looked like he was about to smile over her offer. "Just exactly how much do you know about covert surveillance?"
"I know that I can't do it from inside that cabin." Just thinking about going back to the dingy little room again was enough to make it hard to breathe. The weight of her situation was bearing down upon her, wearing her thin. She wasn't making much progress with the code. She needed a break—to be out in the open for a little while breathing fresh air.
He looked like he was about to refuse, but after searching her face, he gave in.
"Just stay low and quiet."
Noelle grinned, feeling momentarily free of her burdens. She scooted a little closer to David in an effort to stay warm. "I promise."
David glanced at Noelle, expecting her to be staring off into space, working on something only she could see. Instead, he found that she'd fallen asleep. She hadn't even been out here ten minutes.
So much for backup, David thought with an indulgent grin.
She'd curled up on her side in an effort to stay warm and David covered her with a thin survival blanket he pulled from his pack.
As it always was whenever he looked at her while she slept, David felt something shift in his chest—become more comfortable and somehow tighter at the same time. She looked so trusting and it tugged at every one of his protective instincts whenever he glanced her way. He was the only thing standing between her and death, and yet she trusted him enough that she just dozed off with armed men in the next valley.
It had been a long time since anyone had trusted him like that. He was humbled, willing to do anything to prove he was worthy of her trust. He couldn't fail her.
Noelle's red hair blended in perfectly among the fallen leaves, her gold-rimmed glasses glinting like the clusters of snowflakes still clinging to branches here and there. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her lips were parted, breathing silvery plumes of warmth into the air. Man, what he wouldn't give to be here with her for the sheer enjoyment of it.
He'd never made love on a cold forest floor before. He'd had enough sleeping on frozen ground during his career for him ever to choose that over a nice, warm bed. But right now, David couldn't think of a better place to get naked with a woman than right here.
He'd keep her warm with his body and heat from the passion he'd light deep inside her. He'd love her so good .she'd forget all about the cold air and scattered leaves.
He'd make it so good she'd forget she was a hunted woman.
David slipped her glasses from her nose to pocket them for safekeeping. His fingers grazed along her cheek and he closed his eyes against the smooth satin of her skin brushing against his knuckles. She murmured something low and incoherent and shifted toward his touch.
He pulled away and forced himself to focus on his surroundings. He could no longer lie on his stomach without pain as his erection grew in response to the feel of her skin. Not even the frozen ground was enough to keep his lust at bay.
Forcing his thoughts back to the men below, David peered through the binoculars. It appeared as though they were packing their gear to leave, now that the beer had run out.
David watched them leave the way they'd come. He'd scouted earlier and seen a couple beat-up trucks parked along the side of the only road leading up this side of the mountain.
He was glad they weren't camping out for the night. \ David didn't think he would be able to stand being out : here in the cold all night while Noelle stayed alone in the cabin, unprotected. And he certainly couldn't let her stay with him without the benefit of a fire to keep her warm. Without one, she would freeze by morning.
Unless he kept her warm another way.
David spat a caustic curse into the frigid air. He could not keep thinking of her as a woman. He had to think of her as a job, an op, an assignment.
The assignment let out a sleepy sigh of contentment* which felt like a warm hand stroking his body.
Noelle shifted and David had to pull the blanket back up over her shoulders again. He hated waking her now that she'd finally gone to sleep.
David wasn't sure how much longer her body was going to be able to keep this pace before something had to give.
She was relentless with herself in pursuit of the solution to the code Monroe had presented. David had seen men with less determination make it through Special Forces training.
