SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,7

hand grabbed her bicep, yanking her up. She immediately pulled away, not liking how close the third man was behind her.

He nudged her forward, and she kept walking.

She didn’t need to anger them. They hadn’t hurt her yet, and maybe she’d be worth more to them alive than dead. Of course, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t harm her when they reached their destination. And they didn’t realize she had no family at home. No close friends. Would the university pay a ransom for her? She knew the U.S. government didn’t negotiate with terrorists.

Were these men terrorists?

They weren’t South American, that much was for certain.

“How much farther?” the man behind her asked. He began speaking rapidly in another language—Arabic maybe, which wasn’t what she expected. Where had these men come from and what on Earth were they doing in the rainforest?

The man up front suddenly halted and called out a quiet command.

She stopped abruptly, nearly bumping into the man in front of her, and listened to the sounds of the forest.

Voices could be heard in the distance, and the men grew tense. Was another group out here as well? The drug runners she’d been worried about? Or were they people who could help her?

She froze, not sure if she should scream for help or remain silent. Which group of men was worse? Everything happening today seemed surreal, like she was watching a movie of someone else’s life. She was here gathering data, collecting samples, planning to return home to Texas and write an academic paper. She was a scientist. She wasn’t interested in drugs or terrorists or whatever the heck else was going on in the depths of the Colombian rainforest.

How could this be real life? Would they even let her go?

Hot tears filled her eyes, and she quickly brushed one away as it rolled down her cheek.

If anything, she needed to remain strong. To convince them she could keep up and would be a valuable asset. She’d only told a few of her colleagues that she’d be gone—it was summer, after all. She didn’t have lectures to give or papers to grade.

But these men didn’t know that no one would be looking for her. She needed to convince them that she was someone worth keeping alive. That her nonexistent family back home would pay a lot of money for her.

Nervously, her gaze tracked over the area. If she did escape, there were plenty of places to hide. She’d be lost though.

The voices grew quieter as the other group of men moved away, and the leader of the men she was with resumed walking, moving aside dense brush.

“Keep moving,” the man behind her ordered, and she stumbled forward. She began to feel a little light-headed and swayed, catching herself on a branch before she fell over.

He muttered a curse. “She needs water! I’m not carrying her back.”

The leader turned around, his dark eyes boring into her. He muttered something in Arabic before switching to English. “Keep up!” he barked. “We’re almost there and not stopping now.” He spat on the ground, then turned around and began walking again.

Clarissa blinked, trying to remain focused. She was dehydrated and starting to feel dizzy. It couldn’t be that much farther. She could make it. She had to.

The man behind her grumbled and shoved his canteen into her hands. Gratefully, she took several gulps. What had happened to her supplies anyway? She had food and water in her backpack. Her passport and other documents. Had they left it with her guide back at the river?

She didn’t even know how to get back there if she wanted to.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally reached a small camping area in a clearing. Tents were spread out, and small huts lined part of the perimeter. Frowning, she watched as a Jeep pulled up to one and several men jumped out. They must be near a highway. There was no way any vehicles could travel through the rainforest.

“Move!” a man yelled, and she hustled forward, keeping her head down. Her eyes darted around surreptitiously, but she didn’t want to appear too interested. As far as these men were concerned, the less she knew, the better.

The fact that they were close to a road bode well for her though. If she could escape, she’d have a chance of reaching civilization.

She tried not to gasp in shock as she saw a small cache of weapons being unloaded from a vehicle into one of the huts. The open door showed an entire stockpile