Air Bound

14

ONE moment there was no sign whatsoever and then the air around them was filled with warning. Maxim knew the men had come from the boat in the distance. He hadn’t detected them because they’d come at him from under the water.

He took Airiana’s hand. Don’t make a sound. Sound travels at night, especially on open water. We’re going to have to get off.

He felt the protest in her mind, but she didn’t voice it aloud or even to him telepathically. She nodded her head and turned on the lounger, testing her body’s ability to move. She placed each foot cautiously on the deck and stood. He waited until she got her footing.

One of the men will board the yacht, stop it and let the anchor down. They don’t yet know the situation on board. They think they’re facing the crew as well as a security force. Once the yacht is no longer moving, the rest will come on board fast.

This isn’t Sorbacov’s people.

No. I’m fairly certain Evan sent his men to retrieve you.

He really is going to keep coming after me, isn’t he? Even once you take me home?

He can try, Maxim said, his tone grim.

Evan could send an army, but once Airiana was back on her farm, she’d have his two brothers as well as him to look after her. One Prakenskii might fall, but not three of them. They’d make that farm a fortress.

I don’t want you to move any more than you have to. You’re going to need all your strength. We’re going to get to the railing nearest the anchor. Can you walk that far? I’d carry you, but I need my hands free.

I can walk. Can you reload the dart gun for me?

He took the small gun and pushed in the last of the darts. After these, the only ones I have left are lethal.

She held out her hand for the small harness with the rest of the darts protected in the loops. He took it to mean if she needed them, she’d use them. He handed it to her silently and Airiana fastened it around her waist, securing it through the loops of her jeans.

Someone’s on the deck, moving toward the control room, she said.

He’d felt the disturbance in the air as well. Air was everywhere. Evan’s men definitely needed to breathe it, and there was no avoiding it. When they displaced it, moved through it, or even stood still in it, he could see their exact location, just as if he had a map laid out in front of him.

Stay low. We need to move now.

I think I should tell you I’m pretty scared, Maxim. Not of these men, I have no doubt you could take out every one of them if you had to, but I really hate the water.

I won’t let anything happen to you.

Airiana knew he wouldn’t, not if he could help it. She followed him across the deck, crouching as low as possible when every step she took hurt. Moving hurt. Bending low. Even breathing hurt. She hadn’t seen too much evidence of him being wounded, but she was certain he was. He couldn’t have gone against the entire crew and security force without having some wound. If he didn’t complain, she wasn’t going to either. Well, she didn’t mind so much voicing her opinion on swimming in the sea at night. That was just plain common sense.

He indicated the deck and she slid down to sit with her back against the rail, waiting for whatever happened. It didn’t take long. The yacht slowed even more and eventually came to a halt. The thick chain attached to the anchor fed out over the side, making certain the yacht stayed put.

Immediately, hooks came up over the railing on the deck below them as well as on their deck. Maxim dropped low, fading as he did until he appeared part of the deck itself. She remembered to wrap herself in air, to blur her lines so that anyone glancing her way wouldn’t see her.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, shaking inside, but her hands were steady on the dart gun. It wasn’t just her on the deck. Maxim was there as well and he would put himself in harm’s way to protect her. She wasn’t going to do less for him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a man in a wet suit slide onto the deck just a few feet from Maxim’s head. He slid the tank from his shoulders and laid it carefully on the deck in front of him. Her heart jumped. It looked as if the tank was actually wedged up against Maxim from her angle, but the man looked toward the railing where a second man and then a third slipped aboard.

They maintained a distance apart of about six feet. She knew by the way the air moved that there were three others on the same deck with them. She took a breath and let it out.

Are you okay? Don’t move, baby. They can’t see us here, they aren’t even looking.

He’s so close to you.

The first man had stayed where he was, signaling the others to check the bar and around the lounge area. Clearly he was the leader. They talked mainly with their hands and she figured Maxim understood the signals. She wished she did. Sitting there feeling exposed and vulnerable just a few feet from one of them was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She had to fight the urge to run continually. Twice the man seemed to look right at her.

The five men systematically and thoroughly checked the deck and every nook and cranny on it. The leader stayed where he was, covering the others. She actually felt beads of perspiration running down her body when the air was quite cool.

She held her breath when they reached the door of the den. This was the owner’s sun deck and most of the rooms were devoted to his pleasure. Two men flanked either side of the door while a third stood in front of it. The leader nodded, and the man in the middle stealthily opened the door. He went through it fast, the others following.

She couldn’t imagine what they thought finding so many men tied and drugged. One returned to signal to the leader. He spoke softly into a radio and then nodded his head at the man who had come out of the den.

What are they doing? Her heart pounded. Adrenaline rushed. She knew, she didn’t know how she knew, but she did. The leader had just told his men to kill everyone in the den.

She heard Maxim swearing in her mind. He rose up like a wraith, right in front of the leader, his knife in his hand, slashing across the exposed throat and catching the body as it began to topple toward the deck.

Airiana didn’t wait for him. She pushed herself to her feet and ran across the deck toward the open door of the den. Movement definitely attracted the eye, and she’d forgotten all about the other two men who were searching the deck. She nearly ran right into one of them and the only thing that saved her was the fact that she clutched the dart gun in her hands and squeezed the trigger point-blank into his chest, right over his heart.

The man fell heavily, his rifle dropping from nerveless hands, clattering on the deck, loud in the silence of the night. Hard hands bit at her, lifting her over the body and shoving her back away from the door of the den and down low. She recognized Maxim’s scent or she would have blasted him with the dart gun as well.

We have to get in there. They’re killing everyone and they’re totally helpless. There were the tears again, clogging her throat. She felt desperate and a little crazy, the adrenaline surging, the fear for the unconscious men eating at her along with guilt and fury that these intruders would be so merciless.

The other assailant searching the deck faded into the shadows, but his gun burned white-hot, the flashes terrifying as he fired round after round, spraying the upper deck. Bullets hit the bar behind them and riddled the railing. Had Maxim not pulled her down, she would have been dead.

As the rifle turned away from them still spitting bullets, Maxim threw his knife. The blade hit with deadly accuracy—she didn’t think he could ever miss with his knife. The gurgling sound was terrible, a death rattle she knew would haunt her. The gun continued to fire as the man dropped to the deck, his finger squeezing off rounds until the life drained completely out of him.

Maxim signaled for her to stay where she was. He shifted positions, a ghost really, a phantom of the night, gliding in deadly silence toward the open den door where two men lay prone, assault rifles at the ready.

The third man slithered onto the deck like a snake, making his way, using elbows and toes, to his fallen comrade. When he reached the fallen man, he felt for a pulse and turned him slightly, just enough to see the knife protruding from his neck. He rolled toward the railing and the darker shadows there.

He rolled right into Maxim, who had clearly anticipated the move and was waiting. She caught no more than a small movement as he cut the man’s throat and was gone, blending in, moving stealthily toward the overhang. She forced her eyes to see him, to follow the movement as he became a spider, clinging to the underside of the overhang.

Her heart in her throat, she watched as he made his way across the ceiling until he was directly above the two men. A noise drew her attention toward the stairs. Hearing the gunfire, three other men had climbed the stairs to investigate. One signaled, first toward the left and then toward the right. A dark-clad man went in either direction, hugging the railing while the first covered them.

He had a direct line of vision to the open door of the den. Maxim had gone still, blending now with the ceiling.

Can you shoot him with the dart gun? You’ll have to be accurate and hit him the first time. If you don’t think you can, don’t try.

Airiana took a deep breath, let it out and took a careful look at her target. He was using the stairwell as his cover. Most of his body lay along the stairs out of sight. Only his head and upper chest showed, the assault rifle in his arms. His head was tucked down, his eyes scanning the deck for movement.

For a moment she hesitated, but Maxim was totally exposed, and with five men searching for him, someone was bound to spot him.

She shot the one giving orders in the only real target she had that she knew would take him down—his eye. Her little dart gun was silent, but accurate. The dart hit him square in his left eye and he made a muffled sound—one that made her stomach heave. She forced back bile and watched as he slumped down.

Maxim shot the two men in the doorway with a silenced weapon, a quick one-two shot, using a silencer and adding air to muffle the sound further. He began to ease back over the ceiling, moving at a snail’s pace, never hurrying, never stopping, just moving back toward the cover of the deeper shadows.

The two other men weren’t aware yet of their three fallen team members. They began to circle, one moving counterclockwise and the other moving clockwise so they could cover the entire deck. Her heart in her throat, she watched as one of them paused, his attention suddenly drawn toward the bar, Maxim’s destination.

Don’t move, Maxim. Hold very still.

Maxim went absolutely still, clinging with fingers and toes to the ceiling overhead. Her heart pounded so loud she feared the two men on the deck would hear.

The member of the assault team went down to one knee suddenly, the movement drawing the attention of his partner, who dropped as well. Airiana studied the one who seemed to have noticed something off near the bar. She couldn’t let him start spraying the area with bullets, but it was an odd angle for her. Her target would have to be his neck.

He’s still uncertain, but he’s watching, so stay still. Give me just a moment. She didn’t have a moment. The man was suspicious, and she knew he would use his weapon. Alarm was spreading through the air and forming in the waves slapping the yacht.

Still, she took her time with her aim, feeling as though this shot was the most important one she’d ever make. She squeezed the trigger and the dart flew from her gun. It struck in his neck and he grunted, slapping at the dart as if it were an angry bee, drawing the attention of his partner.

The partner let out a yell and began firing, sweeping the deck with bullets blindly. They hit all around her, tearing up the wall behind her. Had she not been so small, she would have been hit. Maxim fired at the man, three fast shots. One must have clipped him, because the man hit the deck hard, but he rolled to cover, rapid firing as he did so.

Maxim dropped down to the deck to protect Airiana. A bullet sliced through the outside muscle of his arm, a quick kiss that burned like hell. More men were running up the steps. He had to get Airiana out of there fast, but if he left any of Evan’s crew alive, they would finish what their teammates had started—murdering everyone in the den, including Airiana’s father. He didn’t want to have to face her if that happened.

He rolled away from her, drawing fire, and lifted his gun, spitting back a reply. They exchanged a flurry of bullets while he worked his way into position. Two more had found their way to the top of the stairs.

Stay down, Airiana, he cautioned, afraid she would draw attention back to herself.

Another bullet parted his hair just above his temple, slicing off skin and burning like a firebrand. He took his time, making his next shot count. He put the bullet squarely between the eyes of Evan’s man.

He turned to see Airiana sliding more darts into the gun. Those are lethal doses, he reminded. And damn it, keep your head down.

Bullets are lethal. I’m not going to just throw the dart gun at them.

Her voice dripped with sarcasm and he found himself smiling in spite of the ferocious burning from the bullets clipping him. He’d been lucky, but if they didn’t get off the yacht soon, they weren’t going to make it.

He slapped a compress over the wound on his arm, sealing it and wincing when the antibiotic cream added to the burn along his raw flesh. Airiana’s face was white, her eyes large and shadowed, but her expression was determined. She hadn’t gone to pieces and froze. She stuck it out with him, fighting by his side no matter how hot the situation. He couldn’t help admiring her.

She had a much clearer angle on the stairs than he did. The two who had come up were half lying, their heads showing just above their friend’s body. He was still alive, still breathing, in spite of the drug, but rather than pull him to safety, they used his body as a shield.

If you’re going to do this, baby, you have to take both of them out. A one-two shot. Go over it in your mind. Practice it there first several times. You can’t make a mistake. If you don’t take out the second one, he’ll unload that automatic on us and we won’t survive.

Don’t talk to me right now, you’re making me nervous.

He was silent for a moment, willing her to take the shots. If he moved, he’d draw their attention. They were going to figure out fairly quickly where they were just by the position of the bodies.

He heard the small hiss of the dart gun and saw a dart protruding from the man on the left’s throat. The second dart hit the forehead of the second man. Maxim leapt to his feet and shot him twice to make certain.

He opened the first aid kit in the bar and dragged his war bag out of it, caught Airiana into his arms and raced for the rail. Slide around to my back. Hold on tight, but don’t choke me. There are more coming. We’ve been lucky so far, but sheer numbers are going to get us killed.

She didn’t argue, although he felt her mind go still, almost as if she didn’t allow herself to think further than his command. Obediently she crawled around to his back and wrapped her legs around him and clutched his shoulders.

He went over the side, using the anchor chain as a ladder. It was slippery and he had to concentrate sliding down it to the dark waters below. Each step was treacherous, and he was very aware he held Airiana’s life in his hands. He spotted the small black boat carrying reinforcements from the boat anchored a distance away.

They needed a head start. He was going to have to swim with Airiana on his back and mostly stay on the surface. The water wasn’t freezing, but already she was shivering, more—he was certain—from fear not cold.

We’re going in as quietly as possible. Lock your arms around my neck, but don’t choke me, he cautioned again. She was terrified of the water and he didn’t want her panicking. Take a breath. We’re going under. Count to forty and we’ll be on our way to the surface. We have to get away from the yacht. They’ve got men in the water now and the moment they find us gone, they’ll spread out and come hunting.

Airiana pressed her face flat against his back, hard. She shook until her bones threatened to fly apart but she stuck with him. I’m ready.

He felt her fill her lungs and he slipped down beneath the water, allowing it to close over their heads as he followed the chain beneath the surface. Once out of sight, he kicked strongly, using his strength to propel them through the water as fast as he could toward shore.

He heard her counting in her mind, slow and steady, not hurried and panicked although her heart pounded against his back. When she hit thirty-nine, he angled upward. She kept counting, although he could feel her mind beginning to fight her determination.

They came up a distance from the yacht. The decks appeared to be swarming with men. He could only hope that the men wouldn’t bother murdering those in the den once they discovered their quarry was gone. Evan might even have told them to spare her father for leverage.

He couldn’t worry about that now. We’re going under again. Count to forty. You’re doing fine.

I’m glad you think so.

That was definitely sarcasm. Her body shuddered. She sniffed. Damn it all. You’re crying again. Woman, don’t you ever stop?

I cry when I’m stressed. Swimming underwater stresses me. You’re going to have to get used to it because I’m crying all the way to shore.

He took them under. The salt water burned his wounds, but it gave him something else to curse about rather than think about her tears. That lasted for the first fifteen seconds.

You aren’t helping anything by crying. Just count. That’s so much more reasonable. I can’t think straight with all that noise.

She dug her heel into his side hard. Stop being a bastard. You’re doing it deliberately and you’ve made me lose count. Now I’m going to panic for sure.

You were on twenty-seven.

But then I had to respond to your obnoxious, self-centered remark and that took several more seconds. I’m at least on thirty-seven.

Thirty-five.

You’re just guessing. I’m going to faint from lack of air.

He nearly lost what air was left in his lungs. Trying not to laugh, he surfaced a second time. The yacht was much farther away. He stayed still, treading water, calling in the fog. They needed cover. With that many men searching the yacht, they would figure out fast they were gone and come after them—and they had boats and gear.

Tendrils of grayish white drifted in, great fingers reaching toward the yacht. The wind kicked up, pushing playfully at the fog and the water. Waves slapped over, spilling white foam. The yacht rocked. The fog enveloped the vessel in a thick blanket.

Take a breath.

She did so, drawing air deep into her lungs. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders as he went under again and kicked strongly toward shore.

Just so you know, I’ve made up my mind, Airiana. I think it’s your complete inability to swim that’s done it.

Are you purposely trying to make me lose count?

This is important and you need to hear it.

She sighed overly loud. Seriously? Now? You’re going to tell me something important while we’re swimming in a dark ocean, killers coming after us and sharks circling us.

I don’t see any sharks. You’re making that part up.

How would you know? You aren’t paying attention. You’re too busy trying to distract me from the forty-second count, which you’ve once again managed to do. You’re going longer than forty seconds, aren’t you?

Well . . . yes. But that isn’t the point.

Airiana’s fingers dug into his shoulders, gripping tightly. Maxim really was trying to distract her and swimming for closer to a minute—he could have stayed longer underwater—but she was too frightened. Talking to her definitely helped.

You have a point? I don’t believe you.

He surfaced again, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. Her swollen eye was black against the stark white of her face. She looked so scared he wanted to comfort her, but didn’t dare. Right now he had to keep her distracted and his strange revelations could easily do the trick.

He had no idea how to talk to a woman he cared about. He had never been the most charming of agents, but at least he could talk when necessary. She pulled things out of him he didn’t altogether understand, but he knew he had to be honest with her.

Just for the record, you look awful. A little like a drowned rat.

She kicked him hard enough in the ribs to make him feel it. Don’t tempt me to shoot you with this dart gun.

You won’t. He was completely complacent. You need me to swim you out of here. And don’t forget those circling sharks. You need me for protection against them as well.

Don’t think you’re safe.

She leaned forward and bit down hard on his shoulder—not his injured side. He noticed she was careful of his wound.

Take a breath, honey. He’d let her rest for a moment and recover from the ever present near panic. Each time they came up and were that much closer to shore, he hoped it would be easier on her.

Is the count up to one hundred?

Sarcasm mixed with something close to a hysterical giggle. Fortunately, she had the presence of mind to keep even that between them. He took them under, swimming strongly, hoping she hadn’t caught the sound of a boat sliding through the water toward them.

What were you going to tell me that was so important?

The truth. The absolute truth about us.

Is there an “us”? she asked.

It was much more difficult than he thought to reveal his feelings to her, but they were in the dark, and talking mind to mind rather than aloud. That helped. The water was warm. The dark night sky still held a million stars shining brightly over the band of mist he’d called in. The gray fog, dense and comforting, had enfolded them close, hiding them from prying eyes.

I’ve watched you, Airiana, with your wild hair flying and your large eyes filled with the sky, taking turns being clear and stormy. A man could get lost in your eyes. They’re never the same, all that beautiful blue.

She lost count but she didn’t protest. Her arms tightened around him. He felt her face press closer against his back.

You’ve got courage. Unexpected courage. I’ve never met a woman like you. I didn’t know a woman like you existed, and I doubt there’s more than one. You’re absolutely unique.

There was a small silence. He kept swimming, hoping to move away from the pursuit.

Are you giving me a compliment? Because if you are, I take back what I said about the dart gun. You can’t really say I look like a drowned rat and then say something poetic like that.

Well, just because you look disheveled right now doesn’t mean you aren’t beautiful. I certainly didn’t say the drowned rat wasn’t beautiful. He could feel the vibrations in the water, the gasses carrying to him the information of a boat coming closer.

Baby, we’re going up, taking a breath and sinking fast. Do you understand? We can’t chance taking our time.

She couldn’t swim. He couldn’t let go of her to fight mercenaries already adept in the water. They had to hide, and that meant staying underwater as long as possible.

She didn’t answer him, but her fingers dug deep into his shoulders, the only thing that let him know she was as aware of the boat as he was.

He broke the surface noiselessly, got his bearings as he took a deep breath, and he sank again. The boat was gaining on them fast, although it was making a sweep of the water. Back and forth, quartering an area.

There’s another one. It’s a good distance away, but I can feel that one too. They’re searching for me. He’s not going to let it go, is he? If I go home, I’ll put everyone I love in danger. That’s what you were trying to say to me and I couldn’t understand.

Forget what I said. What I’m saying now is that you’re mine. I belong to you. It’s that simple and we’re going to damn well make it work. Somehow.

I thought you were all worried about choices, she reminded him.

He gave the mental equivalent of a groan. This is my choice. And it’s going to be yours. You’re going to fall in love with me.

I am? How?

It was her amusement that caught at him—that won his heart completely. Even in the midst of this terrible situation when she was in caught in her worst nightmare, she found her sense of humor.

I have no idea, he conceded. But it’s going to happen. I made my mind up about this. Maybe choices aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. You and I were meant to be together. I just thought it was important to tell you. I’m taking my chances with you.

You mean warn me? As a declaration of love, Maxim, it falls a little short.

Again there was amusement in her voice. He was going to have to take them deep, making certain the boat, as it slipped through the water, was far above them. He wasn’t certain what her reaction would be.

Sadly, Airiana, you’re never going to get pretty words from me. You deserve them, but I don’t have them in my vocabulary. I feel them, but they don’t come out of my mouth, not out loud. There’s something wrong with me, so you’re not getting a great bargain.

You need to do better at selling yourself, Maxim.

He surfaced in the middle of thick, dense fog. The fog muffled all sound and prevented him from seeing the shore, but he could feel where they were by the patterns in the air.

Take a good breath this time, Airiana, he cautioned.

I can feel the boat approaching. They’re not low in the water at all, but they’re nearly on top of us, she warned.

You’ll have to trust me, honey. I’m going to take us down. If you run out of air, tap my neck. I’ll breathe for both of us. He knew what he was asking of her. Most people couldn’t do it, let alone a woman petrified of the water. Still, he believed in her and he tried to convey the faith he had in her with his matter-of-fact tone.

Maxim? If I drown, I’m going to be really angry with you. I’ll come back and haunt you. Her body shivered continuously, but her mind was determined.

Baby, if I let you drown, you won’t have to haunt me, I’ll be right there with you.

He slipped noiselessly beneath the water, sinking far deeper than he’d taken her before. The boat was nearly on top of them. He felt the wash of it as he sank and knew they’d just gotten under in time.

They have scuba divers in the water, Maxim. There was definitely panic in her voice.

I expected that. They have tanks, we don’t. He kept his voice even and as matter-of-fact as possible. The more she panicked the less air she’d have to stay under. He swam toward the reeds rippling back and forth with the current.

I’m going to anchor us down in those reeds just ahead. We’ll just sink to the bottom. We’re close to shore and we’re not deep here. Getting to the surface will be fast and easy.

Airiana nodded her head against his back to indicate she understood. It was dark beneath the water, but lights shone around them from several directions. She had to know what that meant.

They descended down into the reeds, and Airiana let go of him to sink into the soft powdery floor of the sea. Maxim took her hand, squeezing it to give her confidence. She clung for a moment but then turned her head, looking behind them.

Maxim spun around, drawing his knife, nearly tangling his legs in the cord binding his war bag to him. He kicked hard and met the diver chest to chest, crashing into him, gripping his arms and propelling him backward. They rolled over and over, struggling for supremacy, each controlling the weapon in the other’s hand.

The diver had the advantage with his air tank. He could stay down longer than Maxim, and he knew it. Maxim felt a sudden drag on his body, and glanced down to see Airiana coming toward them. She had caught the cord of his war bag and was using it to pull herself toward the two combatants.

Maxim’s heart stuttered. She couldn’t swim. Was terrified of water. She had to be running out of air, but she moved right up to them, pressed the dart gun against the diver’s leg and pulled the trigger.

Maxim held on to him until the body went limp. Airiana held tightly to the cord, but signaled frantically that she had to rise. He tore the tank from the diver’s body and thrust the breathing regulator at her. She shook her head. He put it into his mouth to show her how to use it again. He knew she could, she’d used one before when they swam to the submersible.

She shook her head again and let go of the cord to kick to the surface. He wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her up against him.

Don’t be crazy. Breathe.

I killed that man. I can’t put my mouth where his was.

He caught her face in his hands and, staring into her eyes, breathed air into her mouth, forcing it into her lungs. He gave her as much air as possible and returned to the tank so that he wouldn’t get dizzy. He slipped the tank on.

I’m the one using the tank now, not him. It’s my mouth on it. The next time I give you air, you take it. He used his most intimidating, commanding voice.

I will.

She sounded young and vulnerable and he felt like an ogre. She’d shown courage and he’d had to be tough with her instead of comfort her. He took her away from the area as fast as possible, sharing the air in the tank with her, moving away from the searching boats and hopefully their divers as well.

Having the tank meant they were much more mobile beneath the water. He could feel the position of the boats and divers and avoid them. They didn’t have to make a straight line for shore.

Are you all right? You’re being very quiet. He didn’t like the silence between them. She had to be traumatized by the events of the past seventy-two hours.

She gave him a thumbs-up but she didn’t reply. He didn’t like that at all. He struck out strongly for shore, towing her, the war bag and guilt. For the first time in his life that he could remember, he was terrified for another human being.

All he wanted to do was gather her into his arms and hold her, showing her she was safe with him. All he could do was force her to stay beneath the surface in the dark waters and swim with him until he felt they were a safe enough distance to get to shore and find a place to rest.