Ben’s lust rose and he reached out a hand, first to her shoulder, and then to her chin, cupping it. Her eyes never left his as he drew her face to his.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ve waited so long for you.”
Their lips just touched.
“Knock, knock.” The door handle turned and Dan poked his head around the door. “Sorry, hope I wasn’t disturbing anything.” His eyes widened theatrically. “Oh, was I?”
“Wassup?” Ben asked, easing back from Emma.
“Dinner at six, and then we have a date with, ahem, some gentlemen who’d like to sell us some portable self-protection.” Dan waggled his eyebrows.
“I’ll be there,” Ben replied.
“Great; see you at six.” Dan went to shut the door, but paused. “Carry on.” He sniggered as he shut the door.
Ben sighed and looked back at Emma. “Where were we?”
Emma slid from the bed. “Getting interrupted.” She headed for the door.
“But…” Ben groaned, feeling annoyed — primarily with Dan.
She got to the door, but instead of leaving, she locked it and turned, smiling wickedly back at him. “And that fixes that.” She pulled her T-shirt up over her head. She didn’t wear a bra, and two small but perfect breasts jiggled slightly.
“Beautiful.” Ben got to his feet and she crossed to him. He grabbed at her small figure, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply, tasting pineapple as her tongue danced in his mouth.
Emma stepped back and began to unbutton his shirt. She looked up into his eyes with a dusky expression. “I’ve dreamed about this.” She finished his buttons and pulled his shirt open. “Oh wow.” She stood back, admiring his physique. “And now my dreams come true.”
Following leaving the military, Ben worked to stay in shape, and his body was still ripped and powerful looking. The downside was the multiple scars — the burns, stab marks, and surgery scars.
Emma traced one with a finger. “I’m glad you’re not doing that anymore.”
“No.” He enfolded her in his arms. “These days, I’m playing it safe by coming to a deadly jungle to search for a lost world that may be inhabited by monsters. Oh, and with some bad guys willing to bash my head in along the way.”
She smiled and shrugged. “Keeps the boredom gremlins away, huh?”
He kissed her again, and she pushed him back onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Her legs came up on either side of his hips. Ben had never wanted a woman so much as he wanted Emma then. And it seemed she was the same with him.
She moved herself back and forth, grinding down at him; making him so hard it became painful. Emma leant forward to kiss and then nibbled at his ear. “Mmm, I can feel more knotted wood — better take care of that too.” She reached for his belt.
After a dinner of roasted meats, local fruits, and vegetables cooked with way too much precision for a hotel on the edge of an Amazonian jungle, Steve, Andrea, and Emma retired to the bar for a nightcap, and Ben, Dan, and Jenny prepared for their rendezvous.
Having Jenny there was bad enough, but she had to be there. However, it had taken all his persuasive skills to keep Emma out of it. He liked that she was concerned and wanted to be with him, but meeting gun smugglers in the night for a cash transaction has the potential to go wrong in so many ways that he knew he’d need eyes in the back of his head, as well as all the military intuition he could bring to bear.
Ben drove the buggy out into the darkness. Both Dan and Jenny sat in silence, and he could sense the nervousness coming off them in waves. Ben hoped the transaction was going to be fast and uncomplicated. As it wasn’t his money, and Dan had plenty of it anyway, haggling over price was not going to be an issue.
Ben had seen the results of dumb people trying to deal with black market weapon militias before and trying to play hardball — sometimes the militias just decided to keep both the money and the guns, and if they left behind a few bodies, well, then that was just bad luck and the cost of doing business for the patsies.
Dan checked his GPS and then held up a hand.
“Pull in here.”
“Here?” Ben scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?” It was dark jungle on three sides, plus the sound of the falls in the distance masked any potential sound of approach.
“I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I.” Dan grimaced, his teeth showing white. “What do you suggest?”
Ben looked one way then the next. “How long until our meet?”
Dan checked his watch. “I said oh eight hundred. So, in ten more minutes.”
“Got it; stay in the car. I’ll do a quick recon.” Ben went to leap out, but paused. “You guys speak Spanish?”
“Yes,” Jenny replied.
“A little,” Dan added.
“Suficiente para tener una conversación?” Ben said, and raised his eyebrows.
“Okay, well then, no, not really.” Dan grinned back sheepishly.
“Let Jenny do the talking. But first prize is to get them to speak English.” Ben reached into the cart. “And I’ll take this.” He grabbed the moneybag. “See you soon. And remember, be cool.”
“Wait, what?” Dan hissed, but Ben had already slid into the brush.
Ben moved back along the edge of the track, and then did a big loop back towards the vehicle, staying low and quiet.
The sound of the Angel Falls was a constant background roar, so he didn’t need to creep. He pushed bracken out of his way and was thankful the moon was near full; the silver light gave him more than enough vision even though the jungle was raw and thick in this area.
He had worn a hooded pullover and drew it over his head; though his tanned and stubbled face wasn’t that pale and reflective, he had refused to wear insect repellent, as the odor was distinctive in a jungle, and so the only protection he had against biting insects was his clothing.
He heard movement above the background noise in the jungle — it was them. He eased down to watch.
Dan fidgeted in the front seat. “Jesus, I don’t like this.” He looked over his shoulder. “Where’s Ben? I wanted him here, to goddamn be here, not be out there somewhere.”
“Heads up. Company.” Jenny reached forward from the back seat to grip his shoulder.
“Fuck.” Dan felt his heart rate kick up threefold.
“Hola?” The three men ambled from the jungle, each carrying large bags. All had sidearms.
“Hola,” Dan replied, hating that his voice had a tremor in it.
“Buenas noches para los negocios, ¿sí?” The lead man held up a hand.
“Jesus, I have no idea what he just said.” Dan licked his lips.
Jenny leaned forward, whispering. “He said it was a nice night for business.”
“Okay, got it,” he whispered over his shoulder before turning to the men. “Yes, it is. You speak English?” he asked.
He went to step out and Jenny grabbed him. “Stay in here…”
“I got this.” He got out anyway.
“Damn it.” She got out as well.
“A little.” The man’s grin was luminous in the dark. His two colleagues spread out to the left and right, hands hanging loosely over the holsters on their belts.
“You are Mr. Dan, yes?” the man asked.
“Yes, that’s me,” Dan replied. He tried to project a cool confidence, but felt his legs shaking.
“Jose.” The man tapped his chest.