Traitorous Attraction by C. J. Miller Page B

out in a heartbeat. They might even be offering a reward for your capture.”
    Kate had received those memos offering a reward for the apprehension of or information leading to agents who’d disappeared. Sometimes, the reward was in the millions.
    “You have to think like a field agent. We work with the information we have, we trust no one and we stay focused on the mission. In this case, that’s finding Aiden.”
    Kate hated that she wasn’t as mentally prepared on this mission as she had thought. She was out of her element. She couldn’t admit that to Connor. Not now. She’d have to fake that she was comfortable and competent.
    Could they hitchhike if another vehicle drove this way? “We can flag down another car along the road and ask for a ride,” Kate said.
    Connor gave her a look that was a mixture of surprise and dissension. “What if the people driving the car are with the revolution and unfriendly toward Americans? What if the people in the car are with el presidente and they don’t believe why we’re in the jungle? We’ll stay off the road and see who comes by before we reveal our presence.”
    “It will take days to walk to Mangrove.”
    “Not if we cut through the jungle.”
    It was her turn to be surprised. “Cut through the jungle? Won’t that take longer?” The terrain could be brutal. Dense vegetation would slow their progress.
    “Not if you know what you’re doing.”
    The problem was that she didn’t know what she was doing. Cutting through the jungle meant a rougher landscape and a greater chance of getting lost.
    “The longer we’re out here away from civilization, the harder it will be on us physically and emotionally. We’ll find shelter until the sun rises. Then we’ll start moving,” Connor said.
    “I’ll help however I can,” Kate said. She’d read how to build a shelter in the jungle, but in the pitch blackness, she had no clue where to start.
    “I’ll make a fire to keep predators away. Then I’ll see what I can throw together.”
    They walked into the trees. Kate clung to Connor’s arm, her body shaking from fear and from the cold. She was with Connor. He was one of the best people to be with in the jungle.
    “Relax. We’ll be okay,” Connor said, his voice soft and comforting. He stopped and turned. “Would it make you feel better to hold the flashlight?” He handed it to her. “Shine it on the ground in front of us so we don’t trip, okay?”
    She took the flashlight and held it in one hand, gripping him with the other. “I’m scared.”
    “I know and I’m doing everything I can to make you not afraid.”
    Though she questioned her reasoning for coming into the jungle and how much her guilt had played into it, she didn’t doubt finding Connor had been the best course of action. He was committed, protective and skilled.
    They found a location where they could clear an area for a fire. Connor removed the lighter from his pocket. He grabbed some twigs and fine brush and used them as kindling to start a fire. When he had a strong flame burning, he added a few more sticks and then stepped away. In a few minutes’ time, he had a good fire going. “I’m going to gather supplies. Wait here.”
    “Alone?” What lurked in the jungle? Animal predators would avoid the fire, but the members of the Armed Revolution could be patrolling or living in the area. The Tumaran government could have soldiers posted looking for the AR. Distrust and anger between the two ran high and she didn’t want to be in the cross fire.
    “I’ll stay within eyesight. Or at least, within shouting distance,” Connor said. He took the flashlight from her.
    Kate clung to the straps of her backpack, needing to do something with her hands. “I’ll wait here unless there’s something you want me to do.”
    Connor was already gone. If she got crazy about needing to be close to him, she was proving right Connor’s doubts about her abilities. Kate had read about the Tumaran jungle. She