Wild Fire
Page 3
The cabin where he was meeting Rio and the rest of the team was just ahead. Built on stilts, it was positioned in the crook of three trees. The cabin became part of the network of branches, easy for leopards to access. In the shadow of the tallest tree, he shifted back to his human form.
To the left of the cabin a neat pile of folded clothes had been left for him beside a small outdoor shower. The water was cold but refreshing, and he took advantage of it, scrubbing the sweat from his body and stretching out his muscles after his forest run. His leopard was nearly purring, happy to be home, as he dressed in the clothes Rio had left for him.
Conner paused on the small porch in front of the house built into the tree. He sniffed the air. He recognized the scents of the four men inside. Rio Santano, the man running the team. Elijah Lospostos, the newest member of the team. Conner didn’t know him as well as the others, but he seemed extremely capable. They’d only worked together a couple of times, but the man didn’t shirk and he was fast and quiet. The other two men were Felipe and Leonardo Gomez Santos from the Brazilian rain forests, brothers who were brilliant at rescue work. Neither ever flinched under the worst circumstances, and Conner preferred working with them to anyone else. Both were aggressive and yet had endless patience. They got the job done. Conner was pleased they were on board with this mission, whatever it was. He had a feeling the mission was going to be difficult, since Rio had specifically asked for him.
He pushed open the door and the four men looked up with quick smiles but serious eyes. He caught that right away, as well as the elevated tension in the room. His stomach knotted. Yeah—this was going to be a bad one. So much for being happy about coming home.
He nodded to the others. “Good to be back.”
“How’s Drake?” Felipe asked.
Drake was probably the most popular of all the leopards they worked with and often ran the team on rescue missions. He was the most methodical and disciplined. Leopard males were notoriously bad-tempered, and when so many were in close proximity, outbreaks of anger quickly escalated. But not with Drake around. The man was a born diplomat and leader. He’d been injured so severely during a rescue that he’d had plates put in his legs, plates that prevented him from shifting. Everyone knew what that meant. Sooner or later he would be unable to live with the loss of his other half.
“Drake seems to be doing well.” Drake had gone to the States, putting distance between himself and the rain forest in an effort to alleviate the pain of not being able to shift. He had taken a job with Jake Bannaconni, a leopard unknowing of their ways, since he lived in the United States. Conner had followed Drake to the States and had worked for Bannaconni. “We had some trouble and Drake was injured again, same leg, but Jake Bannaconni arranged for a bone graft to replace the plates. We’re all hoping it works.”
“You mean Drake might be able to shift again?” Leonardo’s eyebrow shot up and some of the worry in his black eyes receded.
“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Conner replied. He glanced at Rio. “I wouldn’t have come back, with Drake in the hospital, but you said it was urgent.”
Rio nodded. “I wouldn’t have asked but we really need you on this one. None of us is familiar with this territory.”
“Have you informed the locals?” Conner meant the elders of his own village. They were reclusive and difficult to find, but the leopards could send word when they were passing through one another’s backyards.
Rio shook his head. “The client’s representative warned us that a couple of the leopards have gone rogue and now work for this woman.” Rio tossed a photograph on the rough tabletop. “They call her mujer sin corazón.”
“Woman without a heart,” Conner translated. “Imelda Cortez. I know of her. Anyone growing up in those parts knows her family. She’s also known as víbora, the viper. You don’t want anything to do with her. When they say she has no heart, they mean it. She’s been murdering the local Indians for years, and stealing their land for her coca growing. Rumor has it she’s been pressing deeper and deeper into the jungle, trying to open up more smuggling routes.”
“Rumor is right,” Rio said. “What else do you know about her?”
Conner shrugged. “Imelda is the daughter of the late Manuel Cortez. She learned her cruelty and arrogance in the cradle and took over his connections after his death. She pays top dollar to all the local militia and buys officials like they are candy.”
His eyes met Rio’s. “Whatever the operation is, everyone will be against you. Even some of my own people will have been bought off. You won’t be able to trust anyone. You certain you want to do this?”
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Rio replied. “I understand she’s a man-eater and prefers very masculine, dominant males.”
The room went silent. The tension stretched thin. Conner’s golden cat eyes deepened to pure whiskey, gleaming with some faint threat. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You do it, Rio. I don’t do that kind of work anymore.”
“You know I can’t. Rachel would kill me, and quite frankly, I don’t have the same kind of dominant quality you have. Women always go for you.”
“I have a mate. She may hate my guts, but I will not betray her any more than I already have. No.” He half turned, ready to leave.
“Your father sent much of the information to us,” Rio said, his voice quiet.
To the left of the cabin a neat pile of folded clothes had been left for him beside a small outdoor shower. The water was cold but refreshing, and he took advantage of it, scrubbing the sweat from his body and stretching out his muscles after his forest run. His leopard was nearly purring, happy to be home, as he dressed in the clothes Rio had left for him.
Conner paused on the small porch in front of the house built into the tree. He sniffed the air. He recognized the scents of the four men inside. Rio Santano, the man running the team. Elijah Lospostos, the newest member of the team. Conner didn’t know him as well as the others, but he seemed extremely capable. They’d only worked together a couple of times, but the man didn’t shirk and he was fast and quiet. The other two men were Felipe and Leonardo Gomez Santos from the Brazilian rain forests, brothers who were brilliant at rescue work. Neither ever flinched under the worst circumstances, and Conner preferred working with them to anyone else. Both were aggressive and yet had endless patience. They got the job done. Conner was pleased they were on board with this mission, whatever it was. He had a feeling the mission was going to be difficult, since Rio had specifically asked for him.
He pushed open the door and the four men looked up with quick smiles but serious eyes. He caught that right away, as well as the elevated tension in the room. His stomach knotted. Yeah—this was going to be a bad one. So much for being happy about coming home.
He nodded to the others. “Good to be back.”
“How’s Drake?” Felipe asked.
Drake was probably the most popular of all the leopards they worked with and often ran the team on rescue missions. He was the most methodical and disciplined. Leopard males were notoriously bad-tempered, and when so many were in close proximity, outbreaks of anger quickly escalated. But not with Drake around. The man was a born diplomat and leader. He’d been injured so severely during a rescue that he’d had plates put in his legs, plates that prevented him from shifting. Everyone knew what that meant. Sooner or later he would be unable to live with the loss of his other half.
“Drake seems to be doing well.” Drake had gone to the States, putting distance between himself and the rain forest in an effort to alleviate the pain of not being able to shift. He had taken a job with Jake Bannaconni, a leopard unknowing of their ways, since he lived in the United States. Conner had followed Drake to the States and had worked for Bannaconni. “We had some trouble and Drake was injured again, same leg, but Jake Bannaconni arranged for a bone graft to replace the plates. We’re all hoping it works.”
“You mean Drake might be able to shift again?” Leonardo’s eyebrow shot up and some of the worry in his black eyes receded.
“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Conner replied. He glanced at Rio. “I wouldn’t have come back, with Drake in the hospital, but you said it was urgent.”
Rio nodded. “I wouldn’t have asked but we really need you on this one. None of us is familiar with this territory.”
“Have you informed the locals?” Conner meant the elders of his own village. They were reclusive and difficult to find, but the leopards could send word when they were passing through one another’s backyards.
Rio shook his head. “The client’s representative warned us that a couple of the leopards have gone rogue and now work for this woman.” Rio tossed a photograph on the rough tabletop. “They call her mujer sin corazón.”
“Woman without a heart,” Conner translated. “Imelda Cortez. I know of her. Anyone growing up in those parts knows her family. She’s also known as víbora, the viper. You don’t want anything to do with her. When they say she has no heart, they mean it. She’s been murdering the local Indians for years, and stealing their land for her coca growing. Rumor has it she’s been pressing deeper and deeper into the jungle, trying to open up more smuggling routes.”
“Rumor is right,” Rio said. “What else do you know about her?”
Conner shrugged. “Imelda is the daughter of the late Manuel Cortez. She learned her cruelty and arrogance in the cradle and took over his connections after his death. She pays top dollar to all the local militia and buys officials like they are candy.”
His eyes met Rio’s. “Whatever the operation is, everyone will be against you. Even some of my own people will have been bought off. You won’t be able to trust anyone. You certain you want to do this?”
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Rio replied. “I understand she’s a man-eater and prefers very masculine, dominant males.”
The room went silent. The tension stretched thin. Conner’s golden cat eyes deepened to pure whiskey, gleaming with some faint threat. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You do it, Rio. I don’t do that kind of work anymore.”
“You know I can’t. Rachel would kill me, and quite frankly, I don’t have the same kind of dominant quality you have. Women always go for you.”
“I have a mate. She may hate my guts, but I will not betray her any more than I already have. No.” He half turned, ready to leave.
“Your father sent much of the information to us,” Rio said, his voice quiet.
