FRIDAY. LA PLAYA DE Belén, Colombia. 8 days until Christmas.

Val flattened herself against the wall and listened to the voices around the fire.

Shit was hitting the fan in a big way.

Duke was going to strangle her when she told him everything their captive duo had told her. There was no reason to worry about it now, not when they had enough problems in their lap.

At best, she had a minute or two before the whole camp was on the move.

Guns. If she were a druggie, where would she keep the guns and bullets?

Somewhere up high and out of reach. A place where it was too much effort for someone hopped up on their drug of choice to get to.

She stared at the rafters.

The butt of a rifle hung out one side of a large breadbasket, the kind she used to help her family deliver bread in door to door.

She grabbed a chair and lifted the basket off the hook.

Bingo.

Three pistols, a revolver and a shotgun—not a rifle—along with an assortment of bullets. It would have to do. And what was more, she would have it and not these guys.

Shadows passed the curtain blocking the open wall of the cabin. She crouched in the middle of the floor as though making herself smaller would also make her invisible.

The shadows passed.

Duke.

He was outside watching her.

Oh, hell.

She scrambled to the front and peered out the front window in one corner where the plastic taped to the glass was pulled up.

Three men got inside one of the trucks.

Fuck.

“Help! Somebody?” A voice called out, echoing off the rocks. “There’s a bitch in camp. Help.”

A familiar voice barked orders to search the area.

It was only a matter of time now.

She picked up a gun, but it wasn’t loaded and she didn’t know enough about types of bullets to match the firearm with what went inside of it. There was no way to get this all to Duke without being seen and creating a situation before they could deal with it.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

She peered around at the boxes and bags under the table.

An old sack with block letters taunted her.

Flour.

How many times had Dad scared her by creating mini explosions with the stuff?

She crawled across to the bag and grabbed a box of matches from the counter. She ripped the top of the bag open and scooped up a handful.

Voices came closer.

All she had to do was create a distraction, something that would allow Duke to get to a better location, then she could bolt.

She crouched under the counter.

A man pulled the curtain aside and stepped in, followed by two others.

She struck the match and threw her handful of flower then the match.

The dust cloud caught fire immediately, sucking the oxygen out of the air and creating a momentary tornado of flames. The men screamed, and wood crackled.

Now or never.

Val grabbed her basket of guns and darted for the door, keeping her head low. She yanked it open and rushed out into the clean, fresh air, sucking down lungfuls of oxygen.

“Get down,” Duke yelled. He ran straight into her, carrying her sideways.

Bullets sent shards of wood flying in all directions.

They took shelter on the side of the cabin.

“What the hell, Val?” Duke’s eyes were wide, his skin ashen.

“What the hell?” She gestured at the man in the truck, the gun aimed at them.

Duke fired off a shot, then leaned farther out. One ping, two pings—boom.

The small explosion sent a concussion wave through the valley, shaking trees. A plume of thick smoke rose up in the sky. People ran this way and that screaming. She almost felt sorry for them. This had to be the worst trip of their lives.

“Run.” Duke grabbed her hand.

Together, they darted into the underbrush, and kept going, up the hill to a slight vantage point. At least half the group was either captured or had run off. The remaining six, plus the leader, stood staring into the trees as though they were surrounded by unseen forces.

Duke grabbed a handful of bullets from the basket and began loading two of the weapons.

“I’m going to give you these, and I want you to hold this position. I’ll go to the other side and draw as many as I can to the pit trap, then circle back. I’ll signal, and then we’ll storm the castle. They don’t have but one or two guns between them, and they’ve fired off too many stupid shots to have enough left.”

“Duke—”

“There’s no time.”

He thrust two into her hands and scooped up the basket, sprinting off into the trees, hardly making a sound. She wanted to help, but she also had to recognize that Duke was used to this. He’d been fighting against oppressors and injustice not only in his own country, but for others, since he was little. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was a genuinely good person down to his core. He hadn’t blinked or even tried to suggest another course of action since he fully understood there was no branch of law enforcement coming to their rescue.

Val cradled the guns in her lap and covered her mouth with her hand. The adrenaline was burning out of her system, leaving her cold—and scared.

What if Duke got more than he could handle? What if he was shot? What if a hundred things?

She could lose him here and now. It was always a risk, something they faced in the field, but this time it could be because of her.

The ringleader and the trio from inside the now-burning cabin stood in a circle. The men’s clothes were singed and only one appeared to have been injured.

Shouting echoed from the other side of the narrow valley. No shots were fired, but those voices did not sound happy.

The big guy shoved one of the remaining three toward the sound. The man backpedaled away.

Val didn’t know what the signal was, but she wasn’t waiting any longer. All too soon those they’d left tied up or who’d been knocked out from the snares knocking them off their feet could get free and come to get some payback. The sooner she and Duke handled this, the better, while they still had something of an upper hand.

She scrambled down, ducking past the trees until she was on the very edge of the clearing. The cabin crackled, the old, dry wood going up fast. She was willing to bet a few of the thugs had simply split, not wanting to get involved in a fight.

“Val?” Duke called out.

“Here.” She straightened, both guns in hand, and stepped out from the bushes.

Duke emerged from the other side. A few twigs clung to his clothing, and there were scratches on his face, but he was otherwise fine. A relief given everything they were going through.

“You.” The big guy snarled and thrust his finger at her.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Duke squeezed off a shot. The bullet sent up a spray of dirt and rock just a few feet in front of the man.

“You’re going to regret this,” the big guy glared at her.

“What’s he saying?” Duke edged closer still.

“Who do you work for?” she asked the guy in Spanish.

“Someone meaner than I am. Your little grandma’s gotten by without paying full price. My boss won’t be as nice to her.”

“Val?” Duke said.

“He says we’re going to regret this, and he works for someone else. He knows who my family is.” She swallowed, but kept her face calm.

“Who the hell does he work for?” Duke was close enough now to be in arm’s reach.

“He didn’t say.” Val wanted to get out of here, soon. Now would be better.

“We aren’t prepared to take these guys into custody, but we can burn everything they have to the ground.”

“But what about my family? What if they go back to whoever he works for?”

“Do you want their blood on your hands? Are you ready to pull that trigger and kill someone?”

“No.” Her hands shook. She’d taken an oath she cared about.

“Okay, then we’re going to stick to the plan. Scare them. And take away their toys. Got it?” Duke side stepped closer to her.

“Okay.” Val blew out a breath and collected her thoughts before addressing the others. “You have nothing left. No house. No shelter. No cars. No guns. Nothing. We took that from you. Two people. Tell that to your friends. Drop the gun and go.”

The big guy grimaced and pulled a handgun from the back of his jeans. He dropped it on the ground and kicked it over in a plume of dust.

“Don’t even think about it,” Duke snapped.

The four held up their hands and backed away.

“What do we do about the ones tied up?” she asked.

“Leave them. They’ll get free, and in the time it takes them to do that, they can think about their life choices.”

The four disappeared around the almost burned-out shell of the cabin.

“We need to burn the trucks and get out of here.” Duke lowered his weapon. “Who do you think they work for?”

“I don’t know, and that scares me.”

An engine started up in the distance.

“Shit,” Duke muttered. “We must have missed one. Come on, let’s get moving before anyone gets lose.”

Val didn’t have the frame of mind to argue against leaving even dangerous people tied up and potentially helpless. Duke planted his hand on the small of her back and propelled her forward. Her vision narrowed to the road in front of them while Duke kept watch behind them with the occasional glance around.

Her stomach growled, and her throat was dry. They’d only meant this to be an information gathering adventure. Nothing more. And then she’d pushed and Duke had caved.

Those men were going to come back, and then what?

It would be her fault.

DUKE WAS GLAD HE would never have to write a report about today.

They’d walked away from it alive, so that was good, but everything else was a steaming pile of shit. Instead of sticking to the plan and just figuring out what—and who—they were up against, they’d acted. All they’d succeeded in doing was kicking the hornet’s nest, so to speak.

After a mile or so of walking Duke finally relaxed. The one non-drug using member of the group was long gone, and he didn’t expect the others to chase them this far. Not without wheels.

God, this was a disaster. And he was responsible. He’d made the plan, he’d executed it, and it would be Val’s family who paid the price for his mistakes.

“Hey. Come over here.” Duke grabbed Val’s hand and led her off the path and around some low-lying trees to a couple of rocks he’d seen earlier. Of course, he’d thought it was a great place for a picnic or something.

He set their basket of munitions down on the biggest rock then guided Val to lean on the smaller one. Her gaze remained on the ground, not really seeing him.

Val’s face was lined, her expression stunned. He’d never seen her this dazed, even after losing a patient. Because this time it was personal. Val had a huge heart, she cared about every person she treated, but this was her family.

“Hey, hey, look at me?” He cupped her chin and tipped her head back. The lack of water and food would also play into it.

Val’s gaze traveled up his chest to his face, not quite focused.

“Let’s talk,” he said.

“What are we going to do?” Her brow creased more.

Duke blew out a breath. The truth wouldn’t help. He had to think of something. He had to say something.

“It will take time for them to gather people to come after us. I think we should call some of your friends, try to get law enforcement up here.” His words built speed as his thoughts whirled faster.

“But it’s Christmas. No one is going to come to our rescue during Christmas.”

“Then we convince them.”

“What if they don’t come? What then?”

“We’ll figure something out. Felix and Jackie are coming. We can call in favors. Aegis owes us. I know you don’t want to involve them, but Jackie is your friend. She’ll want to help if she can.”

“Help do what though?” Val covered her face with her hand and closed her eyes.

Duke sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She thought they were coming home for the holidays, and instead they were going to lead a revolt against the cruel oppressors.

“There are more people in the village than in this gang. They might not have the firepower these men do, but they also don’t have as much to lose.” Duke was grasping at strings here, but it just might work. “What if we’re right? What if La Playa isn’t the only village this is happening to?”

Val picked her head up off his shoulder and stared at him.

“We need to talk to everyone. The whole village. Figure out exactly how this group was operating. Once we know that, you and your dad can go to the surrounding villages and check on them, invite them to take a stand with us.”

“Cut off the supply.”

“Exactly. You see this in every revolt that’s ever happened. The workers refuse to work and the greedy get nothing. Same concept, but it will only work if we can get everyone on board. And I mean everyone.”

“What if we’re wrong and it’s just us?”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I can tell you this though, one village can’t support a group of addicts the way those guys were going at it. That’s a lot of drugs to burn through and it’s only halfway through the afternoon.”

“They were all kids.”

“Does that make them any less able to hurt people?”

“No, but...they could be someone’s kid, cousin, brother, you know?”

“I know. I know.” He squeezed Val a little tighter.

Meth was a growing problem in parts of Africa. They’d gone up against one pretty nasty case of usage and manipulation a month after Val joined their team. It was hard enough to handle it then. Now, with it being so close to her home, he couldn’t begin to imagine what Val was going through.

“Thank you for being here.” Val squeezed him tight and buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here. I really don’t.”

“You’d think of something.” He closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of her shampoo.

“And probably get myself killed.” Val pulled back and swiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Don’t cry. Please? We’re okay.”

“For now.”

“Then don’t go getting hurt on me, okay?” He squeezed her hand and wished he could lift this burden from her completely. Nothing would make him happier than to see her have reason to smile. “Come on, we should get back. We’ve got a big plan to execute.”

Val nodded and stood with him, their hands still clasped. Neither made a move to let go. He grabbed the basket, and they set off again, headed back toward La Playa. For a little while neither spoke, and the walk was almost nice. If they weren’t dehydrated, exhausted, and running on empty.

“You know, I’m distinctly aware that every mission we go on, someone could die, but today seemed...worse.” Val tipped her chin up and stared at the blue, blue skies.

“We weren’t prepared. It was just two of us. Your fears make sense.”

“Duke.” Val stopped in the middle of the road, her gaze boring through his skull.

“What is it?” He edged closer.

She opened her mouth, her eyes coasting back and forth, searching his face for something. He knew without words that whatever she wanted to say would change them. Did she want to leave the team? Would she answer the magnetic pull he couldn’t fight? What was it?

He felt the rumble before he heard it, a diesel engine rumbling closer.

“Shit.” He pushed her toward the brush. “Off the road. Hide.”

They darted through the thin, knee high grass and toward a bunch bushes.  With the stone walls rising straight up all around them, there wasn’t much to hide behind. It was the perfect spot to catch them unaware.

He hit his knees, and Val pulled him down farther behind the bushes.

“I’ll shoot, you run, okay?” he said.

“No.”

“Val—”

“I am not leaving you. I got you into this and I will get you out of it.”

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you.”

A truck rolled around the bend going slowly over the rough terrain.

Val gasped and stood. “It’s Dad.”

The rest of the truck came into view, its side painted with a loaf of bread.

“Oh, hell.” Duke blew out a breath, the last of his energy giving out. He sure hoped Val’s Dad wasn’t there to kick up some dust, because Duke didn’t know if he could take on anyone—or anything—else.

Val jogged across the open ground to the truck and leaned in through the driver’s side window.

“Come on, there’s food and water in the back.” She opened the back of the truck and they climbed in.

Abuelo sat shotgun with an old six-shooter across his thigh.

Val and Duke sat on the floor with neither of the older men speaking to them. She dug out bottles of water and sandwiches wrapped in cheesecloth.

“Abuela told them to come. I don’t think Dad’s happy about this.” Val kept her voice low. “They said everyone’s waiting for us to get back. What are we going to tell them?”

Duke wished he could take this burden from her, but he couldn’t. These people didn’t know him and they wouldn’t trust him like they would her. Val was a girl they’d watched grow up and become a leader. Now she’d be their leader.

“What are we going to do, Duke?”

“We’re going to give them something to believe in.” He took her hand and scooted closer. It went against his nature to put someone else out there ahead of the rest to be the target, but it was time for Duke to step back and follow. Val could do this.

“How?” she whispered, her voice cracking under the strain.

“I’ve got an idea...”