"Are you really going to ask me that now?" Dean suppressed a groan as Thalia's sharp hazel eyes swept over him, she looked at him up and down, side to side, and she was really examining him like he was an item she was going to buy. He knew that she was confused by his presence, but hopefully they could talk about it later.
"You're not a journalist, am I right?"
He answered her without hesitation. "Not really. And I'm happy to explain it to you, Thalia. Just not now."
Fortunately, Thalia understood what he said. "Okay, fine. I'll accept whatever your reason as of now. But..." She let out a shaky breath. "Promise me that I can trust you, Dean."
His chest squeezed. Crap. The vulnerability flashing in those big eyes of hers was completely uncharacteristic.
Of course, his observation here is ironic because he doesn't really know Thalia very well. And yet he knew without a shred of doubt that revealing fear or insecurities was not something Dr. Ricafort did often.
"You can trust me," he promised softly.
She swallowed. "All right. Let's go."
Dean raised his eyebrows when he saw that the girl seemed to know how to ride a horse. He noticed that she even made fun of him. "Are you going to ride the horse, Dean?"
She mounted the horse just easily, settling in behind Thalia and wrapping his arms around her slender frame as he reached for the reins.
When Thalia leaned against his chest, a heady scent filled his nostrils - cherry blossoms and soap and something sweetly feminine.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Hold on. We're going through a bit of a bumpy road today."
He directed the horse towards the rock-strewn slope from which they'd come, then gave him a sharp kick in the flank and a low demand to get moving. The horse instantly took off in a canter, then quickened his gait at his urging. The speed of the animal's gallop had surprised him on the ride north, and it surprised him again now.
Thalia didn't speak to him again. They just ride the horse as if their lives depend on it. Even with the adrenaline still coursing through his blood, he felt calm. He'd infiltrated that military camp without a single hitch. He even killed the two guard soldiers just to save Thalia, then he also got a water sample from the well that was unobstructed, and the horse was still there where he last left it.
All in all, his operation was successful.
The ride back to the road took them through the hills, and Dean paid close attention to their surroundings, eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. But no sirens sounded. No helicopters flew overhead. Bullets were not rained on them either. The soldiers in Esmeralda may not even know that Thalia is missing, because by the time they find out, she will surely be wanted by now.
An hour later, they were near the town of Valera. He really didn't want to go out like this, fortunately it was already the middle of the night, the road was also dark because there were no lampposts or traffic lights to serve as light on the road, everything was pitch-black.
He slowed the horse to a trot. Now that he was no longer focused on controlling the horse, he was more aware of the warmth of the girl's body sitting in front of him.
"Are you okay with that, Doc?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine here." Her voice was subdued, but he could feel her nervousness.
"You seem to know how to ride a horse, where did you learn that?" he asked, so they could talk about something.
"My ex-boyfriend owned a ranch back then."
Uh-oh. He didn't expect that. But he just laughed. "Oh really?"
"Yeah."
"Because I can't picture you out with a boyfriend riding a horse."
"Well, our relationship was only for a short time. It only lasted for one vacation. To be honest."
She shifted, and the tantalizing scent of her once again filled his nostrils. His groin stirred, then tightened, making him suppress a groan. Tragic. That he will turn on. Why did Thalia affect him like this?
Now he shifted, easing further back in the saddle so she wouldn't feel the proof of his inappropriate arousal pressing into her ass.
"So you went on vacation, then you met a rancher who owned horses, and he taught you how to ride a horse?"
He saw how much Thalia blushed at his question.
"Yeah." She sounded slightly embarrassed. "It was during my college days. My friends and I were on vacation in Dallas, and yeah, I met a cowboy. He was handsome so I was immediately attracted to him."
Dean laughed. "Maybe you weren't attracted to me, or I'm just not really a fling type."
"That's not what I always look for in a man. I don't care about the idea of a no-strings affair either."
Both his cheeks suddenly became hot. Was that her way of saying she wouldn't mind a no-strings affair with him?
But he must also remind himself that riding a horse with Thalia under the moon is not a romantic date, but a way to get away from the impending danger. Damn. What is happening to him?
"There is a farm about a mile and a half from here. I saw earlier when I passed by that they have trucks. Let's leave the horse there and let's get one of the trucks there so we can get to the port quickly."
She sat up straight. "I have nowhere else to go but the clinic."
"Sorry, Doc, but there's no way you can get back to the clinic. This is the first place the soldiers can go to look for you."
"I do not care." She stubbornly said. "I have to let my colleagues know that their lives are also in danger now."
Remembering what he'd overheard, Dean stifled a sigh. It's hard to tell here what's on his mind, what might be waiting for them at the clinic. But it will be more difficult if he is forced to take the girl to the port which is against her will, so he can't really do anything but accompany her to the clinic first.
"And I also want to tell my colleagues about the possible outbreak that...only god really knows," said Thalia. "Because Doc Kelvin didn't give me any details on...My God, Kelvin. We didn't look for him in the camp. What if he's in another tent there?"
"He's not there." Dean said weakly.
"How did you know?"
It's hard to tell the girl that her doctor colleague is--
"Is he dead?" Thalia asked in a scared voice. "Is he dead, huh?"
Dean let out a deep breath. "Yes."
*****
