A Cloak of Lies Ch. 13

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"It's good to meet you, Dr. Shaffer," the colonel said. "And your daughter. Mrs. Pavli, it's a real honor to meet you. You're the reason we were able to find this place. Heard a lot about you."

Camille nodded, shaking the colonel's hand. She was suddenly more exhausted than she'd ever been in her life. Things started to run together in a long blur: a stretcher was brought in and men groaned under the weight of the giant as they carried him out; Lorette crooned to him as she followed, the colonel took the scientist aside, barking orders to those around him; and Niko's arm never left her as he argued about finding her safe passage to some ship somewhere.

It was all too much. Her body throbbed with the aching wounds inflicted by the man she once thought she would marry. The fear of seeing her husband shot and the blood that still trickled down his face made her shudder. All the emotions she'd blocked since the beginning of the battle came bubbling to the surface, over-whelming her until there was nothing but darkness.

***

"Niko?"

She said his name into the darkness that surrounded her. A hand touched her face before a dim light flickered on. It took a minute to focus her eyes, but when she did, she saw his face.

"You had me scared,agapi."

She smiled, taking his hand in hers. How good it was to wake and find him alive, touching her, looking at her with love.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You fainted. It's no wonder. When we got you back to the ship and I saw all the...Did that bastard whip you?"

She nodded; frowning as memories came flooding back. With a moan, she stretched her aching limbs.

"I killed him, didn't I?" She felt the darkness of guilt and death that surrounded her.

"Yes, baby. Good thing for him, too. If he was still alive, I'd tear him to pieces."

"Is it over now?"

Niko didn't answer right away. He kissed her hand, holding it as if he would never let go.

"Oleander escaped," he said at last. "We don't know what he'll do, but I'm not taking any chances. We're staying underground."

"It's never going to end, is it? Where are the others?"

"It'll be over soon," Niko said when he finally released her hand. He picked up a strange looking phone, said something into it and returned to her side. "Brick was in surgery for six hours. That woman—Lorette, I think her name is—hasn't left his side since he got out. I think the big guy finally found a woman who can settle him down."

Niko grinned at his own joke, shaking his head. He straightened the blankets then walked to the door when he heard a knock. Someone entered carrying a tray. He took the tray and ordered the bearer back out. While she ate, he gave her more details.

Olan was still with a man named Colonel Hansen, being debriefed along with Lorette's father and his two assistants. Every stick and stone of the island was being searched for signs of Oleander, but the general consensus was that the man had left the island. The behemoth called Brick was expected to recover, but the bullet had come dangerously close to puncturing his aorta. The doctors of the ship's surgery were calling him a miracle. He left out the part about the concussion the doctors said he had.

"So what now?" Camille asked.

"You go into hiding and stay there until all this can be sorted out."

"You're still an ass," she declared as she shoved the tray aside.

She tossed the blankets off, swinging her legs out. She didn't notice at first that she was stark naked. When she did notice, she decided not to care.

"There's no way you're shoving me in some hole somewhere so that I can spend my days and nights worrying if you're still alive. I go with you, got that?"

There were a stream of Greek curses before he dropped into a chair beside the bed.

"Okay, love. You win."

She frowned for a minute, trying to decide if he was being honest.

"I don't want to be anywhere but with you," he said, meeting her gaze. "All those years without you...God, I missed you."

Taking his hand, she settled herself on his lap.

"Never leave me alone again," she said. "We stay together from now on, Niko. No matter what, we stay together."

His hand touched the wound on her left breast. She could see the rage in his eyes, knew his Greek blood cried for revenge. Closing her hand over his, she moved it over her nipple, shivering at the sensation of his touch.

"I'll heal, Niko," she said.

"He should never have had the chance..."

"It's my own fault for not listening to you," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

He pushed her back to gaze into her eyes. "Did he...?"

"No. That's what Olaf saved me from. All he did was use the whip. After that, Olaf came in and stopped him."

"I should've been there to stop him." Niko pulled her close again. "I'll never forgive myself."

She sighed, running a hand down his face. As far as she was concerned, all was forgiven. She wanted to stay in his arms forever.

"Would you shut up and make love to me?"

***

"Quit your lollygagging," Brick growled. "We need to get there before dark."

The forest surrounding them was dark, but it didn't matter to Niko. He'd fight the very demons of hell to keep this beauty by his side. He looked at Camille's smiling face once more, glad that she'd managed to put a few pounds on while they all convalesced on board the naval vessel that brought them home.

"I can carry that for you," he heard Lorette say to Camille.

"I got it, Lorette," Camille said as she shifted the pack on her back.

"I feel so useless," she returned. "He won't let me carry anything."

Lorette was referring to Brick, of course. Since getting his feet back under him, he'd been surlier than ever, threatening to come to blows with anyone that came within arm's reach of her. It was fun to watch the big guy humbled by a simple smile from the pretty girl, although neither he nor Olan dared poke fun at him about it. It would be a good way to lose an appendage.

Niko shifted his own pack, keeping a careful eye on Camille. Despite her reassurances that she was well enough, he still didn't like the idea of her hiking over the rough terrain with the load she was carrying. Still, she looked good enough to eat.

"Just a couple more miles," Brick told Lorette. "It's not exactly the comforts of home, but you'll be safe there."

"I'm sure it will be wonderful," she replied, giving him another of her dazzling smiles.

The giant fairly melted, looking as smitten as a prom date. He held out a hand to her, helping her to step over a fallen log.

"Mind where you step," Brick said. "I don't want you to land on a trip wire."

She looked at the ground before setting her foot down. They all followed him in a single file, stepping where he told them, never deviating from the path. The rest of the hike went silently until they approached a large clearing. In the center sat a dilapidated shack that passed for Brick's home.

Niko almost laughed out loud when Brick turned to stare hopefully at the redhead. He watched her face, holding his breath as she took it all in.

"It's beautiful." She lied.

"Aw, I know it ain't much, but I'll get it cleaned up for ya."

"Good lord," Camille said. "What's that smell?"

That was Niko's undoing. He guffawed loudly, clapping the big man on the back. He stepped into the edge of the clearing only to hear a low growl that brought him to a halt.

"Rafe," Brick said, smiling broadly. "Here, boy."

"What on earth is that?" Lorette said with a gasp.

She was the first to see the mangy, three-legged wolf that lived in the cabin. She hid behind Brick, clinging to his arm while she stared at the wretched creature.

"That's Rafe," Brick said with a chuckle. "I was afraid he'd be gone by the time I got back. Here, boy. Is that any way to act in front of a lady?"

The wolf lowered its head and approached, but kept an eye on Brick's three companions. It sniffed Brick's hand, whimpering a greeting before slinking away to the cover of the underbrush again.

"He'll get used to you," Brick said. He was obviously enjoying Lorette's touch and taking advantage of her nearness to hold her hand. "Let's get inside and see how much damage he's done."

Camille gasped, clamping a hand over her nose and mouth, running from the building as soon as they entered. Inside were the bones and carcasses of the wolf's meals. The stench was unbearable.

Niko followed her, draping an arm around her shoulders. He hooked a finger under her chin to force her eyes up.

"You can't be serious," she moaned. "How are we supposed to live in that hell hole?"

The decision had been made during the week on board ship while Brick recovered from his surgery and chest wound. Niko knew the living arrangements weren't ideal, but since no one else knew of Brick's stronghold, it was the perfect hiding place. Dr. Shaffer and Olan, along with Shaffer's assistants stayed behind to assist Colonel Hansen in tracking Oleander down. The scientist was most adamant that they take Lorette with them and Brick couldn't be happier.

"I know it's a stink-pit, Angel," he heard Brick say, "but it's all I got."

Lorette's answer was true to form for the sweet girl, "Don't worry. I can have this cleaned up in no time."

"I don't want you dirtying your pretty hands," he replied. "You leave it to me."

Niko shook his head. The thought of the big slob cleaning anything was too funny to picture. He couldn't wait to see what Brick looked like as a domesticated man. He gave Camille a hug.

"That's why we brought the tents,agapi," he said. "I've no intention of living in Brick's filth. Hopefully, we won't have to be here long. Olan will get us when it's all over."

She stifled a groan at the prospect of sleeping on the hard ground. Never in all the times her father had dragged her off camping when she was a kid did she enjoy sleeping in a tent. Niko had heard her tell her father of it often enough. He had to wonder how Lorette would take to it.

"Grab an axe, Pavli," Brick said as he walked by with tools in hand. "Must've been a storm. A corner of the cabin's been torn loose."

Niko shot Camille a wink before following the giant to the back of the cabin. He wondered what he'd got himself into with this arrangement.

***

Lorette walked from the stench of the cabin, rubbing her arms and breathing deeply of the fresh air. The look on her face was almost as forlorn as that on Camille's.

"You okay?" Camille asked.

Lorette nodded, taking another deep breath. "How could anyone live like this?"

"I've a feeling he's been on his own a long time," Camille answered with a laugh. When she saw the sympathy on her young friend's face, she added, "He just needs a woman to whip him into shape."

Lorette giggled, looking in the direction of the cabin again. "I think he's sweet. He seems so lost."

"Oh, I think he found exactly what he's looking for the first time he clapped eyes on you." Camille laughed again when Lorette colored clear to her hair line. "Let's get these tents up and then we'll see what we can do about scraping the yuck out of his house."

The women worked hard, pitching tents, gathering firewood from the edge of the clearing and setting up camp. By the time the men had finished patching the back of the cabin, they had a fine stew bubbling on the fire and were using shovels to scoop the mess from the building to a second fire down wind of the cook fire. From time to time, Camille thought she spied a pair of wolf's eyes, watching from the ever-growing shadows.

"I told you not to bother with that," Brick growled as he lumbered over to take the shovel from Lorette.

She slapped his hand away and continued with her load to the fire. Pulling down the cloth that covered her nose and mouth after she dumped the load, she offered him a gentle smile. Camille only laughed and told the men to wash their hands for supper.

"You ain't gonna wear yourself out," Brick said to Lorette. "I won't have it."

He snatched the shovel from her before stalking back to the cabin. Camille wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but Lorette looked positively angry. The woman held her tongue, though, when she went to clean herself up. Camille leaned her own shovel against a tree and joined her.

"I swear," Lorette said. "I don't know who he is, ordering me around like that. I'm not helpless."

"He does seem to be abnormally careful with you," Camille said with a grin. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

"Honestly, you'd think I was made of glass or something, the way he carries on. I have a good mind to tell him off."

Camille started giggling. "That's something I'd like to see," Camille said between fits of laughter. "I don't think he's ever had a woman do that to him before."

***

Brick tossed on the hard bed. In the yard, in a tent, Pavli and his woman shared a bed, holding each other like lovers do. Brick had never felt so alone as he did this night, trying to sleep in his cabin on a dirty mattress with reeking blankets. Suddenly the place didn't seem like home anymore.

Just a few yards from his front door slept an angel with golden red hair and a smile that shook him to his soul—not that he'd seen much of the smile since arriving at his cabin. She'd been giving him the silent treatment. He knew she was angry, but couldn't figure out why.

He slept fitfully, waking several times with images of her in his dreams. When he staggered from the cabin just after sunrise, he found both women building up the fires again. He nearly had a fit of rage when he saw Lorette try to lift the heavy cast iron caldron he kept on the side of the cabin. He closed the distance between them in three strides, snatched her by the arm and pulled her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

She stared at him for a moment with a blank expression on her face. After gently pulling her arm free, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You have no right to speak to me like that," she said very quietly.

He took a step back. There was no anger in her face, but a sudden chill cooled the air. He sure wished he understood women.

"You could hurt yourself, Angel" he said. "Now be a good girl and go sit down."

"Not as bad as I want to hurt you right now," she said with no small amount of venom.

Her eyes were alight with flames of retribution. She advanced on him, her shoulders squared and her head high. He found himself retreating a few steps.

"You don't get to order me around, understand?" she said, her voice quiet but hard as flint. "I'm a grown woman, not a child. I'm not made of china and this place reeks. If I'm forced to live here, I will have cleanliness. After being locked up in that nasty hole in Oleander's prison, I can't stand the stink of filth and decay. I'm going to clean it up. Just try and stop me."

Brick stumbled backward, tripping over a chunk of wood to fall on his backside. The angel hovered over him, her hands on her hips, looking like a vengeful goddess ready to exact punishment on her transgressors. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his life.

"And while we're on the subject," she continued, wrinkling her cute nose at him. "You could use a bath yourself."

Niko dropped an armload of wood and let out a low whistle. Brick looked at him, finding himself at a loss in the face of Lorette's anger. Never in his life had he backed down to anyone, but this angel had him digging for words of apology that wouldn't come. He could only watch impotently as she glided away from him to her tent. She returned a few moments later to hand him a small leather case.

"I was going to give this to you earlier," she said, "but you were being so stubborn about everything—treating me like...like I didn't have a brain in my head—I was too mad. Use it."

She walked away to join Pavli's woman who was trying her best to hide an amused grin. Both women worked together to drag the caldron up and hang it from the tripod over the cook fire. Brick still held the case in his hand, staring in shock at her stiff back.

"They can really throw you, huh?" Niko said.

He was standing next to Brick, extending a hand to help him up. Brick slapped the hand back, hauling himself to his feet unaided.

"What the hell is this?" he asked quietly, turning the case over in his hands.

Niko chuckled, slapping him on the back. "Open it and find out," he said before walking away again.

Brick felt the best defense was a hasty retreat. He made his way to the path that led to the woods behind the cabin, clutching the case tightly. This path took him to a creek with a narrow waterfall that emptied into a large pool. He'd never been one to take orders—the very reason he'd left the military all those years ago—but he felt compelled to do as he was told by his angel.

He sat on a rock with the case in his hand. It was a gift. No one had ever given him one before. Running his hand over it, he could feel the fine texture of the leather. A naval insignia was embossed into one side, leaving little doubt as to where she had acquired it. She must have got it from the PX at the base when they docked.

Dragging a calloused finger down the zipper that held the top closed, he wondered where she'd found the money. Being kidnapped and held prisoner wasn't exactly a high-paying gig. When she left the island, all she had were the dirty clothes on her back.

An ugly image of the pretty redhead servicing sailors came to mind. A flash of white-hot rage ignited, bringing beads of sweat to his forehead. Shaking his head to dispel the image, he told himself it was his past associations that caused the thought. The only women he'd ever known were whores. This one—this sweet, gentle angel—was nothing like them. She was unsoiled, pure like a snowy mountain cap.

And she had given him a gift.

With great care, he pulled the key on the zipper. The case opened to reveal her thoughtfully selected items. There was a safety razor with a handle big enough for his thick fingers, a can of shaving gel, a hairbrush, toothbrush, soap and several other items all designed keep a man slick and clean.

He wasn't sure if he should be offended, or simply moved by her gesture. Olan Jeffreys' words came back to haunt him: "Women don't really care much for the natural ambiance of a man."

With a grin, he set the toiletry kit aside and stripped off his shirt.

***

"You're going to scrub the grain right off the wood."

Niko stood over his wife, covered in the same filth she was, wondering how clean was clean enough. She and Lorette had been at it all morning, dragging items from the cabin and pressing him into service in the process. There would be no living with either of them until the place was spotless.

She raised her head and offered him a baleful expression, then went back to washing years of soil and muck from the floorboards of the old cabin. She and Lorette had scoured the patina from much of the floor, leaving it almost white in some places. Neither of them showed any sign of slowing. They were going to have the place clean if they had to kill themselves in the process.

It didn't sit well with Niko. Something was eating at Camille. She went through the motions of life, but her spark was missing. Even her smile seemed less bright than he remembered and the glow was gone from her eyes.

As he stood watching her, there was a soft noise at the door. He turned, always on his guard lest Oleander and his horde find them. All he saw was the snout of that mangy wolf Brick kept. The animal sniffed the air and took a step back. It seemed the smell of clean wasn't much to his liking. Rafe ran off as fast as his three legs would carry him.

"What else you want me to do?" Niko asked the top of his wife's head.

She sat back on her feet, taking a deep breath. She stared out the open doorway at some point in the distance before finally looking at him.