Shadow in the Mountain by KaLyn Cooper

Chapter 11

Xena was soexcited to see her father home and safe. She didn’t care how terrible he smelled. He’d been in the far western regions of the country tracking down Nebil Yared, the second most powerful rebel, who supposedly had ambushed and captured the Navy SEALs and still had four in his possession.

Giving her dad one last squeeze, she stepped back. “You have good news?”

“Yeah,” he said distractedly as his gaze swept the table, landing on her breakfast. He winced as though rejecting the local food.

“Professor Riggs,” Zala said with a broad smile as she entered the dining room with arms filled with plates. “I’ll bring your usual breakfast out in a moment.”

As she began to set plates in front of Ryker, his eyes got wider and wider. Eight slices of French toast were stacked nearly a foot high on one plate. Eight pancakes covered another. Four eggs, cooked exactly the way he’d requested, sat atop eight slices of perfectly toasted bread. The last dish was covered an inch thick in bacon.

“Ma’am. This all looks wonderful, but I apologize. I didn’t mean for you to make all of this food for me.” Ryker looked devastated by his mistake.

Xena, Clint, and Van burst out laughing.

“You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you?” Ryker glared at her, making her laugh even harder.

All Xena could do was nod her head up and down.

Ryker looked to Zala. “Ma’am, thank you for going to all the trouble—”

“Stop right there, son, before you upset the best cook in Western Ethiopia.” Her father then spoke in Oromo, Zala’s native language. He thanked her for the excellent meal she had prepared and asked her to bring him only fruit and juice.

“Yes, professor. I’ll bring that right away.” Zala spun on her heel and strode from the room.

Getting herself under control, Xena finally explained. “Zala comes across as fluent in English but in truth, knows very few words. She understood all the breakfast items and made them for you.” She gestured to the plates of food.

“And since I saved your sorry ass, I’ll take that French toast. I’ve been thinking about Zala’s breakfast ever since yesterday morning.” Her father grabbed the plate and slid it to the other side of the table where he sat beside Clint. He picked up his son’s silverware and started cutting off pieces.

“Good thing Mom didn’t see you do that.” Van got up and poured himself another cup of coffee.

“Your mother would cringe at what I’ve eaten, and the way I’ve eaten, for the past week. Most of my meals were devoured at the tip of my Bowie knife. Nobody up in the damned mountains knows how to make decent injera.” He shoved a huge forkful into his mouth, then closed his eyes, moaning as he chewed.

When his eyes opened, his gaze immediately went to Xena. With a small tilt of his head toward Ryker, his eyebrows raised. “Please tell me you didn’t bring him home from the party last night.”

She knew exactly what her father meant, but as a grown woman, she loved to torment him. She pasted on a guilty smile. “Actually, I did.” She grabbed Ryker’s hand and interwove her fingers with his. “He’s such a great boyfriend, and Mom likes him. Since I was heading here to Eden, I brought him along.” She tried to affect a dreamy gaze at Ryker—while trying to hold in a laugh at the terror in her dad’s tired eyes.

Her father swallowed hard. He then set down his silverware and gathered himself. “You haven’t brought a boyfriend here since your ship was stationed in the Indian Ocean. This must be serious.” The older man wiped his hands on a napkin and stood, extending the right one across the table. “Adam Riggs. It’s a pleasure—”

Xena couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst out laughing. “Daddy, this is Ryker Tufano. He’s not my boyfriend, although he played the part very well last night at the embassy party. He’s our new mission, from Charley.”

Ryker immediately stood and grabbed her father’s hand. “Sir, I assure you, nothing is going on between your daughter and me. I’m here to rescue the remaining members of my SEAL squad and that’s all.”

Disappointment ran through Xena. She had thought perhaps the kiss last night might be the start of something mutually beneficial. Then, when he’d appeared at her door in the middle of the night wearing nothing but low-slung sweats, she’d started to hope that Ryker might be interested in her body, at least. It had been a long time since she’d taken a man to her bed.

Her father sat back down at the table and dug into the French toast and bacon, consuming his breakfast almost as quickly as Ryker. Xena knew her father hated talking business during a meal, so she made small talk with her brothers.

Once her father pushed back from the table, that was her cue that he was done. “So, Daddy, you said you had good news.”

“I do.” Her father got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. “Over the past week, I’ve met with several rebel groups under the guise of selling them guns and ammo…for gold.” He smiled at her before he sipped. “Thank you for that insider information. I’m still not sure where they’re getting the gold, but I did get to see some of it. I’m quite sure if Neberu knew about it, anyone involved with the mining operation would be dead. As near as I can tell, it’s coming from an old mine north of Dembi.”

“Oh, for Christ's sake, please don’t tell me they’re talking about the Queen of Sheba mine.” Clint downed the last of his coffee and got up for more.

“What’s the Queen of Sheba mine?” Ryker asked.

Xena knew the way her father answered questions, like the professor that he was. He couldn’t simply give her the name of the town or village. No. He had to first tell the entire story behind the answer.

Before her father could start a six-thousand-year history lesson, she quickly explained, “The oldest gold mine in existence is still producing near the Sudanese border. Oral history claims that it was the key source of gold for the ancient Egyptian Empire. Daddy has even found gold artifacts dating back six thousand years that chemically match the ore still being dug up over there. About ten years ago, a metallurgist matched the gold to that given by the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon of Israel three thousand years ago.”

“Wow,” was all Ryker said.

Detailed history lesson averted. Xena grinned with pride as she glanced toward each of her brothers. “Now, Daddy, I believe you were about to tell us where Ryker’s teammates are being held hostage.”

“Oh, yes. I followed leads all through the mountains for a fucking week. Thank God almost everybody knew the name Digger. Most were happy to tell me about the rebels, hoping that I would sell them better arms or begging me not to provide them with any guns and ammo. The government really doesn’t do anything for those people.”

Ryker often shifted in his seat, anxious for the location. She reached under the table to pat his thigh, just as he repositioned himself. Her hand slid dangerously close to his cock.

Their eyes met.

She hoped the look on her face said I’m sorry rather than I’m interested in what’s behind your zipper. To reinforce her unsaid message, she patted his leg closer to his knee.

“I spent last night in Metu Zuria where a farmer swore they’re in the foothills about ten miles south of Gore. They had been to Mettu University trying to recruit young men into the cause.” Her father had finally given them the location.

“That area is surrounded by small farms that have been hit pretty hard this last year by the drought,” Blade announced as he headed to the corner for coffee. “I could land a bird two clicks away and the rebels would never know it.” When he glanced at Xena, she snapped her hand away from Ryker’s leg. She didn’t need him making assumptions.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryker’s glance bounce between her and Blade. What the hell was that about?

“You volunteering to fly in a team tonight?” Adam Riggs asked.

Blade shrugged. “Sure. We should take Dell. He wants to play with his new drones. They can give us a heads up before we walk into a pile of shit.”

Her father looked at her. “Roll your team out at midnight. That puts you on location around two. Recon only.”

“I’ll take the Poseidon up and do a few flyovers as soon as it gets dark.” Van loved flying the newer Boeing P-8 reconnaissance plane with more gadgets and spy gear than analysts back at Langley would be able to analyze and comprehend within a year.

Although she really appreciated his offer, all she said was, “Thanks.” She didn’t want him to think it was that big of a deal because he would hold it over her head the next time he wanted something from her. Sibling rivalry was abundant in the Riggs family.

“Okay, are we all set?” Xena stood and realized her thighs were burning. With only a few hours’ sleep, she’d pushed her men hard on the obstacle course. If she was going to be out all night, she needed sleep. And a shower. She smelled almost as bad as her father.

“You need backup tonight?” Clint asked.

“No. This is a sneak and peek. When we go in for the rescue, I’d appreciate you and your men.” She turned her attention to Ryker who was shoving his chair under the table. “There’s a really good topographical map in the library if you want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with that area. I was on the “O” course at dawn with my team and desperately need a shower, then some sleep.”

A loud noise that sounded like a train passing too close drowned out her last words. That sound was a harbinger for her oncoming terror.

The house shook…and so did she.

“Earthquake,” everybody seemed to yell at the same time over the noise.

As usual, her father sat on the far side of the table calmly drinking coffee. Her brothers picked up their cups so they wouldn’t spill. Xena didn’t move, either, but it wasn’t by choice. Her feet seemed cemented to the floor.

She hated earthquakes. Give her a good firefight with a known enemy and Xena was fearless. Have the world move underneath her, and she fought panic. She wasn’t fond of angry oceans either, but she had trust and confidence in the captains of the ships she was on while in the Navy.

The world shook violently under her feet and Xena lost her balance, falling into Ryker’s arms.

She was safe. He held her body still as he absorbed the movement with his legs.

“This one is lasting a long time,” Blade noted as he expertly balanced his coffee.

“Yep,” was all her father said.

Everything around her faded away as Xena held onto Ryker as though he were the only stable thing in her world. His strong arms wrapped around her made her feel safe and secure. It had been a long time since her last hookup, and that’s all he’d been. She couldn’t remember when a man had just held her to keep her safe.

She glanced across the table and knew that man had been her father. He’d used his body to protect her as their home had crumbled around them.

Xena looked at the sturdy walls and ceilings of the home her father had rebuilt. It held. There wasn’t even concrete dust swirling in the air.

“You’re shaking.” Ryker didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know.

“I hate these fucking earthquakes.” At the next hard jolt, she grabbed him even tighter.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I’ve got you. This home seems to be very stable. You’ll be fine.”

On the verge of panic, his words seemed to calm her almost as much as the way he held her. “Don’t let go of me. Please.”

“I won’t,” he promised.

It seemed to take hours, but Xena knew it was only seconds, for the world to settle down.

“Batman, after you finish checking all the hangers, will you pull out a chopper?” Her father was already on the phone. He glanced at Blade then ordered, “Find someone to fly the geologists up to the rift.”

A young man in his mid-twenties tore into the room. “Professor, did you feel that? It was a big one. Is there someone—"

Her father held up his hand in the stop gesture. “Already arranged. Grab your gear.” A glance at Van was all it took.

“Meet me in the garage in five.” Her brother stood and smiled at their father. “You knew I’d want to check my planes.”

Their father nodded in agreement. His gaze swept to his oldest son. “Clint, you check the men. Blade, the buildings. Start with the house.”

“Yes, sir.” Without a sound, her older brother and his best friend disappeared.

Her father finally turned his attention to Xena. “You going to be okay, princess?”

She gave him a slight nod.

“Okay. You hang on to him just as long as you need.” His words surprised her until she realized she had a death grip around Ryker’s neck.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” She tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

“I’m not. You can stay right there until your breathing evens out.” He leaned in closer to her ear. “You’re still shaking.”

Oh, shit. She was.

“Breathe with me,” Ryker demanded. Together they inhaled deeply and exhaled to the count of eight. It only took a few repeats of synchronized breathing before her head cleared and she was able to shove away the fear.

When she stepped away from Ryker, her father was gone. Her legs were still a little shaky.

“Come on. I’ll walk you to your room. We both need to sleep.” His arm never left her back as they went up the stairs. In front of her bedroom, she started to shake again. He instantly pulled her back into his embrace.

“What is it?” The moist heat of his breath on her ear made her shiver for a completely different reason.

“There will be aftershocks. Or that one may have been simply a prelude to the big one.” She looked up into his dark brown eyes. “In case you couldn’t tell, I’m terrified of earthquakes.” She glanced at her unopened door then back to him. “This is not a come-on, but…would you mind staying with me until I fall asleep?”

“Sure.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back.