Echoes at Dawn Read Online Free PDF

a grueling pace that would have most people reduced to begging. But she hadn’t uttered a sound. But he felt her. She wasn’t a strong presence in his mind. He thought she was probably tightly protecting herself. But he could still sense the remains of the mental pathway that had been briefly forged between them, and he knew she was suffering.
    “Bad news,” Terrence said grimly.
    Rio looked up to get the report from the man he’d sent ahead to scout the area where they’d left the vehicles. Terrence’s lips were set into a fine line, and he kept looking to where Grace’s head rested on Rio’s shoulder as if he hated having to say what he was about to.
    Diego pulled up, standing to the side of Terrence and Rio. He too glanced at Grace, but his gaze was seeking, trying to discern her condition.
    “Tell me,” Rio said impatiently.
    He couldn’t be concerned with Grace hearing bad news. Hell, how much worse could it get anyway? She’d already been to hell and back.
    “We’ve got company. Hard to tell from the distance I was doing recon, but our hiding spot has been made and they’ve set up an ambush.”
    Rio bit out a string of swear words that had Grace stirring against him. He went still, not wanting to cause her greater discomfort.
    “Rio?”
    Hearing his name on her lips did odd things to him. His heart turned over at the way she tried to mask her fear. She obviously had no idea how much she was broadcasting. Her fear was a tangible, living thing. He could smell it. He could feel it. He could damn near taste it as it vibrated through the air.
    “What will we do?” she whispered.
    Terrence and Diego both put a hand out to her, each seeking to comfort her.
    “Don’t you worry, Miss Grace,” Terrence said gruffly. “We’ve faced a lot worse. We aren’t going down to a bunch of good ole boys with peashooters.”
    Rio felt her lift her head and he grimaced at the effort it took her. She trembled against him and his gut clenched. She wasn’t doing well at all. He knew it like he knew nothing else. They had to get her somewhere she could have medical attention or she wasn’t going to make it.
    “Where will we go?” she asked.
    Her head rested on his shoulder again as if she no longer had the strength to hold it up. He could feel her breaths huff out in tiny little bursts against his neck.
    It was then he felt the desolation and…the acceptance. Her acceptance. She’d resigned herself to death. Embraced it even. Sorrow surrounded him, pulled at him. She knew she was dying but she didn’t want to die out here in the cold. In the unknown. Afraid. She didn’t want to die afraid.
    Rage blew through him. Helpless rage. He wanted to hitsomething but he remained still, not wanting to add to her pain. He met the gazes of Diego and Terrence.
    “We don’t have much time,” he said in a low voice. “We need a backup plan yesterday.” He stared hard at his teammates, his lips curled up in a snarl. “She’s not dying on my watch. Split up. Find us a place we can hunker down and give her some time to heal. We’ll figure out a plan after she’s taken care of.”
    “We need to find a place for you to stay with Grace while we scout,” Diego said. “That’s our first priority.”
    Terrence nodded his agreement.
    Rio glanced over his shoulder but he sensed that Grace had slipped under again, no longer aware or maybe no longer caring of her surroundings. He knew he had to move fast. He didn’t have much time because she was fading more rapidly by the minute.
    “You hang in there, Grace,” he said fiercely. “Don’t you dare give up.”
    She didn’t even stir. Rio’s men gathered in a tight perimeter and they struck out again, this time heading back up in elevation and away from where the SUVs were parked.
    Terrence fell in beside Rio and murmured in a low voice, “I can radio Sam. Tell him what’s up. Ask for backup. He could send a helo in. Might take the better part of a day but we’d be out of