Echoes at Dawn Read Online Free PDF Page B

here.”
    Rio knew the best thing, the right thing, was to report back to his boss. If he had such a thing. True, he worked for KGI. His men technically worked for KGI. But Rio was his own man and his men were loyal to him. They went where he went. Followed his orders.
    His gut told him he didn’t entirely trust the situation at the KGI compound. Resnick was involved. Their CIA contact was up to his ears in the mess with Grace and her sister, Shea, only Rio didn’t know to what extent.
    But he had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling, and it was why he hadn’t yet reported in to Sam about their progress or that they’d been close to recovering Grace. Part of his reasoning was that he hadn’t wanted to get Shea Peterson’shopes up. She was desperate to locate her sister, and Rio had made her a promise. Her. Not Sam. Not KGI. He’d promised Shea that he’d keep her sister safe.
    He blew out his breath. If he called in KGI, they’d most assuredly come. But he couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that it wasn’t what was best for Grace. Each time he started to agree and tell Terrence to check in with Sam, get the ball rolling, his stomach coiled into a knot and his instincts screamed at him to stand down.
    “I’ll make the call,” Rio finally said. He had to talk to Sam himself. Had to know what was going on and why he was so reluctant to relinquish Grace into someone else’s care.
    Right now he only wanted a place he could make Grace more comfortable and hopefully start the healing process. She wasn’t going to give in. He’d bully her mercilessly if that’s what it took, but over his dead body was he going to lose her now that he’d finally taken her from the people who’d done so much damage to her body and mind.
    For the next hour, they climbed higher. The sun was starting its slow descent and the air grew cooler the higher they went.
    “There,” Diego called, holding his hand up to halt the others.
    Diego pointed to a series of large boulders jutting upward from the ground. Resting against the side of a steep cliff, the boulders provided a natural shelter. The cliff wall provided cover from behind with no possible access. The only way in or out was the front and Rio could easily pick off anyone coming hundreds of yards away.
    “Help me get her down,” Rio said, crisp urgency in his voice.
    Browning and Alton hurried to unwind the bonds securing Grace to his back. Decker and Terrence lifted her weight and eased her away. Rio stretched his aching shoulders and then hurried into the natural enclosure.
    Diego tossed him his pack holding medical supplies and two canteens of water. Terrence pulled the sat phone fromhis pack and laid it on the ground beside the sleeping bag Browning tossed down.
    Rio quickly arranged the bedroll, and Decker and Terrence eased Grace down on it.
    “We’ll do recon and find a place we can squat for as long as we need it,” Terrence said. “Be back soon.”
    Rio nodded and his men melted back into the trees, leaving him and Grace alone.
    His first order of business was to make sure she was protected. Then he’d see to her comfort. Dead was pretty uncomfortable by his standards.
    He took his rifle and made a slow sweep of his surroundings through the scope. He took his time, noting the locations of markers and memorizing the landscape.
    After positioning himself so he had a prime view down the incline, he propped his rifle so it would be in easy reach, and then he took out several grenades and lined them meticulously against the base of one of the boulders.
    Both the knives he carried came out and were placed beside the grenades, and his handgun came last and he put it on his opposite side. Satisfied that everything was close enough for him to grasp in an instant, he turned his attention back to Grace.
    She shivered and chill bumps were predominant on her skin. Her lips were set into a fine line, even in her unconscious state. He wondered if she dreamed, if she was reliving her