Page 19 of Her Wicked Hero

Zed could hear the disgust in Kane’s voice, but he wasn’t quite clear about something.

“What―” Dex started.

“They kill the mother and steal the babies,” Kane explained, answering Dex’s unanswered question. “People will pay top dollar for their private zoos or to raise them as pets.”

“Sounds like Raymond was just lucky to get a boat,” Zed said. “I’m going to head down-river and catch up with them when they go ashore for the night.”

“Let us know your progress,” Dex said.

“You got it.”

Zed disconnected and tucked the phone back into his pack and took out his GPS. He wanted to keep track of the distance, so he knew when he was getting close to the Eco-Tourist area. He looked at the clothes Wyatt had found for him in the men’s barracks but decided to stay in his mission clothes for the time being. They were a hell of a lot more comfortable that was for damn sure.

He looked up at the sun, just a couple of more hours ‘til nightfall. He stayed close to the shoreline but far enough in the foliage, so he wouldn’t be spotted if someone was watching the riverbank. Zed’s movements were silent as he moved through the jungle, so the birds continued to sing and the monkeys continued to chatter. As he listened, he couldn’t help but think about the bastards who would butcher unsuspecting mothers, so they could kidnap baby orangutans.

Marcia rocked the baby, relieved the child was finally calm. Too bad the same couldn’t be said for his mother. She looked over at the small woman who cowered in the corner of the boat. Her eyes were huge as she trembled and stared at Raymond’s automatic rifle. Marcia had no idea who the old man was who was lying on the deck. He’d been kind enough to maneuver the boat over to the shore when Marcia had waved him over, but as soon as Raymond had stepped out from behind the tree and boarded the boat, he had tried to fight him. The old man had to be at least seventy, and he went down hard under the butt of Raymond’s rifle.

The woman had scrambled over to the old man, trying to revive him. She was crying and moaning in a language Marcia didn’t understand. That was when Marcia heard a baby crying. She looked under the houseboat’s small awning and saw a crib where a toddler was standing up, their arms out. The child was babbling, and Marcia wasn’t sure if it was toddler-speak or the same foreign language the woman was speaking. When the woman didn’t go over to the baby, Marcia went over and picked it up.

“What are you doing, Girly?” Raymond demanded.

“Taking care of the baby.”

He grunted, sounding like he was agreeing. He grabbed the large paddle the old man had used to get over to them. Raymond then grabbed hold of the same wooden handle the old man had been holding onto. What was the name of it again? It was a rudder or tiller or something like that. Why hadn’t she paid attention when she’d gone sailing when her dad and mom were alive?

Raymond got them into the middle of the river, then they started going a lot faster than she thought they would have. Marcia rocked the baby and sidled up to the woman, giving her an encouraging smile, but it was no use, she just sat there holding the old man’s head in her lap. So, Marcia decided to concentrate on the baby in her arms. She didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl. Instead of thinking of the child as an it, she decided he was a boy. His cloth diaper was wet, and she needed to find a new one. Marcia ducked back under the awning and started to go into the small interior of the houseboat.

“Hey, bitch, where do you think you’re going? Stay where I can see you,” Raymond roared.

Marcia spun around. She hadn’t even thought about Raymond in ten minutes, her entire focus had been on the small family.

“The baby’s diaper is wet, I need to get him a new one.”

Raymond pointed his gun at the mother. “Get her to do it.”

“She’s too scared. She won’t move,” Marcia protested.

“It’s her brat. Isn’t it instinct?”

“Her husband or father is bleeding, she’s trying to help him. Just let me find the diaper,” Marcia requested reasonably.

“Okay,” Raymond smirked. “I’ll hold the baby to make sure you don’t do anything funny.”

She didn’t want to relinquish the baby to him. “You need to steer the boat.”

“Only takes one hand. Don’t backtalk me.” He held out his arm. “The sooner you hand over the brat, the sooner you’ll be back. Who knows, you might find something to feed it.”

Marcia closed her eyes and said a little prayer, then handed over the baby. She ran to the small little room that held a small little kitchen and two cots. She saw a cooler and found a bottle.

Aaaaa-eeeeee

Marcia stood stalk still at the sound of the ear-splitting terrified shriek, then she bolted outside.

“No!” She screamed as her horrified eyes took in the scene in front of her. Raymond was holding the baby by its feet over the river. The baby was struggling wildly, the mother trying to get to her child as Raymond easily held her off. The mother shoved against him, howling her fright.

“Find what you needed, Girly?” Raymond asked calmly.

It took all of Marcia’s willpower to answer in a mild tone. “Yes, I did. But I dropped it when I heard the screaming.”