Page 43 of Her Faithful Protector

He helped her sit down and Camilla felt the flash of pain go through her right arm now that it was lowered to her side. She longed to shake it, to dissipate the sensation of pins and needles, but she didn’t want to bring any more attention to this area than they had to.

“Stay here and don’t make a sound, got it?” he whispered directly into her ear.

Camilla nodded.

She watched the man as he moved to Travis. Since Travis had been watching the whole procedure, the rescuer didn’t cover his mouth. Camilla didn’t know what he said to Travis, but when he cut the young man loose, Travis let down his arms with a look of agony on his face, though he remained standing.

Then Travis moved over to his right and got close to Roxanne’s ear as their rescuer cut her bindings. Travis grabbed both of her arms in his hands and started to massage them. Thank God for him. This just might work.

On and on down the line the man with the goggles on his helmet and the rifle strapped to his chest continued to cut down the students. When he got to Jan, who was only supported by one arm, Paul was waiting for her. He grabbed her awkwardly with his numb arms. Paul gently lowered Jan’s battered body to the ground.

Finally, the rescuer got to Lisa. She was another one hanging by just one arm; God only knew how bad the cut on her arm was now. He pulled at the rope above her head and placed his knife against it to cut it.

Then all hell broke loose.

She started to kick and swing wildly. She probably would have screamed like a banshee, but she still had the gag in her mouth.

“Travis, help me up,” Camilla whispered as she tried to pull her blouse closed.

He gave her a confused look.

The rescuer had cut the rope and had his arms around Lisa and was trying to lower her to the ground. Even from where she was, Camilla could see he was trying to be gentle with her, but her struggles became wilder and out of control.

Camilla held up her right hand to Travis and he grabbed it, then helped her to her feet. They walked over to Lisa and the rescuer. Camilla kept her shoulders hunched, hoping her torn blouse would hide her breasts.

Shit, the whole rescue was going to be blown if Lisa didn’t get herself under control.

“Let me talk to her,” Camilla whispered as she got close. The man shook his head.

“Get everybody into the church. Now. I’ll take her.”

Lisa was still struggling, but it didn’t matter, the man’s hold was implacable. Camilla turned to Travis. “Have everyone pair up who needs help, and get them into the church as fast as you can.”

She would’ve loved to have gone down the line and coordinated the effort herself, but it was going to take all she had just to get up the four stairs to the door of the small little parish. She had to trust that Travis could take care of things.

She made it halfway to the church steps when the first shot rang out. The man carrying Lisa was already opening the church door and going in.

I can do this. Just a few more steps to the steps. Hey, I made a funny.

Camilla tried to grin at her pun, but she just didn’t have it in her. Instead, she just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to ignore the sway of her bare breasts.

Another step.

Another step.

“Ahhhh” her cry was soft. Thank God. How had she not even seen this man? But here she was whisked up into his arms and already at the top of the church steps and he was opening the door. He set her down on one of the back pews before she had taken one proper breath, then he was gone.

13

“How’s it going, Asher?” Max bit out his question over the comm.

“Half are in the church. Give me two more minutes and they’ll all be there. Keep the fire away from them,” he said roughly.

Nic heard the answer but processed it with only half his brain; the other half concentrated on getting himself positioned so that he could take out the two men in the truck with the tarp on it. Well, maybe there were more, but he’d seen two rifle stocks sticking out, so at least two for sure.

The problem was, if he moved from behind this Jeep there was no more cover. He opened the passenger side door and let himself in then slowly crept over the front seat until his rifle was propped over the window. His hand itched to just throw in a grenade, but he couldn’t be sure that they hadn’t dragged one of the village women into the truck with them, the bastards.

“I need a distraction, Ezio,” Nic whispered into his mic. “Do you have eyes on me?”