Chapter Eight

"Great...just great," Jake spat, looking carefully out the window.  "There are six of them.  We have no choice.  We'll have to stand our ground and fight."

Fallon nodded as she scrambled back to Frank's side.  "I have an idea," she said, pulling Frank's sweater over her head.  It smelled of him, musky and all man.  It hung down to the middle of her thighs and covered her better than the dress, although she did have to roll up the sleeves to expose her hands.  She knelt down beside the ailing agent and touched his cheek softly.  She made a promise to herself that if they lived through this nightmare, she was going to find out just how sweet those full lips tasted.  She looked up to find Jake staring at her in bewilderment.  "Toss me a gun and an extra clip."

Jake gave up one of his guns and a clip of ammo.  "Be careful," he said as he watched her slip out the back window.

"Come on out Donovan!  We know you're in there," Roberto yelled.  "Come out and we won't kill the woman."

Jake didn't respond.  Best they don't know how many people were in the shack and that Donovan was out cold.

"If you don't come out," Jorge threatened.  "We will make you watch as the puta is raped and tortured."

Jake turned his head sharply when he heard a moan escape Frank.  His eyes were slightly open, his body wracked with shudders.  Jake wasn't sure if he was conscious or having a reaction to the anti-venom.  Either way, it scared the living hell out of him.

"Jake," he called hoarsely.  "Give me a gun."

"No," he whispered.  "Fallon has my other gun."

"Where," he asked, trying to look around. 

"She's outside, trying to outflank them."  Jake went to his side and knelt down.  "You need to be quiet.  They don't know who's in here or that you're injured."

Frank nodded slightly and blinked his eyes.  He could feel the darkness trying to suck him back down and tried to fight it, but it was a battle he lost as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Jake moved back to the window and peered out.  Two men approached the stairs and Jake took aim, firing quickly, dropping the men to the ground.  "Four," he said to no one.

Fallon skirted the surrounding area, silently making her way behind the men that stood outside the small shack.  She dropped to the ground when she heard the shots before she realized they came from the shack.  She looked through the brush to see two of Roberto's men lying dead on the ground. 

"I have called for more men, Diablo," Roberto screamed.  "You will die today, this I promise you!" 

*click* Roberto, Jorge and the remaining men turned at the sound of a gun being cocked.  "Puta," Jorge spat.

"The devil, you say?" she quipped.  "Drop your weapons and get your ugly faces down in the dirt!" 

"Cara," Roberto said sweetly, "Why do you fight?  Your life was never truly in danger.  All has been arranged for your safe return."

"Shut up, Roberto.  You think I'd sit idly by while you kill fellow agents?  You're insane."

While Roberto distracted her, Jorge lunged for her weapon.  His action caused the other two men to rush the house.  Fallon squeezed the trigger of the gun just as Jorge tackled her, sending both of them to the ground.  She heard further shots and glanced at the shack to see Jake take out the two men that rushed for the cabin.  Only Roberto remained standing.

Jorge, who lay limply across her chest, was smothering Fallon.  She pushed him off with concerted effort and he rolled lifelessly away from her.

Roberto glanced sorrowfully at his dead friend before turning hateful eyes on Fallon.  "Now you die," he threatened as he raised his gun.

Fallon closed her eyes and flinched when she heard the shot, but opened them moments later when she realized she hadn't been hit.  She watched as Roberto slumped to his knees, the gun falling from his fingertips, a surprised look on his face.

She stumbled back to the shack, her knees shaking from the near death experience.  Jake opened the door and she collapsed into his arms.  "You okay?" she asked.

He laughed.  "Yeah, how about you?"

She smiled weakly.  "I'll live.  How's the big guy?"

"He woke for a moment, but he's out again," Jake told her as she went to sit beside Frank.

"At least we don't have to worry about being hunted on the trek back to your Hummer," she said as she felt Donovan's forehead.  "He's burning up."  She pulled the basin of water toward her and began bathing his face again.

"Are you sure?  He said he called for more men."

Shaking her head she replied, "It won't matter.  When they find him dead they will stop the search.  He can't pay them now that he's dead.  They're loyal to his money."  She pulled the blanket down to his waist and bathed his arms, neck and chest.  He murmured as if frightened by a dream and she shushed him softly. 

"We need to get him to a hospital," Jake said, helping Fallon to her feet.  "Let's go."  They lifted the stretcher onto the couch and Jake took up the front, holding his end behind him.  Fallon took the end where Frank's head lay.  "I'm ready," she said. 

"Jake, let's stop a minute," Fallon suggested when Donovan began to thrash about on the stretcher. 

Jake came to a halt and they lowered Frank slowly to the ground.  They had barely made it half way to the Hummer.  Having to carry Frank and the added burden of Jake's own injury made the going slow.  "What's the matter?" he asked as Fallon knelt beside Frank, trying to hold him still, speaking to him softly to calm him in his delirium.

"The fever, I guess.  I think he's getting worse and it will be difficult to carry him while he's thrashing about."  She reached for Jake's canteen and poured a small amount of water into it.  "Frank," she said, loudly and she shook him gently.  "Can you hear me?  Wake up, Frank!"

"Hmmmwake," he said, incoherently.  His eyes opened slightly after some effort he could make out a shape hovering over him.  "Help me up," he ordered softly.

Fallon laughed.  "Ah, how refreshing...a superman complex." 

"Stay still, Frank," Jake admonished.  "You're battling a snakebite."

Frank nodded as if he just remembered what happened to him.  "Think it's winning," he joked weakly.

"That's not funny," Fallon glared down at him.  "Here, drink some water."

"Sure, but could you stand still?  You're making me dizzy," he said, his head collapsing back onto the stretcher. 

"He's out cold," Jake observed.

"Yup.  I wish he would have drank this," she said, drinking the water herself and handing the cup back to Jake.

He attached it to the canteen and refastened it to his hip.  "Let's go."

"There it is," Jake called, seeing the camouflaged Hummer.  He had never been so happy to see a vehicle in his life.  His leg throbbed unmercifully and he could feel himself getting weak.  He probably couldn't have carried Frank much further if he had to.

"Good, let's make room in the back so we don't have to move him off the stretcher," Fallon suggested as they lowered Donovan to the ground.

They quickly rearranged the supplies to make room to slide the stretcher in the back.  "Get in there with him," Fallon ordered and smiled when he frowned at her.  "I'm familiar with the area, besides you need to give that leg a rest and you can keep him still while you're doing that."

He nodded and climbed in the back with his boss and braced the stretcher with his good leg to keep it from moving around when Fallon started the Hummer and steered it out from underneath its cover.  "We'll head for Bucaramanga, it's closest and we can get him proper treatment for that snakebite and...someone to look at your leg."

"I'm fine," he replied as Frank moaned and he checked his temperature.  He was still burning up.

Fallon raced down the dirt roads to Bucaramanga, the closest town near the compound.  She glanced between the driver and passenger seat and noticed a satellite uplink.  "This thing work?" she yelled to Jake.

"Yes.  Just pick up the phone...it will automatically connect with our team."

She nodded and placed the handset to her ear.  "Hello?"

"Who is this?"

"Who is this?" Fallon demanded.

"Agent Cody Forrester, ma'am."

"You know a Cody Forrester?" Fallon yelled to Jake, wanting to make sure she didn't speak to someone who would give them away.

"Sure...computer geek...goofball...all-around pain-in-the-ass."

Fallon laughed into the receiver.  "Okay, Jake says he knows you."

"Jake!" Cody exclaimed.

Fallon could hear female voices in the background.  "Jake? Is that Jake? What's happening?"

"This is Agent Fallon Dumas.  We're heading for the hospital in Bucaramanga, Colombia.  Agents Shaw and Donovan have been injured," she explained.

"Injured?" Cody questioned.

"Yes.  Shaw has a gunshot wound to the thigh and Donovan has a possible concussion and was bit by a Fer-de-Lance." 

"Sheesh, Fal," Jake groaned.  "Just make us sound like total incompetents."

Fallon laughed as she winked at Jake.  "Just for the record, they aren't total incompetents."

"Damn you, Fallon," Jake laughed good-naturedly.

"Fer-de-what?" Cody asked, perplexed.

"A pit viper, Agent Forrester.  Most deadly snake in Central and South America."

"How is he?"

"Unconscious.  We'll be at the hospital in ten minutes.  Look...is Renquist with you?"

"Renquist?  No, why?"

"Find him and tell him to get his happy ass on the next flight to Bogotá and meet me in Bucaramanga so I can break his fucking neck!"  With that, she slammed the handset back down into its cradle and turned her full attention to the road and getting Donovan the help he needed.