Page 33 of The Hero
“Should I take the wig off?” Marlowe asked. “I mean, they didn’t see me without it, so they’d probably describe me to the police as having long blonde hair.”
Shit, he should’ve thought about that. Bob nodded. “Yeah, give it to me,” he said, holding out the hand that wasn’t clutching hers.
She quickly ripped the wig from her head and handed it over.
Bob couldn’t stop the grin from forming. “I bet that felt good.”
“No, it feltgreat,” she countered, returning his smile.
The next rubbish bin they passed, Bob threw away the offensive wig that had kept her safe for days. Marlowe ran a hand over her head, making her short black hair stick straight up. The hair at her temples and the back of her neck was wet with sweat, but he still hadn’t seen anyone as beautiful as this woman in a very long time.
“Stop staring at me,” she murmured with a self-conscious huff.
“Can’t help it. You’re radiant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a sweet talker. If I had known that earlier, I wouldn’t have said yes.”
“Yes, you would’ve. I’m irresistible,” Bob teased. He was well aware how much danger they were still in as he continued to lead them away from the house where the police likely expected to take them both into custody. But keeping Marlowe calm was more important than ever right now. Panic caused mistakes. And they couldn’t afford even one misstep. Not when they were so close to the border.
“And your ego is huge,” she said with a smile, letting him know she was kidding. “But I suppose you have reason to be a bit egotistical. I mean, you did break me out of prison, get us through that roadblock, and get us this far.”
“You helped,” he insisted. “Without your levelheadedness and willingness to sleep on floors, andunderfloors, and do whatever’s necessary to stay under the radar—like wear that uncomfortable wig and marry a bum like me—we wouldn’t be as well off as we are now.”
“Are we well off?” she asked seriously. “I mean, I know you said we’re near the border, but what if there’s an extradition policy and they’re waiting for us on the other side? Or what if Thai police follow us across and grab me?”
“Don’t borrow trouble,” Bob warned. “We’ll figure things out as we go. Just as we’ve been doing.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
They walked through the town, sticking to the alleys and between homes as much as they could. They continued to hear sirens, and Bob guessed the police were now searching for them. The sun was hours from setting, which would make it that much more difficult to get to the border undetected. Bob further suspected the police were well aware they’d try to cross into Cambodia, and therefore would have the road that ran parallel to the border fence well patrolled.
About twenty minutes later, they reached an area of isolated, run-down-looking shacks beyond the edge of town, with plenty of space between each. Bob stopped behind the one closest to the surrounding jungle and pulled Marlowe into a crouch beside him.
“This next part’s going to be tricky,” he said.
Marlowe nodded and pressed her lips together.
“There’s about two hundred yards of jungle, then a rural road, then another fifty or so yards of scrub brush and trees before the border. From the intel I was given, there’s a chain-link fence running along the border, with barbed wire across the top. There are no trees close to the fence for cover, of course, so once we get there, we’re going to have to move as fast as possible.”
He was impressed all over again at Marlowe’s ready acceptance of the situation he described.
“Once you get to the fence, start climbing and don’t look back, no matter what. Understand? When you get to the top, beextremelycareful. Aside from the police, the main thing we have to worry about out here is infection if you happen to cut yourself.”
“Infection, and not being shot in the back as we’re climbing?” Marlowe asked dryly.
“They want you back alive,” Bob said bluntly. “They’ll want to make an example of you. Make sure foreigners are aware of their zero-tolerance policy for drugs. Your only job is to get up and over that fence, then run like hell. There’s a farm about a mile in from the border. That’s your goal. The owners are expecting us.”
“Our goal,” she said with a frown when Bob stopped talking.
“What?”
“That’sourgoal. I’m not leaving you, Kendric. Don’t ask me to. I won’t do it. If the Thai authorities want to make an example of me, they won’t hesitate to arrest you for aiding and abetting. Hell, they’ll probably plant drugs on you for good measure. We’re doing this together or we aren’t doing it at all. To love and protect, for better and worse ... remember?”
Marlowe would’ve made a hell of a soldier. Bob was proud to have her at his side. “Ourgoal,” he repeated softly.
“I’m serious.” Marlowe scowled. “Without you, I won’t make it. I won’t know where to go or what to do. The only reason I’ve made it this far is because of you. I’m not leaving you.”
