Page 7 of Cavern of Silence

There are six female hostages. The Colombian drug lord, Santiago Gómez, is said to be at the camp, and Interpol sends over more intel from the satellites.

The atmosphere shifts to silence as six of us open our folders and study the information on who we are responsible to get out of Santiago's camp and into ours safely.

Julieta Macaca, a Costa Rican airline stewardess, was kidnapped four months prior. She flew to Venezuela and never returned. Her status box is blank.

That's strange. Interpol must have missed that detail.

I keep reading. She's forty-two, has no kids, and there's no contact information of anyone looking for her. Her employer is listed as the one who reported her missing.

No one is searching for her? How is that possible?

I flip the page and catch my breath. She's so stunning, I feel slightly uncomfortable. An electric current consumes my veins, and I step away from the guys and sit on a tree log.

How is no one looking for her?

I don't understand it. It can't be possible. Interpol has to have made a mistake.

Warm-brown eyes full of fire stare back at me. Red, heart-shaped lips, a button nose, and high cheekbones create beautiful perfection. Her chestnut hair is pulled back in a slick French twist. Not one hair is out of place. And she has a little mole near her eye but off to the side.

Where did this creature come from?

I'm not used to the stirring in my blood that she causes. I've been around women all over the world. Sure, I had Maureen, and wouldn't have ever cheated on her, much less thought about it, but I'm not immune to beauty. I would have noticed a woman like this. The woman in this picture is a rare bombshell who could have no makeup on and still walk the runway.

Who am I kidding? She would own the runway.

I'm in a trance, unable to tear my eyes away from her photo.

What's she like in real life?

I bet she's feisty. I can see it in her eyes.

She's probably in a relationship. No way this woman wouldn't be.

Why are you even thinking about this? You're on a mission. She's your target. Get your head out of your ass.

I shut the folder and focus on the woods, but then, I can't help myself. It's like I've found the holy grail and I need another drink.

I open the folder back up and study her more.

What does Santiago Gómez want with her?

All day, I can't get it out of my mind. The questions about her and why she's in this predicament only grow. I have to concentrate on listening to Andre when we review the plan about how we're going to get the women out of Santiago's camp.

Nighttime comes, and I gear up and put my goggles on. We trudge through the jungle, and one by one, Santiago's men drop from our bullets. Our silencers are on, and he doesn't even know we are taking out his men.

I'm tempted to kill him for kidnapping Julieta, and God knows what he's done to her, but that could jeopardize our plan and put the women in more danger.

What has he done to her?

I push the thought out of my mind and concentrate on my job. I take out several men, and we get to the hole. A teenage boy guards the pit the women are supposed to be in, and someone takes him out.

Andre climbs into the pit, and Axel's target comes out first, then Julieta. Adrenaline is part of every mission. But for the first time ever, I freeze as it races through my cells.

Her eyes are wide, and her lip is shaking.

She's scared.

Malin nudges me, and I snap out of it. I guide her several steps, but she has heels on, so I pick her up, and she inhales sharply. "I won't harm you, ma'am," I murmur in her ear and make my way through the dense trees and undergrowth.