She shook her head a couple times, trying to make sense of what Dean had said. Victor Ortez had been at the UFF helm for more than a decade before he was killed in a military raid three months ago. Thalia saw that on the news, and said nothing that he left behind a child. He didn't even mention his wife or girlfriend who was left behind. But that wasn't even the perplexing part. After spending an entire evening with Ina Reyes, Thalia couldn't really imagine how the smart woman had a relationship with a rebel leader. "Ina was just a teenager and idealistic when she met Ortez," Dean said. "It didn't take long for her to realize what kind of person he was." Dean shrugged. "She's been living on the run, too, ever since Rafael was born.""Maybe the thorn has been pulled out of her now since Ortez died."Dean's laugh was long and husky. "She was actually the mastermind behind his death.""You know I'm troubled. The news says that a unit of the elite San Jose military ambushed Ortez in his
The next day, Dean, Thalia and Pierre left the beach house and drove to a small town two hours north of the coast to pick up identification papers for Thalia. The men's contact had shipped the documents to a UPS office that seemed out of place in the town of Calina. Now, Dean opened the envelope and studied its contents, he couldn't help but be impressed. "Fernan did good," he remarked before extending the American passport, Boston driver's license and birth certificate in Thalia's direction. Their fingers brushed, and his groin instantly tightened at the feel of her warm, delicate fingers. He didn't look her in the eyes all morning, and when there were times when their eyes accidentally met, he would immediately look away from her. Because the kiss that happened between them last night was always in his mind. He couldn't remember the last time his body had burned so hot, the last time his heart had pounded that hard. In that moment, he'd needed Thalia Ricafort more than he'd neede
The man nodded back at Dean. He quickly glanced at Thalia before he shook his hand. Tatum says that Rick is one of the best pilots in the world. He is said to be a former pilot in the elite fighter unit of the Colombian Air Force. Now, he runs his own cargo airline, which was apparently his only legitimate business. His other business is somewhat questionable. "We're all set for takeoff," said Rick who obviously knows how to speak English. "Time to get you strapped in."Thalia looked alarmed. "Strapped in?" she hissed as they followed Rick to the back of the plane. After they went up the ramp to the cargo hold, Rick led them to a wide metal bench attached to its wall in the cockpit. "Buckle up. Flight duration will be six hours or so." The pilot said before he turned away. Dean placed his duffel bag under the bench they were sitting on. Then he fastened the seatbelt on his body. But he noticed that the doctor was not wearing a seatbelt. "Buckle up, Doc."She shook her head, then sh
There was clearly a lot more to the story, but Thalia didn't continue and he didn't push. However, he regretted his change of topic the moment his next question flew out of his mouth. "Didn't you get a boyfriend again after you broke up with that cowboy?"She raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a girlfriend yet?""Neither, we're just being fair." Dean smirked. "Just go first."Thalia stretched out her legs and leaned her head on the wall behind her. "I've dated two men over the past two years, and both of them didn't work out because they didn't want to be in a long distance relationship. Even me, I don't want to be far from the one I love.""You could always find a man who wants to travel with you," he pointed out. "True.""Maybe a colleagues? Or maybe a relief worker you meet abroad?""I don't date my co-workers. Ever. That's my number one rule. I've seen a lot of my co-workers who have gotten better, and they just broke up. So far, I haven't met anyone abroad who sparked my interest."
Excited pounded in his blood and skated over his flesh. "Wrap your legs around my body," he ordered, then cupped Thalia's surprisingly plump ass and lifted her up. She wrapped her thighs around his body, kissing her with fervor as he carried her over the nearby pile of burlap sacks. It was as close to a bed, and the scratchy sack sure as hell beat the dirty, oil-streaked floor. He laid her down on the makeshift bed, then stood over her for a moment, admiring the view. "You're beautiful, Doc."She blushed. "I thought I was too skinny.""But I never said you weren't beautiful." He wet her lips with his tongue, then he gestured for her to take off her bra. "Take off your bra."Her fingers flicked the front clasp and parted the two cups, revealing a pair of small breasts, tipped by pink nipples. His mouth watered again. "Now take off your panties."She swallowed and slowly lowered the panties she was wearing. He released his throbbing manhood and separated both of her legs, then he pl
They didn't reach Boston until two o'clock in the morning. Thalia was really tired when she climbed into bed at the hotel they were staying at, while Dean immediately fell asleep when his head hit the pillow, but she couldn't even fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. Because that day was full of action, her brain refused to shut down. Just now they landed at a small airport where some cargo planes land there, then they took a taxi to the car rental agency. They rented a car there under her new name - Nathalia Preston - which is also the name on her driver's license. Three hours later, she and Dean had checked into this hotel, and now here she was, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what horrors tomorrow would bring. The bad things that happened always kept going back and forth in her mind like a bad nightmare. The clinic they founded is now ashes. As well as her close friends. What's worse is that her life is also in danger. And in between those gruesome images
"We're good friends. Every time I have a break, I actually come here to visit him at school." She seemed to be shaking when she said this to Dean. "Do you think they will also be watching Franco so that I might be able to come here?""Yes. That's why we should be careful." He said. "And so I don't look like a fool when we meet this guy, maybe you could tell me what microbiologists do?"She cracked a smile, knowing he was trying to take her mind off the scary scenarios he'd just painted. "Well, Fanco's expertise actually lies in virology, which is a subfield of microbiology," she explained. "Basically, he studies viruses.""How viruses work, how they spread - that type of stuff?""Pretty much, except it was more complex than that. He also focuses on the virus's evolution, the way it interacts with the host organisms, the way it reproduces. And along with that, he tries to develop more efficient ways to isolate a virus and culture it so it can be studied." She laughed. "Most of it is wa
Franco stared intently at the vial. "What's this?""That's what we were hoping you'd tell us," Thalia said flatly."I'm confused here, Tali. I thought you weren't coming here for another six months. Why aren't you at the clinic?""First, I need to know, has anyone come around asking about me?" she asked, shooting him a grave look. "Like cops, military, government officials?""What? No." Amazement trickled from his voice. "Should I be expecting someone?""Maybe," she admitted. "People might be looking for me, sir Franco. And if anyone comes by, you can't tell them I was here.""All right. Now I'm worried. What's going on, Tali?"With a heavy breath, she gave him the short version of the story. He interrupted more than once, and several times his eyes widened or his mouth fell open. She knew how farfetched it all sounded, yet to Franco's credit, he kept his skepticism to a minimum."Are you sure those people died from a virus, Tali? You said so yourself, you never saw the bodies."Dean