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about it than any of the rest of you, but I’ve considered it long and hard. Is everybody with me?”
    Again, he waited until they’d agreed to a man. “Alright, then I suggest you group up into teams, study the maps and commit them to memory, scour this tub for supplies and deposit them on deck so we can split it up, and then get whatever rest you can while we can. Once we hit the beach, we’re going to have to move fast and cover our tracks thoroughly. My team will ditch the boat. We can draw straws for which group hits the beach first, etc.”
    Hawk, Beau, and Cavanaugh lingered after the others had spread out to search for anything useable. “Unless you have an objection, Sarg, we figured we’d tag along with you,” Beau said.
    Mac considered it. They were his best men. If it had been an ‘ordinary’
    operation, he would’ve preferred to split them up to lead the other teams. There was nothing ordinary about it, though, and that was saying something considering the shit they’d been through together. He managed a tired smile. “I can’t think of anybody I’d rather have watching my back.”
    The men relaxed, making it clear they’d expected him to object. “What about the woman?” Hawk asked.

    21
    Mac met his gaze for a long moment and finally shook his head. “We can’t take her with us where we’re going.”
    Hawk’s lips tightened. “We can’t leave her. I wouldn’t be comfortable with it if she was a marine. That little gal—well, it’s plain as day she’s way out of her depth already—and was before we took the boat. I don’t know what in the hell she thought she was doing out here, but she’s got lamb written all over her.”
    Mac’s lips tightened. “You think I like it? You want to see her turn into—
    whatever the fuck it is we turn into? You really want to take that chance?”
    All three men looked a little sick.
    “Ain’t none of us want to see nuthin’ happen to that sweet little piece, mon ami ,”
    Maurice ‘Beau’ Beauregard said finally. “And that includes lettin’ those bastards get their hands on her. And you know that’s what’s gonna happen if we doan take care of her.”
    Mac shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll try to think of something. In the meantime, Beau, I want you to get below and keep an eye on her … just in case any of the guys forget they’re supposed to be gentlemen.”
    Beau snorted. “I doan got no bars on my shoulders.”
    “You’re still a marine—duty and honor,” Mac retorted tightly.
    Beau shrugged uncomfortably. “No problem, Sarg. It was just a little wishful thinkin’.”
    “Well, don’t be thinking about it.”
    “I’ll watch her,” Hawk volunteered.
    Mac snorted that time. “I don’t think so. I’ve already seen how you’re handling keeping your hands to yourself.”
    “You should talk!” Hawk muttered indignantly.
    “Which is why I’m not watching her.” He nudged his head at Beau. “Get down there.”
    * * * *
    Fear, Sylvie reflected, was a lot more exhausting than she’d ever realized. Then again, it wasn’t something she was really familiar with. She was sorry she’d done something so stupid as to get her mixed up in whatever it was she was mixed up in. Not that it did any good to tell herself she should’ve known better. Adventure wasn’t for the faint of heart anymore than ‘taking a stand and doing something’ was. Deep down, she was a born coward and she knew it, knew her limitations. She’d tried to find her backbone and look where it had gotten her!
    She decided after a few minutes that she wasn’t really sorry she’d let Carl talk her into joining his little group or that she’d caved when they’d begun pestering her to be the pickup. It just wasn’t right that people needed medical help they couldn’t get in their country because they couldn’t afford it.
    Maybe she was just that much more susceptible to their plight because of her mother’s illness, but she thought she