Conspiracy Game (GhostWalkers, #4)(113)

“I picked up a pretty medal,” Ken pointed out.

“You nearly picked it up after we buried you.” Jack soaked a cloth in the warm water and pressed it gently to Briony’s face. “Ken insisted on sewing up his wound, although he let me dig the bullet out of him.”

“Precisely why you weren’t sewing me up, you sadistic bastard. It hurt like hell.”

Jack threw him a sleeping bag. “It’s going to be a long night. I’ll take first watch while you get some sleep.”

Briony waited until Ken settled down a few yards from them before touching the tattoo on Jack’s arm. “You, Ken, and Kadan all have the same tattoos. What are they?”

Jack studied the crest on his arm and the symbol. “Only GhostWalkers wear these tattoos. This is the GhostWalker crest. The globe represents the world, which basically is our hunting ground. We’re responsible for protecting those who can’t protect themselves. The keys signify our various missions, to walk unseen in enemy camps and collect the necessary information, and the knives are, of course, a silent kill. The Latin—nox noctis est nostri—means “the night is ours,” which it is. The GhostWalkers own the night.”

“And the other one?”

“The symbols put together have meaning. The triangle signifies shadow; this is the Greek letter for psi; this is protection against evil forces; and the last is the qualities of a knight. So basically the meaning is—shadow knights protect against evil forces using psychic powers, courage, and honor. We have a creed as well. It means something to us and we live by it.”

“I like the tattoos, and I think it’s especially cool that you use ink that requires special vision to even see them.”

“You’re a GhostWalker, Briony. You’re more than entitled to wear them.”

“Well, I might just get one—after I have the babies.” She frowned. “Why did your team leave you behind in the enemy camp, Jack? You were wounded.”

“I went in to get Ken out. I told them to leave and I knew they’d come back for me. The GhostWalker team mounted two strikes against Ekabela, but I was moved before they hit the camp, both times. They were planning another attack and would have kept doing so until they either found my body or got me out alive.”

“You mean Ken would have.”

“No, I mean all of them would have, orders or not.” He grinned at her. “But Ken would have been leading the pack.”

She flashed a small answering smile. “I really like your brother. He’s a good man. He worries about it too, you know, about being like your father. He doesn’t like being around people any more than you do.”

“He’s the best man I know, Briony, and he sure as hell isn’t like our father.”

“You look at me as if I’m your equal, Jack—your partner. Luther looked at me as I was his possession. You’re nothing like your father, Jack. Nothing at all—and neither is Ken. If we don’t get out of this, I want you to know I’m not sorry for one minute I’ve been able to have with you.”

He groaned softly. “That’s a hell of thing for you to say with my brother only a few feet away.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “It wasn’t meant to be sexual, you nut; I was being emotional.”

“Just looking at you is sexual, let alone you saying something like that.”

“Shut the hell up, Jack,” Ken said without opening his eyes. “I feel like I’m at a porn movie. It’s just wrong.”

Briony laughed. “Are you both really going to go to sleep? Aren’t we surrounded?”

“Ken is; he should be asleep already,” Jack said. “We’ll take turns. If the troops try to move into the canyon, we’ll know. I’ll just mosey on up to the top of that ridge and discourage them. They’ll most likely wait until nightfall—just like we’re waiting.”

Briony stared up at the heavy canopy of branches and leaves. The air was cool and the last of the smoke had drifted away. They could have been out camping instead of hiding from a lethal military group. Neither man seemed stressed at all. Within a matter of minutes, she was certain Ken had actually gone to sleep.

Jack’s hand found hers, tangling their fingers together. “You always want to conserve energy if possible, baby,” he advised, bringing her hand to his mouth. His teeth nipped her finger. “You’ll learn. If you can, go to sleep.” He pulled a light blanket over her body to protect her from the colder temperatures.

“Talk to me. Tell me about you and Ken. How old were you when you lost your mother?” She didn’t want to say killed your father, but somehow the words were there between them.

“Nine. We were nine years old.”

“What happened to you?”

“They took us both to the hospital and then tried various foster homes. Sometimes they split us up, but it was never a good idea. We’d break out and each track the other down. If either of us was mistreated, there was always retaliation. We spent a lot of time on the streets. Eventually, after earning a bad reputation, no one would take us, so for a while we were in a state-run home. That didn’t work out very well either.”

“I can imagine.”

“Neither of us is very good following rules. Somewhere along the line we met Miss Judith.”