Midnight Rainbow Read Online Free Page A

chance of overpowering him? He moved his knee off her breasts and
quickly slid his hand to the soft mounds to make certain his weight hadn't cut
off her breath. He felt the reassuring rise of her chest, heard the soft,
startled gasp as she felt his touch, and he eased a little away from her.
                  "It's all right," he started to
whisper, but she suddenly twisted on the floor, wrenching away from him. Her knee
slashed upward; he was unguarded, totally vulnerable, and her knee crashed into
his groin with a force that sent agony through his whole body. Red lights
danced before his eyes, and he sagged to one side, gagging at the bitter bile
that rose in his throat, his hands automatically cupping his agonized flesh as
he ground his teeth to contain the groan that fought for release.
                  She scrambled away from him, and he heard a
low sob, perhaps of terror. Through pain-blurred eyes he saw her pick up
something dark and bulky; then she slipped through the open glass door and was
gone. Pure fury propelled him to his feet. Damn it, she was escaping on her
own. She was going to ruin the whole setup! Ignoring the pain in his loins, he
started after her. He had a score to settle.
     

  Chapter Two
 
                  Jane had just reached for her bundle of
supplies when some instinct left over from her cave-dwelling ancestors told her
that someone was near. There hadn't been any sound to alert her, but suddenly
she was aware of another presence. The fine hairs on the back of her neck and
her forearms stood up, and she had frozen, turning terrified eyes toward the
double glass doors. The doors had slid open noiselessly, and she had seen the
darker shadow of a man briefly outlined against the night. He was a big man,
but one who moved with total silence. It was the eerie soundlessness of his
movements that had frightened her more than anything, sending chills of pure
terror chasing over her skin. For days now she had lived by her nerves, holding
the terror at bay while she walked a tightrope, trying to lull Turego's suspicions, yet always poised for an escape
attempt. But nothing had frightened her as much as that dark shadow slipping
into her room.
                  Any faint hope that she would be rescued had
died when Turego had installed her here. She had
assessed the situation realistically. The only person who would try to-get her
out would be her father, but it would be beyond his power. She could depend on
only herself and her wits. To that end, she had flirted and flattered and
downright lied , doing everything she could to convince Turego that she was both brainless and harmless. In
that, she thought, she'd succeeded, but time was fast running out. When an aide
had brought an urgent message to Turego the day
before, Jane had eavesdropped; Luis Marcel's location had been discovered, and Turego wanted Luis, badly.
                  But by now Turego surely would have discovered that Luis had no knowledge of the missing
microfilm, and that would leave her as the sole suspect. She had to escape,
tonight, before Turego returned. She hadn't been idle
since she'd been here; she'd carefully memorized the routine of the guards,
especially at night, when the terror brought on by the darkness made it
impossible for her to sleep. She'd spent the nights standing at the double
doors, watching the guards, clocking them, studying their habits. By keeping
her mind busy, she'd been able to control the fear. When dawn would begin to
lighten the sky, she had slept. She had been preparing since the first day
she'd been here for the possibility that she might have to bolt into the
jungle. She'd been sneaking food and supplies, hoarding them, and steeling
herself for what lay ahead. Even now, only the raw fear of what awaited her at Turego's hands gave her the courage to brave the black
jungle, where the night demons were waiting for her. But none of that had been
as sinister,