They sat munching and discussing their day. Thigh to thigh, Taron felt the comforting warmth of another person to share the misery and the triumph of survival. His emotions wavering between despair and confidence, the yo-yo effect was something he was warned about, but never thought to experience.

"Who are your friends, the ones you're calling in the morning? And are we calling them first thing?" Lorelei's leg pressed closer to his as she popped her last piece of jerky into her mouth.

"We grew up together. Dad was in the military, a pilot. He was on a training mission as an instructor when his jet malfunctioned. A fuel delivery issue. I got a chance to see the incident reports when I asked after I turned eighteen. By that time Sparks and Mooch were already into their basic training."

"Sparks and Mooch? Really? Those sound like nicknames."

"If they were pilots, they would be their Aviator call signs. Instead they are special ops. So, again a call sign and they get them from an incident or characteristic they have shown during training."

"So, they're guys they send in when the mission is critical or close to impossible?"

Taron noticed Lorelei putting all the Smarties in her trail mix back into her empty jerky bag. He grinned as he began sorting out his trail mix as he spoke.

"They are. Sparks is the guy who runs their communications and sets up explosives. He gets electricity in ways I will never understand. Mooch is the king of scrounging. He can find supplies in the weirdest of places. Their team is part of Delta Force." He picked up all the seeds, sunflower and pumpkin, popped them into his mouth and started to chew.

Lorelei sorted all the sultana's out of her trail mix. Taron knew this was her favorite brand. No dark raisins and a solid amount of chocolate as a bonus. Pieces of dried apricot, pineapple and cranberries brightened the mixture and the chunks of granola were sweetened with honey. The nuts were varied, but no almonds or peanuts. It cost a fortune, and each of the huge bags were filled with single portion bags. Twenty in each of them, they should last a few days.

"I've heard of Delta Force. The soldiers involved don't talk about their missions much. I can see why you trust them."

"They know I'm your pilot. They will have their ears open when they hear your jet is missing. What's your agent's name? And that city planner? What's his full name? Nicky's too?"

"Let's leave that stuff for the morning. I'll write them all out after we wake up. Melissa Grange, Gerald Heckleson, and Nicholas Benjamin Horton. I've trusted Lissa with my life's work. I don't think she's a problem, but the other two. Well, you know what I think of them."

Taron nodded. "Agreed. Let's leave this for the morning." He arched his back against the stiffening muscles, and asked, "Are you okay sharing the bed? Better for us if we do."

Lorelei brushed the rest of the crumbs of trail mix off her fingers and her pant legs. "I'm leaving the Smarties. I have to be careful about caffeine. Too late at night and I won't sleep. I'm full. Just need some water to counter the salt."

He chuckled at her avoidance of the bed question.

"Let's take a bit of a walk before we turn in." He stood up and turned to offer her his hand. "How's the neck?"

She placed her fingers in his, curling them securely around his. He could feel the callouses from playing the guitar and wondered how they would feel against his skin.

"It's better than I thought it would be. Not babying it seems to be working."

Taron tugged her to her feet and kept his fingers tight around hers. "I think we have a mostly full moon." He guided her around the firepit and stopped. "Just a second." Dumping two more large logs into the flames, he kicked them into place before turning back to Lorelei. "Do you want to check out the beach?"

She nodded, offering her hand to him again. "Lead on."

"One more thing." He snagged two bottles of water from their stash. "Don't throw the empties away. We'll need them once I find that water source. Come on, I'll show you where I think it might be." Placing them by the bed, he came back to where she stood waiting.

"Wouldn't want to throw them away no matter what. I believe in bringing out the trash. I've done some overnight hiking trips with the kids. It's a hard and fast rule. Leave things as close as you can to what they were. We respect nature."

"You're an amazing woman Lore."

"Thank you."

He led her out onto the soft sand. A silver band of light reflected on the ocean, and the moon was bright. The milky way dominated the rest of the sky. The waves were a whispering background to the faint bass of bullfrog song. There was definitely a water source somewhere.

"Do you ever feel like your problems aren't worth worrying about when you're out under the stars like this?"

Lorelei's question echoed his thoughts like a perfect mirror.

He turned to face her and pulled her into a hug. "It's just you and me out here tonight. Nothing else matters except what we are to each other at this moment. You're my best friend and the most beautiful woman I ever imagined." He watched her eyes as she absorbed his words, her smile was brilliant.

"You're the one I've counted on for so much over this entire two year tour. I was wondering what to do without you there. I was just coming to the conclusion that I need you in my life in so many ways it's stunning to think about. You even remembered to make sure my portable keyboard is on board for every flight. No one else has my back like that. They depend on me for those things. I have no one but myself." She traced Taron's lips as she spoke.

He kissed her fingertip. "It's a pleasure. You never take me for granted, Lore. You're not alone, you know."

She reached up to cup his face with both hands and stretched up on the tips of her toes. He could feel her breasts flattening against his chest and her lips met his. The silvery traces of moonlight in her hair disappeared as his eyes closed under Lorelei's tender kiss. A benediction, and as she nipped his bottom lip, she said. "You're not alone either. I'm here for you."

Taron wondered if his kiss would show her exactly what he was feeling, and then his hands wandered down her long back, stroking firmly until he found her rounded bottom and pulled her tighter against himself. A throaty sexy mewl flipped his heart as her tongue chased his in a mating dance as old as time.

Lorelei's mouth pulled back and he watched her eyes flutter open. Panting softly, her hand dropped between them and she touched his arousal, tracing the length of him. Taron dropped his forehead against hers, to catch his breath and let his thundering heart slow.

"Are you ready for what comes next?" He had to be sure she was okay with where they were headed.

"I am. In fact, I can't wait to get my hands on you. But I think you need to turn around and see what I'm seeing." Her golden eyes reflected an odd glow, and he pivoted on his left heel.

On a cliff top halfway up the slopes of the volcanic mountain he noticed on approach a bonfire flickered. The light reflecting off shining obsidian sheets of rock.

"That settles it. As soon as I call Mooch and Sparks, we're following those footprints. I don't think she's alone."