“This is Sierra Four,” AJ chimed in. “I’ll help Five.”
“You stay with Sierra One and watch the target. I’ve got this,” Doug said.
A few minutes later, Doug shoved a body through the window to a waiting Kroup, before hauling himself in. The smell of blood and death quickly filled the cabin, making my eyes water.
“Let’s get this over with,” Doug said as he lifted the dead guy.
I finished untying Ashley in relative silence. The sound of our hearts beating too fast, the sound of our labored breathing, the sound of Ashley’s sniffles meant the room wasn’t silent, but no one was in the mood to talk.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yes, get me out of here,” Ashley said, wiping tears off her face.
Doug stood to my left, holding the dead body in a bear hug.
I’d roll back and to the right after pulling Ashley off the chair.
“You should get out of here.” I told Kroup off comms.
“You stay. I stay,” he answered and clapped me on the shoulder before giving us space.
Squatting, I nodded to Jamie and Jack, who leaned over behind the chair. “We’re putting our hands under your ass to hold the plate down.”
“If you try to cop a feel, I’m telling your wives,” Ashley tried to laugh, but it came out as a whimper.God, she’s so fucking strong.
“Noted,” they answered together.
I waited for them to get into position, the veins in their necks standing out as they put their body weight behind their efforts.
“Ready,” Jamie grunted.
“Ready,” Jack groaned.
Ashley tried looking behind her.
“Ashley, eyes on me.”
Her eyes whipped to mine.Good girl.
“Ready,” Doug said.
I snaked my hands under Ashley’s armpits, hooking my forearms behind her shoulders. When I said “Let me do all the work” she nodded.
“On three.”
With a grunt, I yanked Ashley off the chair and fell back. I immediately rolled her under me, shielding her in case the bomb went off.
Chapter 54
Ashley
With Jack and Jamie’s hands under my pee-soaked ass, and Nathan’s hands under my sweaty armpits, I wanted to die from embarrassment. Thinking about that instead of the bomb that might explode made it easier for me to stay calm-ish as Nathan counted.
When he reached three, I squeezed my eyes shut. He yanked me off the chair, and the next thing I knew, he was crushing me, his arms wrapped around my head.
I held my breath and waited. No explosion.
There was a lot of thudding and grunting, then Jamie said, “Tie him so he doesn’t fall off.”
