Mila stroked her while searching for the ladder, but the wind from the rotor blades spat up water around her and made it hard to see anything.
Damien grabbed her, threaded a loop over her head and under her arms and yelled, “Hold on!”He said something into the radio and she was jerked off the boat.
No!She couldn’t leave him behind.
Damien bent to the dog and then she couldn’t see him any more as strong arms hoisted her into the helicopter.
Joker grinned at her.“Nice to see you again.”
“Damien!”
“He’ll be right with us.”Joker pressed her into a seat and strapped her in.
She glanced to the door as the line that had brought her up started rising again.
Damien appeared holding a very nervous Trixie in his arms.A soldier she didn’t recognise grabbed Trixie’s collar and pulled her aboard.Mila waved her hands to get the dog’s attention, and the soldier clipped on a lead and handed it to her.She stroked the dog’s fur as she waited for Damien to climb in.
Her breath exploded from her as Radar slammed the door shut and the helicopter raced away.
Damien slapped hands with his teammates and then sat next to her, pulling her into his arms.“You’re safe now.”
She closed her eyes and sobbed.
***
Mila curled into Dobby’s arms on the ride back to the ship.It was too loud to talk, but he noticed the questioning looks from his team.He had to admit if he’d been in their position, he would have had the same expression on his face, but right now he didn’t care what they thought.
Connor, aka Lassie, one of the dog handlers, sat with Trixie, tempting her with a treat until she sat and leaned into him.
The helicopter came in to land and Dobby helped Mila off.He carried her, mindful of her ankle, as he jogged with his men towards the doors inside.
As he placed her on the ground, a uniformed man raced out from a doorway.Mila screeched and threw her arms around him.He hugged her, bending down to talk in her ear.
The thick instant jealousy almost choked Damien until they pulled apart and he noticed the man’s name on his shirt.
Watkins.Mila’s brother.
Hell, he hadn’t realised he was on board.
Watkins tried to drag her inside, but she stopped him and turned back to the team.“How’s Ethan?”
“He’s stable.He’ll fly home tomorrow,” Axle said.
“Can I visit him?”
“He’d like that,” Radar told her.
The rotors shut down, and the noise reduced.“Command wants to know what happened.”Watkins glanced at Damien.
Joker leaned closer.“They’re not happy.”
Of course they weren’t.They had to spend extra resources to pick him up.
“Thanks for getting my sister out of there.”Watkins offered Dobby his hand and Dobby shook it.“These guys told me what they could, and Vance gave his side of the story.”The man rolled his eyes.
“No problem.She should get her scratches examined by a doctor to make sure they don’t get infected and she has a sprained ankle and stitches in her arm.”He could still picture her washing in the rain.It was an image he would never forget.“She could also do with a hot shower and clean clothes.”
“I’ll make sure she gets it.”
