ELEVEN
Well, this op was already one for the books and they hadn’t even reached their objective yet.
Ryan sat with his back to the wall of the helo with the M4 Taylor had given him across his lap, the vibration of the machine familiar and almost soothing.He still didn’t know how the guy had pulled a Blackhawk and kit like this out of his damn pocket in the middle of the night.Wade said Taylor worked missions like this with the Feds all the time, and Ryan wasn’t complaining if it meant the chance to get the man responsible for this attack tonight.
Except for his right shoulder and upper arm hurting like a bitch.
The bleeding had mostly stopped now, but there were areas of numbness down the back of his arm and hand that told him he’d suffered some kind of nerve damage.He flexed his hand, curling the fingers into a fist, noting the diminished strength in his grip.
Fuck it.He could still hold and fire a weapon.This wasn’t going to stop him from going after March and his followers who might be hiding out here.
There was just enough moonlight to make out the shape of the land, the thick band of forest as they flew over it.Ruby sat next to him, her short, white hair whipping in the wind, watching the darkened scenery pass by underneath them out the open side door.
He still couldn’t believe they’d brought her along, but he understood the logic behind it.If they couldn’t find March’s guy, they might have to use her to find the bunker entrance, but only as a last resort.They’d put her in a ballistic vest, just in case, and he could practically feel the excitement humming through her at being included on this op.
She was an odd bird, that was for sure.
“I see the ATV,” Cam said, leaning forward to point out the door.
Taylor said something to the pilots, and they circled the area.Craning his neck forward, Ryan made out the shape of the ATV left abandoned on the hillside.They used a searchlight to scan the vicinity, but there was no sign of March’s second-in-command, Lyle Coventry.Using him to locate the bunker was out.
Taylor leaned forward to shout at Ruby.“You’re up.Can you get us to that bunker entrance?”
“Yes,” she yelled back.
Taylor shot him a look, eyebrows raised, and Ryan shrugged.She was the only one of them who knew where the entrance was and she’d actually been there, so she could save them time hunting around.“Worth a shot.”
Ruby jabbed him high in the ribs with her elbow, right underneath his wound.He winced and growled in pain.“Sorry,” she yelled in his ear, rubbing a hand over his arm in apology.“I forgot.”
Breathing deeply until the pain passed, he stared out the open door as the pilots flew them to the rock formation she had mentioned.There was no room for the helo to put down around here.
“We gonna fast rope in?”he asked Taylor.
The man nodded.“I’ll take Ruby.”
Sliding down a rope with a bullet wound and diminished grip strength was going to suck, but there was no help for it and they needed to get on the ground quick.After the pilots circled and got them into position above a fairly flat spot in a small clearing, Craig Taylor took the role of crew chief and tossed the thick nylon rope out the door.
Cam slid down first, then Jackson, and Wade.Ryan went next, making extra sure he had a solid grip on the rope with his left hand and feet before easing out of the helo’s belly.
He glided down, breathing a sigh of relief when his boots touched solid ground, then held the base of the rope for Taylor, who emerged with Ruby.She was wrapped around the front of his torso like a monkey, harnessed against him.Once they were safely on the ground and Ruby unharnessed, Ryan immediately moved away to take up a defensive position with the others.
“We’re clear,” Taylor said a few seconds later via their earpieces.“Pilots are going to pull back a ways to diminish rotor noise and remain on station in case we need a fast pickup.All right, Ruby, point the way.”
They fanned out in a single line, Ruby up near the front with Taylor, behind Wade and Craig.Ryan mentally shook his head.It was fucking weird, being on an op with Candace’s grandma leading them.But also kinda awesome.
Ahead of them in the distance, the grizzly-shaped rock formation loomed in the dim light.They turned left and skirted the base of a rock outcropping.
