“Bird incoming,” Aaron calls over the wind, making a circle in the air with his finger. “Two minutes out.”
I tighten my arm around Lena’s waist, steadying her as she sways. Her body’s fighting exhaustion and trauma and pain, but she’s fighting too — staying alert, staying with me.
“You good?” I ask, my voice low against her ear.
She nods, though her legs tremble. “As long as you’re right here.”
It hits me in the chest—hard. What she must have gone through with those bastards.
“I’m not going anywhere,sweetheart.”
The helicopter drops lower, the noise rattling the air, kicking up snow in blinding swirls. Beckett directs the pilot with hand signals while Miles and Jase sweep the tree line for movement.
Something feels wrong.
The hairs on the back of my neck lift. That sixth sense — the one that’s saved my life more times than I can count — pulses sharp and cold.
River feels it too. His gaze sweeps the ridge. “Eyes up. Something’s off.”
Lena stiffens beside me. “Ronan…?”
“It’s okay.” I step slightly in front of her. “Nothing’s touching you.”
The helicopter lands rougher than usual — too fast, too heavy. The moment the doors slide open, the medics gesture for us.
“Pierce, bring her aboard!” one shouts over the engine.
I wrap an arm around Lena, lifting half her weight, guiding her toward the aircraft.
We’re five feet away when the world explodes.
A rocket shrieks from the far ridge, slicing through the early dawn light.
“RPG!” Aaron shouts. “Take cover!”
I grab Lena and dive, shielding her with my body as the missile slams into the ground just short of the helicopter, blasting heat and shrapnel across the snow.
The shockwave punches through my ribs.
The helicopter lurches sideways.
Lena cries out, her fingers clutching my jacket.
I cover her completely, teeth gritted. “Stay with me. I’ve got you.”
Gunfire erupts from the trees. Ascendancy soldiers pour out as if they had been waiting for this exactmoment.
Miles returns fire instantly. Gideon flanks. Beckett lays down suppressing rounds.
River shouts into comms, “Contact right! Multiple hostiles—push them back!”
I haul Lena to her feet, keeping myself between her and the incoming fire.
“We have to move!” she gasps.
“We are.” I pull her toward the helicopter’s blind side, a momentary shield from the bullets.
But the helicopter is struggling. Smoke pours from the rear panel. The pilot waves frantically.
