It had been well past midday before John had finally come through and secured them helicopter transport to where they needed to be, in the form of three old tourist choppers that looked as if their best days were long since passed. Even though John had already paid a king’s ransom for a quick one-way trip to the landing zone coordinates, they’d still had to pass a hat around to collect money to pay the pilots. After hearing rumors around the camp about monsters in the jungle with fangs and claws and glowing red eyes, the pilots had given the money to the helicopter mechanics with instructions to make sure their families got it if they didn’t come back. Angelo suspected the mechanics would probably pocket the money if that happened, but he didn’t say anything. Not that he had the chance. When they’d reached the landing zone, the pilots had practically torn the rotors off their birds trying to get off the ground and back home. Catching sight of the smoldering remains of the U.S. military chopper out in the jungle as they’d come in probably had something to do with that.
“We’re here,” Landon called from ahead, jerking Angelo out of his thoughts and bringing all of them up short.
This was the part Angelo had been dreading—checking the helicopter for remains. He wanted to believe Declan and Kendra were still alive, but one look at the smashed Seahawk told him otherwise. The bird had come down hard, then partially burned. Not many people could survive that.
The three bodies on the ground only confirmed his worst fears. Angelo was too far away to make out who they were, but beside him, Derek went pale.
“It might not be them,” Angelo told him. “There were other people on that chopper with Kendra and Declan.”
Derek nodded but didn’t say anything. He made no move to check, though.
Giving Derek a nod, Angelo walked over to the bodies. Tate fell into step beside him while Landon climbed into the helicopter. Two of the dead men wore marine uniforms, so it was obvious who they were. A rain slicker had been draped over the third, and Angelo held his breath as he crouched down and moved it aside.
“He was DEA,” Tate said, his face a mix a relief and sorrow as he gazed down at the dead man.
Angelo knew how he felt. Covering the man with the slicker again, he stood up. A few feet away, Derek breathed a sigh of relief.
Landon came out of the helicopter shaking his head. “No one in there.”
“That’s good,” Tate said. “That means two other people made it out with Declan and Kendra, along with the crew from the chopper.”
Clayne jogged up. “Cut the list of possible survivors by two. I found the pilot and copilot…they didn’t make it through the crash.”
Tate swore. Angelo couldn’t blame him. They’d come out here looking for survivors and so far they’d already found five bodies.
“I know it looks bad, but at least we know that Kendra, Declan, and at least three of the others made it out,” Angelo reminded him. “We’re going to find them.”
Clayne disappeared into the jungle with Ivy and Tanner without a word. Probably searching for some sign or scent of which way Kendra and Declan had gone. Even though the shifters were circling the site a mere fifty feet away, Angelo could barely see them.
“Damn it gets dark fast out here,” Derek said, as if reading his mind.
“You guys from the 5th spend too much time in the desert,” Carter said as he pulled out his NVGs. “You forget what it’s like in the jungle. The sun probably won’t go completely down for another thirty minutes, but under this canopy it might as well be midnight.”
Angelo rummaged in his pack for his own goggles. As soon as Ivy and the other shifters found a trail, they’d be on the move, and he wanted to be ready. Now that they knew Declan and Kendra were alive, there was no time to waste.
“What are they doing out there?” Butler asked as he attached his goggles to the Ops-Core Ballistic helmet he’d pulled out of his rucksack.
“They’re tracing all the different scents around here.” Landon quickly put on his own gear. “They’ll be able to tell how many of our people left this site, which way they went, if any of them were injured, and most importantly, if they were followed.”
Carter let out a low whistle. “They can do all that?”
Angelo flicked on his goggles and adjusted his helmet straps just in time to see Landon nod. “They can do all that. And they can do it damn fast. So let’s make sure we’re ready to go when they are.”
While they waited, Angelo pulled out his poncho, then glanced at Derek. “Give me a hand, would you?”
Derek didn’t ask what he needed a hand with, but he quickly figured it out when Angelo crouched down beside one of the dead marines and wrapped the poncho around the body. When they were finished, Derek took out his poncho and covered the other marine. Carter did the same to the DEA agent. It wouldn’t protect the remains as well as burying them, but it was all they had time to do and it might keep animals away for a time. They’d barely finished when Ivy, Clayne, and Tanner came back. Their eyes glowed in the darkness.
“What’s the situation?” Landon asked.
“Four people walked out of here,” Ivy said. “Declan and Kendra, and two others. Locals probably.”
Tate let out a breath. “What about the third crewman?”
Clayne shrugged. “No sign of him.”
“Kendra and Declan were okay after the crash, right?” Derek asked.
“Looks like it,” Clayne said. “They didn’t hang around here for long, though.”
