The soldier, a tall black guy with scars down his face, kept moving backward.
“Where does he think he’s going?” Tace muttered, stalking him, his chest all but exploding in pain. The roof was now cleared except for the five of them. “Let her go, and we won’t kill you,” he called out.
The guy didn’t respond but moved with a definite purpose. Not his first firefight on a roof, apparently.
Sami struggled against him, but he held her tight, the gun steady.
Tace held up his hand, signaling her to keep still.
Her gaze stayed on him, her body relaxing.
Good. She was a hell of a fighter, and if the guy would just move the gun, she could get free. But the soldier kept the barrel tight against her temple.
Trembles cascaded down Tace’s legs, and his vision fuzzed. Not now. God, not now. He shook his head, continuing his advance.
“Stop,” the soldier said, his dark eyes promising death.
“Where are you going to go?” Raze asked reasonably, as the others spread out to flank him.
As if in answer, an odd whirring sound pierced the chaos. Oh, Tace knew the sound, but it was so unexpected, it took him a moment to understand what it was. The helicopter, a Super Huey, banked a hard right and aimed for them. “What the hell?” he breathed.
Four massive blades competed with the whirring rotors, dropping the beast. A fadedMARINElogo still showed on the tail boom. He squinted and could make out the president in the copilot seat and Vice President Lake piloting the craft. A soldier leaned out and pointed a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon at them.
Jax grabbed him and tackled him behind the ducts. “Shit.”
Tace’s gut cramped, and fear competed with the attack his heart kept fighting. “Sami,” he whispered.
Raze crouched. “I can take out the shooter, but the guy with Sami has her angled just right.”
Tace set his feet. “The second he gets her in the chopper, take out the guy with the gun.”
Raze paused. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Pain shot through his chest, and he winced, grabbing it. “I don’t have much time anyway.” Adrenaline pumped through his veins. “Tell her I love her if I don’t get the chance.”
“You will,” Jax said, taking aim. “I’ll go for the president.”
“One of you has to be below me,” Tace grunted, sweat starting to roll down his face.
The soldier holding Sami backed toward the gaping opening in the Yankee. The bird hovered down, almost gracefully, at the edge of the building. Sami’s eyes widened, and she started to struggle. The guy stepped back and lifted her, following her inside the helicopter. The movements were almost too smooth to be real.
“Now!” Tace bellowed.
Keeping his head low, he ran hard and fast across the roof.
A shot whizzed by his ear. The soldier with the M249 SAW widened his eyes, and his chest burst open in blood. He pitched forward and bounced twice on the roof.
Tace leaped the last few feet, hitting the Elite soldier holding Sami head-on. The gun went off. He punched the guy in the face, grabbed his shoulders, and threw him out of the helicopter. The guy’s head hit the edge of the roof with a sickening thud, and he plummeted to the alley below.
A bullet pierced the front window, and the president yelled in pain.
The helicopter hitched and then banked. Shit. Tace only had a second. He turned to see Sami’s face white with shock and blood flowing down her cheek. No time. He swept her up and looked down. Too far to jump. So he kissed her fast, bunched his legs, and tossed her at the only men he trusted in the world.
Jax caught her and fell back into Raze, who’d braced his legs already. The three fell into a heap.
Raze rolled and came up firing toward the front of the helicopter.
“Shit,” Lake bellowed.
