“I’m hit,” the president wheezed.
The helicopter banked and rolled, swinging wildly and dropping closer to the roof.
Tace saw his chance and jumped, almost hitting the roof. He was off a foot, and his hands slapped the edge.
A strong hand banded around his wrist, and he hung for a moment, grabbing the ledge with his free hand.
Gunfire erupted above him, and the helicopter swung a hard left, smoke pouring from the back. Jax leaned over, and he used his other hand to secure the hold around Tace’s wrist. Tace grabbed the ledge and crab-walked up as Jax pulled. He slipped over the edge and dropped to his knees, gasping for air. “Sami?”
She rushed for him. “Are you crazy?” she yelled.
“I love you.” He could feel the energy leaving his body. “You okay?” He tried to reach up to her bleeding head, but his arm wouldn’t work.
Tears filled her eyes.
A crash sounded in the distance, and he turned, seeing smoke billow up. “Helicopter?”
“Yeah,” Raze said, satisfaction in his voice. He leaned in. “You okay?”
“Sami?” Tace asked. “Your head?”
She wiped blood from her forehead. “Just a scratch. Let’s get off the roof.”
Good plan. “Love—” His heart seized, and his lungs collapsed. Blackness caught him, and the last thing he saw was her pretty face. It wasn’t a bad way to die.
Chapter Thirty-Five
I had to almost die to learn what it was to really live.
—Sami Steel
Sami screamed and reached for Tace. His eyes shut, and his color turned an alarming gray. “Tace.”
“Downstairs.” Raze reached down and grunted while hauling Tace over his shoulder. “Cover, Jax.”
Jax provided cover, but except for some random gunfire from the southern end of Vanguard, the world had quieted to the crackle of fire and raining of debris. “I think it’s over.”
Raze nodded and ran inside the building and down the stairs. “Get Lynne and Vinnie.” He kept going, rushing through the vestibule and through the soup kitchen, his gun sweeping. They reached the infirmary, and he set Tace down on a bed, ripping open his shirt. “He’s not breathing.”
Sami’s legs almost gave out, but she rushed forward and breathed into his mouth.
Raze waited and then pressed his hands over Tace’s chest, counting out beats, his face a hard line of concentration.
Lynne and Vinnie ran into the room, Jax covering their backs.
Tears clogged Sami’s throat. “He’s not breathing.” Raze paused, and she breathed into his mouth before Raze started again. “We brought printouts, but they’re in the Humvee outside.”
Lynne rushed forward and lifted his eyelids. “Not good. Tell me everything. Jax said you found the enzyme.”
“I think so.” Sami’s legs gave out.
Vinnie grabbed her and shoved her into a chair, taking over the breathing with Tace.
Lynne’s blue heart glowed through her shirt. “Tell me more, Sami. What did it look like?”
Tears poured down Sami’s face, but she didn’t care. Tace wasn’t regaining consciousness. “It was yellow. I found the right vials according to the data, and when I injected him, he did get better.”
Lynne dropped down to face her. “You injected him?”
