“This is Skillet, over.”
“Skillet, Seahorse One has control of our package. We still have a convoy inbound, and we have wounded. How far out are you, over?” Gael gave the pilot the intel fast and efficiently.
“Seahorse Two, I’m ten mikes from the primary. How many pax, over?”
“Seven effectives, one wounded. One deceased non-primary hostage. Plan for a hot extraction, over.”
“Seahorse, I copy seven effectives, one wounded, and one deceased for a total of nine pax, and a hot extract, over.”
“Good copy, Skillet. Seahorse Two, out.” Gael caught a branch that would have swung back to hit Rowan in the face. “Did you get that?”
“Yeah. Thanks, bro.” Rowan quirked up the corner of his lips when Gael nodded, but didn’t bother answering. But his brother was focused and engaged in the mission; he’d take it.
Not bad for the first time out since the shit hit the fan.
They moved fast, following a path Dawsyn was cutting for them with a machete through the jungle. They’d found her. Enya was alive, and he was bringing her home. Rowan almost couldn’t believe it. But Enya’s head on his shoulder and the hot puffs of her breath against the skin of his neck reassured him she was alive.
“Thank you for coming for me.” She whispered.
He couldn’t suppress the shudder at the husky voice against his ear and squeezed her leg lightly, “You’re welcome.”
He knew they were getting close to the extraction point when he could hear thewhoop, whoopof the rotors of the SikorskyUH-60 Black Hawk. Rowan and his men put on a burst of speed, because if they could hear it, so could the tangos. The second they broke through the final wall of foliage, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Skillet already had the Black Hawk hovering in a tight, disciplined hold. The rotor wash flattened out the grass in violent circles. The downdraft slapped hot air and debris against Rowan’s skin, but he kept moving. Enya’s arms tightened faintly around his neck, as a tremor passed through her thin frame.
“Seahorse One, visual on the bird,” Gael called over comms as if he hadn’t seen the massive war-machine rumbling in the sky.
“I see that, Seahorse Two.”
Knowing his men would secure the area, he was able to keep his focus on the woman clinging to him. Her breathing was ragged, her fear almost a living thing pressed against his spine. He wasn’t used to rescuing people, never mind civilians, but he figured, considering the shit she’d mostly endured over the last week, that maybe hearing a friendly voice or some reassurance wouldn’t go astray. He snorted in his head. He had no freaking clue how to do the soft crap, but for this woman who lay against his back without complaint, he was willing to give it a shot.
“It’s okay, Enya, these are the good guys.”
“Ok.”
She didn’t sound as if she believed him. But he decided that as long as she wasn’t actively fighting him, it didn’t matter. When they were in the air, and she had food, water, and medical attention, she’d start to realize she was safe.
The winch line snaked down from the belly of the helicopter. Dawsyn reached it first, clipping in with quick, clean motions.Jericho and Bronx took up defensive positions, muzzles trained toward the tree line.
The jungle had gone too quiet again, and he could almost feel the convoy that was chasing them get closer and closer.
“I got her.” Gael reached for her.
“No.” Enya yelped in his ear, her arms almost strangled him. “Don’t let him touch me.”
“Easy.” Rowan knelt, allowing Enya to slide off his back. “Back off, bro. Give her some space,” he warned Gael before turning back to Enya. “He’s not going to hurt you. I swear. I’ll break his kneecaps in his sleep and then complain to momma and his husband if he does.”
She blinked up at him as if she was trying to make sense of his words. Then shook herself and asked, “Is it going to land?”
“No, ma’am.” He squatted in front of her. “I’m going to strap you to me, and they’ll winch us up.”
“What?”
He could see the panic in her eyes, and rushed to put it into context she’d understand. “Think of it like Rain bunchin’ his haunches as he comes down the aisle waiting for the bell before he explodes into the arena. That’s the adrenaline rush being winched up is for me.”
“Rain?” Enya’s brows wrinkled in confusion, “My Rain?”
“Yeah.” Rowan started fitting the harness around her. “Did you know my momma bred him?”
“What?”
