Page 41 of Her Honorable Hero

Drake came back with his hands full and a skein of rope hanging from his right shoulder.

“An EMT is getting in touch with one of the choppers,” Clint Archer said as he looked up from his smart phone. “When you find your woman, they’ll send down a basket.”

“Where are we going?” Drake asked.

Griff led them past the back of the rail car. “Billy and his friends climbed up the cliff at one point. They shouldn’t have. It was too fucking dangerous,” Griff said as he pointed around the side of the train.

“They’re teenagers,” was Mason’s succinct explanation.

The sun was behind them as they looked out into the water. Griff’s every instinct was screaming at him to run to the side of the cliff, but he knew it was foolish. They needed to go slow and make sure that the ground beneath them was firm. The weight of the train had destabilized the cliff.

“Where did she go over?” Drake asked.

“Near the middle of the car. You can see where the landslide occurred,” he said pointing to where there was a significant drop off.

“Got it,” Mason said.

“Drake was already unwrapping the rope. “We can tie it off on the train.”

“It’s too unstable,” Griff protested.

“Nope, by the time we have our first knot tied, the Marines will have enough cables on it to ensure the fucker isn’t going anyplace,” Clint said. He was listening to his phone.

“Be sure,” Griff commanded.

Clint listened some more, then grinned and gave a thumbs up.

“We’re good to go. The big issue now is to evacuate the wounded.”

Drake was already tying the rope, and Griff was grabbing the other end to tie around his waist.

“Nope,” Mason said. “Me first. I surf this beach all the damn time. I’ve also climbed up this damn cliff a time or two.” Griff gave him a long look, then handed him the end of the rope.

Mason rappelled over the side of the cliff, and Griff was a hairsbreadth behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and didn’t see Miranda anywhere on the sand and rocks below them. His entire body shuddered in relief.

Mason was already picking his way over to the left, where Miranda had fallen. There was some slope there, so it was possible she could have grabbed hold of a rock or some tufts grass.

Please God, say that she had.

Drake came over the cliff next, and Griff saw that Clint was topside making himself available to direct traffic. Each of them took a twenty-foot section of the cliff, attempting to make sure that they didn’t miss anything. They went slowly, scanning every nook and cranny

“I see her,” Mason shouted out.

“Where?” Griff demanded.

“Directly beneath Drake. She’s landed against a rock. She’s hidden by the seagrass, but you can see a bit of pink.”

Now that Mason pointed her out, he could see a nylon-clad leg. Drake had his phone out, Griff saw that he was taking a picture, probably sending it up to Clint. Then Griff saw that his phone was up to his ear.

“The chopper will be here within ten minutes with a rescue basket.” Drake called out. “They’re coming back from the hospital at Palomar. Let’s get your lady ready for transport.” He shoved his phone back into his cargo pants.

God love Drake Avery, he just took it at face value that Miranda was alive. They made their way down to her, careful not to knock any debris loose that might land on her. Mason reached her first, but Griff was there within seconds.

“She’s alive,” Mason grinned at him, his fingers on the pulse of her neck.

“Miranda, can you hear me?” Griff asked urgently.

He ran his hands gently over her body for signs of injury. How could her pearls be resting perfectly around her neck? It seemed wrong.

Her wrist was obviously broken, and there was blood at the back of her head. Carefully, Griff guided his fingers around her head, probing softly, until he got to the back of her skull. He almost cried in relief when he felt the back of her skull and found that it wasn’t crushed, there just seemed to be a cut and swelling.

Thank you, God.

Did he see and eyelash flicker?

“Miranda. Oh Baby, you were supposed to take better care of yourself.” His voice broke. “Honey, I’m here for you. Now, I did my part, you do your part and stay with me, okay? You promised.” He brushed a kiss against her cheek. “You promised, Miranda.” His voice broke.

Griff heard the whomp whomp of the helicopter. Drake was kneeling against the side of the cliff and waving. Griff saw someone stick their hand out of the chopper and wave back. Soon, the helicopter lowered a rescue stretcher. Mason and he steadied it.

Griff wanted to be the one who placed Miranda in the basket, but ultimately it was Mason who did it with Griff’s help. They ever so gently placed Miranda into the pallet and strapped her in. Griff tugged on the rope and gave the team in the helicopter a thumbs-up and they raised her up.

He scrambled up the cliff, determined to be at the hospital as soon as humanly possible.