The hike uphill wasn’t easy, but after what she’d been through, her definition of “easy” had certainly changed. She was alive and being protected by two Navy SEALs. In a few hours, she’d be on base packing up her stuff and heading back to the States. All she had to do in the meantime was exactly what Phantom and Cole told her to and everything would be fine.
No matter how many times she told herself that, a part of her, deep down, worried that the shit was about to hit the fan.
Chapter Nine
Rex was on high alert. They’d made it to the extraction zone without any issues. Avery was holding up amazingly well and they hadn’t run into any of the insurgents loitering in the area.
But he and Phantom both knew the second the helicopter got close enough to be heard, the insurgent camp would be shaken awake as if someone had stepped on a fire ant mound. Their one goal would be to take the chopper down, no matter what the human cost to them or the people onboard.
And now that they had the firepower to do just that, Rex knew the possibility was a hundred times greater than it would’ve been before the convoy had been attacked. Damn whoever it was who had leaked the information to the terrorists.
Rex felt a hand on his arm and turned to look at Avery. She’d known without him saying a word that he was on edge. She could read him just as well as his SEAL teammates, and that was pretty amazing, considering how long they’d known each other.
Her positive attitude was welcome and appreciated. From the second he’d found her in that cave and realized she hadn’t been sitting in the back waiting to be rescued, but instead doing everything in her power to get herself out of the situation, he’d been a goner.
From the little he’d known of her back in Riverton, he knew she was good at her job, that she had lots of friends, and had the cutest freckles he’d ever seen. He’d wanted to see how far down her chest those freckles went. Was she covered all over, or were they just on her face and upper chest?
But after spending the last day or so with her, he realized he pretty much liked everything about her. He was still curious about those freckles, but a physical attraction had turned into something more. He wanted to know what made her tick. Wanted to know all about her childhood and her life in Riverton. Wanted to sit next to her, hold her hand, and simply enjoy being near her without having to worry about being shot at.
He would do anything to make that happen. Yes, it was important she got to safety because she was literally the only person who could identify the traitor who’d made life so much harder for each and every soldier and sailor deployed to this region of the world, but it was more important for Rex personally.
The thought of her life being snuffed out by a bullet or, God forbid, an RPG, was abhorrent on so many levels.
“Ten minutes and counting,” Phantom said quietly from next to them.
Suddenly feeling as if he hadn’t had enough time with her, that he had so much he needed to say, Rex internally panicked.
But then Avery squeezed his arm.
They were all lying on their stomachs, staying low until the last second, when they’d need to run for the ladder lowered from the helicopter. All three of them would be hauled up at the same time. Rex would go first, attaching himself to a higher rung, and Avery would be right on his heels with Phantom taking up the rear. Before they were hauled into the cockpit, the pilot would fly like hell away from the area, with the three of them dangling below.
It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for the SEALs, but Rex knew Avery wasn’t exactly thrilled. She was a naval officer and had been through training, but this was real. There would be real bullets flying and the risk was abnormally high.
Rex turned to look at Avery and knew he’d never forget this moment. She looked calm and collected, while he felt anything but. Because of the last day or so in the sun, she had more freckles on her nose and cheeks than when he’d found her in the cave. Her bruises were still visible and her lips were chapped. But she was literally the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“We got this,” she said softly. “Piece of cake.”
Rex wanted to smile, but couldn’t.
And Avery being Avery, she didn’t press. She didn’t ask him what was wrong, because that was more than obvious. She left her hand on his arm and turned to face forward again, ready for the sign from Phantom that they had to get up and run like hell.
After seven minutes, Phantom gave Rex a chin lift, letting him know it was almost time.
Rex turned and whispered, “You ready?” to Avery.
“Bring it,” she said in a tone that only wobbled a little.
Within seconds, the sound of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance. All three stood and inched their way to the edge of where the large boulders stopped, on the edge of a small plateau, just big enough for the chopper to land safely were it so inclined.
“Steady,” Rex said, all his jitters gone, completely in the zone now. His entire focus was on the side of the mountain where he knew the chopper would suddenly appear. The quicker they could reach the ladder lowered from the helicopter and attach themselves to the sides with carabineers, the quicker they could be out of the area.
Along with the sound of the blades, they also heard shouts echoing through the canyons and mountaintop.
And then the helicopter appeared, flying hard and fast toward them.
The race was on.
The second Phantom saw the chopper, he shouted, “Now!”
Avery didn’t need any urging, she was off like a shot, right on his heels. She ran as if her life depended on it, which it did. As if she hadn’t been tortured to within an inch of her life a short while ago.
Rex had a moment of terror when they reached the middle of the plateau before the chopper. They were sitting ducks, out in the open, and if any of the insurgents made it to the plateau from the other side where their camp was located, they would be easy targets.
But they were only alone for seconds when suddenly the ladder was there. The rotor blades kicked up the dirt around them, making it impossible to see any tangos who might be approaching.
Phantom grabbed the bottom of the ladder to hold it steady. Rex quickly stepped up several rungs then reached down, holding out a hand for Avery. But he needn’t have bothered. She was right behind him, just like they’d discussed. Rex watched as Avery clipped the safety line she’d wrapped around her upper chest to one of the sides of the ladder.
Phantom leaped onto the ladder himself. His head was eye level with Avery’s ass, just as hers was to Rex’s own backside. She was as protected as they could make her between them.
Rex looked up and gave the men in the chopper the signal that they were clipped in and they could get the hell out of there.
For a second, Rex thought they’d gotten away scot-free. That it had taken the insurgents too long to get their shit together. But just as they began to lift, he heard gunshots over the sound of the chopper’s motor.
“Head down and hold on!” he yelled, clinging to the ladder with one hand while using his other to shoot blindly in the direction the gunfire was coming from. Phantom was doing the same as the helicopter took two precious seconds to turn around before racing away from the mountaintop.
“RPG!” Phantom yelled after they’d cleared the area enough to see through the swirling dust and debris.