Page 28 of Mystic Mate
“This is way too cool,” said Salem as she was helped on board.
Shaw handed her a bulletproof vest and jacket as well as the requested gun. Stepping onto the helicopter behind her, Cullen couldn’t help but wonder what they were getting themselves into. On the one hand, he would have much preferred to leave her at Ghost Moon Manor. On the other hand, they might need the sphere and only she could use it. And even though he didn’t have a third hand, he also knew she would have found a way to get herself there. She was probably safest where he could keep an eye on her.
CHAPTER 11
CULLEN
Salem had stepped onto the chopper like it was the most natural thing in her life. But as it lifted off, he could feel her slightly trembling next to him. When he looked down, she was white knuckling the edge of her seat. Cullen slid his hand over hers, squeezed it reassuringly and then pried her fingers loose, slipping her hand inside of his. For a moment he thought she would resist, but then she wrapped her hand around his and the trembling seemed to lessen.
They landed and with her SIG in a holster and an automatic rifle slung over her back, not to mention Mr. Pointy, they started toward the old mill. They made good time, moving far more quickly than he thought they might. His legs were getting quite a workout and Cullen made a mental note that he needed to start hitting the gym more often.
He was going to suggest that they take a break when they rounded a corner and had the mill in sight. Reaching for his radio, Cullen tried to radio back to the gunship.
“Shaw? Cullen, come in.” Nothing but static. “Shaw? Cullen, come in.” Nothing. “Salem, try yours.”
“Shaw? Salem, come in.” Static. “Shaw? Salem, come in.” Static. “Great. We’re out of range.”
“No. We’re not, and both of these comm units were checked and were in perfect working order.”
“Then why can’t we reach them?”
“My guess is we’re being jammed.”
“Then they know we’re coming.”
Cullen shook his head. “Not necessarily. They probably just have a communications jammer working all the time. There don’t seem to be any patrols and no one appears to know we’re here.” He pointed to a small outbuilding with several antennas and a small satellite dish. “My guess is that’s the building all their communications gear is in. We can move through this brush and come at it from a different angle with a far less open approach.”
“If we can take down the jammer, we can re-establish contact.”
“True, but my guess is that they check in with their people. If we do anything that disrupts their communications, they’re going to know. Remember? Me Tarzan. You Jane.”
She grinned at him and gave him a jaunty salute. “Yes, Sir.”
Shaking his head, he took point and made his way to the communications center. They crossed the short open space, and he pulled out a small amount of C-4, attaching it to the base of the building’s power supply.
“Control,” he whispered, showing it to her. “I’m going to set the timer as well for thirty minutes. If we need to, we can detonate the bomb with this red button. The green button disarms it.”
She nodded. They stayed in a low crouch and moved to the next building, which appeared to be a barracks of some kind. He hadn’t seen this kind of set up for a vampire nest before. Too much open ground. They probably had some kind of tunnel system they used. He attached another bomb. Cullen pointed to the numeral two on the bomb and on the corresponding remote. Salem nodded her understanding.
He didn’t like having her here, but he hated to think what might have happened if he hadn’t accompanied her. He thought they had made it to the main building undetected, but a smattering of gunfire erupted and seemed headed their way. It wasn’t easy to tell where it was coming from and then it seemed to be coming from every direction. They stayed together and moved quickly from cover point to cover point, managing, by some miracle, to not get hit.
Cullen pulled the number one control out and blew the communications shack.
“Shaw? This is Salem. We’re under attack. Do you read?”
“We hear you loud and clear. We’re coming in with the chopper. Keep your radio on, we’ll track you with it. Stay with Cullen. You two keep each other alive.”
“Roger that,” she said with a grin.
Despite the fact that they were under attack, Salem’s voice was calm and even cheeky. His mate was going to be a handful, more than a handful. The chopper wasn’t bothering with stealth and came in with guns firing as it set down in the compound’s main courtyard. Cullen’s men poured out, joining their fire power to Cullen and Salem, who had swung the automatic rifle from her back like she’d been doing it all her life.
Cullen blew the barracks before anyone could come out of there and they began to advance on the main house, clearing out buildings as they went. Cullen didn’t have time to do anything but lead and pray that Salem would stay in formation, so she had the protection of his pack as well. Fleetingly he wondered why it was his fated mate couldn’t have been some nice, sweet, uncomplicated pastry chef instead of the warrior Salem obviously was.
They stayed in tight formation, moving steadily towards the main house. Anyone trying to flank them would be taken out by the chopper’s onboard deck guns. They were making good progress, until someone started shooting from the rooftop. Before any of those on the ground could respond, one of the men still on the chopper took the sniper out and he fell to his death.
They entered through the back, working their way through the house, clearing the rooms one-by-one. They were alone and all the firing had ceased. They had cleared the house.
“Where are they?” asked Salem.
