Page 15 of Last Chance

“How bad is it?”

“Let’s just say I think you’re right about me needing stitches.”

“You good enough to take on another vehicle?” Brody asked. “And don’t lie to me. I won’t be happy if I find out you did.”

“Would I do that?”

A snort. “In a heartbeat if you thought you were likely to be sidelined. Climb back into the middle and be ready to help Logan with the terrorists in front of them if he needs the assist.”

“Yes, sir.” Sawyer slid over the seat into the middle section. “Doing okay, Janie?” he asked as he settled near the door. He lowered the window.

“You weren’t kidding about the noise level. I never realized guns were so noisy.”

“To protect our hearing on the practice range, we use headphones to muffle the sound. In combat situations like ours, we frequently fire weapons from a moving vehicle.”

“I heard Brody mention two more vehicles. Are you going to stop them, too?”

He studied her for a moment. “I could, but I probably won’t need to take care of them. Logan is an excellent shot.”

“We all are,” Brody said. “Law enforcement training and Fortress Security training.”

Her heart skipped a beat, then all of her tension melted away. “All of you were in law enforcement?” A team of former cops? Who could ask for more protection than that?

“That’s right,” Sawyer said. “We’re called Texas Team because we were in various branches of law enforcement in Texas.”

In the distance, Janie heard gunfire. She waited, listening for any other sounds like a car crashing or glass breaking. Amazing how many things she heard when two windows were down. More shots were fired.

Then silence.

Another signal of an incoming message. A moment later, Jesse said, “Bogeys one and two are down. Logan says we’re clear.”

“Excellent. Tell Max to step on it. I want no more delays.”

“Yes, sir.” After a short, low-voiced conversation, Jesse said, “Message delivered.”

Brody made a call. “Jordan, we’re five minutes out and coming in hot. The jet needs to be wheels up as soon as we board.”

Sawyer raised the window. “I know you’re not comfortable, Janie, but can you wait for five more minutes? The floor is the most protected place in this vehicle.”

Uncomfortable was an understatement. Janie’s ribs were killing her. “I’ll deal with it. How’s your shoulder?”

“Not good,” he admitted.

“Can you wait?” Jesse asked.

“I’ll survive five more minutes. I’m more concerned about getting Janie to safety than a temporary patch job on my shoulder.”

Suddenly, Brody make a sharp right turn and floored the accelerator. “Sawyer, when we reach the jet, your only job is to transport Janie to safety. Jesse and I will grab your gear and provide cover fire if needed.”

“Copy that.”

“Wait,” Janie protested. “I can walk.”

“As soon as we stop, we’ll be running to the jet,” Sawyer said. “Unless we’re very lucky, we’ll have company on the tarmac. We need you inside the jet, where you’ll be the safest.”

But what about them? Sawyer and his friends would be in the middle of a firefight yet again because of her. To protest, though, would delay them and put these men in even more danger. She couldn’t have that. Better to keep quiet and cooperate. It was the best way to protect this amazing team.

Brody slammed on the brakes. The SUV went into a skid and stopped seconds later. Immediately, the three men bailed from the vehicle. Two beats later, Sawyer scooped her into his arms again and ran for the jet parked nearby. He took the stairs two at a time, hurried into the cabin and set her on a seat partway down the aisle. “Stay here.”

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