Page 115 of Peace Under Fire

“Wolf’s team will circle the bunker, hold the bastards off,” Cosky cut in. His chiseled face turned in Squish’s direction and just as quickly turned away. His black hair had a touch of gray in it now. But his gray eyes were as cold as ever. “We need to get your package on the bird ASAP.”

So, the long-haired dude was called Wolf. It suited him. And his orders suited Squish. The sooner they got Mandy on that…whatever the fuck that thing was…the better. His patience, which had been straining against its leash for hours, was frayed and slipping.

They reached the bunker quickly. Wolf’s men set up multiple perimeter rings. It eased some of Squish’s tension to see how alert these guys were, how professional. They carried their weapons with the easy confidence of well-trained warriors. And their eyes were constantly on the move—scanning, assessing, moving on.

The inner ring consisted of Squish, Pipe, Mackenzie’s crew, and the long-haired dude Cosky had called Wolf. Pipe cleared dirt and pine needles from the hatch. He must have concealed the metal after Brick and the women had descended into the bunker. He’d done a good job of it. The ground looked undisturbed. Once the debris had been cleared away, he grabbed a nearby rock and hammered the metal lid. He waited a moment, then brought the rock down three more times in rapid succession. Another pause, then two more strikes. He tossed the rock aside and stepped back.

They all waited.

The leash holding Squish’s patience in check frayed even more. He gritted his teeth and forced his muscles to hold, forced them to obedience, no matter how much they wanted to tear open that hatch. Mandy was right below him, damnit. She was so close.

Fuck—what if those cockroach bastards had gotten to her without Pipe realizing it?

Maybe a minute later—the longest minute in his life—a grating sound came from the hatch. The lid slowly lifted. Pipe moved in to wrestle the thick, heavy slab of metal upright.

Brick’s head and shoulders popped out of the hole. He scanned the men flanking the hatch and shot Squish a crooked grin. “You brought friends.”

“They’re here to extract Mandy.” Squish grabbed Brick’s forearm and hauled him up, clearing the ladder for his girl.

He was practically vibrating with impatience. It had been too long, an eternity, since he’d held Mandy in his arms. He needed that. He needed it now. If they weren’t on such a time crunch, with hostiles about to move in, he would have dropped into the hatch for a quick hug.

And then she was there, hovering in the open hatch. Her dirty, exhausted face was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen. Her big, brown eyes locked on his face and sparkled like sunlight.

“Jacob!” Her smile lit his soul. “You’re back!”

His heart in his throat, blocking his ability to speak, he leaned down and lifted her up, clamping her against his torso. The moment he took her lips, pouring his heart and soul into her mouth, his world centered. Even his headache seemed to recede.

She returned the kiss with enthusiasm, using all the tricks he’d taught her. Before he had a chance to say anything, gunfire ruptured the silence.

“Sorry brother, no time for that,” Mac said, his tone flat, his fierce eyes skating from tree to tree. “We need to get your woman to the bird. Now.”

“Go! Go!” Wolf made a whirling motion above his head.

Cosky pushed Brick and Alaska closer to Mandy, and a fortress of huge men, equipped for war, closed around them.

Squish picked Mandy up, cradling her against his chest, shielding her as much as he could. If anyone got past their guards and targeted her from behind, he’d take the round instead of her. He felt her legs encircle his hips.

Gunfire hammered the forest, echoing all around them. Trusting the men on his six and point, Squish let his rifle hang and anchored Mandy to his chest with both arms.

And he ran. Ran faster than he’d ever run in his life—praying they’d make it to the clearing, and that weird machine, before one of those fucking bullets found them.

CHAPTER 31

With her face buried in Jacob’s neck, Mandy couldn’t see where they were headed. But Jacob and the men surrounding them were running like bats out of hell. Gunfire surrounded them. The smell of burnt firecrackers was everywhere. The sound of harsh breathing and thundering boots filled the air.

Obviously, speed was of the utmost importance. She choked on her own breath, terror seizing her, and braced for the agonizing burn of a bullet.

She could feel Jacob’s pulse hammering against her face and his heart thundering against her chest. This was no easy-peasy mission like the sweep of the compound had been. This was a life and death flight. His and hers.

And then they were flying, sailing into darkness. Jacob landed with a thud inside the belly of some gigantic, shadowy beast. He stumbled, almost dropping her, then recovered and staggered out of the way as Brick flew in with Alaska, followed by huge, camouflaged men who launched themselves into the cargo hold through a single, gaping door.

She caught a glimpse of short, white chairs lining metallic walls and a black matte floor. Jacob staggered to the back of the beast and collapsed into one of the chairs, cradling her on his lap. His heart was still pounding like he’d just escaped death—which he probably had. Still too tense to relax, she sat there, waiting for the cockroaches to follow them in and pick everyone off one by one.

“Relax, babe,” Jacob rasped, his arms loosening enough to stroke her back. “I got you. You’re safe now.”

How did he know that for sure? There was still so much gunfire. She glanced toward the gaping door and realized four men, two on either side of the entrance—one kneeling, one standing—were shooting into the clearing. Men were still flying into the cargo hold. The guys at the door must be holding the cockroaches at bay.

Her arms released their panicked clench around Jacob’s waist. Maybe she wasn’t going to die after all.

---