Page 9 of Alistair

“He’s very good-looking for a man his age. Hell, for a man any age,” smiled Clark.

“Don’t I know it,” winked Rose. “Fly safe, and we’ll see you in a few days.”

Rose hugged the young woman as Baptiste approached and hugged her as well. She waved to the couple, turning to wave down a taxi for a ride to the airport. As she waited in the taxi line, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she immediately looked around. Not seeing anything, she waved it off as the cool fall breeze and hopped into the taxi.

“Municipal airport, please.” The driver nodded as he wove through traffic, getting her to the small city airport. Clark checked the Osprey several times, then took her place at the controls.

“Base, do you read?” she asked.

“Loud and clear, Clark. We’re ready to track you and welcome you home,”said Evie.

“I’m ready to be home,” she smiled. “Hopefully, I’ll be there by seven.”

“Roger that. Double-check your trackers and comms.”

Clark thought the tracking and comms devices invented by G.R.I.P. were absolutely amazing, but she also thought they were a bit over the top. The ability to track and hear anything and everything seemed extreme, but she was a rule follower.

“Confirmed. See you soon.”

Pilots and ground crew alike turned to see the unusual Osprey lift off the ground and suddenly disappear into the gray fall sky. Flying north first, she took a turn to the west and began her route south over West Virginia. Looking down, she realized she was almost over the exact location of her last team flight.

“What the hell?” she murmured, seeing the lights and fires below. Someone was back at work. Just as she was about to place the Osprey on stealth mode, she saw the firing of a rocket launcher too late.

“Oh, shit! Base, this is Clark. I’m going down!” She would have to ask the geniuses at G.R.I.P. why the defenses failed, but that wasn’t important right now.

“We read, Clark. We’re already on our way.”

“Tell-tell Alistair…”

That was the last thing Clark remembered. She heard the crunching of metal and the sounds of trees being sliced by the rotors as they helped to absorb some of the crash. Opening her eyes, she knew she hadn’t been out long, looking around at the dusky sky.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” she muttered.

Whoever shot her down could not get to the Osprey. She released her restraints, grabbed the first-aid kit and her backpack, and set the timer on the self-destruct. Staring at the beautiful chopper one last time, she took off running south through the woods. Sixty seconds later, a fireball that could be seen for a hundred miles lit up the sky.

“Base? I’m on the run. Someone shot me down, and I’m on the move.”

“Help is on the way, Clark. Find a place to stay safe. We’ll find you,”said Savannah.

Clark could hear someone firing shots into the air and stopped, listening for any sounds of a human. Then she heard it. She heard a sound she didn’t want to hear. The one that had caused her nightmares.

“Girly! Girly, I know you’re out there!” screamed the familiar voice.

“No,” whispered Clark. “No, he’s in jail.”

“I told you I don’t forget a face.”

Clark turned in a big circle, searching the dense forested area. She knew they could track her from base, but she also knew that if the dealers got to her first, she’d wish she were dead.

“Clark? Clark, I know you can hear me, baby. Don’t speak. Don’t let them know where you are. We’re on our way. Find a place to hide. I’ll find you, baby. I’ll find you.”

Clark let out a long, slow breath, then turned. And ran.

CHAPTER SIX

Garr, Joseph, Liffey, Dalton, and Sorry checked their weapons and packs.

“Welcome to the team, Sor,” said Alistair. “Not sure this is the introduction you were hoping for.”

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