Page 49 of Deceptive Lies

It looked like they were going to be transported in the helicopter because Professor Mahmoud hadn't entered the building, and they were being led out of it.

Transferring them someplace else allowed for a margin of error.

A chance.

Hope.

Rejuvenated, Willow didn't fight as the men dragged her out into the still-warm night and toward the helicopter, just a short walk away. She had to be ready, Cooper would be formulating a plan, she knew he would, so she had to be on her game ready to do whatever he needed of her.

Once already she’d prayed for help, to be saved, and God had delivered in the form of a sexy special forces warrior who had saved her from certain death. Tonight, again, she had to believe that a miracle could be waiting for them, all they had to do was figure out how best to use this situation to their advantage.

Because if they didn't, if they allowed this chance to slip through their fingers, there wouldn't be another.

Chapter

Thirteen

July 13th

1:20 A.M.

This was better than he could have hoped for.

Cooper flexed his fingers to ensure he got blood flowing as quickly as possible through his limbs because he was going to need them.

As soon as the time was right, he was making his move.

The helo was small, only room for the pilot and four passengers. With him and Willow being two of those, that meant there would be only two other men on board.

Odds he liked.

Fighting a grin, he allowed himself to be guided into one of the seats. Nobody bothered to hand him a set of headphones, the roar of the rotors was annoying and far too loud, but he wasn't complaining.

Not when it offered him the best chance he’d ever have of surviving this ordeal.

He had honestly believed that it was over. There was no way he could get out of the chair without getting caught, no way he could fight against a half dozen armed men, and no way he could get Willow outalive. Professor Mahmoud would eventually show up and their deaths would be quick.

Failure.

It had clung to him, permeated his being, and made him feel dirty. He was highly trained and had spent years in the field, he should be able to save a woman from a university professor.

And now he could.

Whatever risks he had to take would be worth it, so long as he got Willow out of this alive.

A man climbed in beside him, and then Willow was lifted onto the other window seat. While the sight of any of these men touching her made him see red, he shoved away those feelings and focused.

This was what he knew how to do.

Survive.

Fight.

Win.

Usually, he had a team at his back, and that definitely made things easier, but never before in his life had the stakes been this high. Willow was already important to him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

He couldn’t.

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