Page 77 of Stand Fast

A crew began to gather around with fire extinguishers and medical kits to await the damaged aircraft and human payloads.

Her heart pounded as the helos drew nearer. One of them carried Zaid, whether he was alive or…

No.She refused to even think it.

The first Blackhawk circled the base before finally coming in to land inside the secure perimeter. One of the ground crews rushed into action, converging on it with fire extinguishers at the ready. In the bright perimeter lighting she could see bullet holes pock-marking its side.

Taggart started toward it but Jaliya held back, a sudden streak of terror weakening her legs and freezing her in place. If Zaid was dead, she couldn’t bear to find out.

The helo’s side door slid open and men began jumping out. She strained to see them as they emerged, one by one.

Two men climbed out carrying a stretcher. Jaliya watched Taggart. The commander approached them and said something. Their answer had him striding back toward her. There was no way he would have left that spot if any of his team members had been aboard, so Jaliya turned her attention to the second Blackhawk.

It circled high overhead. She peered up at it, hope constricting her ribcage. Her heart slammed so hard it felt bruised as she waited for Taggart to get within earshot. “What did they say?” she shouted over the noise of the engines.

“Two KIA. They don’t know who.”

She closed her eyes. Fuck.Fuck.

Her eyes snapped open when the second bird came in to land. She stood there with her heart in her throat, holding her breath as it touched the ground. Even from where she stood she smelled smoke and jet fuel. It looked like the entire tail section was riddled with bullet holes that streaked up the length of the helo’s right side.

The ground crew moved into action as the crew shut down the engines.

Then the bullet-riddled door slid open. Jaliya stayed where she was as Taggart jogged over to meet his guys.

A man with dark skin jumped out first. Freeman. Then Colebrook and Rodriguez. Hamilton appeared next with Maka. Together the two of them reached back into the helo’s hold and dragged out someone with his arms secured behind his back.

Rage and shock blasted through her when they came near enough for her to recognize Nasar’s face. But just as quickly her gaze shot back to the helo. She didn’t even care that they’d captured The Jackal. She only cared about what had happened to Zaid.

Lockhart hopped out. Then Granger.

A queasy sensation twisted through her gut when an eighth member of the nine-man team appeared in the opening. His back was to her as he struggled with something, and when he stood and turned around, she realized it wasn’t Zaid.

Prentiss. He was carrying something large and black draped over one shoulder.

A body bag.

Oh God, no!

Agony engulfed her. Her legs went out from under her like someone had severed her tendons with a knife. Her knees hit the ground with a hard thud but she barely felt the pain, the agony tearing through her chest eclipsing everything else.

She couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything, could only stare at that hideous black bag draped over Prentiss’s shoulder.

Zaid. Zaid Khan, the man she loved.

He wasgone. She and the other taskforce members had sent him to his death. Because that bastard Nasar had fooled everybody.

Cold wetness filmed her cheeks, and she realized she was crying. Someone was crouched down next to her, trying to talk to her. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him, much less try to listen to what he was saying, too overcome with grief and horror while she stared at the body bag that carried the man she loved.

A strong hand landed on her shoulder. “Jaliya.”

Gutted, she wrenched away from the touch, unable to take her eyes off Prentiss and that bag. He was only a dozen yards from her now. Her heart was shattered, lying in a million broken pieces at the bottom of her chest cavity, and nothing would ever put them back together again. She’d done this. She’d killed him.

An eerie, high-pitched sound came out of her, a thin wail of grief torn from the depths of her soul and carried on the icy wind that couldn’t touch the cold inside her. She clapped her hands over her mouth, her entire body shaking as Prentiss drew near. She couldn’t take this. Was terrified of the grief crashing down upon her.

Another man was next to her now. He and the first one grabbed hold of her arms, lifted her to her feet. She stood but wasn’t aware of doing so, her entire body numb. Her teeth were chattering, the pain of loss so sharp she wanted to scream.

“Hey! Jaliya,lookat me.” Taggart.

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