Page 62 of Lethal Pursuit

Fuck!

Khalid was steps away, knife held high, eyes gleaming with the promise of death.

There was no time to clear his weapon. Jackson threw it aside and launched himself at his enemy. They collided in midair with a bone-jarring grunt and fell to the ground on their sides. Jackson’s fist wrapped around the hand holding the knife, forced it back. His muscles strained and shook at the effort.

Khalid was ranting something in Pashto and Jackson could hear Maya screaming his name in the background. Those evil yellow eyes were narrowed on him with naked hatred.

The muscles in Jackson’s arm quivered as he held the weapon at bay. In those few seconds, all his fury intensified, so hot that he couldn’t contain it. This fucker had orchestrated their kidnapping. He’d beaten and tortured Maya, forced her to hold a gun to her head and pull the trigger. The memory of Maya’s cries as Khalid had beaten her filled Jackson’s head in a deafening roar. His heartpounded against his ribs. Instinct took over.

He reared up and drove his left fist into Khalid’s wounded shoulder with every bit of strength he had left. The man went white and howled in agony, his fingers releasing their death grip on the knife. It dropped to the dusty ground with a thud. Jackson didn’t even glance at it. He pounded Khalid in the face and shoulder to unleash the toxic rage seething inside him, still caught up in his memories.

He’dhurt Maya. Beaten her with his fists and belt. Broken her bones. Deprived her of food and water. Locked her up in a cage too small to stand up or lie down in.

He barely felt the blows Khalid managed to land with his elbow and knees in between punches. They rolled and twisted in the dirt, locked in mortal combat. One of them wasn’t walking away from this. Jackson knew it. And it wasn’t going to be him. He was weakened and dehydrated, but he was still stronger than Khalid and his demented fervor.

He came up on top and straddled Khalid to drive his fist into that sneering face when he caught the flash of metal out of the corner of his eye. At the last moment he saw the blade slicing toward him in a deadly arc. He jerked out of the way just as the knife swept past his chest, so close he felt the breeze it stirred.

On instinct, Jackson twisted them around and captured the bastard’s head in the crook of one elbow. He added the other arm and squeezed hard, locking the choke hold down. His hands clamped around Khalid’s skull. Held tight as Khalid flailed in his grip. With an enraged snarl Jackson wrenched the head around as hard as he could, snapping his neck with a sickening crunch.

The knife hit the ground with a metallic clang and the body beneath him went instantly slack, those eerie yellow eyes turning glassy.

Panting, Jackson released him and slid off to the side. The adrenaline crash hit him hard. He was shaking all over and gasping when Sandberg raced up with his AK aimed at Khalid. Maya was right behind him, her face full of terror.

She dropped to her knees next to him, grabbed his shoulder with her good hand. “Are you hurt? Are you okay?” The fear anddesperation in her voice broke through the numbness.

“I’m fine.” He forced himself to his feet on shaky legs and turned to block her from the sight of Khalid’s body.

“What the hell were youdoing?” she wheezed, face pale.

“Rifle jammed,” he answered. “And I wasn’t letting him come near you ever again.” He’dwantedto kill Khalid with his bare hands. And he had. That shook him. He’d never known he could hate anyone that much.

He watched the words register, the truth of what he’d said sinking in. She gave a tiny nod and reached up to cradle the side of his face with her palm. “Okay. But don’t ever do something like that again.”

“That LZ’s not coming to us, people, and it’s not getting any closer standing around here,” Sandberg said, returning for Haversham where he’d left him back down the trail when Khalid attacked Jackson.

He knew they had to get moving, but Jackson didn’t move out right away. Instead he covered Maya’s hand with his and closed his eyes to lean into her touch, letting her know what the gesture meant to him. Her hand was hot, too hot, and dry. Her breathing was raspy and labored, making him even more anxious to get her evacuated to a hospital for treatment. But that unexpected softness in her expression and knowing he was responsible for it—that was something he could easily live for.

He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed, keeping them to his scruffy cheek. “Almost there, baby,” he whispered. “A little ways longer and we’re outta here. But I think you’re gonna have to walk for a bit.” At the moment his legs felt too weak to carry his own weight.

A grin spread across her cracked lips and her right eye twinkled. Half turning so her back was to him, she bent slightly at the knees and looked over her shoulder at him, reaching her right arm back. “Come on, jump on,” she wheezed, practically wobbling on her feet. “But just this once.”

It was such a ridiculous thing to say and it was clear the effort cost her, but damned if it didn’t make him grin. “Rain check.”

Maya shrugged in a “suit yourself” way and stepped past him to head down the trail. Steadier now, he retrieved his discarded rifleand turned away to lead them the last mile to the LZ.

TWENTY-ONE

AFEW HUNDREDyards into the trek, Maya stumbled, her breathing all but stopping her in her tracks. Walking uphill even for that short a distance was too much. It felt like someone had weighed down her body with lead bricks. Her heart was pounding out of control and there was no way to slow it. The tightness in her chest made it impossible to get a deep breath and when she did, her ribs killed her or a coughing fit took hold.

Come on!she raged at her body.We’re so close.They didn’t have far to go and they couldn’t risk slowing down to wait for her to rest. She didn’t want Jackson to have to carry her anymore.

Looking at him, no one would ever know that he’d just killed a dangerous militant in hand-to-hand combat. After retrieving then clearing his jammed weapon, he’d taken point again and was still going at a good clip, despite the demands he’d placed on his body today. Sandberg carried Haversham behind her, and when she slowed they caught up fast. She waved them on, bent over and gasping, but Sandberg didn’t budge from her side. When Jackson glanced back and saw her, he doubled back.

“Sorry,” she gasped, angry at her body’s weakness. “Can’t.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. Come on, darlin’, one last ride.” Stooping, he offered her a hand and she draped herself over his broad back so he could lift her more easily. She hated that he was forced to carry her again. He was doing double the work to pick up her slack, had been all day. She held her breath and tensed her aching muscles when he shifted her into position. God, the constant pain was making her insane. He stood and staggered back a step, telling her just how exhausted he was, then gave a muffled groan and started walking.

Maya covered her mouth with her right forearm as she begancoughing, the fiery pain ripping through her. As soon as she could breathe again, she closed her eyes and laid her cheek against Jackson’s sun-warmed shoulder in defeat. “I owe you a day at the spa,” she managed.

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