Page 64 of Lethal Pursuit

Jackson’s arm scooped around her shoulders. He hauled her to her feet and shoved her in the direction of the Chinook, yelling in her ear. “Go, go!”

She took off on rubbery legs, wheezing but determined to make it. The SOF troops raced past her, taking out more targets as they ran to form a protective perimeter. Another man was running toward her, and Maya finally saw the letters PJ on his upper arm.

He grabbed her and tossed her over one shoulder, ignoring her scream of agony, then turned and ran like hell back to the waiting Chinook, its rotors still turning. She bit down and shut her eyes, struggling to stay above the pain. Each running step jammed her rescuer’s shoulder deep into her belly and jarred her damaged ribs.

In seconds he flipped her over and handed her off to someone else, who dragged her deep inside the belly of the helo. Just as she cleared the doorway, out in the distance her gaze landed on one of the attackers, scrambling back up the hill. He half turned, facing toward her, watching the helo. In the sunlight she caught the flash of a coppery head and beard.

Rahim.

She scrambled to twist around, searching for someone to tell. Where was Jackson? He’d been right behind her. She cried out in relief when he came flying up the tail ramp, reaching out a hand for him. He skidded to a halt in front of her and took her face in his hands. “You okay?” he yelled over the noise of the rotors.

She nodded. “Rahim’s out there—I saw him.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” She hadn’t imagined it, and there couldn’t be two copper-bearded militants built like that out here.

Another man appeared carrying Haversham up the ramp, and then Sandberg ran in. More men rushed inside, some moving backward, shooting at targets just out of view. She could hear the deeper bark of the Apache guns outside. The pitch of the rotors suddenly changed and the big helo shook under the strain as the pilots powered up. Her pulse pounded a frantic rhythm while the behemoth eased off the ground. She sensed the deck tilting as they climbed and eased forward, signaling their imminent escape.

Then a hail of gunfire erupted in the port side wall near where she was sitting. Automatically she dropped facedown on the deck, covering her head. Bullets raked the side of the aircraft, punching holes through the metal skin. Bits of insulation rained down on her. Men were yelling, swearing. The next thing she knew, Jackson had thrown himself across her. The big helo pitched to the side. Only Jackson’s weight kept her from rolling across the metal deck. More shots ripped into the port side wall. Jackson jerked on top of her. Men were shouting, running, grabbing fire extinguishers. The Chinook rolled sharply to the right.

Shit,oh shit,oh shit...

They dropped so hard and fast her stomach floated up toward her rib cage. Maya thought her heart would explode. Were they going down? She squeezed her eyes shut. Jackson stayed on her like a living shield, pressing her down, one hand protecting her head. Another sharp pitch forward, and her body was shoved hard against the deck, telling her they were pulling serious Gs. She sensed the Chinook lifting, climbing ever higher. Soon the constant rattle of gunfire faded away, gradually replaced by the roar of the rotors as they sped away.

Trembling, hardly daring to believe it was over, Maya closed her eyes and went limp beneath Jackson. He rolled off with a pained grunt. The sound made her skin prickle. Lifting up on her good arm, she angled her head to see him. What she saw made all the blood drain out of her face.

He was lying on his side with a hand pressed to his belly, and his face was white with strain. Blood spilled out beneath his splayedhand.

Oh my God.“No!” she yelled, the word torn from the depths of her soul as she lunged at him. She shoved her hand down over his, her eyes searching his face and seeing nothing but pain and anxiety he was trying to hide. She twisted around, heedless of her own suffering. “Someonehelpme!” His blood was warm against her fingers, pooling much too fast. Already it stained the deck.

“I’m okay,” he managed calmly, trying to reassure her.

He wasnotokay. Terrified sobs shook her, jarring her deep inside. He’d just been gut shot. She knew what that meant.

A soldier finally came over and pulled her away from him to take her place. She fought the restraining hands but another pair grabbed her, holding her steady. “Maya. Maya, look at me.”

She jerked her head up to find Haversham holding her. His eyes were earnest, shadowed with exhaustion and strain. “He’ll be fine. Stay back here with me and let them help him.”

They had Jackson’s filthy T-shirt cut off him and she could see the ugly wound on his abdomen they were working on. Her stomach twisted at the sight of that dark hole in his bronze-toned flesh. She made a high-pitched sound of agony, and Haversham hugged her closer, pressing his cheek to hers. “Come on, sweetheart, hang tough. He’s a fighter and they’re doing everything they can. We’ll be on base in no time and they’ll get him right into the O.R.”

It wasn’t good enough. She wanted to be the one next to him, helping him, doing something instead of sitting there watching him bleed.

If she’d realized anything since their capture, it was that she loved him. Unequivocally, and without reservation. She wanted him to know it.

One of the medics started an IV, while the other worked on slowing the bleeding. The second man turned his head to shout something toward the front of the aircraft, and with a start she recognized Jackson’s buddy, Cam. A tiny measure of relief eased the worst of the panic. Cam loved him like a brother. He’d do everything in his power to save Jackson.

Jackson waved a hand to get Cam’s attention and pointed at her. Cam and the other medic looked over at her, and she wanted toscream at them to hurry up and help him already. Cam stayed with him, keeping pressure on the wound, but the other man got up and came over to her.

“He wants you on oxygen, ma’am. Come with me and we’ll lay you next to him. He’ll be a lot more relaxed that way.”

Beside him was exactly where she wanted to be, butoxygen? He wanted her on fucking oxygen when he was lying there bleeding all over the place from a bullet in his belly?

Haversham helped her up with one arm as she took the hand the medic offered her. When she was beside Jackson again, she grabbed his hand and held it as tight as she could, searching his face anxiously, feeling like she was dying inside. “You hold on, do you hear me?”

A pained half smile curved his lips in the midst of that thick, nearly black stubble. “Gonna be fine, sweetheart. Right, guys?”

Cam nodded without looking at her, all business as he focused on his work. “We’ll be landing in a few minutes and I’ve already radioed ahead to alert the surgical staff. They’ll get him into the O.R. right away. He’s gonna be okay once they patch him up.”

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