Page 28 of Rescued Duty

Zack held up a finger before pressing it to his ear.

She didn’t want to jump to conclusions and think about the worst-case scenario. So often people showed her they didn’t haveherbest interests at heart; they had their own and no one else’s. Growing up in foster care had taught her it was easier to rely on herself than others. And she’d only found that more true after she’d aged out of the system and started navigating life on her own.

Except she couldn’tdoanything right now.

“They want to call in a rescue copter, but based on the altitude and how low they need to get, it’s only going to fan the flames of the fire. But I have an idea.” Zack bent down and stuck his head over the edge.

“Please don’t fall.” Naya grabbed the middle of his rope in an effort to keep him from tumbling.

Zack stood up and brushed his hands. “There’s another ledge below this one that leads into a cave that brings you out at the other side of the mountain.”

“And you know this how?” Naya squinted.

“My buddy showed me one time when we were hiking. I had a feeling we were near the area, I just needed to orient myself to the surroundings.” He tugged on his rope. “There’s enough extra line here that we can climb over the edge and drop down onto the landing.”

Naya gulped. Their options were limited, and she really didn’t like being stuck on the mountain.

Could she trust Zack though? He hadn’t left her alone. That had to count for something.

What other choice did she have?

“You’re the expert.” She shook her head. She wasn’t sure she could fully trust Zack. But she did trust the Lord. He would never abandon her. And He’d brought Zack and the crew here. With no other escape routes at the moment, she’d follow his lead.

His face sobered. “I’ll go first. Make sure it’s safe. Then I’ll help you down.”

“We’ve found an alternate escape route through a cave, Lieutenant. Permission to go?” Zack radioed in.

“I gave you my orders, Stephens.”

Zack turned to Naya, then held down on the radio button. “Our patient needs medical attention, and we’re sitting ducks. The cave is three feet below us. We can rappel down. Our job is to rescue people.”

“What are you trying to prove, Stephens?”

Zack steeled his jaw, and his neck muscle twitched. “That we help the people we’ve sworn to protect.” Zack tugged on his harness, then disappeared over the edge.

Naya held her breath. Every second ticked by with the unknown. Was the cave there? Or was it a dead end?

A few minutes later Zack called out, “It’s here! We’re going to make it out. Attach your clip to the rope.” Zack gave her instructions to harness herself in.

Let this work, Lord. Keep us safe.Naya tugged on the rope, then averted her gaze from the vast openness around her and focused on Zack’s hand.

He reached out to her.

In that moment, it seemed like everything she’d been looking for.

She grabbed hold, then swung her leg over the edge. When she went to move her injured foot, it slipped on loose pebbles and dangled in the air.

Naya let out a yelp, her heart skipping a beat.

“I’ve got you!” Zack shouted. “Let yourself drop down.”

Naya pinched her eyes shut to keep from making a snarky comment about the last time she’d fallen.

Soon her feet were on solid ground again, and she let out the breath she was holding.

“It’s just through here.” Zack pointed to the dark opening in front of them. The tunnel was small and damp. Each step they took echoed off the walls followed by an irregular trickle of water dripping.

Naya followed Zack, who guided the way with his flashlight. What if they were wrong and this wasn’t a way out? They’d been moving for a while, and all the walking was making the pressure on her ankle unbearable. She slowed her pace to favor her good leg and put extra weight on the heel of her foot.

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