Page 19 of Legacy's Destiny

“No. I’ll let you know when we get an exit strategy finalized. Get yourself to the aircraft. We have all the supplies you’ll need loaded.”

“Roger, we’re en route.” Deacon tapped his ear twice, and Echo did the same.

She looked at him. “Honestly, I might not give this device back. I want to dissect it and see how it works.”

“Sorry, but I signed for that earpiece. I’m not paying for not bringing it back,” Ace said. He looked at Deacon. “No matter how good of friends you are with Cap.”

“Speaking of which, Echo is to be treated with all the respect you would give me.”

“Like we wouldn’t?” Ranger said. “I’m offended.” The guy crossed his arms over his chest. Oh, man, Echo would not like to see him mad.

“Yeah, you look offensive,” Deacon said, and the big guy laughed at his own insult.

“What do you think we are, total assholes?” Ace said. “Oh, wait, yeah, you do. Never mind.”

“Nah, he’s just staking a claim.” Bandit chuckled. Echo blinked, and her jaw dropped at that comment.

Rip, who hadn’t said much to that point, just nodded.

Deacon tilted his head. “How’s the headache, Rip?”

“Nothing I can’t shake,” Rip said. “Are we ready?”

“We are,” Deacon said. “Echo, call your driver, we’re heading out.”

She watched the team scatter and used the hotel phone to call down to have the transport van meet them out front. By the time she’d hung up, they were back, and her bags were picked up along with all of theirs.

“Hey, I can carry that,” she said to Rip, who was toting her small suitcase.

“No, ma’am. Not going to let a lady carry her bag,” Rip said and moved out.

“Okaaaay …” She glanced at Deacon. “I can carry my weight. I’m not a liability.”

“We wouldn’t let you be.” He put his hand on her back and moved her forward. “Time to go.”

They traveled down to the van and were silent on the drive to the airport. When they arrived, Deacon’s men secured their belongings in big lockers at the front of the plane. Deacon told her to turn off the mute of her comm system so they could hear her, and then they went to a storage area near the lockers and started building bags. Deacon called her over and outfitted her with everything the men were pulling for themselves. He fitted the backpack on her shoulders and waist. A thigh holster with a nine mil was given to her. She was extremely proficient with the handgun and noticed the men were also carrying M-4s. Rip packed several smaller packages into his kit, and she knew what they were as soon as she saw the triggering devices that went in separately.

Bandit’s kit carried medical supplies and several other small pieces of equipment. Rip and Deacon’s kit carried extra food. She grabbed as many bags of MREs as would fit in her backpack and stuffed them on top of the other items. Deacon frowned, but before he could say anything, she stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I’m strong, and I’m fit. I’m not taking advantageof the fact that I have five alpha males with me by playing the poor little woman. That is insulting to all women who have trail-blazed paths through the military and other professions.” She took the uniform and boots from him and the water-repellent socks and went toward the small changing area on the other side of the plane.

“I didn’t mean to insult you.” She jumped, looking for Deacon, and then realized he was probably outside the changing room opening.

“You didn’t. You insulted all the other women. You’re good with me, Sparky.” She stripped out of her black suit and put on the black and dark green camouflaged uniform before taking her hair down and putting it into a braid with a black piece of material that would inevitably loosen and fall around her face. Then she put on her thigh holster, adjusted it to fit her, and pulled out the automatic. She dropped the magazine, cleared the chamber, and got the feel of the weapon. After putting the bullet back in the magazine, she loaded it and chambered a round. It had been a long time since she’d been in the field, but when she was there, she knew her shit. It would come back to her, and she would not be a liability. She trusted Deacon and his men to get her in and out of the communist country, and they trusted her to complete her mission. She wouldn’t let anyone down.

She walked out into the cavernous hold of the aircraft and grabbed her backpack. “Well, damn, you turned into a mercenary pretty easy,” Ace said.

She smiled at him. “Not quite a mercenary, but yeah, old habits die hard.”

“You can say that again.” Ace snorted.

“Everyone, take your seats. We’ve been cleared for takeoff,” Deacon said from somewhere toward the back of the plane.

“Whoa, I heard that like he was standing beside me.” She blinked and then looked at Ace.

“Don’t know how it works, but even if he were to scream, we’d hear it at the perfect volume. Click is in the States somewhere, and there’s no lag, no transmission issues, and the weather doesn’t affect the dependability.”

“Rock and metal do, sometimes, especially old mine shafts about a mile down,” Bandit said as he walked past.

Echo shouldered her pack and walked to the jump seats bolted to the aircraft's frame. She shoved her backpack in the webbing that would keep it secure, sat down, and strapped herself in. Deacon sat beside her. She frowned and looked at the men. “Don’t we need hearing protection?”

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