Page 41 of Digit's Deflection
Merlin and Wolf move to cut Commander Jones free of his constraints, their Ka-Bar’s making short work of the ropes.
“Are you able to stand, Sir?” Wolf asks.
“Negative, sailor. Circulation’s pretty sluggish.”
The two men get to work chaffing circulation and feeling back into the man’s arms and legs. When finally he’s ready, they assist him to stand. You’d have to be blind not to see that the act of getting upright causes Commander Jones an enormous amount of pain. But he doesn’t make so much as a murmur.
Without warning, Henchman One – who’d been standing quietly to one side – decides to attempt to dive tackle the commander. I’m assuming Armatrout decided to use it as a distraction as he erupts into action, ramming a vicious elbow into my gut, just below my vest.
Not expecting it, my grip slips for a moment, and my gun clatters to the floor, skittering toward the door. The fucker uses it to his advantage, slithering out of my grasp like the venomous snake that he is. A scuffle ensues as we go to apprehend the two men again, while Merlin and Wolf continue to support the commander between them.
A shout of warning goes up as Armatrout throws himself to the floor, reaching for the weapon Maverick had kicked out of the way. And just like they talk about in the movies, it’s like the world slows down to snail’s pace.
I see Armatrout bring the weapon to bear and, following the aim, I realize he intends to shoot the commander. My brain is slow to process what happens next, but my heart is quick on the uptake, beating a tattoo against my chest as if attempting to escape.
I hear him fire from behind me and watch as Maverick throws himself in the bullet’s path, using his body to shield Commander Jones. I see his body jerk, and he drops to the floor like a stone.
While Merlin and Wolf continue to support the commander, everyone else focuses on Armatrout and his two men.Myfocus is solely on Maverick. My brother-in-law is lying too still for my liking.
I reach him at the same time Wolf and Merlin lower their charge back onto the chair. I drop to my knees beside Maverick and immediately notice the ever-growing pool of blood under his neck.
He’s clasping his neck and bright red blood spurts out rhythmically between his fingers, despite his best efforts. Fuck. It looks like Armatrout’s hit an artery. I’m guessing Merlin’s spotted it too since I can hear him shouting for a medic over the comms.
“Hang in there, Mav. Helps on the way, brother.”
Maverick turns glassy eyes to mine. “Not gonna make – it. Need you – to …” A cough wracks his frame, and I can see blood in the spittle that lands on his chin. “Tell Sh – Sheri I lo – love her infinitely — ‘n I’m so – sorry I di – didn’t make it – home.”
“No, damn it, Mav. Hang in there, brother. I need you to hang on a little longer. For Sheri and the boys. For me. Please …”My words stumble to a stop as his eyes roll back in his head, and the life drains from his body on a quiet exhale.
My brain refuses to comprehend what I’ve just witnessed. I stare stupidly at the man who’s been a part of my family for the better part of twenty years. The man who is my sister’s entire world. A son, a husband, a father, a brother. A man who is loved and cherished.
So caught up in the all-consuming pain of losing this incredible man and trying to figure out how the hell I’m going to break this news to my sister, I’m unaware of the world around me. Deaf and blind to all but the need to throw my head back and howl out this gut-wrenching ache that grips me.
I barely feel the hand Knight lays on my shoulder, or notice him kneel beside me, until he speaks. “Digit, you need to let Ace and Bear take care of Maverick now. You need to let his hand go, my friend.”
“It’s too late. He’s gone.” I barely recognize the emotionless voice as my own.
“I know, buddy. But we need to take care of him so that we can take him home.”
“Yeah.” It’s all I can think of to say.
Gaining my feet, with Knight’s help, I turn to seek Armatrout out, every intention of ending the fucker where he stands and to hell with the consequences. I’m willing to spend the rest of my life in a prison cell, but today I will end him.
Only to find him lying on his back, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling, a gaping hole in the middle of his forehead. My gaze fixed on his lifeless body; I cannot find it in my heart to give one single fuck that he’s dead. My only regret is, I didn’t get to pull the trigger that ended him.
Ever so quietly, I hear Knight whisper in my ear. “I know we agreed he wouldn’t leave this mountain alive today. It justbreaks my heart it was at Maverick’s expense. I’m sorry, Digit. More than I can say.”
I nod. It’s all I have. Then again, whatisthere to say, really?
“Compound’s secured, Knight. What are our orders?” Dutch asks.
“We’ll organize for the choppers to come get us so we can get the hell off this godforsaken mountaintop and home to our families.”
“Everything okay there, Boss Man? You sound a bit off,” Dutch says.
“I’ll bring you up to speed later.”
“Understood.”
