Page 60 of True Valor
Since nothing could be done for him, Cruzrejoined Gabe and coached him out onto the teetering wreckage.Now,there was definitely a change in Cruz and Gabe’s voices.Serious,but not yet actually tense.
Nic paced, grumbling admonitions to histeammates.The only evidence that Lily was at all affected was hernervously tapping her pencil on the table.Her voice never changed,always sounding completely serene.
Julie held her breath.
Each ragged breath that Gabe took wastransmitted.Each muffled curse.
“Elpenor?”Cruz asked.
“Hang on, Hollywood, I can’t quite reach himyet.”
“Slowly.”
“No kidding.”Now, the fear was palpable inGabe’s voice.
“Okay.”Gabe audibly struggled to reach thepilot.“Damn, no pulse...CRAP.”
The last was a shout and Cruz cursedloudly.
Chapter Twenty Two
“Plane’s going, Gabe!”
Nic stopped pacing.
Lily froze.
“Jump free.I gotcha.”
A huge grunt preceded a yelp.“Ow, crap,”followed by the sound of scraping metal.
“Lookout below!”Cruz yelled.Then silence.Silence that stretched out unbearably.
Finally, Cruz’s voice again.“Plane’s gone,Gabe’s okay...”
“I think I broke my freakin’ knee.”
“Correction, Gabe’s a wuss.”
A click on the radio.Julie looked toNic.
“He turned off his mic.”
No one was privy to Gabe’s answer toCruz.
“Team Two, status?”
“We’re okay, Base.Plane missed us.It is nowresting in the trees, making for interesting evac of the pilot.Iassume he’s still in there.”
Lily took a deep breath, let it outslowly.
“Team Two okay.Team One, status?”
“We’ll be heading back the way we came.Lily,touch base with the FCC and update them.Break.Team Two, let’swait on that evac until the suits give us the okay.You guys headback, too.Nothing is going anywhere tonight.”
“Okay, will do.Base, you copy, we’ll beheaded back to the vehicles?”
“Base copies.”
