Page 26 of Harbored by the SEAL
The sound of Hawk and Logan slamming loaded magazines into rifles could be heard over the thunderous roar of the helicopter.
“Hold your fire,” said Jax. “If I need to take him out I will.”
“Maybe he just wants to show us his nice new gun,” said Hawk.
Jax snapped. “Maybe if we fire on them before we even land this bird they’ll welcome us with open arms.”
A second figure took cover near the helipad.
“Another tango at four o’clock,” said Hawk.
“I see him,” said Jax.
Matteo stopped his descent. “What do you want me to do?”
The first man was clearly visible now, his arms extended away from his body, a firearm between them. Jax begrudgingly raised his AK-47. He’d hoped their landing would go easily. Now he was being forced to attack.
Suddenly, the man fell to the ground, a dark stain spreading on his chest. “Somebody else shot him.” Jax searched fervently for the shooter. “There!” he said. In the shadows beside the helipad was a figure he hadn’t seen before. The second tango went down.
The man in the shadows stepped forward into the light and relief flooded through Jax. “It’s Cowboy,” he said. “Thank God. Let’s get this bird out of the sky.”
Red landed dead center on the helipad, soft as a leaf falling to the ground. “I told you I was good at this shit.” He pressed a series of buttons and the screaming of the rotors slowed and then stopped.
Cowboy approached the chopper as the men climbed onto the helipad.
“Evenin’,” Cowboy said, reaching out to shake Jax’s hand. “’Bout time you guys made it.”
“Where’s Abby Granger?” asked Jax.
“Downstairs.”
“Bad news,” said Logan. “The real Abby was found murdered a few hours ago. This one is an imposter.”
“What?I left her alone with your sister!”
Cowboy ran as fast as he could, the others right behind him. His mind was trying to make sense of this new information, but his animal mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: he had to get to Charlotte, now.
He knew he should have insisted she stay in her stateroom, but instead he’d let her help and put her directly in harm’s way. But she was the one who found the bomb. If it weren’t for her, they’d still be looking and would probably never find it.
I just need her to be okay.
He wanted to scream as he raced around stairwell corners, pulling himself forward with his arms on the railings. It was dark, emergency lighting the only thing shining. He pushed through the door to the sixth floor, where he’d seen Charlotte last, and there she stood, talking to Harrison, Abby nowhere in sight.
“Charlotte!” he yelled, still running toward her, needing to feel her in his arms. He wrapped her in his embrace. “Are you okay? Where’s Abby?”
“I don’t know where she went, but I’m fine. Why?” Her body went rigid and she pulled away. “Hi, Logan.”
Cowboy had never seen Logan look so furious. Come to think of it, he’d never even seen the kid angry.
“What are you doing here?” he asked his sister.
“You said I should go on a vacation…”
“That woman you were just with? Abby? She’s an imposter. The real Abby was killed so this one could come on this ship.”
“Oh, my God,” said Charlotte.
Logan gestured to Cowboy. “And he just took out two tangos who were trying to shoot our chopper out of the sky.”
