Page 25 of Defended By the SEAL
“No. We’re stranded.”
“Lots of blankets. Electric if you have them.”
“Power’s out.”
Logan cursed dramatically, and Cowboy noted that the men of HERO Force had taught him well. He’d still been green around the gills when he first joined the team. “Try to warm up her core,” said Logan. “Have someone get under the blankets with her if you can. Use hot water bottles on her chest and neck, heat packs, anything will help. Is she conscious?”
“No.”
Logan cursed again, putting his first effort to shame. “How long has she been out?”
Cowboy gave him his best guess, aware that time had ceased normal operations the moment he came around the bend and saw the den ceiling open to the sky and a tree lying across Logan’s grandmother.
“If she wakes up, give her warm, sweet fluids. That’s all you can do without a hospital.”
“Thanks, man.”
“I gotta go.”
“Take care. And good luck.” He hung up the phone, jogged into the living room to share Logan’s advice with Charlotte and Tom. He considered telling them Gemma had gone into labor, but decided against it until Grams was out of the woods.
Assuming she ever made it out of them.
He jogged back to the study and dialed Moto, who answered on the first ring, saying, “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“Cell service is dead,” said Cowboy. “This is the landline, for as long as it lasts.”
“Jax got more intel. Vanderhoffen was charged with sedition, that was right, but he claimed he’d left the group months earlier over idealogical differences with the head honcho. According to Vanderhoffen, this other guy wanted to bomb the shit out of a few key targets to get their message out to the world. It divided the group right down the middle. They got a crap ton of corroborating evidence from more than a dozen PFP members that Vanderhoffen went with the side that wanted to stick to peaceful protests and demonstrations.”
“Then why the fuck was he charged?”
“The source says he was close enough to justify the charges. They didn’t get the information exonerating him until after Vanderhoffen gave up the name of the guy who blew shit up.”
“So who’s the big bad bomber they ended up going after?”
“Guy by the name of Sarkisyan. Pleaded guilty inexchange for the feds taking the death penalty off the table. Got life in prison and served eleven years before he escaped two years ago.”
Cowboy was instantly concerned about Tom’s safety. “Did they catch him?”
“Nope. He’s been on the FBI’s most wanted list ever since.”
Cowboy had a bad feeling in his gut that the storm outside was doing nothing to calm. “I need backup out here, Moto. Are Austin and Champion back yet?”
“Got in about an hour ago.”
“What about Deke and Booger?”
“Should be in shortly.”
“Good. Route the four of them to my location. Fair warning, it’s going to be hard for them to get to the island. Bridges are out. Power, too. Look into a chopper, maybe a water approach, though I’m sure there will be rough seas.”
“Depends how far north the storm has moved by then. I’m on it.”
“Check the weather and see how much more of this shit we’re in for.”
“Pulling up the radar.” After a moment, Moto whistled. “That’s one hell of a storm. Stretches all the way from Nova Scotia to Jersey. You’re close to the middle. Going to take a while for the worst of it to get past you.”
Cowboy hung his head. “And longer than that for the water to recede and the bridges to be opened, assuming they’re not washed away or damaged in this mess.”
