Page 46 of Booker's Mission

But Wyatt was already moving, clearing away the bits still clinging to the frame, then looking out. “It’s about ten feet. Not horrible, but…” He gave Booker the once-over. “Callie can go first. I’ll sling you over my shoulder—”

“You’re not slinging me over your shoulder. I can jump.” He cursed when the door handle rattled. “We’re out of time. Move.”

Callie climbed onto the ledge, looking back at him. “I swear, if you fucking die on me…” Then she was disappearing into the night, the dull thud the only proof she’d made it.

Wyatt helped him up next, shaking his head when more blood pooled on the frame. “I second what she said. Don’t fucking die.”

Booker snorted, then jumped, screwing up the landing when his legs buckled the moment he hit. He slid sideways, but Callie grabbed his jacket — managed to get him stopped and on his feet by the time Wyatt joined them.

His buddy didn’t talk, just wrapped his arm around Booker’s waist then started moving. Half-dragging Bookers’ ass over to one of the skylights while Callie guarded their six. It only took a couple of hits to the break the glass. Then Wyatt was sweeping off the pieces and peering into the hanger.

Five seconds flat, and he was looking up. Pointing inside. “There’s a moveable platform ladder off to the right. If we do this correctly, we should be able to land on it. But it’s gonna hurt your side, buddy.”

“Hurt I can live with.” Booker cursed when shots sounded behind them. “And that’s the door about to give way. Now would be a good time to jump.”

Wyatt nodded, grabbed Booker then lowered him over the edge, releasing his wrists after swinging him sideways — dropping his ass onto the platform. He hit hard, but it beat falling the extra eight feet to the floor. What might have been the end of him moving under his own steam.

Callie landed like a freaking gazelle next to him, Wyatt bringing up the rear. Boots barely making a sound as he hit the metal, then swept the area, pausing at all the deeper shadows. Looking every inch the SEAL he’d always been.

Wyatt nodded at the doors. “Only a matter of time before they’re on us. And those doors aren’t gonna hold them off long. Any ideas?”

Booker chuckled, stumbling his way down the metal steps. “Just one. But… you’re not going to like it.”

“Why wouldn’t I… No.”

Booker tripped off the bottom stair, nearly continuing to the floor before Callie caught him — shouldered most of his weight. “If you’ve got a better plan…”

“You’re barely conscious.”

“Not dead, yet. And we don’t have to go far. Big Sky’s only twenty minutes away. That should put enough distance between us and Higgins, and they can fix my side.”

“That’s assuming you don’t bleed out on the way. And that’s a pretty big if, buddy.”

“I can make it.” Booker held up his good hand. “Get the tie downs while I run through the checks. I’ll need you to hit the automated doors once we’re up and running, then get your ass in the seat because we both know those mercenaries are going to swarm the hanger the moment they’ve got an inch of room. Hell, Higgins might show up, too.”

“Higgins I can handle. In fact, I’m in the zone. Might be better to chance it with the mercenaries…”

Booker gave Wyatt a shove, relying on Callie more than he wanted just to make his way to the helicopter and climb inside. It took two tries to actually get his legs to work — lift them enough to get over the frame — but he managed it. Thought he was going to puke, but he held it together. Got strapped in by the time Wyatt had cleared the area.

Not that Booker liked to fly without doing a thorough walk around, going through all the proper checks, but…

Having the hanger doors shake as shouts rose from the other side removed any doubts. Had Booker completely focused. He pushed in a number of circuit breakers, hoping the dials didn’t immediately peg into the red, as he rolled on the throttle — got everything humming.

A series of thuds impacted the door from the other side. What was obviously Higgins’ men trying to shoot their way in. A feat they might achieve if Booker didn’t get them moving. Wyatt waited until Booker nodded, then hit the button, running back to the helicopter as Booker revved up the turbine. Cold to ready in record time, all the while praying the machine could handle the strain. Didn’t overheat or start chucking out parts.

As expected, the assholes tried to breach the hanger the moment there were more than a few inches of space between the doors. Enough to get the muzzle in — start firing. Wyatt and Callie countered as best they could, keeping the main forces back until the space was too large and the men poured inside.

That was Booker’s key to do his thing. While he didn’t want to risk using the helicopter as a weapon, like back in the clearing, he wasn’t above scaring the shit out of the men. And if a few got hurt…

Two seconds in, and he had the chopper in a low hover, the downwash already knocking the creeps back. Another couple, and he got her spinning. Keeping everything within the confines of the walls — avoiding the other machine parked on the far side along with all the tools — while sending the men racing for cover. A few bullets ricocheted off the fuselage — one punching through the door by his feet — but the maneuver bought him the time they needed for the doors to open enough he could move out.

There was a moment of pause — of Wyatt and Callie yelling at him that they wouldn’t fit — before he’d squeaked through. Was racing along the tarmac. Rain covering the bubble. A few forks of lightning flashing in the distance.

Higgins was off to the right, jumping into a black SUV. Booker didn’t know if the bastard was making a run for it or calling in more forces. If he had a chopper on standby or a few more mercenaries with RPGs in the wings in case Callie got away.

Not that it mattered because Booker wasn’t giving anyone a chance to target them, let alone shoot them down.

Wind howled through the cockpit as he lowered the machine, barely skimming over the ground. Trees and brush passed in a blur, only those occasional bursts of lightning illuminating the landscape.

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