Page 99 of Storm Warning

“You’re scared of the dark? Get over it.” But the storm’s rage reverberated off the concrete recess leading up to the bunker doors, and he doubted they heard him.

He turned to assist Cole if needed. At the sight, shock waves rolled through him. Wrestling with the last of the gunmen, Cole fell over the rail, along with the man he battled. Anguish squeezed Hawk’s chest. He couldn’t lose Cole...

“No!” Hawk sprinted to the rail.God, no! Help us!

Cole clung to the rail with his one good arm. Below him, Hawk caught a glimpse of a body on the rocks before the ocean swept it away. That would be Cole’s fate if Hawk didn’t help.

Hawk grabbed Cole’s arm and reached for the other one. “Give it to me. I know it’ll hurt, but you can do this.”

The rail leaned with the weight, metal twisting and straining. Waves boiled and slammed the rocks below. Unbidden, an image flashed in his mind.

Hawk holding Remi’s life in his hands. And now he held Cole’s life in his hands.

“Just go!” Cole shouted. “You’ll die too. Let me go!”

“No way.” He wouldn’t leave Cole.

His brother’s face twisted in pain. “I’m only going to slow you down.”

“I’m not giving up on you.”

“And you never did, even when you thought I was an assassin. You need to save the girl, man. If they get to her, you’ll never see her again. She’s gone.” The moisture impeded his grip on Cole’s arm, his hand was slowly slipping from Hawk’s grasp.

Groaning, Hawk strained to pull harder. The rail bent forward, threatening to topple completely into the ocean and take them both with it.

God, please help me!Hawk’s hope that he would bring his brother to safety was slipping away along with his grip. But he wouldn’t let go or give up.

Night Stalkers never quit.The motto burned through him even though he was no longer part of that elite team.

“That rock.” Cole gestured, angling his head to the right. “That outcropping right there. Swing me over to it. If I can land on that, I can make my way out of here.”

“You can’t.”

“It’s either that or drop me. I’d prefer a controlled drop. The last guy fell to his death.”

“I mean the king tide is coming in again. You’ll never make it off the beach.”

“Then I guess you’d better hurry.”

41

Charles Whitman and his henchmen, John’s former security detail, rushed Dylan, Jo, and Remi out of her office and into the inclement weather without their coats. The wind terrified her. She couldn’t remember it ever blowing so hard.

“Should we really be out in this?” She wouldn’t stop arguing or confronting them. Using delay tactics where possible. She’d keep trying to reason with them until the end. “Should you be making these people get out in this?”

“Shut up,” one of the jerks said.

Whitman remained under the awning. Planning to come out once they were all tucked forcibly inside the vehicle? Or maybe he had his own, because Remi didn’t recognize the red sports car next to a utility van. Sure enough, the three of them were ushered to the van. One of the men pushed the side door open and gestured for Dylan to get into the back seat. The gunman waved his gun at Jo to follow. “Get in and I won’t shoot you.”

“Have you met Little Jo?” she asked.

“Who?” He scowled.

Oh no. Say hello to Jo’s little friend.

Jo whipped her wrench out of her back pocket and slammed it against the man’s temple. Remi grabbed his gun and dove behind the red sports car. She opened fire on the remaining security guard. Whitman disappeared inside the lodge.

Oh, great. That’s all they needed was for him to take a hostage. Dylan climbed out of the vehicle.

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