Page 95 of Over the Top

“Are we going to be okay?” Chas asked, low.

“I’ll die defending the two of you, whether you like it or not,” he answered grimly.

Chas opened his mouth to say something, but Spencer’s voice cut across whatever he’d been about to say: “Run.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAS CONSIDEREDhimself to be in damned good shape, but he’d never run so hard in his life. Gunner bolted out the door, took the lanai steps three at a time, and was off across the lawn like a high-speed train. Chas sprinted after him, watching the baby bag bounce against his back, his lungs gulping in great gasps of air, his thigh muscles burning like fire.

His shoulder blades itched with anticipation of a bullet slamming into his back, dropping him on his face and ending it all.

They reached the trees on the far side of several acres of lawn dotted with fruit trees, and Gunner finally slowed. He moved swiftly to the right for a few yards and then plunged into the jungle, disappearing from sight.

Chas lurched forward, frantic not to lose Gunner. He suspected the guy would keep on going and not look back to realize he’d left Chas in the dust. As he reached the spot where Gunner had disappeared, he was startled to spot a narrow strip of bare dirt. A trail?

He lunged forward frantically. He’d gone perhaps a dozen yards when a hand reached out of the undergrowth from the side of the trail and grabbed his upper arm.

A yelp escaped him before he bit back any more sound. “Don’t scare me like that,” he whispered angrily as Gunner yanked him off the path.

“Hush,” Gunner murmured.

“Now what?”

“Now we wait and watch.”

In the next few minutes, Chas heard a series of clicks over the radio. He assumed that was Spencer and Drago communicating with each other in some secret SEAL code.

Then, without warning, Spencer said in a bare whisper, “Gun, call Tanaka. Tell him to bring everyone.”

Gunner swore under his breath as he pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number.

Chas listened as Gunner said low, “We’re under attack from a large force. Bring everyone you’ve got. The package is on the north ridge.”

The person at the other end said something extremely brief, and then Gunner disconnected.

“What did he say?” Chas whispered.

“On their way.”

“What’s the package?”

Gunner glanced over at him wryly. “You and Poppy.”

“Oh.” He thought for a second, then asked, “How long until Tanaka’s people can get here?”

Gunner shrugged. “Hopefully soon enough. Watch the south ridge. It should start to light up with muzzle flashes any time now.”

“How many bad guys are there?”

“A lot. Spencer and Dray have counted at least a dozen. Perhaps as many as a dozen more could be out there.”

“But Spencer and Drago are out there alone!”

“They’ll be okay.”

Chas frowned. “You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“SEALs always believe they’ll win. We die believing we’re going to win the fight.”

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