Page 141 of Rescuing Rebecca
She registered Jay’s words. Nodded even. But her feet refused to move as her gaze once again slid toward the pebbled concrete. Toward Nik. Her friend. She couldn’t leave him here. Alone. His corpse left to rot in the sweltering heat of a concrete coffin.
Jay’s arms engulfed her. Hugged her tight. Held her together. He pressed his lips to her ear. His warm breath tickled her lobe. “Mutt will take care of him,” he whispered so only she could hear.
She’d met him. Briefly. Mutt. Tak’s uncle. The one designated to clean up their mess.
Make everything disappear.
Including Nik.
Oh God. She wanted to vomit.
The radio hissed with static before Adam’s voice came through, clipped and firm. “Team two, copy last? Enemy closing. I need you moving. Now.”
“Roger that,” Jamie replied. “Initiating exfil. We’re right behind you.”
“Negative,” Adam countered. “Maintaining visual contact on your position until you’re secure. Expedite retreat.”
“Be advised,” Cody added. “Enemy craft making landfall in two mikes.”
Two minutes! Shit. Becca was screwing things up, putting the JTT at risk. She couldn’t let anyone else die, not because of her. “I’m good,” she said, corralling her emotions, stiffening her spine, and stepping away from Jay. They had to leave. Follow protocol. Get off the island before the next wave of soldiers arrived.
“HVT on the move,” Jamie advised the team through the comms link, guiding Maya around the crates with a solid grip on her arm.
Becca and Jay fell in behind, and when they hustled out the rear door, a solid wall of humidity slapped her in the face. He’s gone. Nik’s gone. Oh God! Don’t look back.
“I’ve got eyes on you,” Adam said. “Area is clear. Proceed to extraction point.”
Green light given, they crossed to the treeline amidst a swarm of bugs, and a short distance down a trodden dirt path, they came to a moss-covered shack sagging under the weight of its own decay.
Inside, rotting floorboards creaked and groaned as they made their way single file to the narrow staircase in the rear corner. “Down,” Jamie ordered, forcing Maya to take the first step into the man-made tunnel leading to the underground escape route.
On autopilot, Becca kept her eyes on Jamie’s back as she followed him step after step. Not thinking. Not listening to Maya’s protests. Just breathing in the dank earth and scrunching her nose at the metallic scent of wet stone as she descended into the pitch black.
They reached the bottom, and despite having Jay at her back, she shivered. History lay buried down here. Dead and gone. Lost to the passage of time and forgotten by everyone. A way for the original inhabitants to flee in the event of an attack, the tunnel connected to a natural cave system that allowed for a stealthy retreat by boat.
Perfect for their needs.
The yellow beam of Jamie’s flashlight showed her the way.
“Team Two is in the clear,” Jay said after a few steps. “Seal the entrance.”
“Roger that,” Zander replied, and moments later, the ground beneath Becca’s feet shook as the shack above collapsed.
“Exit secured,” Adam said. “Breaking overwatch and enroute to rally.”
“Landfall imminent,” Cody replied. “You’re gonna need to haul ass.”
Becca’s heart rate accelerated at the warning. Oh God! Adam wasn’t going to make it.
“I’ve got your six,” Mutt rasped, his low voice slow, measured, and certain, like someone who’d seen more than most and managed to survive despite the challenges he’d faced.
“Copy that,” Adam replied. “Lethal force authorized if you’re able to maintain cover and concealment, just keep your head down and your hands steady. Ghost One, out.”
As they made their way along the underground passage, Jay’s brain sped ahead, taking advantage of the momentary quiet to dissect problems and consider possible solutions. Even Maya had fallen silent, focusing her attention on her footing as she picked her way over the wet and uneven rocks with Jamie’s assistance.
Hands bound behind her back, she posed no physical threat.
But if Becca was right and her twin had been chipped…
