Page 26 of Rescuing Rebecca
The man had a depth few had ever reached. Far more intelligent than his bodybuilder looks alluded to, Cody had a way of questioning the status quo and leading from the rear.
His skill sets allowed the team to look at each situation rationally and with the objectivity required to make the tough decisions for the right reasons. He was the guy you counted on to stay the course no matter the outcome.
So, if anything went wrong on the mission to rescue Rebecca, he knew he could rely on Cody to make sure she made it out alive. Nothing else mattered. She was the key to stopping Dominion. But more than that. She was the key to Jay’s heart. The essence of his soul. He didn’t want to live in a world where she didn’t exist.
Hell, to be honest, he hadn’t been living. He’d been making do. Biding his time. Waiting.
For her.
“You okay?” Cody asked by way of cocking his brows, pointing at Jay’s chest, and making the okay sign with his fingers. His way of checking in without alerting everyone on board to a potential problem.
Despite the anxiety bubbling in his chest, Jay grinned and gave two thumbs up. Was he okay? Fuck yeah. He wasn’t a seasoned, military-trained operative with years of real-world combat experience. He wasn’t even a CIA field agent accustomed to high-stakes missions on foreign soil.
He was a computer geek with a killer left hook and a gun strapped to his hip.
Until he’d joined the JTT, he hadn’t made a habit of engaging with the enemy face-to-face. His brain was his asset. His fingers on the keyboard his weapon. Did it matter? Not in the least. He’d do anything to get Becca away from Alexsandr Volkov. Anything to keep her alive. Anything to get her home safe.
If that meant risking his life and the lives of his teammates, so be it. Regardless of his apprehensions, it’s what he signed on for when he joined the Joint Task Team. It’s what they’d all signed on for. Yeah—Jamie had said it best—stepping up to fight an enemy who’d strip away their freedoms was a choice they made for the people they loved.
Jay hadn’t forced anyone to come. Hadn’t been deceitful about Becca’s role in the creation of Dominion. They needed her. Not as much as he did, but they needed her. Hell, the entire fucking world needed her.
Alive. Safe. And with the JTT.
After everything she’d been through. The losses she’d suffered at the hands of her sister. She deserved peace. Happiness. To be surrounded by people she could trust…in time. Yeah, God damn right, he’d do anything to get her back. To give her the life she should have had.
As if to test his conviction, the Black Hawk hit a pocket of turbulence, and the helicopter suffered a rapid drop in altitude. The momentary loss of gravity lifted his ass off the seat while his internal organs collected in the vicinity of his throat.
Held in place by the harness buckled across his chest, his adrenaline spiked, and he laughed out loud at Zander’s startled expression. World’s biggest roller coaster drop right there, which reminded him…
“Hey, Doc.” He elbowed Jamie in the ribs to get his attention. Slouched in his seat, arms crossed over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, the asshole didn’t even bother to crack the seal on one eyelid. Never mind two.
“What?” Crisp and clear through the noise-canceling headphones designed to block out engine noise, Jamie’s reply was alert despite his relaxed demeanor.
“You got anything in your medical bag that can knock a person out for an extended period?”
Curiosity piqued, he opened his eyes, swiveled his head in Jay’s direction, and gave him his full attention. “Yeah, why?”
“Rebecca.”
“What about her?”
“She’s terrified of heights.”
“How terrified?”
“Let’s just say she gets altitude sickness from climbing the first rung of a step ladder.”
From the co-pilot seat, Grant snorted. “Jesus Christ, Mann. You didn’t think to mention your girl had an issue with flying before we planned to shove her ass first into a tin can held aloft by magic dust and fairy wings?”
Jay grinned. “Slipped my mind.”
Chase huffed. “You know it’s bad form to insult your ride, fucknut. If we crash now, it’s on you.”
“Who’s insulting?” Grant replied. “Fairies are badass motherfuckers. Just ask Cody.”
Cody flipped the bird and aimed it toward the front of the helicopter, the action invisible to the assholes in the cockpit. “You’re an idiot, Kincaid.”
“Yeah, but you love me anyway, Babbitt.”
