Page 35 of Delta Mission
“Me too. We had no idea how we were going to get out of that mess.”
“Buckle up. Wasp flies like a maniac.’’ Blade indicated to the pilot, then pointed at a belt over my shoulder.
I clipped the belt into place as Blade leaned out the door and looked down. He pressed a button, and the winch reversed the cable direction.
Ghost was back with Channing much quicker than I anticipated. “Found our other runaway.” Ghost grinned as she spun Channing around to face the opening.
Channing climbed into the chopper and sat beside me. He wasn’t even strapped in when the chopper tilted away.
As we left the ravine, I glanced at the bloody bodies on the opposite ridge. They were all men.
I swept my gaze to Ghost. “Thank you for saving us.”
She smiled, taking her incredible looks to stunning. “You’re welcome. Blade and Cobra helped a little bit.” She winked at Cobra.
“Hey, what about me?” Wasp called from the pilot seat.
Ghost rolled her eyes and winked at me. “Yeah, he helped a bit, too.”
“Did my team make it back to base?” Channing asked Blade.
Blade nodded. “Everyone but you.”
“Thank Christ.” Channing heaved a sigh.
I wished I could say the same about my team. Once again, I was the sole survivor of a DEA operation that was a disaster. And the woman who had killed Lyle got away with his murder.
The thumping beat of the chopper and its gentle rocking was therapeutic, and sitting next to the man who had recaptured my heart, I was so grateful to be alive.
Today was the second time I’d honestly thought I was going to die. Both times, a miracle had saved me. But would it stop me from heading into enemy territory to find illicit drugs again? No.
My sister’s addiction to heroin had nearly killed her more times than I could count. Each time she came back from the dead, Yvonne swore she would never do it again. But she always did. Nothing could save her from that poison. Not my parents, or me, or stints in jail, or even Yvonne’s young children.
I never wanted anyone to go through what my sister had. And my family.
So even though I had nearly died, finding those drugs was worth it.
Blade sat beside Ghost, resting his rifle across his lap. “Let’s get you guys back to base. You must be—”
“Base?” I blurted. “What about the drug lab?”
Blade glared at me. “Our orders were to find you and return you to base. Preferably alive.”
Oh, God. Guilt washed through me. He was right. “Thank you. But please . . . we have to get Lyle and Trent.”
Blade cocked his head.
“My DEA partners. Their bodies are in that village. We can’t leave them.”
Ghost elbowed Blade. “We can’t leave men behind, Blade. So, I’m with Makenna.”
Blade slapped his rifle, and his chest heaved with a breath. He turned toward the pilot. “Wasp, take us to the village.”
“Roger that.”
The helicopter tilted to the right, changing direction.
Blade glared at me. “I’m not making any promises. We’ll check it out first.”
