Page 74 of Destiny Reclaimed
She turned her head slowly and lowered the weapon. “He was going to kill you. I only wanted to stop the threat...injure him,” she said gravely.
Her ivory skin turned white as a ghost. Concern emitted from her gaze. She, too, probably wondered what her actions would do to the recent historical events and the future.
She gasped. Her hand flew over her heart as her head snapped back in the direction of where Arthur was. “He’s alive. Thank God. I can feel it.” She sprang to her feet. “We need to get to him.”
Jack knew his Protector was correct. But wow. A moment ago, he’d considered killing this man, but couldn’t, now he knew he needed to do everything in his power to save the guy who’d stolen his past and his destiny. He needed to do the right thing for many reasons.
His Protector’s tiny legs carried her swiftly over the dry ground still being kicked up by helicopters. He followed her as, effortlessly as a deer, she traveled over the partially flattened elephant grass that when standing up would be taller than her. Then he trailed her through the tree line and into the mangled, jungle-like conditions.
Less than ten feet in, she halted at Arthur’s slumped body. The small of his back was pressed against a small tree. His weapon lay at his side. Gabriela scooped it up and out of his reach.
The vile man breathed in shallow and labored breaths. Jack pushed Arthur’s torso back and steadied him against the tree. Blood seeped through his cousin’s shirt, slightly below his left collarbone, near the crutch of his arm which lay limp.
Crouching down, next to his cousin, Jack hooked the man’s good arm over his shoulder, then attempted to lift the muscular guy off the ground, but his cousin was of no help. It was as if his feet simply wouldn’t work, and he had no strength in his legs. Realigning his grip, he pulled Arthur tighter to him and straightened his knees. If not for his Protector’s help the task would have been near impossible.
Arthur cried out in pain when Gabriela slung his other arm over her shoulder, but there was no other way to get him out of the jungle and to an evacuation chopper. Once into the field, he and his Protector broke into a jog. Arthur’s feet dragged behind them. Either the loss of blood or the severe pain had caused him to pass out.
They pushed him into the hands of a soldier on the second Huey just as it rose off the ground.
Jack spun in a circle, looking for Gary. On his second pass, he located him off in the distance. His brother-in-law saluted and gave a nod. So, he knew. Jack had wondered if when they traveled Gary would know more than he should, like a real time traveler. He did, and now he bravely ran off knowing he’d die another day—soon. A lesser man would have probably tried to change something in the moment to save his own life, but not Gary Tebon.
Jack’s heart panged. This war had taken both Tebon sons, his brothers-in-law. His wife’s dear brothers.His wife.He couldn’t wait to get home to her and their son.
He turned back to face his Protector. Her still grim expression let him know they’d been close to changing the very history they set out to preserve. The end result was what they needed. Both Gary and Arthur left this scene alive. Mission accomplished. Well, that is, if he and Gabriela made it out of there. That thought still weighed in his mind as a fiery gust of air circled around him and Gabriela, lifting them off the ground spinning them into oblivion. His heart raced and his skin burned. He lost control of his extremities, the contents of his stomach lurched into his throat, and his vision went black.
Chapter Twenty
Jack landed hard onhis side. His ribs ached, and his body burned yet his cheek was cool. Edging his eyelids open, he caught a glimpse of Blake staring down at him. Tears of fear emitted the little boy’s gaze.
“Daddy go bump.”
“Huh?” Jack questioned as he tried to shake the cobwebs from his brain.
Daddy.Jack’s heart hammered. The beautiful boy called himDaddy.
He sprang up, pulling his son into his arms.
