Page 27 of Turn the Tide
“What do you—”
“Helicopter. It’s how we used to get to work. A helicopter would deliver us, we’d pull our two-week shift, then head home for two.”
“SEALs pull two-week shifts?”
His smile was quick, a flash of bluish-white in the night. “Told you I was a roughneck, once upon a time.”
“You’ve had quite a life, Eric Cooper.”
“Spent a lot of time in helicopters.”
“I’ve never ridden in one. Just the idea scares the crap out of me.” A quick upward glance showed nothing but starry sky. No darkly swooping beasts to destroy the peace. If she had her way, she’d never set foot in a helicopter. They were too high and way too unstable. “Would they come for us at night?”
He shook his head. “Doubt it. And if they do, we’ll hear it.”
Relief washed through her, though she knew better than to get too complacent. If a helicopter showed up here at first light, they’d be pretty screwed. It made her that much happier that they had this cave. “You used to come here with your brother?”
“Yeah. Ford and I spent quite a few nights in this spot.”
“And he works for Chronos? Isn’t that a weird coincidence?”
“No. He’s based out of an American research station, but from what he’s told me, they’re a funder.” He paused. “And, yeah, it’s either one hell of a coincidence, or…”
“Or what?”
“They’re a massive company. Biggest in the world, I think. Maybe they’re just…everywhere.”
“What could they be looking for?” Zoe mused with a shiver of fear. “These wells are tapped out. So not petroleum, right? Chemicals or something? Alternate sources of energy?”
“No idea, but their goon seemed to think they’d found something.”
“Here?” She sat up straighter.
“Didn’t say.”
They spent a few minutes in their half hug, entwined, but not quite admitting to it. One of his hands made a slow, lazy trip up and down her arm. She hoped he’d never stop.
“Tell me about the others.” She immediately regretted speaking when his hand stilled.
“Hmm?” He sounded sleepy.
“Oh. Did I wake you up?”
“Nope.”
She shouldn’t have bothered to ask. This man, she’d learned today, showed the kind of hypervigilance that wouldn’t let him sleep tonight.
A yawn cracked her jaw. She, of course, could pass out any second. Especially surrounded by the comfort of this warm, solid body, lulled by the steady rhythm of Eric’s breathing, and his addictive man smell.
No, she’d stay awake with him. She forced herself to blink the exhaustion away. “Who are the other guys? In your gang.”
“Not just guys. There’s a woman, too.”
“Your sister?” she asked, hopefully.
“Friend. Leontyne. She’s a pilot. Was navy. Then she worked with the oil companies, too, back when I roughnecked.”
“That’s pretty badass.”
