Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 196(@200wpm)___ 157(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 196(@200wpm)___ 157(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
“Got it.” And she went to work. Honestly, the work would help her focus on something other than what had just happened or what would happen next.
It didn’t take me, Razor, and Holly long to completely empty out the bed. While we did that, the group gathered their dead to take with us. Only one or two of them didn’t help. Both were in obvious shock.
The second the last of our weapons and ordinance was unloaded, the group started loading into the truck. They managed to get all but one of their dead in the back before we left. They’d argued for a few seconds before Razor put the vehicle in gear and sped off. Most of the group yelled and screamed at us to stop and go back, to get the last of the bodies, but Razor and I were in silent agreement that we needed to get back to our transport. Pronto.
Holly was between me and Razor. I had my left arm around her waist, my gun still firmly in my right hand as Razor pushed the vehicle as fast as he could. She trembled but said nothing. Holly gripped my thigh with one hand and the hand around her waist with the other. Seconds later there was a deafening BOOM! as the ordinance detonated behind us. Hopefully, even if those guys came back with reinforcements, the destroyed road would at least slow them down.
“We can’t leave the village like this!” A young man a few years older than Holly leaned forward from where he’d piled in the back with the others. “We have a responsibility to fix what we broke!”
“Report it after we’ve gone,” I snapped. “Or I can toss you out here and you can fix it yourself.”
“I’m not tucking my tail between my legs and running home! If you’re military, you should know I’m Christopher Alistair the third, United States Senator Alistair’s son. My Secret Service detail was killed, so you have to act as my detail. That means I’m in charge.”
“Ain’t military, kid. We’re in the private sector, and we’re here for her.” I indicated Holly. “Only reason you’re with us in the first place is because it wasn’t in her best interest to leave you behind. If that status changes, you’ll find yourself on your ass on the side of the road, no matter who your daddy is.”
Up ahead, the Osprey was powering up. Razor approached it and skidded the vehicle to a stop several feet away.
“Everyone out!” I yelled, tugging Holly out my side of the vehicle. Never letting go of her hand, I trotted with her to the transport while Razor drove ahead to pull the vehicle into the Osprey. I urged her to the front of the plane and the troop seating. When I would have helped her fasten her seatbelt, she brushed my hands away and did it herself. I knew then she’d be all right. For the first time since Wrath had told me what was going on, I felt the band around my chest ease up a little. It wouldn’t be completely gone until we landed safely in the Black Reign compound with Holly safe and sound.
ExFil had arranged for a midair refuel for us to head home. Once the refueling was complete, all there was left to do was wait. Mechanic and Razor had the bird well in hand. They’d let me know if they needed me. In fact, I expected Razor would be back with us soon. Once they got everything settled from the refueling and all the other pilot shit they did, Mechanic wouldn’t need Razor until we got closer to our destination.
I turned slightly to look at Holly. She still gripped my hand, but didn’t meet my gaze.
“Hey, baby. Look at me.” She sucked in a breath and blinked several times, like she’d been startled awake. She obeyed, looking up at me with wide, vulnerable eyes. “That’s my girl. Are you hurt? Did you get hit?”
She looked slightly confused, then stiffened. “I-I hit my head.” Her voice was high-pitched and slightly husky. “When the bus wrecked.”
“Do you know what happened?”
“Not really.” She frowned, rubbing her temple as though she had a headache. If she’d hit her head, she likely did. “The bus swerved, and we hit something. I’m not sure when those men got on the bus. But I don’t think it was too long after we wrecked.”
“You’re right. This is what the cartel does.”
“But… no one uses that road other than supply vehicles. And those only come once a month at most. The villagers know to stay off the road and it’s the wrong time of year for the cartels to be moving their products north.” She rubbed at her head. “This should have been relatively low risk.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her that no place in Columbia was “relatively low risk,” but didn’t think now was the time. Once she’d had time to process everything that had happened, and accepted my claim on her, I’d have plenty of time to address her life choices. And I was afraid this one wasn’t going to go away any time soon. She’d taken ten years off my life.