Breaking Away (Delta Force Strong #3) - Elle James Page 0,5
a long moment, his brow dipping lower with each passing second. Then the frown lifted, and he nodded to the others. “He’s on his way, and he’s coming in hot.”
The helicopter’s blades thumped the air, as the pilot waited for the last man to load.
“Come on, Dawg,” Kylie murmured for the Delta Force soldier she had yet to meet and thank for their daring rescue.
“Come on, Dawg,” Mac echoed, his gaze on the village, his jaw tight. “Can’t blow our record of no man left behind.”
Kylie’s breath caught and held in her throat. She watched the shadows at the edge of town, praying for Mac’s teammate.
Blade and Bull knelt twenty yards from the helicopter, their weapons trained on the village, waiting for Dawg to emerge from the shadows.
“Come on, Dawg,” Mac muttered.
“I don’t like it,” Rucker said over the roar of the chopper rotors.
“Hold steady,” Mac said. “He’ll get himself out.”
Bull rose from his position and started for the cluster of mud and stick homes.
At that moment, a silhouette appeared against the backdrop of the buildings and ran toward them, shifting right then left, hunkering low as he raced across the field.
“It’s Dawg,” Mac called out.
Dawg rushed for the helicopter.
Gunfire sounded from the village.
Blade and Bull returned fire from their positions.
When Dawg arrived at the helicopter, he leaped into the fuselage.
Bull and Blade backed toward the chopper, continuing to provide fire support until they, too, jumped inside. At that point, the gunner turned his machine gun on the village and let loose a stream of bullets.
The helicopter lifted up and away from the village, the rotors pounding the air, carrying them away. Hanging half out of the side of the chopper, the gunner continued to pour bullets down on Taliban gunmen.
Once they were out of range of the bullets, Kylie let go of the breath she’d been holding. “In case I didn’t tell you,” she shouted over the roar of the aircraft, “thanks for saving me.”
He found her hand and squeezed it gently. “I’m glad I was there to do it.”
The flight back took less than an hour. Bull worked on the Ranger to stabilize his wounds. Once they were on the ground at the base, medics appeared, transferred Sergeant Garcia onto a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance.
“I don’t suppose anyone can give Josh and me a ride back to my quarters in town?” Kylie asked.
Both Mac and Rucker shook their heads.
“We need you to come to our debrief, at least for the first few minutes,” Mac said. “You’ll have to let our CO know what you saw, heard and did. He’ll need a clear understanding of the deaths of Ahktar’s brother and the other men. Then we’ll have to decide what to do with you.”
Kylie’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, what you’re going to do with me? You’re not responsible for me. I’m not a member of the military.”
Mac’s jaw tightened. “When an American citizen uses a U.S. military weapon to kill an Afghan citizen, that makes you my responsibility. If not my responsibility, then that of the American government. For now, you need to come with us.” Mac caught her elbow and guided her away from the helicopter and toward the military buildings on the base. Rucker escorted Faaid and, along with Josh, followed with the rest of the team.
Kylie dragged behind. “I really need to get onto the video, edit it , add the story and get it to my boss.”
“You’re not going outside the wire until we say you’re going outside the wire,” Mac said. “And then, only when you have sufficient protection, so you don’t get shot the second you step foot outside it.” Mac’s face softened. “Look, I know you’re an independent woman, but right now, you’re going to have a huge target on your back. Please, go along with us and let us provide protection until we can hand you off to someone else.”
Kylie’s eyes narrowed. She chewed on her bottom lip. “You really think it’s going to be that bad?”
“You’re the investigative reporter. You’ve been in this war situation long enough…what do you think?” Mac asked.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Sadly, I think you’re right. But that’s really going to mess with my job here.”
Mac gave her a twisted grin. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have killed Mullah Ahktar’s brother.”
“It was them or me,” Kylie said. “I chose him.”
“I have no doubt you made the right decision,” Mac said. “All I know is the Taliban will be embarrassed