leader, who then jumped into the waiting helicopter behind his men.
Logan climbed aboard their chopper first, followed by Troy and Jackson. Grayson and Ethan exchanged a glance. Adrenaline pumped through Ethan’s veins, and he knew his friend and teammate felt the same importance of this mission. Every person they’d rescued mattered, but this was personal.
“I trust you’ll keep yourself in check?” Blake asked, eyeing Grayson. They knew Grayson was livid that Hailey had been hurt in the explosion, most likely caused by the very men who’d taken Kimberly.
“I’m good,” Grayson barked out. “Let’s get those motherfuckers and bring Kimberly home.”
“Hoorah,” Ethan said, nodding at the two men before climbing aboard.
Troy was double-checking the medical equipment as Ethan grabbed a seat. The men would rescue Kimberly, hike back down the mountain, and call for extraction. Hopefully she wouldn’t need urgent medical attention, but they had supplies just in case. She’d be examined at the hospital at Bagram Airfield and then possibly airlifted to Landstuhl. If she was stable enough, however, she potentially could fly back with the SEAL team.
Blake and Grayson climbed aboard, Blake speaking into his mouthpiece. The pilot replied, and then the helo was lifting up into the night sky. The whirring of the rotors soothed Ethan. He hadn’t even realized how much his heart had been pounding. They were heading on their mission. After months of waiting on solid intel, the op was a go.
Like his teammates, Ethan was a man of action. They were trained to charge into situations, take out the enemy, and accomplish their mission. Sitting around waiting for word had been rough. He’d seen how upset Grayson’s girlfriend had been. He’d witnessed the destruction at Bagram himself. This felt personal in every sense of the word. They might not know Kimberly, but she was a U.S. soldier. One of their own.
“The general seemed happy we were back,” Logan commented, and Ethan’s gaze shifted to him.
Blake chuffed out a harsh laugh. “No doubt. It didn’t look good a soldier was taken under his command. Two American citizens, although the other woman was a contractor.”
Ethan’s fingers tightened on his weapon. “Base security has been stepped up since last time we were here.”
“No shit,” Troy muttered. “Probably a good thing since the suicide bomber practically walked right in.”
“Heads rolled after that one,” Blake said. “Just about everything went south. And we were there to see it happen.”
“Ten minutes,” the pilot said.
Ethan tensed. Although they’d been an hour away by land, the flight was short. Too short. Kimberly had been so close yet a million miles away. Figuratively speaking. It killed him to know the women had been held there for months. His own team had been in the country twice, and she’d been kidnapped and held by monsters.
Would Kim be scared when they charged in? No doubt she’d recognize they were Americans, but in the chaos, she could be frightened.
Worry churned through his gut.
He remembered how frightened Hailey had been after the explosion. It was possible Kimberly had been scared and hurt as well. Yet unlike how Hailey had been rescued by his buddy, Kimberly had been kidnapped. Probably harmed. That shit ate him up. It might not have been his fault, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty. His team had been there the night she’d been kidnapped. They’d been at the fucking building, and she’d been taken.
He adjusted his night-vision goggles, looking out the window. The mountains were coming into view in the distance. He’d always thought of Afghanistan as a beautiful place in some regards—the mountains were stunning. The sunsets could be breathtaking. Yet the country was violent and unstable.
Clenching his jaw, he looked back at his buddies.
“We’ll get her,” Jackson said, sensing how uneasy Ethan was. “The only way we’re leaving this damn mountain is with Kimberly.” Ethan nodded at his friend but didn’t say anything. Of course they’d rescue her. The alternative was unthinkable.
***
Flying closer than they’d anticipated due to lack of movement in the area, the men prepared to parachute in, landing near the base of the mountain. The second helo would remain in the air, providing cover to them as necessary.
There’d been no shots fired at them. No movement on the ground.
Where the hell were the rest of the insurgents?
Ethan moved forward to the open hatch, watching as Logan jumped out into the night sky. Troy moved next, and then Jackson. He exchanged a glance with Grayson and Blake.
“Let’s get our girl,” Ghost said before stepping out into the blackness.