Ethan followed behind, sailing through the air before he tugged on his chute. His team practiced jumps frequently, but this one gave him an adrenaline rush he couldn’t believe. Practice jumps back in San Diego were one thing. Here they were jumping into enemy territory in the dead of night.
They’d land and be hiking up the mountain within minutes, going in to rescue the American hostage. If anyone had been awake to see them parachute in, they’d lose them in moments as the men disappeared behind the trees.
“This is Hurricane. I’m on the ground,” Logan said into the headsets as he landed first. “Clear.”
“Roger that,” the Army Ranger platoon leader said from the other helo. “No tangos in sight.”
“K-Bar clear.”
“T-Rex clear.”
Ethan hit the ground running, disengaging from his parachute. The discarded chutes would be left on the ground as the men moved forward. He saw his teammates running toward the base of the mountain, and his gaze swept the area. They’d expected to be met by gunfire when they arrived. There were several insurgents’ camps in the area, and most of them had the firepower to shoot at the helicopters from a distance. Had they all moved somewhere else? Or did they not have the capability to see them at night? If the camps were far enough away, they might not want to risk shooting at the unknown and catching each other in the crossfire. Certainly, anyone close by would’ve heard the helos on approach, rushed over, and fired at them.
“SITREP?” Blake asked over the headsets.
The men each reported back before the platoon leader spoke. “We’ll remain in the air until your team reaches the mountain. There’s been no movement on the ground. Over and out.”
Ethan jogged toward his teammates. The valley between the mountains made him feel like a sitting duck. Moving in under the cover of night afforded them the time they needed to safely parachute in though. Within minutes, the men were ducking into the tree line and disappearing from sight.
He heard the low whirring of the rotors as the helicopters turned and headed back toward Bagram. It would take several hours to hike to their coordinates. If the camp was asleep, they’d move in and rescue Kimberly without any major incidents.
And if not?
They’d fight, battling to bring home one of their own. It would be risky for the helicopters to extract them off the mountain. The plan was to hike back down. If Kimberly was too weak, they’d carry her or rig up a stretcher and bring her down that way.
None of their options were great, but they wouldn’t leave a man—or woman—behind. She was a U.S. servicemember. And even if she’d been a civilian hostage, they’d still do whatever was necessary to save her.
“At least there were no tangoes on the ground,” Troy said. “That bodes well for us making a silent approach.”
“Amen to that,” Grayson said. “The last thing we want is for them to know we’re coming.”
Jackson glanced back at them in the darkness, looking positively lethal. He was the biggest man on the team and could easily fight off several armed men with his bare hands. “Any word on new videos? I don’t want Taryn to worry too much if she sees something—that’s easier said than done of course.”
“Negative,” Blake said. “There’s been no new footage released. That doesn’t mean they won’t be uploading one soon.”
“Hailey has got to be beside herself,” Grayson said. “I know we’ve got a job to do, and I’m damn proud to be a part of the mission, but I worry like hell about leaving her.”
“You and me both,” Jackson muttered.
Ethan clenched his jaw, silently moving forward. Although he understood his friends’ protectiveness, their women were safe. They were at home in locked houses in safe neighborhoods with cell phones and Internet and food and running water. Kimberly was being held in a goddamn cave by terrorists.
They pushed through some thick vegetation, moving further up the base of the mountain. Ethan swiped at the branches blocking his way, wishing they could run straight up. Eventually they’d hit a road, which would make navigation easier for the short term. They didn’t want to stay on it long in case they crossed paths with the enemy, but that wasn’t too likely in the dead of night.
“Taryn is safe,” Blake assured Jackson. “Clarissa’s right next door, and I told a buddy from base to check in on them. Hailey too,” he told Grayson.
“Hopefully Hailey will be updated at work,” Jackson