Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,51

far ahead of where he and Duff were. Too damned far. He couldn’t get to her to stop whatever was happening.

He moved, powering through the panic and fear, knowing if Eleanor was hurt, he needed to get to her. He needed her to be okay.

He’d been an idiot to think he could be with this woman again and not let his heart get involved. So damned stupid. His heart was in this and then some.

If he let himself imagine what might be happening to her up there, he wouldn’t get through this. Instead, he kept his head on target and his flashlight and weapon on the tunnel ahead of them.

Duff had his back as they moved. He still didn’t know how they’d get out of here once they found her. The compound was likely still teaming with Demir’s men.

But Demir and his brother had run so maybe his men had, too.

Zip broke through on their comms. “We’ve got the hostages. Bugging out.”

Duff gave Zip an update on their progress in the tunnels and listened to Zip curse on the line.

He kept his head on the goal. Keep moving ahead. Get Nori. Get her out safe.

Keep moving ahead. Get Nori. Get her out safe. He would repeat that damned mantra again and again until they had her.

He slowed as he saw light up ahead and listened. He and Duff pressed to either side of the tunnel.

“Any movement?” Duff asked.

“Nothing.” Heath could make out a widened portion in the tunnel, almost wide enough to be called a room. And in the light of the bare bulbs that hung suspended above it, he could make out a crumpled figure in a chair.

His heart wept. It was the only way he could describe the despair and hopelessness that flooded him. He knew that was Eleanor. And she wasn’t moving.

“Got you covered,” Duff said and they began to move. The space ahead of them was clear.

As they approached, Heath looked in either direction to be sure there were no alcoves or anything that could have a surprise in the form of people or explosives.

It killed him not to drop his weapon and run to Eleanor’s side. But if they got themselves killed, they couldn’t save her. And if he was sure of one thing, it was that he was going to do everything in his power to save Eleanor.

They swept the area and only when they were sure it was clear, did he kneel by her side as Duff stood sentry above them, weapon ready.

Heath’s heart couldn’t take the sight before him as he got her out of the chair and laid her down. Eleanor was bleeding from a shot to the stomach and a shot to the hip.

Her eyes opened and she moaned as he lay her on the floor. It was about to get a lot worse. And it gutted him to know he was going to cause her pain, but he had to stop the bleeding.

He grabbed quickclot from his pack, balling the material and pushing it into her wounds as she screamed. He had to do this, but it killed him to hear the pain wracking her body as he pushed the lifesaving material into the holes that asshole had put in her body.

He couldn’t lose her. Not now.

“I’m so sorry, Nori. I’m so sorry. I just have to get these packed and then we’re going to get you out of here.”

He followed this with sterile gauze, balling that and packing them into the wounds again and again before dressing them with a sterile covering and taping that into place. She had passed out by then, her brow sweat-dampened from the pain.

The caliber of the weapon had been small and he sent up a quick prayer in thanks for small favors. Then he lifted her and started to run.

He could hear Duff behind him and Zip came on comms. They were in the compound clearing out the few remaining soldiers from Demir’s army. Maybe the man didn’t want to start an all-out war because he had ordered his army to retreat when he ran. That or they’d simply run off on their own. It was hard to say.

When Heath hit the end of the tunnel, Jangles was there with Trigger and Lefty to pull Eleanor up for him. Now he only prayed they could evac her to a hospital in time to save her. Because if Eleanor didn’t make it, he didn’t know how his heart would either.

Chapter 30

Heath had slept