On the Line (Special Ops) (15 page)

Chapter Thirteen

T
he morning hours
were early and dawn wasn’t going to be too far away. He had awakened Ariana with a sweet, yet sensuous, kiss. The guys didn’t need much waking up. Alex had taken first watch. While they planned just a few hours they still took shifts because even Alex would need sleep. Preston took an hour and a half of sleep time before Alex awakened him so he could get sleep. Once they were all awake they took care of some morning business and then started moving onward. Zahara had obviously thought ahead before leaving the States and before leaving the dig site they were on because she had a tin of mints in her bag and packets of those on-the-go pre-filled toothbrushes. She also brought a plastic bag to dispose of them in before putting the bag back in her backpack. He would definitely say the woman had thought ahead to the long hike and on her required list was something to keep the good hygiene going. He would have to remember to thank her again for her preparedness.

They were almost there. They were almost to safety. He should have known that peace was too good to be true because the headlights coming their way told him the bad guys had finally found the right direction to search. He knew it wouldn’t take too long, but he had hoped they would be on the jet, or at least closer to the pickup location before they had any company. He had hoped they would clear the hot zone and be on their way to safety, but that was no longer an option. They were going to have to make their stand right here, right now.

Preston could see the jeep speeding toward them. It was still far away, but it wouldn’t take long for it to catch up to them. They certainly couldn’t outrun it.

“I count two!” Alex yelled as he pointed off to the vehicle coming from a catacorner direction to the first.

“Let’s hit it,” Preston yelled.

“Do I at least get a gun?” Zahara looked around at the group of men getting ready for war.

“No;” Alex said with certainty. “Stay low, and don’t move,” he shook his head at her and Preston couldn’t fight the smile the exchange between them caused. He could see why Ariana loved this woman so much because she was so much like her in a lot of ways. Ariana wasn’t one to sit idle either. But it was crucial that both women stayed down. Ariana would and he knew that because he was sure that while she wouldn’t want to she would stay put—at least he vaguely remembered her being able to recognize the greater threat over her need to do things her way. Zahara…now she was a different story.

“Stay here,” Preston ordered as he, Jet, Micah and Alex got into position. The second the vehicles slowed and the eight men jumped out with guns ready to use Preston was ready for combat. This time everything was on the line and they couldn’t afford to lose this one.

Zahara saw the two men coming at them. They had broken through the line because the guys were rather preoccupied exchanging gun fire and a couple of them doing hand to hand combat—she would say Jet seemed to be enjoying kicking butt immensely. Right now she couldn’t focus on the good guys because two tall and skinny bad guys were headed their way. She knew they wanted Ariana and she would not let them get her—provided she was alive to see to that promise.

“I’ll take the skinny one,” Ariana said.

“Which one of them?” Zahara laughed as she gave her friend a thumb up. “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this,” Ariana stood tall, poised and ready to fight for her freedom or die trying.

Zahara knew these men wouldn’t kill Ariana. They wanted Ariana alive. Now she, on the other hand, could end up dying in the desert. When the first guy came their way with a divide and conquer action her first concern was stopping the guy rapidly progressing toward her and then she could help Ariana if she needed help. Fortunately for Zahara, her first boyfriend during her “get over Alex,” time period was actually a martial artist and while she hadn’t learned everything, or even studied it seriously, he had shown her a couple moves she could use in a tight situation.

“Avoid the groin,” he had said. “They’ll expect that.” So instead of the groin she went for the jugular although she must have hit him harder than she thought because when he went down he didn’t get back up.

“Oops,” she said sheepishly. “Maybe he’s just sleeping; yeah, he’s just sleeping,” she told herself as she turned her attention back to Ariana who seemed to be holding her own fairly well until the guy pinned one of her arms behind her back.

“Hey!” Zahara swiftly connected her booted foot with the man’s knee cap. “That’s no way to treat a lady.” She said when he buckled and Ariana gave him a solid punch that gave him a lights out moment.

“I see you handled yours,” Ariana pointed.

“Oh yeah, he’s just sleeping that’s all.”

“Oh I’m sure,” Ariana said jokingly.

“Hey! That’s my man you’re trying to double team,” Zahara knew they hadn’t heard her, but the bastard getting ready to run a knife through her man’s heart while his friend held Alex down was so not going to win this one.

She knew he told her to stay down, but that was so not going to happen. She made a quick decision that had her jumping on to the guy’s back and wrapping her legs around him in a death grip. Her legs had always been the strongest part of her body and she was using them now as he tried to shake her off like a wild bronco would.

“Since you like to double team you can handle both of us,” Ariana said as she kicked the guy first in the leg and then in his penis, a move that had him howling like a girl as he fell to the ground. The move dislodged Zahara from his back, but she got back up and kicked him in his gut as he tried to pull a gun from his boot. Between she and Ariana the man was getting a world class beat down because they were not going to allow him to get that gun in hand.

When a man came up behind her, Zahara was ready to hit him, but she stopped the fist she threw before making contact.

“I’m on your side; remember?” Alex laughed at her.

“Sorry. I thought you were one of them.”

She looked over to Preston who seemed to have the last guy in a head lock and then, there was nothing—no struggle, no sounds of pain—nothing.

“We have to move now,” he said as he dropped the lifeless body to the ground.”

“Is that all of them?” Micah looked around him. “I counted eight. I only see seven here.”

“One of them got away,” Jet added. “Jeep’s gone.”

“Then we really do need to move before he comes back with reinforcements.”

“What about the guy who did this to us?” Ariana looked at Preston.

“My priority is getting you home, Ariana. I’ll deal with him some other time.”

“We can use their jeep,” Zahara looked between the men.

“Let’s go,” Preston motioned for everybody to pile in. The sooner they got on that plane the better off they would be. Home was in reach and they had to make it. They were too close to fail now.

Alex glared at Zahara, although it was difficult to be angry with her. “I thought I told you to stay put,” he said as Preston navigated the jeep onto the field and progressed toward the plane.

“Nobody tells me what to do; besides, that man was going to kill you. Was I just supposed to stand by and watch him do it?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, you weren’t supposed to just stand by and watch,” he said as he brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. “Thanks for saving my life back there, Zahara.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled at him and his heart warmed with the love he felt for her. She had always been the one and had he had the guts all those years ago he would have gone after her, told her how he felt and not let fear of losing her friendship keep him away from her. They were a pair all right. She had kept silent through all those years for the same reason he had dismissed the possibility of the two of them being more than friends.

Preston parked the vehicle off from the plane at a safe enough distance to get out and assure Julian that they were the good guys. Alex could see Julian’s gun pointing through the cracked door.

“All right, open it up for them. I’m going to get back where I need to be,” Alex heard Julian yell.

“Who does he have in there?” Micah asked.

Preston shrugged. “Maybe he was able to get a couple guys to come on an assist.”

“Maybe,” Micah mumbled as they saw the door being pulled open. It took all of a minute before the person on the plane with Julian came into sight.

“Natalia!” Micah’s voice boomed like thunder. “What is she doing here?”

Alex could tell Micah was angry. Heck, he would be angry too. Actually he was angry because Natalia shouldn’t have come. If things went south she would end up just like Ariana and Zahara would have—new members to some creep’s harem.

They didn’t have time to dwell on the matter. They needed to board and get in the air quickly. They weren’t out of danger yet.

Jet chuckled. “Glad she’s your handful,” he patted Micah on the back as they walked up the stairs and entered the plane. Alex could tell Jet was glad he had the least adventurous woman.

Preston was the last to board and he closed the door behind them. He knocked on the cockpit door. “We’re clear to go. Hit it hard, Julian,” he said loud enough for Julian to hear him and he got an affirmative shout back as the plane begin to slowly start moving.

“Why are you here?” Micah asked as they walked toward the back of the plane.

“Julian needed me.” She said.

It wasn’t until they reached the seating area in the back that Akira stood up. Jet froze in front of him and Alex had to abruptly stop or risk running into the man.

“Akira, what are you doing here?” He nearly growled.

“Natalia needed me,” she said sheepishly. “Come, sit. The plane is moving now.” Her voice was so sweet and innocent that Alex was sure Jet would have great difficulty staying angry with her—although he would probably try.

They were one seat short so Akira sat on Jet’s lap and he tightened his hold on her to keep her safe. “You shouldn’t have come here, Akira. Do you know what could have happened to you if this had gone any other way?” They could all feel the plane ascending. They weren’t completely out of danger, but at least they were on the way and that had them all breathing a little easier. He was sure they would sit at ease the moment they hit United States airspace.

As they leveled off Alex watched Micah unfasten Natalia’s seatbelt and then pull her into his lap. “You, young woman have some explaining to do.” He said in a stern voice.

“You’re my guy. You came for me. I came for you,” she said and then she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Alex wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew the shocked look on Micah’s face had them all sitting there wondering—except Akira; she had a smile on her face. Either she was severely content sitting on Jet’s lap or she knew something they didn’t.

“Are you serious? You’re not putting me on here are you? Please tell me you’re serious?”

“So you are pleased…good, I was worried you might not want this.” She reached into one of the pockets on her jacket and pulled out a picture. “I’m very serious and very sure.”