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As a previous 160thSOAR Night Stalker aviator, I was one of the few helicopter pilots involved in Last Hope. I also knew I was the best and the most capable of getting in and out of tight situations safely.
Marshall shot me a dubious look. “You don’t have to do this personally, Chase. We could use—”
“Not happening,” I interrupted hoarsely. “I’m going. I’ve known Savannah since she was a kid, Marshall. This is something Ineedto do personally.”
I wasn’t going to let anyone else go after my sister’s best friend.
Okay, so I wasn’t about to admit to anyone that something inside me was gnawing at my gut to go after Savannah myself, but those instincts were there. It wasn’t something I could just ignore.
“I’m going, too,” Wyatt said in a tone that probablyno onewas going to argue with.
Marshall rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of resignation. “What happened to all of you no longer running missions yourselves?”
“That was before some bastards decided to fuck with somebody we know and care about,” I answered angrily, still trying to get my emotions in check.
“I get that,” Hudson commented. “I’ve been through that myself. I’m not about to object.”
I nodded my head, grateful that Hudson understood my position.
I was also glad that Wyatt had volunteered. I needed his steadiness and skills on this particular operation.
“Do I need to ask if you two need any backup?” Marshall questioned drily.
“I’m in if they do,” Cooper said firmly.
“Me, too,” Hudson grumbled.
“And me,” Jax volunteered.
Wyatt and I shook our heads at the same time. While I appreciated the fact that they were all willing to put their asses on the line, Wyatt and I could be more covert if we were alone. I’d briefly considered Jax’s help because he had more medical training than the rest of us, but I knew Wyatt could handle just about anything that came up until we could get Vanna to a hospital.
“Probably better that way,” Marshall agreed. “This operation needs to be as quiet as possible since neither government is ready to admit that she was even taken.”
“Even though she’s my best friend, I’ve never told Vanna about Last Hope since we operate in absolute secrecy,” Torie said quietly from her seat beside me. “She won’t exactly be expecting you two to show up. I want you to go because I trust you both to bring Vanna back safely. But I also don’t want you to get hurt.”
A lump formed in my throat as I saw the torn look in Torie’s eyes.
Hell, I was glad she trusted Wyatt and I to bring Savannah back home. I just wished I had the same faith that we could bring her back unharmed. Considering who the enemy was this time, I wasn’t sure what kind of shape Vanna would be in when she was rescued.
I also had to at least consider the fact that she could be dead in the jungle by now. Especially if she became more trouble than she was worth to these assholes. Their goal had been a quick sale and on to the next.
My gut wrenched at the thought of anyone hurting Savannah, but I couldn’t give in to those thoughts right now. I wouldn’t be able to focus.
I grinned at my little sister to reassure her as I said, “Haven’t died yet, and plenty of people have wanted to kill me.”
Torie slugged me in the arm as she answered, “Stop that cocky bullshit. You and Wyatt might be tough, but you’re not completely untouchable. You’re human, too.”
Didn’t I know that? I’d come closer to dying and death than I wanted to admit to my little sister.
“We’ll be fine, Torie,” Wyatt said firmly before he looked at Marshall. “What else do we know?”
Marshall frowned. “I spoke with Savannah’s producer, Jennifer, earlier. She said that she raised the alarm almost immediately after Savannah failed to return from an outdoor shower area before it got dark. When the film crew started to look for her, all they found was Savannah’s dirty clothes scattered on the ground at the base of the steps outside. Sounds like she dropped them when she was taken.”
“Why is the government so damn set on believing she wandered off?” Jax asked. “Like you said, Savannah is no newbie when it comes to surviving in dangerous locations. I’ve met her. She’s extremely intelligent. It’s not really feasible that she just wandered away into the jungle and left her clothing on the ground.”
Marshall shrugged. “Probably because kidnappings don’t normally happen in that area. It’s the only possibility they want to accept right now.”
“She’s savvier than that,” Torie said, her voice quivering with emotion. “Vanna is pragmatic and rational. I knew from the very beginning that she’d never do something to put herself in that kind of position. We have to find her. Iknowwhat she’s probably going through right now.”
