“Are you the contractor’s?—”
“No. They set me up. I’m not sure why.” She whimpered when he cut the rope from her wrists. Her raw skin had deeper cuts on it than a rope would leave. She cradled her wrists against her body.
“We’ll get those cleaned up, but I want you far away from this place as soon as possible. Can you walk?”
“I think so.”
He helped her to her feet. She stumbled and cried out.
“Charlie One, report.” Xander had no doubt heard her through the flimsy door.
He keyed his comms. “I found Raven. She’s badly injured.”
“Raven? How do you know?” Leave it to Boone to ask.
“Because she recognized me. And her voice is unmistakable.”
“Copy that.”
“Yes, guys. It’s me.” Raven knew his comms were hot.
“Holy cow, that is her.” Xander’s shock would have been amusing if the circumstances were different.
Liam guided her toward the door. The closer he got, the more tense she became. “It’s okay. We’ll get you out of here.”
“It’s not that. I?—”
Chaos erupted. Gunfire exploded through the trees.
“We have company,” Dax informed the team.
“I’m sorry I can’t be gentle.” Liam scooped her into his arms and tried to ignore her cries of pain. “Charlie Two, lay down cover fire. Charlie Five, give the go-ahead. Charlie Three and Four, move to flank and don’t let them near us.”
He waited for Xander to tell him to move. When the go-ahead came, Liam exited the hut with his precious cargo and protected Raven the best he could.
Bullets hit the ground, kicking up dirt beside them.
Rafe's rifle cracked in rapid bursts, and Xander barked directions.
He followed Charlie Five into the trees and away from the men trying to kill them.
Raven shivered in his arms.
He glanced down at her face. Bruised, battered, but alive. They found her. Now they had to survive long enough to get out of this horrid place and back home to the States. He wanted her safe, and he wanted answers.
Until then, he’d protect Raven with everything in him and pray they survived whatever twisted mission the government had sent them on.
CHAPTER 3
Sierra Oscura, Mexico
Tuesday–1800 Hours
Code Name: Raven
Jade clung to Liam like a lifeline in the middle of class five rapids. He’d scooped her into his arms without hesitation and hadn’t let go. She’d done her best to ignore the pain. But when another ambush sent them detouring in a different direction, she couldn’t hide her whimpers from being jostled. The team moved at a rapid clip deeper into the jungle. The twisting vines swallowed them, obscuring their location. Sweat drenched her hair and soaked her thin shirt and shorts. The open space stole the air from her lungs. As terrifying as the hut had been, at least she hadn’t worried about an anxiety attack from being out in the open.
The rhythmic pulse of insects surrounded Jade as Charlie Team wove farther into the Sierra Oscura foothills. With shallow breaths and screaming ribs, she’d finally insisted that she could walk.
