“He’s shot. He’s hurt bad, and they fucked up his phone. He’s out of it at the moment. The location we’d plan to leave from is compromised. It’s about to get hotter than it already is. We need to get out of here, ASAP.”
“Status report for the rest of you?”
“Holding our own. We did what we came to do. It got messier than it should’ve.”
Which was code for it went ass up, and no matter how many plans they’d made, it hadn’t gone according to any of them.
“Copy that. I’ve got the coordinates you sent. Give me a minute, and I’ll get you a place sorted. Who do I need to contact to get you a ride out?” Whatever arrangements they’d made previously were useless with it being a hot zone now.
“Under control. Fox and Hound are contacting someone on their end.”
Fox and Hound.
There was a lot he could do with that, but now wasn’t the ideal time to be making jokes. “Right.”
His fingers pounded over the keyboard, a sense of urgency riding him to find something quick for them.
“How long do you have?” Meaning, how long could Bayden go without serious medical attention? All of them had a level of combat medical training to deal with certain situations when out on a mission, but Wilt got the impression that Bayden needed more than that.
“Six hours max. Hound has told me Cass will arrange for a helo to come get us once a suitable place has been found. We just need a point we can get to that isn’t days away from where we are. And before you say anything about getting Cass to find us a spot, you’re more familiar with the area than she is.”
“I get it.” Wilt studied the map on the screen, before splitting it so he could find a satellite image of the area he could use to determine if what he found on the map was suitable. Fuck, he wished he had two separate screens, it would make it so much easier than what he was attempting to work with.
A tap on his shoulder jolted him, and he looked up.
“I need to go,” Indigo whispered. “I need to shower before getting ready for hair and makeup.”
Wilt nodded, aware of being on the phone with Damon. Doubtful that his friend could hear, but he wasn’t sure if Indigowould want his friends to know what was developing between them. As it was, they’d almost got caught a couple of times, with him sneaking from her place when he hadn’t been able to control himself, and he’d taken her against the door after escorting her back after a photoshoot.
One time, Greta had knocked on the door, and Indigo had managed to answer her questions before the other woman walked away. A few seconds later, Indigo had screamed his name as he’d driven them both to oblivion.
With a small wave, Indigo was out the door, but not before he saw the worry in her eyes. Opening up his message app on his computer, he fired off a quick text to say he would explain everything when he saw her.
“Anything?” Damon asked, his voice getting a little impatient.
“I’m getting there, it’s not as easy as it is in the office.”
“Right, sorry, man.” Damon huffed out a breath. “Bayden really doesn’t look good,” he finally said.
“Fuck, man. I’m doing what I can.” He peered at the screen, enlarged the satellite image, and then the map one. “I’ve got a place. It’s about two clicks east of your current location. It’s not an ideal spot, but it’s the best I can come up with, without you walking for half the day.”
“Send it to me, we’ll pass it on to Hound, who can tell our ride out.”
“Will do.” He sent Damon what he had. “Keep me updated.”
“Of course, and thanks man.”
“You don’t need to thank me. Take care.”
The call ended, and Wilt sat back on the couch, his phone dropping on the cushion beside him.
What would’ve happened if he’d been on the trip with them? Deal was an excellent shot and would’ve stepped in as the team’s sniper, but if he’d been there, would he have been able to takeout who’d ever hit Bayden? Or would they have been in the same mess as they were now, but without the ability to call him to find a safe place for them?
He’d never been one to think about things happening for a reason, but in this case, perhaps him not being able to go on this trip was for this purpose.
Wilt groaned and willed his phone to ring. It had been about five minutes since he’d hung up. Nowhere near enough time for his teammates to get to the extraction point, especially with an injured man. It would be at least forty or so minutes for them to get there.
He couldn’t stay by the phone, even if he wanted to. He had a job to do, and a woman to protect. Indigo was becoming more and more important to him.
