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Griff's legs dangled in the air for several heart-stopping moments while the gunner rained fire onto the ISIS rebels below.
Fridge and Merc dragged him onto the chopper. All three men collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Badger’s voice sounded in Griff’s radio headset.
Griff sat up in time to see a truck spinning out into the field they’d just left. It stopped, and a man leaped out, placed an RPG across his shoulder and fired.
“Incoming!” Badger called out.
A second later, the Black Hawk shuddered violently. Where the gunner had been was a gaping hole. The engine sputtered and died. The rotors slowed, and the entire craft plummeted to the earth.
The last thing Griff heard was Crack yelling, “Fuck!”
CHAPTER1
Rachel West’sphone vibrated on the nightstand for the second time in as many minutes. The first time it had rattled against the wooden stand, Rachel had barely surfaced from a dead sleep. The night shift as a California Highway Patrol officer was kicking her butt.
Midday was her sleep time. She’d turned off the sound on her cell phone to avoid spam callers trying to sell her siding for a house she didn’t own or a service contract on her vehicle.
When the phone rattled against the nightstand so quickly after the first call, Rachel groaned and rolled over. Her fog-clouded mind perked up at the thought of getting a call from the hot Navy SEAL who hadn’t contacted her in over a week. She glanced at her phone, hoping to see Griff’s caller identification. It wasn’t Griff.
Lindsay.
Rachel frowned. Her sister knew she was on the night shift and respected her sleep time. She wouldn't call unless it was necessary. "Hey, Lindsay.”
“Rachel, talk to me,” Lindsay said, her voice a little breathless.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” her sister answered. “I’m out on a hiking trail a few miles west of Fool’s Gold. I think someone is following me.”
Rachel sat up straight, her pulse kicking up. “Are you alone?”
“Yes, except for the guy following me.”
Rachel’s gut clenched. She’d warned her sister to always hike with a buddy. Twenty-three-year-old Lindsay still had theit-won’t-happen-to-mementality and wouldn’t listen to reason. “Are you carrying a weapon?” she asked.
“No. I’m not licensed for concealed carry, nor can I get in a good hike packing a heavy gun.”
“We discussed this,” Rachel said. “What if you run into a bear or a wolf? That goes for the four-legged as well as the two-legged wolves.”
“I know. I know. I just never run into either.”
“Until you do.”
“Yeah,” Lindsay sighed. “Now, I’m wishing I’d taken your advice.”
“Sweetie, is there any way you can circle back to your car?”
“No,” Lindsay said. “The trail is steep. I have to go back the way I came.”
“You should call 911. They’ll use your cell phone location to find you.”
“I don’t want to hang up. I’m afraid that if I do, whoever is following me will use the time between calls to close the distance between us.”
“Can you see him now?” Rachel asked. “Can you describe him?”
“No. He’s staying just out of range. This trail is crazy curvy, zigzagging in and out of steep ravines. I was heading for a waterfall, but now, I just want to get back to my car.”
