Kennedy made eye contact with me where he stood ten feet away behind a tree. He made a hand signal that I should stay. I nodded. I wasn't going to do anything risky. Not with the precious cargo I carried and only a pistol.
More shots were fired from several directions and a body dropped. “One down,” Hayes called.
The mercs were good. Clearly trained as well as the Navy SEAL team. Quiet and organized.
“I count three more. Nine o’clock, two, and three,” Hayes said in a low voice.
Nobody moved for a moment. It was dead quiet except for the droplets of water falling from the trees, the call of a bird somewhere overhead.
Then, all three of the enemy team started firing on us at once, reminding me of a grand finale at a fireworks show.
Kennedy stepped out from behind his tree to return fire. From the sound of things, so did Ford, Hayes, and Taft. I stayed put.
I heard the thud of two more bodies dropping and prayed they didn't belong to anyone on our team. At least I had a clear line of sight on Kennedy to know he was okay.
I breathed in the cool air, let the tree at my back hold me up.
“Take the last one alive,” Ford ordered, and a rush of relief washed over me. That meant none of our team had gone down. Thank God.
Someone started shooting up the tree I was behind. I dropped and pressed against it as bark and wood chips splintered around me. I tucked my head into my knees and covered my head with my hands.
Kennedy darted out and fired five times with his AR.
“I said alive!” Ford shouted.
“Sorry, boss,” Kennedy said, tucking me beneath his arm, so I was curled in a ball.
No one moved for a few beats.
“Stay where you are,” Kennedy said to me in a low voice as he crept out from behind the tree to investigate.
“Clear?” Taft asked.
Kennedy crept forward silently to check the pulse on one of the fallen bodies.
I heard movement from the others as they emerged from their tree cover.
“Okay, Quince, stay close, sweets.” Kennedy beckoned me.
The moment I stood and walked out, I saw movement just beyond Kennedy. Just like I’d known what to do without thinking back in the helicopter, I lifted my pistol and fired right over Kennedy’s right shoulder.
He didn’t even blink, it happened so fast.
There was a grunt, and the guy fell backward, shooting his gun as he went.
Kennedy launched himself at me as I dropped to the ground. He knocked the wind out of me with his weight.
Hayes and Taft–I assumed it was them since all I could see was ground–fired. I heard the thud of a body collapse on the ground.
Kennedy scrambled forward off of me and disarmed the guy. “He’s still alive.”
“See? We do listen sometimes,” Hayes announced proudly.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d never gone on a mission with the men before where I was part of the firefight. I had to admit–and I immediately thought of my mother–that sometimes missing out was okay.
I wanted to be included, but I was good now.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE