“Say goodbye.” Zhang smiled at Davis.
“One.” Rafe finished.
“Goodbye, Zhang,” Sunny choked out.
Zhang’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Sunny squeezed her eyes closed a second before the report of Rafe’s gun shattered the clearing. Zhang’s head jerked backward, and he crumbled into a heap, taking Sunny with him. She sobbed and scrambled away.
Davis slid to her side, pulling her onto his lap. “You’re okay. It’s over.”
She collapsed into him, her entire body shaking with adrenaline. He wrapped his arms around her, rocking as the terror of seeing her with the gun to her head eased. He was never letting her out of his sight again.
Bjørn rushed to Zhang’s body, while Gunnar scrambled next to Davis. The world collapsed back around Davis. They weren’t in the clear yet.
“Let me see.” Gunnar grabbed Sunny’s shoulder and rolled her from where she clung to Davis.
She kept her hand fisted in the back of his shirt, not letting Gunnar take her out of his arms.
“We need to go, now.” Gunnar looked up at Davis, the truth of the severity of the gunshot wound piercing his soul. Gunnar lowered his head back to the injury. “Bjørn?”
“I’m on it.” He stood from the dead man and rushed past.
“Wait.” Davis called and lifted Sunny enough to dig in his pocket and handed Bjørn the helicopter’s spark plugs.
“I’ll be ready.” Bjørn snatched them, then took off through the woods.
“Let’s go.” Gunnar reached for Sunny, but Davis waved him off.
With a grunt, he stood with her in his arms. Blood oozed from her and warmed his skin through his clothing. Rafe skidded to a stop as he pushed into the clearing.
“Thanks, man,” Davis choked out, clearing the emotion he couldn’t let break free. “Thanks for saving her.”
Rafe reached over her and pulled Davis’s forehead to his. “I’ve always got your back, brother. Always.”
Davis nodded and glanced at Zhang.
“We’ll get this cleaned up, then meet you at the hospital.” Rafe clapped Davis on the shoulder.
Davis nodded again and rushed back through the woods to the helicopter. Sunny clung to his neck, her face buried against his skin, dampening his collar with tears. If he lost her—he cut off that line of thought and pushed his legs harder. When he broke through the trees to the facility clearing, the Stryker team circled the remaining mine’s men at gunpoint. Zeke Greene, Stryker’s leader, broke off and ran to Davis’s side.
“Make sure Rafe digs deep into what’s actually going on here.” Davis rushed the words out, though all he wanted to do was focus on Sunny. “There’s more here than just mining. And check the binders in the office. Sunny saw something there that needs thorough investigation.”
“We’ll get it sorted.” Zeke squeezed Davis’s shoulder. “We’ve got you.”
Davis took a deep breath, inhaling the truth of that statement. “I know. Sorry, I forgot.”
“We’re family, man. We all get it.” Zeke opened his arms to Sunny as they reached the helicopter.
They did. Every single one of them had been through hell and back like Davis had. He swallowed, handed her to Zeke, then climbed into the helicopter.
Zeke handed her back with a nod. “We’ll meet up as soon as we get this place cleared.”
“Copy,” Davis answered as he adjusted his hold on Sunny.
“Lay her here.” Gunnar tapped Davis’s arm and motioned to a space on the floor between seats.
Though he loathed to let her go, he set her down. She lifted her head, looking down at her saturated shirt, then her gaze darted to him. Her fearful eyes hit him, crushing him like a tank had run him over.
“Davis?” Her voice trembled.