“Thank you, sir. It’s this way.” GQ helped Mr. Bailey to stand and kept his arm around him as he and the tough old guy walked toward the administration tent. That’s when GQ saw them. Five guys converging on Rose and Iceman. An uneasy feeling made the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and his attention heightened. GQ stopped and cued his radio. “Ice, suspicious—”
The guys pulled guns and rushed at GQ’s boss. One of them spotted GQ and started firing at him. GQ turned, something slamming hard into his back as he shoved Mr. Bailey to the ground, covering him. Bullets flew over his head. GQ turned, pulling his side arm, and firing back. He hit the guy and he went down. Ice was rushing Rose toward the tent, but the four men were in pursuit.
“Under fire!” he screamed into the radio. “They’re after Ice and Rose. Main admin tent. We need back up.”
“Copy that,” came three replies from Skull, Boomer, and Kodiak.
GQ switched his attention to the next gunman, firing at him as he fired back. GQ was out in the open with a civilian, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. He aimed for center mass and the guy cried out and went down. Two down, three to go. Out of the corner of his eye, a blur of fur and teeth latched onto the gunman’s forearm and took him down, keeping him preoccupied as Skull came in like a battering ram, targeting and taking down another guy. The last guy broke off the attack and turned to run, but Boomer was there, and his straight arm take down was epic as he clotheslined the attacker. Boomer was on him so fast, the guy didn’t have a chance to do anything. He flex-cuffed the bastard as FBI agents surrounded them.
Kodiak raced across the plaza toward them. As he approached, GQ rolled, his back throbbing, feeling breathless.
“You hit?” Kodiak asked as soon as he got there, going to one knee.
“Mr. Bailey,” he wheezed.
“Sir,” Kodiak asked. “Are you all right?” He touched his shoulder, then helped him to sit up. Checking him over.
“I think so. Thanks to this young man.” Mr. Bailey laid his hand on GQ’s shoulder, concern lining his face. As if the old guy hadn’t been through enough already. “Are you all right?”
GQ nodded, working at catching his breath.
“Can you stand?” Kodiak asked Mr. Bailey.
“Yes.”
Kodiak motioned Boomer over and when he arrived, Kodiak said, “Take him to Rose.”
“GQ?” Boomer said.
GQ waved him off as Kodiak said, “What’s going on?”
“Back,” he whispered. “Can’t catch my breath.”
Kodiak eased off his helmet, then pushed him to his stomach, checking him over. “You’ve been hit. Let’s get this off.” He gently rolled him back and released the clips for the tactical vest, then removed it. He was able to breathe better. Skull came over, Bones licking GQ’s face.
“Thanks, buddy,” GQ said, petting the dog’s head.
Kodiak pulled off GQ’s shirt and examined his back, his hands pressing carefully. “Didn’t even break the skin. You’re going to have one hell of a bruise.” Kodiak asked him to do some deep breathing, listening with his stethoscope. No broken ribs and lung sounds are good.” He pressed around the area and GQ’s breath hissed in.
“Hurts like a bitch.”
Kodiak shook a couple of tablets from a package inside his kit. “Take these. It’ll help.”
GQ dry swallowed them.
“You’re causing a scene,” Boomer said, and GQ realized he was back. GQ looked up at Boomer and he nudged with his chin toward several women who were staring and talking among themselves. “Damn, son. Even during a disaster, they can’t keep their eyes off you, hero.”
“Shut up,” GQ said, not feeling at all sexy right now, just sore and thankful no one was seriously injured.
Kodiak handed GQ his shirt and looked up at Boomer. “We’re good. Why don’t you do something useful?”
“Yeah, I will, but Ice wants to talk to GQ. He sent me to get him.”
GQ grabbed up his shirt and painfully put it back on, along with the vest, then his helmet. He stood and picked up his M4. Giving Kodiak a grateful look, he started for the admin tent.
Once inside, he saw that Mr. Bailey was agitated, but calmed as soon as he saw GQ. “You okay, young man?”
“Yes, sir. I’m fine. You doing all right?”