Chapter 20 #2
He readied his rifle, taking a few deep breaths as she wove along a ridge, staying just below tree-top height. Christ, he didn’t know how she did it. Dancing amidst the mountains as if it was nothing. In a snowstorm. At night.
She didn’t even look as if she was nervous.
Didn’t seem worried she’d lose focus just long enough to drive them into the side of the ridge.
No hunched shoulders or stiff back. Just her hands on the controls.
The helicopter gliding through the air. Even the gusting winds didn’t seem to affect her.
She just adjusted as if she’d been born in a cockpit.
Maybe she had. Cannon had often told Phoenix he was sure Phoenix had been born with a sniper rifle in his hands.
That it wasn’t something anyone had taught him.
More like a part of his DNA that had been activated as soon as he’d held his first weapon.
Seemed reasonable that hers had clicked on the moment she’d sat in a cockpit.
Whatever the reason, Phoenix hoped she wasn’t pushing herself for them. She wasn’t much different than he was, and he knew she wouldn’t be the one to call off the mission. Admitting it was getting close to that point was a far as he suspected she’d venture.
Another trait he loved about her. Though, her damn determination might be what got her killed.
“Getting close.” Olivia motioned to their right. “About five hundred meters, then we’ll swing right and follow the ridge up another couple hundred. If the wind, terrain and snow are dampening the sound of the rotors as much as I hope they are, we should pop up out of nowhere in front of them,”
“Copy. I’ll be ready. Give me a countdown when we’re about to rise up in front, then be ready to dodge their fire, because I doubt they’ll go down peacefully.”
“Wouldn’t be fun if they did.”
Phoenix shook his head as he made one last check of his rifle.
He’d have to do the calculations in his head on the fly.
Adjust his scope and angle then fire—all in the space of a heartbeat or chance putting Olivia and Relic at risk.
If Phoenix died, that was one thing. Being responsible for their deaths would undo him in a way no amount of time could ever piece back together.
He’d only crawled out of this last hellhole because Olivia had survived.
Because Cannon, Crow and the others hadn’t given up on him.
Had continually thrown him lifelines. If he lost Olivia due to his mistakes. ..
Not happening.
“We’re nearly there, Ethan. Popping up in five...”
She counted down the rest, bringing the machine into a graceful hover as she reached one with his door facing the sleds. Their headlights just visible in the distance.
Not as far as he’d like for Olivia and Relic’s safety, but with the reduced visibility and increased snowfall, he wouldn’t have been able to sight them if they’d been much farther away.
Phoenix peered through his scope, adjusting for the range and wind direction—guessing, really because there weren’t any markers other than the snow, though the downwash stirred it up. Swirled it in a giant cyclone around the chopper.
He used the variables he’d calculated for the previous shots, then fired. Hit the cowling when he missed a bit low and right, but his second shot went dead center. Had the snowmobile veering off sharply to the left in a billow of deep snow.
Shots ricocheted off the helicopter as muzzle fire lit up the night. Phoenix tapped on Olivia’s seat. “Bank off. Then, come up behind that last sled.”
She simply nodded, tipping the aircraft over as she accelerated away. A few stray bullets hit the back end as she sped off, banking left once she’d gained some distance. “I’ll let him pass this point then circle in behind him. Do I want to know what you’re planning?”
“Probably not. Just, get us behind him, and I’ll call it out.”
“As long as you remember our deal. No dying.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, sweetheart.”
She snorted, shaking her head as she carved out a large circle, finally banking back toward where he’d fired on the men.
It took a minute, but she managed to wedge the chopper between the trees behind the last sled, the snowmobile nothing but a blip of red on her infrared screen.
“We’re about thirty seconds away from catching him. ”
“Perfect, now, hold it steady and get low. Really low.”
She inhaled. “You wouldn’t dare...”
“Low, sweetheart.”
“Using some cutesy nickname isn’t going to make this any saner. Twenty seconds.”
Phoenix wasn’t sure how she continued to adapt, with the weather getting worse by the second.
How she skimmed the damn machine just above the ground.
Eating up the distance quick enough it was hard for the last guy to avoid them.
Especially pulling the other sled. It wasn’t nearly as maneuverable as the snowmobile, the weighted cargo obviously hampering his attempts to lose them.
“Olivia.” Phoenix climbed onto the skid gear, smiling at her. “If this goes for shit, I love you.”
Not how he’d envisioned telling her the truth, but since ops rarely went as planned...
He removed his headset before she could answer, then tossed it back inside. It took all his training skills to lower until he was hanging by his arms wrapped around the skid, feet nearly brushing the ground.
The chopper tipped to the left to avoid a small outcrop, swinging his legs out for a few agonizing moments before she settled it back over the sled.
Held it steady. Phoenix let go just as the driver hit the brakes, rolling Phoenix off to one side.
He scrambled for a hand hold, catching himself on one of the containers before he’d tumbled into the snow.
The snowmobile shuddered to a halt amidst a spray of powder, shooting ahead, again, as the driver gunned the throttle. Probably hoping to knock Phoenix off the back. But he was already jumping, getting ready to land on the guy as the man swung his AK toward Phoenix and unleashed a spray of bullets.
A gaze along his arm, then he was on top of the guy.
One hand holding the assault rifle in place, the other wrapped around his neck.
All it took was for him to plant his feet and push, and they were off the side.
Rolling to avoid the sled as the momentum carried the machine several feet before the kill switch had it stopped.
The guy countered, elbowing Phoenix then scrambling to his feet.
He reached into his pocket, removed a knife then struck, again, trying to land a hit.
Phoenix dodged the first sequence then managed to get in low—tumble the guy onto his back.
A punch, and the man’s head snapped to the side—helmet black against the pristine snow.
A quick flip, and he was disarmed, hands locked behind his back.
Relic appeared off to Phoenix’s left a moment later, Olivia’s Walther trained on the other man.
Phoenix nodded, then yanked the guy upright, unclipping the chin strap then removing the helmet.
While Phoenix still hadn’t seen a photo of Parker’s face, there was no mistaking the tattoo behind his left ear—the only visible mark from the photo Gibson had acquired.
Phoenix spun the asshole around, getting in close. “Jason Parker. Heard you’ve been looking for me. I think it’s about time we had a chat.”