Chapter 20
Skylar’s legs ached, and her lungs hurt with the exertion, but the beautiful vista seemed to give her energy. That, plus the fact that she could see the beach in the distance, gave her the extra push to keep going. “I swear, when we get out of this mess, I’m going to start exercising.”
Jeb chuckled and squeezed her hand. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“That’s a sweet sentiment, but if I was athletic and in shape, you’d have an easier time.”
“You’re doing great. We should only have a few minutes to go?—”
Just then, the sound of a helicopter caught her attention, and she lifted her free hand to shade her eyes but was unable to find it. She was also unable to keep the fear from her voice. “Do you think that’s someone looking for us?”
“No, that’s our transportation out of here.”
Twisting her head toward him, she smiled. “Really? How can you tell?”
“I know the sound of different helicopters. That’s Hop.”
“What’s a Hop?”
Jeb laughed. “Hop is Frank Hopkins. Former Air Force pilot and Special Operations. And a Keeper.”
Relief flooded her mind. “Thank God!”
The helicopter circled the area and landed on the sandy beach they were approaching. With renewed vigor, her pace increased, matched by Jeb’s.
The last part of their escape journey didn’t seem as tiring as they hurried down the hill leading from the sides of the cliff to where the sandy and rocky beach awaited. A large man, well over six feet, stood outside the helicopter with a wide smile as they approached.
As friendly as he appeared, she was grateful for Jeb’s presence at her side. The helicopter was large, and considering she’d never flown in one before, butterflies flitted in her stomach at the prospect of flying in the helicopter.
It crossed her mind to ask if it was safe or if Hop was a good pilot. But she clamped her mouth shut, knowing Jeb would never put her in danger. And the last thing she wanted to do was insult one of the people coming to save her.
“Don’t be nervous,” Jeb said.
She glanced up, eyes wide. “You are joking, right?” When he didn’t reply, she continued, “I have a feeling you spent a lot of time as a SEAL in all kinds of aircraft.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say I’ve been in my share of birds.”
“Well, this is my first helicopter ride. I can’t stop the nerves!”
She remained quiet as they approached, and Jeb let go of her hand. She’d been surprised he hadn’t dropped their connection before allowing his coworker to see them, but he’d held tight. Now, the two men greeted each other with grins and backslaps.
Jeb turned and reached over for her again. “Skylar, this is Hop. A good friend and a fuckin’ great pilot.”
Her hand was engulfed by Hop’s much larger hand, but his grip was gentle, and she smiled up at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Hop.”
“Heard great things about you, Skylar. Good to get you off this island and back to civilization.”
Her mind momentarily reeled at his words. The months spent on the island had isolated her from civilization. The idea of re-entering society both excited and terrified her. Jeb’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be right with you.”
Her brow furrowed, unsure of the full meaning of his statement. Focusing on the task at hand, she accepted his assistance into the helicopter. She knew little about helicopters but was glad that it wasn’t tiny. There were three rows of seats. Hop was in the front, and she assumed the one next to him would be for a co-pilot. When Jeb climbed into the second row with her, she pressed her lips together. As glad as she was to have him near, it exemplified there was no co-pilot.
Before she had a chance to think more about what was happening, the blades began whirring overhead, and she looked at her lap as Jeb leaned over to buckle her in. He then placed headphones over her ears.
“Ready?” he asked, his eyes moving over her face.
She knew he was trying to ascertain how frightened she was. Determined to be as brave as possible, she nodded. “Ready!” She hated that her voice resembled a squeak.
“All right! Let’s get ’er goin’!” Hop called out, his voice enthusiastic.
The helicopter lifted off the rocky shore, banking sharply as it ascended. She blinked as her stomach lurched, but hearing Hop’s whoop of joy, she laughed. Gripping tightly to the armrests, she avoided the window and looked at Jeb instead. His hand covered hers, and she now offered him a true smile. Turning to look out the window while her stomach continued to somersault, she was fascinated by the scenery below.
“The island is gorgeous from up here.” Suddenly, emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “It’s weird…” Her voice faded out.
“What’s weird, Skylar?” he inquired.
She gazed out at the lush expanse of the island, her voice soft and reflective. “For months, I’ve been stuck in one place just thinking how much I wanted to get back to my life. So you’d think I’d look at this island as nothing more than a prison. I’d researched all about it during my time there, but now, it seems weird to think how absolutely beautiful it is.”
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and leaned closer. “It’s not weird to experience conflicting emotions about a place.”
His voice was filled with such understanding that she turned to look at him. “Did you serve in places that seemed awful and beautiful all at the same time?”
“Absolutely. I had missions in places that I couldn’t wait to get out of. Some real hellholes where I couldn’t imagine anybody living, yet people would eke out their existence and call it home. And then I would find some kind of beauty there.”
“I discovered that years ago when I first learned to fly,” Hop said.
Skylar turned her attention toward the front, curious to see what else Hop had to say.
“My uncle taught me to fly. I grew up in the mountains of Tennessee, and while I thought they were beautiful from the ground, I’d never seen anything so majestic as when we were in the air, and I could look down and see them from above. I guess I’ve always felt that way. And what Jeb just said is true. When I was running special ops in the Air Force, I sometimes served in places that seemed ugly as fuck on the ground, and then, flying above them, you could see beauty looking down at the landscape as a whole.”
She nodded slowly, understanding what they were saying. Looking out the window again, she watched the ocean waves crash against the rocky shore and the thick, green forests covering the island. She spied several boats in the water as they passed the southern tip.
“Those are the ones Natalie was watching,” Jeb said. “She identified them as fishing boats, but some were foreign and not where they were supposed to be if they’re legitimate.”
Her chest depressed as the air left her lungs. “This is all so crazy.” A hysterical giggle slipped out. “And that’s coming from a woman who’s been living in a dilapidated lighthouse in the middle of an uninhabited island for six months!”
A smile slipped over his lips in response. “It’ll be fine. Natalie will make sure no one is after us. She’ll stay on it.”
“She sounds tenacious,” Skylar said.
“Like a dog with a bone,” Hop called out from the front. “She keeps Leo on his feet!”
“Leo?”
Jeb grinned. “Leo and Natalie are married. Both Keepers are fucking amazing at their jobs. They worked as Army Deltas together for years as friends, but once they got out, they finally got together, and now both work for us.”
She turned back to the window as a wistful smile crossed her face.
“You should rest,” he encouraged.
“I’m not sure I can.” A quiet descended on the three, and she finally leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Exhaustion moved over her, and she soon drifted off.