Chapter 18 #2
Pid watched as Baker slid out of the chopper and down the rope to the ground. Because this was a civilian helicopter, they didn’t have any of the rescue gear they might’ve had if they were in a military chopper.
They were about one click, or a kilometer, away from the coordinates Bull had given Baker. He had to have heard them, but there was no need for silence. Bull knew Baker would come, insisted on it; it was just a matter of what would happen when they came face-to-face.
Pid was about to put aside his headphones to fast-rope out of the chopper when the pilot caught his attention.
“Hey! The heat from the lava is pretty intense. I can get to the coordinates you gave me, but obviously I can’t land, and I can’t get as close to the ground as we are right now.
With the way that lava’s moving, the coordinates are going to be surrounded within a few minutes.
New vents are opening up all around us, must be another eruption forcing the lava up through new fissures. The only way out is up.”
Nodding, Pid turned to look at the man. “I’ll radio when we’re ready. Baker might’ve called in the favor, but I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me shit,” the man said. “The man’s got a beef with Baker, he should’ve taken it up with him. Not involved an innocent woman. I take personal offense to that. No one owes me anything.”
There would be time later to argue about who owed who a boon.
For now, Pid had his woman to rescue. He took off the headphones, grabbed the rope, and stepped out of the chopper.
The news about the lava surrounding them wasn’t good, and it would be difficult to get Monica back up in the chopper without a rope ladder, stokes basket, harness, or any other type of rescue gear.
But no matter what, they’d figure out a way for all of them to get the fuck out of the middle of this hell.
Landing, he radioed the pilot and let him know he was clear of the dangling rope, and he and Baker watched as the chopper flew off. It wouldn’t go far, as the pilot was waiting for the signal to come back and pick them up.
“Stay out of sight,” Baker warned unnecessarily.
“Bull won’t hesitate to kill Monica if he even thinks anyone else is here.
He’s not an idiot, I’m sure he expects it, but he’s conceited enough to believe that it won’t matter.
He’ll use any excuse to kill her, just because he knows it’ll make you suffer and piss me off. ”
In his frustration and anger, Pid wanted to lash out at the other man, tell him that he wasn’t a rookie, that he knew what he needed to do. But that wouldn’t help anyone—least of all Monica. He simply nodded tersely. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
“Understood. This is gonna be over soon,” Baker promised, then he turned and without another word, headed in the direction his former teammate had indicated he would be waiting.
Pid followed as best he could. He stumbled several times, but nothing slowed him down.
When they got close to the coordinates, he fell back.
Not being in the thick of what was about to happen was intensely difficult, but he knew it was in Monica’s best interest. She was the only thing that mattered right now.
He heard Bull shout Baker’s name, and Pid dropped to a crouch. The only weapon he had was a pistol, which wasn’t effective at long ranges. By the time he got to where Baker and Bull were, it would be too late. He had to trust Baker to do what he came to do…and keep Monica safe in the process.
There was that word again…trust. He’d been such an idiot. Harping on Monica to trust him, like it was something she could just turn on and off. In reality, it was perhaps one of the most difficult emotions you could develop for someone else, especially when it was a matter of life or death.
When Monica was safely home, he needed to have a long heartfelt talk with her. A confession, really. He didn’t need her trust—he just needed her. He’d take her any way he could get her. She was worth it…worth everything.
Light from what he assumed was a flashlight of some sort lit the area where Bull and Monica stood, casting them as silhouettes.
Pid shook his head in stupefaction. Bull, a former SEAL, should know that light put him at a disadvantage.
Seemed Baker was right. The man was overconfident and conceited enough to think that it wouldn’t matter.
Pid didn’t waste time wondering what the fuck Bull was thinking, he was just grateful the light would allow him to get closer than he would’ve been able to otherwise.
He got down on his belly, ignoring the way the sharp lava rocks bit into his skin even through his clothes.
He crawled forward, changing direction to avoid the forward-facing light, approaching from the side and getting as close to the action as possible.
He stopped when he found a good vantage point behind a large hump of hardened lava still a good twenty-five yards away.
He pulled out his pistol, knowing at this distance, it still wasn’t going to be very effective, but there was no way he could just lie there unarmed, not ready for anything.
Propping himself up with his arms outstretched and the sight fixed on Bull, Pid waited.
The second Bull saw Baker appear out of the darkness, he reached down and pulled out a pistol. No—two of them. He pointed one at Monica and the other at Baker.
“I knew you’d come,” he called out.
Pid could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He wanted nothing more than to shoot this asshole.
He dared threaten the woman he loved. That was unacceptable.
But he forced himself to take a deep breath and control his fury.
He knew Baker wouldn’t drag this out. The second he had an opening, he’d take it.
“Hang on, Mo,” Pid muttered in a toneless whisper.
Monica jerked in surprise when Shane said, “I knew you’d come.”
She turned and saw a man walking into the small circle of light from the headlamp. For a second, she thought it was Stuart, then realized it was Baker. He’d shown up, just as Shane wanted.
By the time she glanced back at Shane, she was surprised to be looking down the barrel of a gun. She had no idea where he’d gotten it, but she should’ve expected it.
“I’d say it’s good to see you again, Bull,” Baker drawled, “but that would be a lie.”
Shane chuckled. “Same, asshole. Same. Stand over there,” he ordered, gesturing to a spot to his left.
“No.”
That was it. Just no.
Monica held her breath. Baker stood casually, looking for all the world as if he were out for a pleasure stroll through the devastated landscape that used to be a beautiful Hawaiian subdivision, now a bleak, depressing swatch of black rock as far as the eye could see.
Well…that they could see if it wasn’t the middle of the night.
“You’d better be alone,” Shane said.
“I am,” Baker told him.
“You always were a fucking liar,” he retorted without any humor. “I know you aren’t alone.”
“Cut the shit, Bull. You’ve always been so fucking dramatic. This little scene isn’t any different. Let’s get on with it. If you’re gonna shoot me, shoot me,” Baker said, sounding unconcerned that he was baiting a crazy man to violence.
“You aren’t in control here.”
“And you think you are?” Baker barked a humorless laugh. “Look behind you, asshole.”
“Right. Like I’m gonna fall for that,” Shane scoffed.
Baker held his hands out to his sides. “I’m unarmed. And seriously—look. I don’t know what you had planned for this little outing, but I’m guessing getting swallowed up by that encroaching lava flow wasn’t it.”
Monica swallowed hard and looked past Shane, seeing what Baker meant. The lava that she’d thought was a fairly safe distance away was now almost upon them. The extremely hot and deadly flow wasn’t gushing like it would from an exploding volcano, but it wasn’t taking its time either.
The second Shane turned his head to take a quick glance behind him, Baker moved.
The man might not have held a weapon in his hands, but that didn’t mean he was unarmed. He executed some sort of swift, complicated move, spinning around with his leg flying out to knock one of the guns out of Shane’s hand.
Almost at the same time, the other weapon went off.
Monica let out a shriek, but before she could think of something to do to help Baker, someone grabbed her from behind, hauling her off her feet. She flailed and fought frantically, but it was no use. Whoever had her wasn’t letting go.
Just as she opened her mouth to scream bloody murder, a familiar voice spoke in her ear.
“It’s me.”
Every muscle in Monica’s tense body relaxed. Stuart. She’d never been so happy to see someone in her life. He pulled her backward, farther away from the two men wrestling over the other gun still in Shane’s hand.
Even as she watched, another shot rang out, and Stuart dropped to the ground. He still held Monica tightly, but now his entire body was curled around hers, attempting to protect her.
Her heart was beating so hard in her chest, it almost hurt. Partly from fear, partly because yet again, Stuart was putting himself between her and a bullet, just as he had in Algiers.
“Go help Baker!” she pleaded, trying to wiggle out of his arms.
But he only tightened his hold. “Baker’s got this,” he said with the utmost confidence. The trust Stuart had for his fellow SEAL wasn’t lost on Monica. If he could trust his friend, when all of their lives literally depended on him overpowering Shane…so could she.
She held her breath as the two men continued to fight viciously.
Eerily, they didn’t speak, didn’t yell…only small grunts punctuating the silence as each man put all of his efforts into overpowering the other.
It was hard to see who was who in the dark, and after what seemed like several minutes—but was probably only ten to fifteen seconds—another shot echoed through the unnervingly dark night.