Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Rick’s adrenaline was firing, his heart pounding as he sprinted through the marijuana plants in the direction of the ambush. He’d heard a single gunshot and then nothing, a sure sign that Jenny was in trouble.
As he reached the edge of the plantation another shot rang out followed by a second and a third. He skidded to a halt and exhaled. That was the signal he’d given her. The ambush had been a success. Now, he could focus on rescuing the team.
He made his way back through the plantation, searching for his backpack. Locating it he rummaged inside and removed a gas stove and spare canister. Placing the burner under a plant he lit it and sat the canister on top.
Leaving the bag he continued through the plantation with the lever action rifle in one hand and the shotgun in the other. He had Jenny’s Glock stuffed into the back of his shorts.
Reaching the edge of the marijuana plants he slid to his stomach and crawled forward till he could see the cabin.
He was on the opposite side to the cage that held his friends. Between them were the porch and two ATVs. An overweight figure sat in a rocking chair with a shotgun across his knees watching the cage. Rick lined him up with the rifle.
A second figure appeared from the cabin. This guy was tall with a Stetson, cowboy boots and a pistol belt. He stormed across to the cage and aimed his pistol at the group of captives. Rick assumed that this was Carter, the guy in charge.
“I know you’re out there,” he bellowed. “Show yourself or I’m going to start killing your buddies.”
Rick didn’t have a shot from where he was lying and if he did and missed it could hit the others. What’s more he didn’t have much faith in the old lever action’s accuracy.
“I’m not messing around. You’ve got five seconds before I shoot this old bastard in the face,” bellowed the man.
Rick contemplated calling his bluff. However, something told him that Carter had the will to kill TJ.
“Four.”
He dropped the rifle and stood.
“Three.”
He walked slowly toward the cabin.
“Two.”
The fat bastard on the porch nearly fell out of his chair. “He’s here! Carter, he’s here!” he said as he stood and aimed his shotgun.
Carter turned as Rick stopped alongside the ATVs. “Travis, you got him covered?” he asked.
“Yeah, he as much as smiles and I’ll blow his head off.”
Carter holstered his pistol and took a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “Where are the woman and the dog?” He tossed them onto the ground in front of Rick.
“I don’t know.”
“Sure you don’t. Put the damn cuffs on.”
As Rick bent down to retrieve the handcuffs there was a loud explosion in the plantation; the gas canister. He dropped to one knee, snatched the Glock from the back of his shorts and aimed it at Carter.
A shotgun boomed from the porch. He barely registered the sting in his buttocks as pellets ripped into his flesh.
Carter dove for cover as Rick fired rapidly. His shots struck a pile of drums where he had disappeared.
Movement near the cage caught his eye and he spotted Jenny emerging from the marijuana her shotgun held ready, Axe by her side.
The report of a gun reminded him that Travis, the fat bastard, was still on the porch. He popped up over the ATV and snapped off a shot hitting him in the torso. The morbidly obese redneck didn’t flinch and racked his shotgun. “I’m a gonna kill you.”
Rick heard a pistol shot and felt the bullet crease his shoulder as he fired another round into Travis. He spun and saw Carter running toward one of the other ATVs. Jenny’s shotgun boomed and buckshot impacted the ground around the man as he leaped into the vehicle. Rick tried to raise the Glock but his arm was unresponsive.
Jenny fired again and pellets sprayed the ATV as it started and took off with a roar. Axe sprinted after it, barking frantically.
Rick checked to see that Travis was down as he climbed into the remaining buggy.
“Shove over big boy,” said Jenny as she made to jump into the driver’s seat.
He grinned and slid sideways, transferring his pistol to his good arm. A glance in the wing mirror confirmed that she had freed Mike and the others.
Jenny gunned the ATV and sent it power sliding around the corner. He was impressed; she handled the powerful buggy like a rally driver. In a matter of seconds, they’d caught up with Axe.
Rick let out a whistle and the dog pulled to one side of the road. Jenny slowed and he leaped onto the rear seats. “Good boy,” said Rick as the dog licked him. “Now, let’s get this Carter dickhead.”
Jenny floored the throttle and sent the Polaris soaring over a rise in the road.
As they landed with a bounce Rick spotted Carter’s buggy ahead. He gripped the handle in front of him with his bad hand and clutched the pistol with the other. “I’m going to shoot out his tires.”
As she closed the gap between the two ATVs Rick fired a volley of bullets. They went wide. He tried again, striking the tailgate.
Hearing the shots Carter swerved his buggy from side to side, kicking up dust. Jenny closed the gap to a few feet. In the maelstrom of dust Rick couldn’t get a clear shot.
“Hold on!” Jenny said as she rammed the back of Carter’s ATV.
The impact jolted him forward and he braced himself, wounded shoulder burning. Then he felt Axe jump from the rear seat past his head onto the hood of the buggy. With a flash of fur he disappeared through the dust, leaping into the back of Carter’s ATV.
Brake lights flashed and they slammed into the buggy again. Jenny fought to keep control as they skidded.
Carter’s screams filled the air as his ATV slowed, angled off the track and bumped into a large tree.
Rick jumped out pistol in hand. As the dust cleared he saw Carter’s predicament.
Axe had the crooked policeman by the back of his neck, his teeth sunk into the shirt collar. Fortunately for the military working dog the crooked cop had also lost his pistol. It lay out of reach in the foot well on the passenger side.
“I don’t think he likes you,” said Rick as he aimed the Glock.
“Get him off me. Please, get him off me,” whimpered Carter.
Rick ordered the dog to release and gestured for Carter to climb out. “On your knees, hands behind your back.”
Jenny produced a pair of handcuffs and soon Carter was sitting cuffed in the back of their buggy with Axe sitting alongside him, teeth bared.
“Way to go, sailor.” Jenny gave his hand a squeeze.
He reached out, grasped her waist and pulled her in close. “Hey, it was all you, ranger girl.”
They locked eyes for a moment and then Rick tipped his head forward and they touched lips. He forgot the pain in his shoulder and the pellets in his buttocks and legs as her mouth parted and they kissed long and hard.
Her body felt firm and muscular pressed against him as their tongues touched. Blood rushed to his groin and he felt it harden against her stomach.
“Steady on big boy,” she murmured as their lips parted, “you’re injured, remember.”
As he held her he heard a faint yet familiar sound. The dull thud of helicopter blades grew louder. They both looked skyward as a black chopper thundered overhead.
“The cavalry has arrived,” said Rick.
Jenny kissed him again. “No, our backup has arrived.”
Rick laughed. “Good point. Shall we get back and see how the boys are doing?”
* * *
When they pulled up outside the cabin a squad of camouflaged operatives met them. A DEA team had rappelled in from the helicopter and secured the site.
Mike, Dean, Ernie and the Chief all sat on the porch drinking beers they’d raided from Travis’s stash. The overweight pot grower was lying bandaged on a stretcher under the watchful eye of a DEA paramedic.
Axe leaped from the ATV and made a beeline for Mike. He knocked him backward spilling his beer as he licked his face. “Hey buddy, good to see you too,” Mike said with a laugh.
All four men rose as Rick stepped from the ATV. Ernie was the first to reach him. The Latino threw his arms around his SEAL teammate. “You came through, bro. I thought we were dead. Then you come out all guns blazing like Rambo.”
“I had help. Jenny’s the one who found me.”
Ernie looked confused. “You mean you had to find a pole-dancing instructor to save us.”
Rick elbowed him. “She’s a park ranger.”
Ernie shook his head. “No, essé, she’s a hero.” He ran across and embraced the ranger.
Mike shook his hand next. “Thanks, brother.”
“That dog of yours. He’s pretty damn amazing.”
Mike nodded in the direction of Jenny. “Pretty good matchmaker too.” He headed over to thank the ranger.
“Looks like you learned something out there,” said TJ as he approached.
“Yeah, I learned I’m sticking to boats. This forest crap is bullshit.”
TJ placed a hand on his shoulder. “And here’s me thinking you’d found a little humility.” He grinned. “You did good, son. We’ll make a woodsman out of you yet.”
Dean was the last to offer his thanks to Rick. Then they all retired to the porch to drink beers as the DEA team secured Carter and his cronies. Jenny found a medical kit and inspected Rick’s wounds between sips of her ale.
“Hey Rick,” said Ernie. “How come you’re the one who always gets shot?”
“Because, unlike you I’m not small enough to hide behind every bit of cover.”
“That’s so racist,” declared the Latino.
“How is calling you a midget racist?” Rick winced as Jenny applied a dressing to his shoulder.
“Rick’s right. He’s a heightist,” said the Chief.
“Well, if you didn’t work out so much there wouldn’t be so much of you to get shot,” quipped Ernie.
Jenny snickered as she finished bandaging his wound.
“Oh, you think he’s funny?”
She shook her head. “I think you’re all crazy. Do you have many adventures like this?”
“Too many,” lamented Mike. “From now on TJ is banned from planning any group activities outside of work.”
“Amen to that,” echoed Ernie and Rick.
As they laughed and drank one of the DEA agents approached. “Guys, we’ve prepared a landing zone a little way up the road. If you take the ATV’s up there the helicopter will be able to lift you out to the ranger station. There’s a paramedic team waiting there for you.”
The Chief raised his beer. “Thanks, bud.”
* * *
Mike was the first off the chopper when it touched down in a field behind the ranger station. With Axe by his side he ran straight into the arms of Ali, who was waiting with Maria and Leonie.
“I’m so sorry, babe. You must have been worried to death.”
She nodded with eyes filled with tears. “Yes, I was.”
He hugged her again and then she knelt and wrapped her arms around Axe. “I don’t know what I would do without you, bud. You’re the only thing keeping everyone in this family alive.”
Axe licked the side of her face and wagged his tail furiously.
“That dog’s a damn good SEAL,” said TJ as he and the rest of the team joined them. Ernie already had his arms wrapped around his wife.
“OK team,” said Ali’s sister. “Maria and I have whipped up some coffee and breakfast inside. If you’ve got any injuries you should head over and see the medics.” She pointed to the ambulance parked a dozen yards away.
“You’re unbelievable, Leonie,” said Ali.
She shrugged. “It’s nothing. I mean, as of next week all you special kids are going to be family. Like it or not I’m lumped with you.”
Jenny laughed as she helped Rick limp across to the back of the ambulance.
“It’s a pretty crazy family,” he said as one of the medics pulled out a stretcher and he eased himself up onto it.
“They’re a pretty tight bunch,” she said. “You’re lucky to have friends like that.” She turned to the medic. “He’s got a gunshot graze to the right shoulder and buckshot wounds to the buttocks and legs.”
“Got it, make yourself comfortable, sir.”
Rick lay down with a pillow under his face.
“How’s our hero?” he heard TJ ask.
“He’ll be okay once the medic pulls the buckshot out of his butt,” replied Jenny.
“Can I have some goddamn privacy?” bellowed Rick.
“Sure thing.” The medic slid the gurney into the back of the ambulance. “Is the lady allowed to stay?”
“Yeah, someone has to hold my hand.”
The doors of the van closed and Jenny sat opposite.
“You attached to these shorts?” asked the medic.
“Not particularly,” replied Rick. He jolted as the medic used shears to cut away his shorts and underwear. “Steady there, bud.”
“You’ve got a lovely butt,” Jenny said with a chuckle. “Well except for the buckshot.”
He felt the medic examining his wounds with a metal probe.
“What are you doing next Wednesday?” he asked.
“Look, we just met,” quipped the medic.
Rick shook his head.
“I’m not sure, why?” responded Jenny.
“I need a date for Mike and Ali’s wedding.”
“You’re asking me to go to your teammate’s wedding with you? Isn’t that kind of a big deal?”
He turned and smiled. “Yeah, it is.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. “I’d love to go.”
“Sir, this might hurt a little.”
Rick felt a sharp pain in his buttocks as the medic used a pair of forceps to pluck shot from the flesh. “Son of a bitch.”
He twitched as the wound was squirted with antiseptic then sponged dry and dressed. “You’re real lucky these didn’t go very deep.”
“That’s what she said,” joked Rick as the medic removed another pellet. “Holy shit. What are you doing back there?”
Jenny kissed him on the side of the face. “Come on. I thought you were a big tough SEAL.”
His eyes narrowed. “And I thought you were a sensitive park ranger.”
A wicked smile flashed across her face. “You’ve got a lot to learn.” Then she turned to the medic. “Any chance I can take over?”