Chapter 7
Timber Ridge, Colorado – Safe House
Code Name: Raven
Liam’s weight pressed down on Jade. The man hadn’t moved since he’d thrown her to the porch floor.
Hot white bolts of agony shot across her ribs.
She’d take that over the bullet that narrowly missed her and hit the window.
Well, she assumed she hadn’t been hit, but with the pain flowing through her, she wasn’t sure. She jostled Liam, but he didn’t move.
“Liam?” she whispered.
His ragged breathing brushed against her neck. He was alive. Thank you, God.
“Raven, stay down.” Rafe’s demand came over the comms. “I’m coming out.”
“I couldn’t move if I wanted to.” The snark slipped out. Her go-to when hit with work stress.
“Once I open the door, I’ll drag him inside. Can you get in on your own without standing up?”
Could she? Who knew. But, at the moment, what choice did she have? “I’ll do what I have to. Just get him to safety.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Charlie Two, Charlie Five. Sniper spot found. Charlie Three is in pursuit.” Xander rapid fired the update.
“Copy. Retrieving Charlie One and Raven.” Rafe opened the door. “Raven, get ready.”
“Hurry.” She wanted Liam off her so she could breathe, but more than that, he required medical attention, now.
“Charlie Five, Charlie Two and Raven moving.”
“You’re covered. Go.”
“Okay, Raven. On one, I’m grabbing Charlie One and dragging him inside. Follow, but keep low. Crawl on your belly if you can.” Rafe edged the door open wider. “Three. Two. One.” He rushed out, flipped Liam to his back, and dragged him across the porch and into the house.
No way could Jade stay on her belly. She struggled to her hands and knees and pressed one hand to her ribs. Staying low, she scrambled inside and slammed the door shut. Landing on her backside, she sucked in precious oxygen. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Working on it.” Even with the bulletproof glass, Rafe stayed low and retrieved the medical duffel. He unzipped it and dug out supplies. “Charlie Five, I could use your help.”
“Copy that. On my way,”
If Rafe required the team medic, Liam’s injuries had to be bad.
“Charlie Four, take over,” Xander commanded.
“Copy that. Changing to Overwatch.” Boone snapped his response.
“Rafe, what’s wrong with him?” Jade stumbled over and sat beside Liam’s unmoving body. She dragged her gaze from his feet to his head. Blood covered his face and hair. She searched for the source. Her heart rate spiked when she found the source. A stream of crimson flowed from a gash at his temple.
The door swung open, and Rafe drew his gun faster than she thought possible.
Xander’s hands flew up. “Don’t shoot the help.”
“Get over here.” Rafe secured his weapon but kept it close. “I’ll get wet towels to clean up the mess so you can see.”
Xander nodded, dropped beside Liam, and began assessing his injuries.
Jade stayed quiet while the man worked. Her heart was breaking. She couldn’t lose the man who’d spilled his secrets to her.
“Here.” Rafe handed Xander several wet towels, and the two of them cleaned up the bloody mess on Liam’s face and neck.
“Bullet groove to the right temple. Rafe, get me a syringe with saline and the emergency laceration closures.”
“On it.” Rafe searched the medical kit.
Xander glanced up and met her gaze. “He’s got a two-inch gash on the side of his head, close to his eye. I’m cleaning it and closing it with field sutures. Not sure why he’s sleeping on the job, but I’ll tackle that issue when he’s no longer bleeding on me.”
The easy words flowed from the man’s mouth, but Jade’s heart had jumped to her throat and hadn’t left.
Rafe returned, and she silently watched the men work.
Dax and Boone’s chatter continued in her ear about the search for the gunman.
But she had no doubt they were listening to updates on their leader.
She laced her fingers with Liam’s while Xander continued treating the man who’d stolen her heart after the first mission they’d worked together. His kindness and concern for his men had touched her. Now she knew where the dedication had come from.
“He loves you guys. You know that, right?” She’d never tell his secrets, but his team should know about his devotion to them.
“It’s okay, Raven. We heard him tell you why he’s so demanding.” Rafe moved to the window, weapon at the ready.
She sucked in a breath. “You were listening? How?”
Xander and Rafe exchanged a look.
“What? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Well…um…your comm wasn’t muted. We could hear you talking.” Xander looked guilty.
“How? Did Liam not mute on purpose and didn’t tell me?” Jade’s irritation rose.
“No.” Rafe sighed. “Your comms were hot, not his.”
She blinked, processing the information.
“Knowing Liam, when he figured it out, he decided not to say anything.”
“So you know about me? About him?”
“Yes, to both. You’ve had a rough time of it, Raven. I’m sorry about that. And as for Liam, he chose to tell you about his past. One we didn’t know about. All the while, knowing we were listening.” Boone’s voice filled her ear.
“I suppose you’re right about him.” Jade’s eyes latched onto their joined hands. “But I’m not sure I wanted you to know about my past. I don’t want you all to think less of me.”
“Are you kidding?” “You’re the best, Raven.” “Why would you think that?” “Oh, please.” The men all spoke at once.
She couldn’t help but chuckle. That was the Charlie Team she knew and loved. “Fine, but if any of you treat me like glass, I’m leaving you to fend for yourselves during the next mission,” she huffed teasingly.
Xander grinned at her. “That’s our Raven. Snarky and bold.”
“By the way, we’re with Charlie One. You’ll always be Raven. Jade just doesn’t sound right.” Dax spoke for the team.
The comms quieted, and Jade refocused on Liam’s head injury. “Why isn’t he awake?”
Xander finished his suture job with the special field strips. “The gash isn’t bad, but my guess is the shockwave of the bullet either stunned or concussed his brain.”
That didn’t sound good. “But he’ll be all right?”
“Time will tell, but in my opinion, yes. He’ll be ordering us around in no time.” Xander placed a white square bandage over the cut. “There. Now we wait for Sleeping Beauty to rise. Rafe, help me get our fearless leader onto the couch.”
“Gotcha.” Rafe lifted Liam’s legs while Xander slid his hands under the man’s arms.
“Go.”
The men lifted Liam and grunted.
“Good heavens, he needs to go on a diet,” Rafe grumbled.
As if the man had an ounce of fat on his body. She knew from their previous conversations over the computer that the man worked out like a machine. Now, she understood why. Between his past and his present job, he wouldn’t allow his physical abilities to cause an issue.
Once they had Liam situated on the couch, she tossed a couple of pillows onto the floor and sat next to him.
Xander pushed the recliner closer. “If you won’t sit in it, use it as a back rest. Your ribs have to be killing you.”
“Thanks.” Her entire torso throbbed. She rested against the chair and took Liam’s hand in both of hers. “Liam, please wake up. I need you.” Well aware that the guys heard her, Jade didn’t care. Her only concern at the moment was the man lying unconscious on the couch.
Liam had taken a bullet meant for her, and she intended to stay by his side until he woke up.
Timber Ridge, Colorado – Safe House
Friday – 0900 Hours
Call Sign: Charlie One
Liam’s head pounded in time with his pulse.
The throbbing pain cutting through his skull stirred his stomach.
He willed down the bile crawling up his throat.
Why did his head hurt so badly? His conversation with Raven rolled through his mind.
The confessions. The moment he’d almost kissed her.
The shot. The searing pain. His heart hammered against his breastbone. Raven. Had she been hit? Where was she?
He struggled to get to her, but his limbs felt as if he were wading through wet cement.
“Liam, calm down.” Xander's voice oozed through the fog. “You’re going to be fine.”
He didn’t care about himself. Raven.
“Raven’s okay. You saved her.”
His heart rate settled at X-Man’s assurance. He wanted to ask questions. Wanted to see her. But his body refused to cooperate.
Chatter filled his ear, becoming background noise. His team was there, and so was Raven. That’s all that mattered.
“We found the sniper hole. Whoever it was got away.”
“At least he’s not a very good one.”
“What do you mean he’s not good? He hit Liam!”
Liam struggled to differentiate who spoke, but Raven’s exasperated tone was unmistakable.
“That’s what I’m talking about. He hit him, but he didn’t kill him. If he were a good sniper, Liam wouldn’t be breathing right now. And maybe not you.”
“That really gives me warm fuzzies, guys.” Raven huffed.
“We aim to please.”
Liam could imagine Raven shaking her head.
“Why isn’t he waking up?”
“It’s going to take him a bit to recover. My guess is he can hear us, but his pea brain is trying to right itself.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Raven’s voice rose.
Liam gritted his teeth. The increased volume sent daggers through his skull.
A deep chuckle, one that had to be Rafe, filled his ears. “Watch out, X-Man.”
“Yeah. Yeah.”
“What about the sniper? How did he find us?” Raven asked.
“I have no idea. No one knew we were here.”
Liam struggled to open his eyes as the conversation flowed around him. He tried to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth but failed.
“I wish he’d wake up.” He noticed the warmth of his hand in hers. “So what’s the plan?”
“The plan is for the big guy to wake up, then get you on the plane and out of here.”
“Raven, I don’t know how someone found our safe house. No one knew about it except for Liam’s friend.”
There was no way Liam’s friend Derek was involved. The man was as solid as they came.
Liam fought against the fog inhabiting his brain and whispered, “He’s not involved. It had to be another way.”