Life Flight

by Lynette Eason

  “Almost to the chopper, I think. I hope. It was a bit easier coming down the mountain, but it’s impossible to just go straight up. I’m having to walk sideways a lot before finding a way up. And even then, I’m slipping and sliding everywhere. Where are you?”

  “Closing in on you. We’re having to do the same thing.”

  A grunt slipped from her. Then a gasp.

  “Penny?”

  Silence.

  “Penny? You there?”

  “I see him,” she whispered.

  Holt stopped walking and held up a hand. Rain pounded him. “Can you hide?”

  Julianna and Marty pulled up, their eyes on his.

  “Not really.” Her hushed voice vibrated with fear. “He’s going for the chopper, isn’t he?”

  “We think so.”

  “He’ll kill them all if he reaches it.”

  “We’re not going to let that happen. We’re on the way.” He motioned to the others and they started moving again, faster, a new desperation pushing them.

  “I have to get there, Holt. To warn them. They don’t know he’s out there, that they’re in any danger other than from the storm.” She paused. “If I can get there, I can lock us in the chopper and buy enough time for you to do your thing.”

  “Penny, don’t risk it.”

  “I have to,” she whispered. “Hurry.”

  CHAPTER

  FOUR

  Pressing the phone to her ear, Penny huddled against the tree for a brief moment before she dared a glance around the trunk.

  He was gone.

  No, no, no. Where’d he go? Fear pounded through her veins.

  She looked left, right. Nothing.

  Great. Just great.

  She’d lost sight of him, but he was out there. Penny could almost feel his presence and the desperation that drove him.

  Heart in her throat, she pushed away from the tree, noting the rain seemed to have slacked a little in the last minute. The lightning flashes came much farther apart and the darkness had lessened. Please, God, make it stop.

  “Penny? You see him?”

  “No,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Not anymore. I don’t know where he went, but I’m almost back to the chopper.”

  She’d finally arrived on flat land and, through the trees, could see the chopper in the small clearing.

  Still no Byron in sight. He should have been there by now. The rain had slowed some, allowing for more visibility with each flash of lightning. She’d turned the flashlight off at the first sight of the man near the tree line. Had he seen her? Heard her phone vibrate?

  She didn’t think so but couldn’t be sure.

  But with that flash of lightning, he was gone. Had he even been there or was she just seeing a serial killer everywhere she looked?

  From her hiding spot, she continued to watch, praying Holt and the others would get there soon. They couldn’t be that far away. The chopper was just ahead. Flickers of light came from the cabin, which meant the flashlights were still working, but no signs of distress to indicate danger had invaded. Please, please, let Claire still be alive.

  With another look around and no sign of the man she thought she’d seen by the tree line, she started forward, noting the wind was even less, the rain not as hard.

  “Thank you, God,” she whispered.

  The sound of blades beating the air reached her and relief hit, making her knees weak. But if she could hear it, no doubt everyone else could too. Including a serial killer on the mountain.

  Three people dressed in FBI uniforms broke the tree line just ahead. Holt, Julianna, and Marty. Hope sprouted that the end of this was in sight. Just a little longer and everyone would be safe.

  A chopper, twin to her own, appeared and drew closer, hovered, then lowered into the space near her downed aircraft.

  Byron.

  Holt, Marty, and Julianna ducked against the wind stirred by the blades and aimed themselves toward her chopper.

  Penny did the same, running flat out until she reached the cabin door. Marty and Julianna positioned themselves on either side of the chopper, weapons drawn, faces tight. “Thank you, guys, for showing up!”

  “Couldn’t let you be the only hero in the bunch.” Julianna shot her an encouraging smile and Penny pounded on the door.

  Holt stepped up beside her. “Can I do anything to help?” he shouted.

  “You can help us get this patient transferred to the other chopper.”

  “I can do that.”

  “It’s really good to see you, Holt. Thanks for coming to the rescue.”

  “You did just fine all by yourself. Local cops, state police, and more FBI are combing this mountain for Rabor, but we need to get you all out of here.”

  “I really like that plan.”

  The door opened and Holly stood there, the strain of the last couple of hours stamped on her pretty features. Her face morphed into an expression of relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” she blurted. “I was so worried.”

  “I survived. How’s Claire?”

  “Hanging in there, but she needs surgery.”

  “Let’s get her transferred to the other chopper and on the way. I can stay here and go down the mountain with the agents and someone can pick me up.”

  “I can make sure you get home,” Holt said.

  Penny nodded.

  A hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up to find Holt’s green eyes on her. “I need to know where you saw Rabor,” he said.

  “In the woods.” She pointed. “That way.”

  “Did he see you?”

  “I have no idea. I’m honestly not sure he was even there. Between the lightning, my stress level, worry for Claire and the others”—she shrugged—“maybe I dreamed it.”

  “Or maybe not.”

  “Yeah. Or that.”

  For the next few minutes, she, Holt, Raina, and Holly worked to transfer Claire to the other chopper while Marty and Julianna kept an eye on the tree line and the surrounding areas.

  The storm was finally passing. The wind still blew, but the rain had slacked to a misty drizzle. She was cold, wet, and hungry, but as long as Claire made it, Penny would be okay.

  A crack echoed around them. Marty cried out and went down. Penny froze for a split second before the ground spat up dirt onto her pants leg.

  “Get down! Everyone down! Penny, get down!” Holt’s sharp cry sent her to the ground.

  But she couldn’t just leave Marty out in the open, a vulnerable target. She pushed to her feet to charge toward him. Holt was racing for the man as well. Raina and Holly had paused their monitoring of Claire to watch in frozen horror.

  Julianna beat Penny and Holt to Marty and pulled him to his feet. “Cover me!”

  Holt paused, then whipped his weapon toward the tree line where the bullets had come from.

  Blood streamed from Marty’s left thigh. Penny darted toward the two of them and a bullet whipped past her cheek.

  Screams from the chopper, the blades beating the air, her own heart pounding in her ears—all combined to roar like white noise in her head. Penny focused on helping Marty. She joined Julianna and slid a shoulder under his other arm while Holt scanned the woods.

  “I don’t see him, but hurry!” he said.

  “Get him to the chopper,” Julianna yelled.

  The helicopter lifted, shifted, then settled again, and she realized Byron was trying to use the craft to shield them. Holt drew closer, backing toward them, allowing them time to get Marty on the aircraft.

  The agent panted, his pain almost tangible.

  “Hang on, Marty,” Penny said, “we’ll get you fixed up in just a minute!”

  Julianna scrambled into the helicopter, turned, and shoved her hands under Marty’s armpits. She tugged and Penny pushed until he was inside, lying on the floor. “Get in, Penny!”

  Julianna screeched and fell back, clutching her left arm. Blood flowed between her fingers, but her eyes were focused over Penny’s shoulder.
“Holt!”

  Penny turned to see Holt racing into the woods. “Holt! Come back!” Cold dread centered itself in her midsection. He was going after a killer all by himself. Where were the other teams of agents? On the way to help, no doubt, but would they arrive in time?

  A gust of wind rocked the chopper and Byron turned in his seat. “Get in!”

  Raina had already started pressure on Julianna’s arm, and Holly was focused on Marty’s leg.

  “I can’t just leave him there.” She stepped back. “Go!”

  “No!” Julianna cried. “I’ll go!” She scrambled for the door and Holly yanked her back.

  Penny ducked and ran from the chopper.

  “Penny!”

  Holly’s yell floated after her as Penny headed toward where she’d seen Holt disappear. The helicopter lifted and roared away. For a moment, there was silence until her ears readjusted to the sounds of nature.

  And a gunshot.

  Holt ducked, but the bullet was wide and it slammed into the tree beside him. He continued to chase the man, barking his location into his radio, demanding to know where his backup was. Static answered him. He gave up for the moment as he pushed through the bushes, dodged tree limbs, and kicked at the underbrush, desperate to keep Rabor in sight.

  He burst through into an open area and skidded to a stop. Ten yards ahead, the earth came to an end. He had no idea how steep the drop-off was, but he had no desire to find out.

  Heart pounding, sweat beading on his forehead, he whirled to see Rabor step out from behind a tree. He held what was probably Gus’s stolen weapon on Holt and wore a smirk Holt still saw in his dreams. And yet . . . there was something . . . off.

  “Well, well,” the killer drawled, “Special Agent Holton Satterfield. I’d recognize you anywhere.”

  Holt’s stomach twisted and he could see his death staring back at him through the drizzling rain. “Rabor. Why don’t you put that gun down and come on in nice and easy? Save us both some trouble. I don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of being cold and wet.”

  The man laughed. A chilling sound that scraped along Holt’s nerve endings. This wasn’t going to end the way he wanted it to. “Where’s Shondra?”

  Holt caught a brief flash of movement to his left before Penny launched herself onto Rabor’s back and sent his weapon flying. A scream of rage ripped from Rabor’s throat as he went to his knees, and Holt bolted for the man. The killer rolled for the gun, grabbing it inches from Holt’s foot, and shot to his feet. Rabor whipped around and snagged a handful of Penny’s strawberry-blond hair.

  Her high-pitched cry echoed and Holt’s heart shuddered.

  “Stay right there!” Rabor pressed the gun against her temple, and Holt stopped so fast, he almost lost his footing on the slick ground.

  “Let her go!” He lifted his own weapon and aimed it at Rabor’s left eye.

  “Not until you drop your weapon.”

  “I’m not dropping my gun.”

  “Then she’s dead.” Rabor drew the gun down her cheek and whispered something that Holt missed. Penny never reacted to whatever it was he said, keeping her eyes locked on Holt. He had to ignore the pleading on her face and concentrate on Rabor, who’d finally stopped muttering and met Holt’s gaze. “Say goodbye to the pretty lady.”

  Think, think!

  Penny’s arm shot up in a smooth self-defense move, knocking into Rabor’s forearm. Once again, he lost his grip on the gun. She stomped on the inside of his right knee, scraping her heavy boot down onto his foot. Then jabbed a hard punch back with her elbow.

  The man howled, then punched her in the side of the head just as Penny jerked away and fell on her rear. But she was loose and Holt was moving. Penny used the momentum to roll away from Rabor’s reaching hands, and Holt threw a hard punch to the man’s gut. The breath whooshed from his lungs and he bent double. And stayed there, gasping, his hand gripping his middle. But at least he wasn’t anywhere near the weapon.

  “Get back, Penny!”

  She scrambled backward, out of the way.

  “Drop the knife, Rabor!”

  The man jerked up, a knife flashing in his left hand.

  “You think I’d fall for that one again?” Holt asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m going to finish what I started the first time we met.”

  A brief flash of the struggle, the surprise of finding a knife in his side, a pain like he’d never experienced before—the long road to recovery. All of that surged to the surface in warp speed. Holt shoved all that aside and focused on the man who wanted to kill him.

  From the corner of his eye, he could see Penny rubbing her head and watching. She rolled to her knees, then staggered to her feet. Worry shafted him. If he failed, Penny would die too.

  Rabor charged him. Holt braced himself, but at the last minute the man changed direction and went after Penny.

  “No!” Holt shot forward and threw himself in between them, taking a hard hit that sent him to the ground. Rabor let out a low grunt, gave a yell, and hoisted himself over Holt. Pinned to the ground, Holt stared up.

  The knife flashed.

  Started toward Holt’s throat.

  A hard thud echoed around him and Rabor and the knife were gone. He was free. Holt rolled to see Penny hit the ground, tangled with Rabor. The killer roared his fury and flung himself to his feet, swinging the blade dangerously close to her face.

  “You’re going to die for that, little girl.” He stepped toward her.

  Before Holt could move, Penny swung a leg out and connected with Rabor’s ankle. The man stumbled, tripped over an exposed root, and crashed to the ground with a harsh cry.

  Then was still.

  Holt raced to snag the gun before Rabor could move again. He shoved it into his waistband and aimed his own weapon at the still form. “Put your hands behind your back, Rabor.” Into his radio, he shouted, “Need backup ASAP. Track my sat phone.”

  “Holt!” Julianna’s voice came through, sending relief into his shaking limbs. “Help’s on the way. Do you need medical assistance?”

  “Yeah, get them here one way or another.” Rabor still hadn’t moved, but Holt knew his pattern well. Pretend to be unconscious while hiding the knife, then attack when approached. “Hands, Rabor! Show me your hands! You know how this works.” He glanced at Penny. “Watch the area for his girlfriend. She’s just as dangerous as he is.” Back to Rabor. “Hands behind your back! Do it! Now!”

  No movement.

  “I don’t think he can,” Penny said and started toward the man.

  “Penny, don’t!”

  She met his gaze and frowned but continued her cautious approach.

  “Penny?” Holt’s fingers flexed around the butt of his weapon, ready to put a bullet in the man’s head. Why wouldn’t she listen?

  She finally touched Rabor’s shoulder and Holt prepared himself to fire. But again, the killer didn’t move.

  “Get away from him, Penny!”

  She placed two fingers on the side of the man’s neck, then lifted her gaze to Holt’s. “He’s dead.”

  CHAPTER

  FIVE

  Penny stood frozen, head aching from Rabor’s punch. She clasped her arms around her middle, shaking and slightly nauseous, while the coroner rolled Rabor to his side. The knife he’d almost used on her and Holt was embedded in the left side of his chest. Straight through his heart, if she were to make an educated guess.

  A shudder rippled through her. Holt finished his conversation and walked over to her. “There’s no sign of the girlfriend. The search will continue until she’s found.”

  She nodded and he placed his hands on her shoulders. His gaze met hers, and she finally was able to move.

  Straight into his arms to bury her face against his hard, soggy shoulder. She clasped the material at his waist, felt the vest under his shirt, and sucked in a ragged breath. “I was so scared,” she whispered.

  “Of course you were,” he said, his lips moving again
st her hair. “I was too.”

  Another shiver shook her. The blanket someone had tossed around her was saturated and did nothing to keep her warm. “I killed him,” she mumbled.

  “He killed himself.” He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward. She let her eyes meet his. “You understand that, right? Rabor’s dead because he made a lot of bad choices. In the end, one of those killed him. He stumbled because you were defending yourself. His death was pure accident brought on by his own evil intent.”

  “Yeah. Right. I mean, I know that. Mentally. It’s just . . . weird. I fought back and a man is dead.”

  He squeezed her closer and she was content to huddle against him, desperate to convince herself she’d gotten a happy ending.

  “Don’t mourn too much for him, Penny,” he said. “Don’t let him stay in your head.”

  “I won’t.” She hoped. “And I really do realize that if things hadn’t played out the way they did, one—or both—of us would be dead. I’ve just got to work on wrapping my mind around that.”

  “You’ll be all right, Penny. I’ll help you get through this.”

  “Have you . . . you know?”

  “Killed someone before?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered.

  He sighed. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “You know, I’ve only ever pulled my gun four times with the intention of using it if I had to. One of those times, I did.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I was too. Still am. But I don’t let it eat at me. I did what I was trained to do, and I saved a victim’s life. The person I shot made his choices. I made mine.” He paused. “What did he say to you?”

  “What?”

  “Rabor. When he was holding the gun against you, he whispered something to you. What did he say?”

  Penny blanked. “I don’t know.”

  “Did you not hear him?”

  “I guess not. I was so focused on mentally walking myself through the self-defense move that I must have missed it.”

  He frowned. “Well, the man’s dead now. Maybe it doesn’t matter. That was a great move, by the way.”

  “Thanks.”

  He looked up, touched the side of her head. “Doesn’t look too bad.”