Broken Wings

by Terri Schaefer

  “Hey,” Mandy argued, her driver so silent at her side Ethan wondered if he was mute. “You can’t just leave us here.”

  “I can and will,” he said, “until we do recon.”

  “Here,” Bec said, tossing Mandy her keys. “Take my car and follow us. It’s all on the company dime anyway.”

  Ethan was already walking out the door, not particularly caring what Mandy and Harold did at this point.

  He reflexively ducked beneath the lazily spinning rotors and strapped in. Rebecca did the same in the copilot’s seat, her movements economic, sparse, and trained.

  He looked at her square in the eye. Let his feelings show. “Let’s go get our girl.”

  She nodded, a look of cool calculation entering her expression as they lifted off.

  The flight was barely long enough to bring them to altitude, the terrain just hilly enough to hide them, the Dauphin quiet enough to keep them undiscovered.

  What Ethan saw as they dipped over the horizon confused him.

  There were no vehicles in sight, but a man and a woman obviously wearing battle rattle were lounging on the porch of what looked to be a sheriff’s office of old. Like they’d been flashed to the past, but wearing current weapons and body armor.

  He peeled off to the west as he saw a thin plume of dust rising from the road. It might be Mandy, but as he checked his watch, he realized it couldn’t. Even if they’d been doing sixty on the rutted road, they wouldn’t have made it this far yet.

  So who were the newcomers?

  Natalie settled back in her chair as much as she could with her legs bound. Her ass was starting to fall asleep from sitting, and Petra kept trying to make conversation through her gag.

  Natalie ignored her.

  All she really had to do was be patient and look for her opportunity to escape. Or for her father to come through when she needed him most.

  In fact, right now, she could hear Erickson deal making with her father on the phone.

  When the man approached two minutes later, she didn’t much like the pity in his eyes.

  “He wants the Ukrainian,” he said uncomfortably. “He’s sending you to the Marshals.”

  Betrayal like she’d never felt stabbed her in the gut.

  She’d pawned off one too many of Greg’s actions because after they’d lost Mom he’d just shut down.

  Like a good little girl she’d done everything he asked. To make life easier. To make him love her.

  She’d been an idiot. But she’d wanted to believe in his love so badly.

  She was pretty sure any affection in Greg Flynn’s heart had died with her mother.

  “He knows you can handle this, but he wants control of her,” Erickson pointed his chin at Petra, “for damage control.”

  Yeah, she knew what this really was. He’d thrown her under the fucking bus in order to save face for Arrow, assured she’d be the obedient daughter and toe the line.

  She’d walked away from Ethan for nothing. Spent her entire life trying to make her father see her. And she’d failed. Spectacularly.

  She shifted her chin higher, not willing to let Erickson see her defeat. Her absolute heartache. But he did anyway.

  “I know a Marshal,” he said as he dragged Petra away from the table, none too gently. “He’ll treat you right, make sure you’re lawyered up before he asks you questions, okay?”

  She nodded in thanks, and settled against her chair, waiting. Angry at her father. Angry at herself for allowing him that much headspace.

  She’d risked everything for him, for Greg, as she was now determined to think of him. No more. Fuck Arrow. And fuck her father.

  “Inbound!” Her musings were cut short by a hail from Tessa. She sounded stressed, which meant the newcomers weren’t expected. “Two Escalades, windows down, weapons visible. I make four per vehicle. We’re screwed.”

  “Cut me loose,” Natalie demanded. “Give me my weapon back and I’ll fight with you,” she promised.

  Erickson had pushed Petra into an old-time jail cell, keeping her out of his way and out of harm’s way as well. He whirled on Natalie, looked at her hard for a moment, then gave a sharp nod. “Keep your head down and don’t get dead.”

  “I won’t,” she promised, and held out her hands.

  He sliced through the zip ties with one swipe of his knife, let her fumble with her leg restraints as he ordered Tessa and Brodie into the room, began to set up defenses.

  She threw away the last of the ropes, made sure Petra was safely detained behind the old steel bars and then palmed the weapon Erickson thrust at her.

  Smiled when she heard the thump of helicopter blades in the distance.

  “We’ve got backup,” she said, and her frozen heart began to thaw.

  “I need you to get in the main cabin as soon as I touch down, understand?”

  Rebecca looked at him as they descended, then seemed to read his mind. “Copy. Ready as soon as we get close.”

  He hovered just over the bare ground as she hopped out of the copilot’s seat and jumped into the cabin. Left the door open as she braced on a skid and removed her belt, roping herself into the locking mechanism. Then she pulled out her weapon and they were ready.

  He nosed the Dauphin up, kept it on the far side of the hill, where the approaching vehicles wouldn’t hear or see them.

  And then, as the two SUVs came to a stop in front of the now-deserted front porch of the Sheriff’s office, he pushed the chopper to its limits, zooming low over the hardpack, just like he’d done a hundred times before over the course of his career.

  And while there had been high stakes before, his heart had never felt lodged into his throat, his pulse had never truly beat with fear rather than adrenaline.

  The vehicles disgorged four big men from each SUV. In the distance he could see another dust plume. Assumed it was Mandy. Who would be too late.

  The men fanned out, encircling the small building, and it was at that moment Ethan knew they had an insider. Someone who’d known they were going to be in Santa Rosa. He shot a hard look at Rebecca, wondering if it was her, but she had a warrior-woman look on her face as she hung mostly out of the cabin door.

  No, he couldn’t see it. She was all in on this op, and could have easily stayed behind and out of danger.

  The men opened fire just as he entered town, and as soon as she was in range, Rebecca started taking careful, precise, phenomenal shots that wounded at least two of the men before Ethan had to take her out of range and circle around.

  By the time he entered the area again, from a different angle, only two of the men were still standing, taking shelter behind a building. He looked at Rebecca, motioned down and got her nod in response, then dropped the Dauphin to the deck a few hundred yards behind them.

  Rebecca had already unstrapped herself and jumped down, running as her feet hit the hardpack.

  Ethan lifted off, veered to the west, swooping in and making enough noise to draw fire and keep their attention off their six. He evaded the small arms fire, wincing when a bullet whizzed through the open door of the cabin and exited through the glass on the other side.

  In response, he headed straight for them, kicking up dust and obscuring everything around them.

  He hoped Natalie would use the dust for what it was… cover and diversion.

  When he landed the chopper a hundred yards out moments later, the dust had died down. He ran the distance with every bit of speed he had in him and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Natalie, two other men and a blonde woman securing the shooters. Rebecca emerged with the last two marching in front of her at gunpoint, weapons in both hands, and a gun at her waist from disarming them.

  He hurried forward to help, took a set of zip ties from a gigantic blond man wearing full battle rattle, secured one of the men Rebecca was bringing in. He took a hard look and realized it was one of the men from Roswell. At least he knew that loose end had now been accounted for.

  He stood and Natalie was right there.
He reached out, the move instinctual, ingrained, and pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his body. Let out a long, almost shuddering sigh at the way she felt in his arms.

  She squeezed him right back, then loosened her grip, stepped back, put a bit of distance between them. “I knew you’d come back,” she whispered and surged up to give him a kiss that lit his world on fire.

  He would have happily continued with that simple, world-shattering kiss, but a throat-clearing ahem separated them, almost a mirror to their very first kiss on the picnic bench, what seemed like ages ago.

  Rebecca stood next to them, grinning from ear to ear. “You okay, Nat?”

  Ethan felt like a total ass for not asking that question first, but Natalie answered with an answering smile. “I’m fine. Erickson, Tessa and Brodie are pros. They’re bounty hunters.”

  She turned to the man who’d handed Ethan the zip ties. “Ethan, this is Erickson. Hell, I don’t even know your first name.”

  Ethan assessed the man, wondering what his next steps would be. What he planned on doing with Natalie and Petra.

  As is if summoned from his thoughts, the blonde female

  bounty hunter—he assumed Tessa--led Petra down the rickety stairs, planted her ass on the ground a good distance away from the shooters, but still close enough to keep an eye on, and tackle to the ground if she decided to run.

  Erickson looked at Ethan hard, gave him a nod. “Leif.” He held up a hand before anyone could say anything. Tessa gave an amused smile. “I know. Nice flying.” He looked at the Dauphin. “Bet that one’s going to bring a pretty penny, even with a bullet hole or two in it.”

  “She’s mine,” Ethan growled, and for a moment he wasn’t sure if he meant the helicopter or Natalie. Maybe both.

  “Not if you’re in custody, she’s not,” the other man, Brodie, said. Ethan didn’t like the way the three were looking at him and Natalie. Depending on where Rebecca allied, it could be an even fight. One they might win.

  Especially if Mandy and her silent driver showed up in the next few minutes. They might have been tight-lipped on Petra being in the SUV, but at the end of the day she was linked with Arrow, not these yahoos in front of him.

  “Rebecca, I need to know where you stand,” he said quietly, so only the three of them could hear it.

  “With Natalie,” she said. “You’re growing on me, flyboy, but always with Natalie.”

  He nodded, his gut feeling confirmed.

  Erickson was obviously the leader, so he was the one that needed convincing. “I’m taking that chopper. And Natalie and Rebecca as well.” He heard the words drop like bricks in the silence.

  Erickson studied him for a long moment. Lifted his head and saw the plume of dust approaching. Tilted his head, considering, then made a lassoing movement with his hand. “Saddle up. We had a deal with Arrow, and we don’t break deals. Grab the Ukranian. I want to get out of here before the feds show up and try to take her away.” He turned back to their trio. “The Marshal’s name is Harmon out of the Vegas District Office. Assure him you’ll turn yourself in. Today. Tell Rob he owes me that much.”

  Ethan dipped his head in assent. “I will, and I’d love to know how you know him.”

  “That’s a story for another day,” Erickson replied. “The Marshals are on their way to clean up this mess,” he gestured to the men lying on the ground. “I’ll also be collecting any bounty attached to their names.” He threw them a sardonic little salute, but it was enough of one for Ethan to know the man had served at some point. “It’s all about the payday, boys and girls.”

  But Ethan was pretty sure for Erickson it wasn’t. At all. It was none of his business, though. Not when the man was allowing them to leave with their assurances to turn themselves in.

  The three bounty hunters loaded Petra into their SUV and pulled away, through the little ghost town, disappearing into the hills in seconds.

  The dust plume had grown bigger. Ethan turned to the women. “Do we stay or go?”

  Natalie’s face took on a hard edge he hadn’t seen before. “We go.”

  They ran to the Dauphin and were lifting off just as Mandy pulled into town.

  Ethan threw the woman a little finger wave and banked to the east, more than happy to put New Mexico behind him. Behind them.

  He looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Natalie and Rebecca exchanging a hard hug before they strapped in, both putting on headsets after they were secured.

  “Can you drop me back in Santa Rosa?” Rebecca asked. “I need to hook back up with my crew.”

  Natalie looked sad, and he wished her friend would stay with her, with them, but he understood duty, and knew Natalie did as well.

  A few minutes later they landed at the small airstrip. Rebecca hopped out and Natalie joined him in the cockpit. She waved to her friend. “She’s giving us a bit more lead time and laying a bit of a false trail for us. How soon will we be in Oklahoma City?”

  “Two and a half, maybe three hours,” he said.

  “Should be more than enough time. She’s telling them we’re heading to Houston,” she grinned at him and his heart, already on a precipice, tumbled.

  Ethan had donned his sunglasses the second he settled back into the cockpit, and Natalie would have given most anything to see his eyes. To see what he was thinking.

  He’d come back for her. Just like four days ago, he’d returned. But this time it wasn’t as a repossession agent hunting a commission, it was as someone who’d worshipped her body. Who’d held her through the night.

  She wanted to tell him how her heart had soared as he and Rebecca came roaring into the ghost town like avenging angels, how she and the three bounty hunters had been holding back their attackers, but it had been a close thing. His appearance had turned the tide, and then he’d lifted her away to freedom.

  But right now he had a serious pilot face on, and she didn’t want to interrupt him, at least not yet. What she really wanted to do was have him land the damned thing so they could talk. Maybe continue the kiss from back in Jackson.

  Oh, they would still have to reckon with the Marshals when they hit Oklahoma City. And she’d have to deal with her father, but right now she was riding the adrenaline high of having won a righteous battle. One for her freedom.

  And Ethan had been the saving grace of that freedom. Again.

  She toggled her headphones. “Any chance we can land somewhere quiet so I can go to the ladies room?”

  Ethan looked at her, a slow smile curving his mouth. “What, restrooms weren’t up to snuff in the old ghost town?”

  “Y’know, not even sure,” she said, grinning back at him. “I was kinda tied up for most of it, and then people were shooting.”

  He scanned the ground beneath him, thought for a long moment. “We can hit Tucumcari again. It’s close and a decent terminal. Small enough for us to get in and out quickly.”

  She’d have rather gone for someplace out of the way, just to take a breather, but she’d take what she could get.

  A few moments later they were landing at the small regional airport, and he was right. It was small. They walked into the terminal and Ethan made small talk with the airport manager about needing some to-go food while she used the bathroom, before they headed down to Houston.

  They grabbed some pre-made sandwiches and chips and headed back to the Dauphin.

  “Can we sit in the back, just for a few minutes? It’s been a busy morning.” She paused. “But if you think we should be on the move…”

  He grabbed her hand, pulled her to a stop. “We’ve got time, sunshine. Let’s grab a bite and settle for a few.”

  She clasped his fingers, and her stomach did a somersault when he didn’t push her away. When he grasped them even tighter, then helped her into the luxurious cabin of the Dauphin, his hands lingering on her hips as he gave her a boost.

  They settled in next to each other, ate their lunch, took a much-needed breath. Set a fifteen-minute timer, so they weren’t
on the ground for too long.

  When she turned to him after finishing the last of her sandwich, the look, the intensity, the smoldering in his gaze took her breath away.

  “Thought I might have lost you, sunshine,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent delicious sensation racing up her spine. “But you can take care of yourself, can’t you?” He cupped her cheek, brought her in for a light kiss. “Know I shouldn’t, not with everything happening, but seeing you safe…” He trailed off, rested his forehead against hers.

  She melted in response, tipped his face up to hers and fell into a kiss so simple, so pure, it almost made her weep. Made her want things she knew he wasn’t ready to give. That maybe she wasn’t ready for either.

  But it didn’t matter as they made out in the luxury of the helicopter, as their hands smoothed and teased and tempted until the alarm went off and they had to come up for air. For reality.

  Chapter 14

  Ethan didn’t want to leave the ground in Tucumcari. Wanted to stay right here, in this escape pod. But knew he couldn’t. They couldn’t.

  They had an appointment with the U.S. Marshals as soon as he touched down in Oklahoma City. Or they would, when Natalie called the Las Vegas contact Erickson had given her. Which Ethan asked her to do before they lifted off.

  There was no reason to delay, not when he was ninety-nine percent sure he and Natalie had been exonerated. Didn’t mean they wouldn’t be brought in for questioning, so the feds could figure out what the hell had happened.

  They sat in the back while Natalie made the call.

  “Harmon.” He was short, sweet and to the point.

  “Agent Harmon, I’m Natalie Flynn, and with me is Ethan Masters.”

  “Miss Flynn,” Harmon said, his voice tipping toward cordiality. “I’m glad to hear from you. Where are you? I’d like to sit down and have a chat with you and Mr. Masters.”

  She was sure he did.

  “You can meet us at Red River Recovery in Oklahoma City in about two hours,” she replied. “We’re getting ready to go airborne and will be out of comms until then.”