“Nope,” he assured her. “And the other guys hunkered down further up the mountain. I sent them our coordinates, and they’ll be here shortly.”
“Your entire team?”
“Yep. Don’t worry; they’re good guys. Just stick by me, and we’ll all hike down the mountain together. We’ll arrange for an extraction, and then fly on a helo back to Bagram.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
“We’ll get you out of here,” he promised.
“It just doesn’t seem real. After all this time….” She took a bite of the protein bar as Ethan scanned the area. He hated her uncertainty, but after what she’d been through, he didn’t blame her. No doubt she’d hoped night after night to be rescued or escape. When they’d snuck in to the camp, it had probably been like any other day to her. Except she was now free.
She stiffened beside him as they heard voices, and Ethan automatically reached out to rest a hand on her leg. “Easy. It’s just my teammates.”
“Okay. Right. Is Grayson with them? Hailey’s boyfriend?”
“He is. I’ll be sure to introduce you.”
“Wow. It’s so weird to learn she’s been dating him—that she lives with him. I feel like I’ve been gone forever and missed out on so much.”
“It’s nothing she can’t catch you up on,” he said, trying to make her feel better. She had missed a lot during her two months in captivity. He wasn’t about to remind her of that now. He wanted her to feel safe with them and focus on the present, not worry about life back home.
Ethan abruptly stood up as he heard his buddies approaching. He reached out a hand and helped Kimberly to stand. He didn’t miss the way she edged slightly closer to him. Damn. He’d do whatever it took to make her feel comfortable and safe with him. No doubt her captors had mistreated her. She didn’t need to fear anyone on his team though.
He stuffed his sweatshirt back into his rucksack and folded up the blanket. Then he scanned the area to make sure they hadn’t left something behind, before swinging his gear onto his back.
“Ready to get this show on the road?” Troy quipped as they walked up.
“About time you guys showed up,” Ethan said. “This is Kimberly.”
“Hi, I’m Blake Reynolds,” Raptor said, walking over to shake hands with Kim. “We’re thrilled that we found you, ma’am. I’m sorry you had to spend another night on the mountain, but we’ll be back on base before you know it. They’ll check you out at the hospital, and if you’re cleared for travel, you’ll be flying home to the States with us.”
“Okay,” she said uncertainly.
“We’ll keep you safe,” Jackson said, his voice deep.
Blake began talking to Bagram Airfield over his headset, and Ethan took Kim’s arm, guiding her forward through the darkness. He released it after a moment but remained close since she couldn’t see. They were moving more slowly than when they’d hiked up, but he knew his teammates would go at whatever pace she needed.
Grayson fell in step beside them. “Hi Kimberly, I’m Ghost. Grayson. I know this is probably strange for you, but I met Hailey at Bagram. She’s been so worried and can’t wait to see you.”
“Thank you for keeping her safe,” Kimberly said.
Ethan’s chest tightened. Even though she was likely scared out of her mind, Kim was thinking of her friend.
“She means everything to me,” Grayson admitted. “I guess Ethan told you about us. Things happened quickly, and she moved in with me back in San Diego. She can’t wait to talk to you. I think she was mad I’d get to see you before her.”
“That sounds about right. I can’t wait to see her,” Kim admitted. “I feel like I’ve been gone forever. I’ve missed my family, my friends—everything.”
She stumbled slightly in the dark, and Ethan grabbed hold of her arm. “We all have night-vision goggles, but you’ll be able to see soon as it gets lighter. Let us know if we’re moving too quickly.”
“I’m okay. I’m just eager to get back.”
Blake spoke from behind them. “We’ve got another two hours or so to hike down. We’ll have to stay off the road when the sun rises. I’ll let Bagram know when we’re closer. Once the helos come in, the guys camped around here will come swarming.”
“They’ll shoot at us,” Kimberly said.
“A Ranger team will be providing cover from above. Their helo will take out the insurgents. We’ll have to move quickly. Kimberly, I know you’re trained, but Ethan will be going with you. The plan is for them to land in the valley, but if it’s too dangerous, they’ll lower a rope down.”
“Okay,” she said. Ethan clenched his jaw. He could tell she was nervous. They barely knew each other, but she’d stepped slightly closer to him. She seemed to do that when she was scared, even though she was clearly trying to be brave. Hell. She was brave. But she’d been through a hell of a lot. He’d do whatever he could to make it easier on her.
“We’ll take whatever breaks you need as we descend,” Blake said. “I know you’re weak from captivity. If it’s too much, we can take turns carrying you out.”
“I can do it,” she insisted.
Blake’s lips quirked as he glanced over at Ethan. “Understood, ma’am. But if we have to run, I need to make sure you’re okay with that. If we’re in a firefight, one of us might pick you up to get out of there.”
She huffed out a sigh. “I’m okay. I know none of you are the men that hurt me.”
Ethan stiffened slightly. He didn’t like being reminded that she’d been hurt. Raped. Although she wasn’t acting too traumatized about it at the moment, she could be in shock. He didn’t want one of the guys to grab and scare her like he’d done the night before. He regretted like hell that he’d covered her mouth when he knelt down in front of her. He’d been so focused on quieting her and quickly getting her away from the danger, he hadn’t immediately identified himself. And that was damn stupid.
They walked in silence a few minutes, making progress more quickly than Ethan had thought they would. Kimberly was a trooper. That much was for damn certain. She hadn’t complained and probably was moving more quickly than she would’ve liked.
“Do you need to rest?” Ethan asked quietly after half an hour. He didn’t want to embarrass her in front of the other guys, but he didn’t want to push her too hard either.
“Let’s stop and eat,” Blake said, clearly sensing the same thing. “We’ve got more than an hour to go and could all use some food. The sun will be up when we’re done, and we should make quicker progress.”
The group stopped in an area with thick foliage, the sun just beginning to lighten the sky. Ethan glanced at the mountains in the distance, the sky beginning to turn just a hint of pink.
“It’s beautiful here,” Kim said softly.
The other guys were dropping their gear to the ground, but Ethan’s gaze followed hers. She’d been looking at the same view he was. “It is. Peaceful, save for the terrorist assholes crisscrossing the area and holed up in the mountains.”
“Well yeah,” she said wryly. “But even at Bagram, I’d look at the mountains in the distance and think how stunning they were.”
“You’d like Clarissa,” Blake said as he sank to the ground. “She’s a biologist and would understand exactly what you’re saying.”
“I doubt she’d want to be here though,” Kim said lightly. She looked over at Ethan, and he gestured for her to sit. She looked slightly relieved when he chose to sit beside her. She didn’t seem fearful of his teammates, but she was clearly more comfortable with him. He ripped open an MRE and offered it to her, pleased when she took it from him.
“Negative,” Blake said. “She actually was kidnapped in Colombia though. She wasn’t held as long as you, but it was still traumatic for her. If you come out to the west coast one day, you’ll meet her. She’s friends with Hailey now, too. I’m sure she’d be happy to talk with you about her kidnapping and recovery. Hailey, too.”
Kim frowned, and Blake quic
kly backtracked. “I didn’t mean to upset you—just if you wanted someone to talk to.”
“What do you mean by ‘Hailey, too’?”
Ethan glared at Blake. “When Hailey moved out to San Diego, someone was stalking her—sending her threatening texts. It escalated with her being kidnapped from her office.”
Kim nearly choked on the water she was drinking, handing Ethan back his canteen. “Holy shit. And she’s okay?”
Ethan nodded. “We rescued her. Fortunately, she hadn’t been hurt, and the asshole who took her was arrested.”
“Oh my God,” she murmured. “I really missed out on a lot. Life went on without me.”
“You didn’t miss out,” Ethan assured her. “You survived. Hailey will be thrilled to see you. I can’t tell you how worried she was. I got to know her because of Ghost, but she absolutely was always thinking about you.”
Grayson quickly agreed, telling her a little about his life with Hailey in San Diego.
“Hell yeah,” Troy agreed when he finished talking. “You endured a lot, Kimberly. I know we can’t imagine what you went through, but you’re strong as hell to be in as good of a condition as you are now. I’ve got younger sisters, and I know they wouldn’t have held up as well as you.”
“Do my parents know I’ve been rescued?” she suddenly asked.
“Not yet,” Blake said. “But you’ll be able to call them and whoever you want when we arrive back at Bagram.”
“They’re waiting until we’re really safe to notify them,” she said astutely.
No one contradicted her. They weren’t in the clear yet. Nothing would stop the men from getting her back to Bagram though.
They sat around quietly eating their MREs, Kim not having nearly enough as Ethan would’ve liked. He wasn’t sure when he’d appointed himself her protector—probably long before they even flew out here.
The sun continued to rise, and although Ethan could see the dark circles under Kim’s eyes and smudges of dirt on her face, it was her bright blue eyes that caught his attention. She had fair skin and long, dark hair. Even in her worn fatigues, he could see she was all woman. Probably slimmer than normal judging from the way her uniform sagged a bit, but she was beautiful. Tough as nails from fighting to survive but still a bit fragile from her ordeal.
He’d been with her for hours but had been unable to see her aside from the grainy image through his night-vision goggles. Besides, last night he’d been focused on her safety. Watching her now, he realized that she was gorgeous. She glanced over at him, looking uncertain.
“Eat as much as you want,” he insisted.
“I think I’m done.”
He nodded and handed her his canteen, letting her take a swig. She shivered slightly in the cooler morning air, and he bit back a curse. Although he wanted to wrap a blanket around her, protecting her from everything, they needed to finish up and move. This wasn’t the time to sit around talking. They hadn’t even bothered to warm their MREs. There was no point in wasting time when they were so close to getting out of here.
The rest of the group finished, Jackson’s gaze scanning the area around them. All of the men had been alert as they ate, but Ethan was happy to see Kimberly was relatively relaxed, given the circumstances. She trusted the team to protect her.
“Ready to roll?” Logan asked, jumping to his feet.
“Yep,” Blake said, his gaze tracking across the surrounding area. “It’s quiet, but I expect they’ll be up soon and looking for us. Hopefully we’ll make it the hour down without running into anyone.”
Kimberly brushed off her hands and stood up. All of the men on the team towered above her, and Ethan noticed Troy watching her with curiosity. He’d compared her to his sisters, so hopefully that was all he was feeling. Like a big brother to her. Kim wasn’t actually that much younger than Ethan. He’d read her file and knew she was twenty-seven.
It felt a little intrusive to read up on her before the op, but they’d needed to know if she had any medical conditions they should be aware of, etc. She was young, healthy, and single. Or at least, she had been perfectly healthy before she’d been kidnapped. They’d examine her at the base hospital.
Blake’s gaze shifted to Jackson. “Why don’t you bring up the rear?” He nodded. “Logan and Troy, the rest of us will follow you.”
Logan grunted and began moving, with Troy behind him, and Ethan sticking close to Kimberly. They crossed between low bushes and over the rocky terrain. The cool mountain air felt good against Ethan’s face, but he noticed Kimberly shivered slightly. They were all bigger than her. Hopefully once they got moving, she’d warm up.
She followed Troy along the narrow path, and Ethan’s gaze ran over her dark hair. It was tangled and matted at the moment, but she was still beautiful. He had no business thinking of her that way, but damn. He was attracted to her for all sorts of reasons.
She glanced back over her shoulder at him. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’m good,” she said.
Grayson began talking to her a bit. They kept quiet so no one else wandering around the mountainside would hear them, but Ethan heard her asking questions about her friend. It must suck to know Hailey had escaped the fire, met the love of her life, and moved across the country while she’d been held in a cave for months. Kimberly seemed excited for her friend, but Ethan sensed an underlying sadness, too.
They stopped for a water break and to take a leak during their final stretch down the mountain. Kimberly blushed a little as she came back from behind the bushes. The guys had finished before her and were standing around waiting.
“I’m ready,” she said. “Sorry.”
“It’s no problem,” Blake assured her. “I contacted Bagram. We’ve got about twenty minutes before we reach the valley.”
“And that’s the extraction point?” Kim asked.
Blake nodded. “We don’t know what other insurgents might be around here. Last night we got lucky when we parachuted in. In the light of day, they’ll spot us more easily and have no qualms about shooting. Last night they might’ve seen us but not wanted to risk hitting each other.”
“So what’s the plan?” Kim asked.
Blake briefly went over what they’d discussed earlier. “Right now, the plan is for the helo to land, and we’ll board that way. If they’re spotted and it’s too dangerous, they’ll drop a rope down. You’ll go up first with Ethan while we provide cover.”
“What about the rest of you?” she asked, looking worried.
The corner of Jackson’s lip tugged up. Ethan knew they were all amused she was worried about them. If he admitted it to himself, that was one of the things he admired about her. She was compassionate and a team player. Although they were on her rescue mission and had literally saved her from a group of terrorists, she wanted them to be safe as well. Some women would bitch and moan and probably complain about their nails or something. She’d been held captive and been hurt by those assholes, yet she considered herself part of the team. She was thinking of everyone else and not just herself.
“We’ll be fine,” Blake assured her. “If they have to, they’ll take you and Ethan and send someone back for us.”
“But that’s not right,” she protested.
Ethan lightly rested his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. “Sweetheart, you were kidnapped and held captive for two months. These guys can rough it out here a few days if necessary. They have gear and supplies. They have weapons. Our number one priority is getting you to safety and to whatever medical attention you need.”
“I’m not hurt,” she insisted.
“Maybe not, but you’re probably dehydrated and malnourished. Let us do our job and get you home, okay?”
She stared up at him, the look in her blue eyes practically slaying him. It was hard to believe she was acting so stoic now. She’d confided in him that the one man had raped her. He wasn’t sure if she was just in shock or what, but the reality was, once she faced what happened to her, s
he might break down.
Kimberly nodded slightly, and he forced himself to smile and removed his hand from her shoulder. He liked touching her. Comforting her. She might be fierce and strong, but she’d stuck by his side all morning. He’d feel better when they were safely flying back to Bagram, not stuck here on this damn mountain.
But right now? The trust she had in him was everything.
Chapter 8
Kim walked between Ethan and Grayson the last way down toward the valley. All of the men were watching out for her, but those two stuck most closely to her side. She figured Grayson felt responsible for her because he was dating her friend.
And Ethan?
She wasn’t entirely sure what his reasons were, but she had to admit she felt more comfortable with him here. Last night in the darkness his deep voice and broad frame had made her feel safe and protected. And today?
She had to stop herself from staring at him. Ethan might be tall and muscular, but he was shockingly handsome as well. He had a strong jaw, covered with dark stubble, and deep brown eyes that seemed to observe everything. Grayson was a little bit taller, but something about Ethan made her heart pound. His broad shoulders carried his rucksack and gear, and he moved confidently through the rough terrain.
Last night she’d been so scared, she hadn’t given much thought to what Ethan might look like. He hustled her to safety in the darkness, and that was her only concern—getting away from her kidnappers. She was a little bit shocked to discover in the light of day that she found him attractive. It was somewhat of an odd thought. Shouldn’t she be focused on getting off this damn mountain?
Today, even with his entire team escorting her to safety, she stayed near him though. Hopefully he didn’t think she was being clingy or something. She felt safe with all of the men on the team, but something about Ethan soothed her. That deep voice and the way he looked at her made her feel like he could see everything. All her hopes and fears. All her pain.
Although she was terrified the man who’d raped her would find her again, her other kidnappers had mostly left her alone. And she’d blocked all of it from her mind. If she didn’t think about it, she couldn’t get upset. She wouldn’t relive the memories. She’d simply move forward and survive, like she’d done the past couple of months.
SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4) Page 6
