Deadly Descent (13 page)

Devon shook her head slowly, thinking of Liam’s comment.
Was it possible Nasrallah’s men had acted so soon?
Watching the fire devour the wreckage, she tightened her arms around her body to combat the shivers rolling through her.
She was staring at her darkest nightmare.
Images of her father’s smoldering plane filled her head.

For years the fear of being in a crash had all but paralyzed her when she’d stepped on an aircraft.
Yet now all she could think about was what the doomed Spectre crew had felt in the final moments before the crash.
What must have gone on in her father’s head before impact.

She imagined the shrill scream of the turbo-prop engines, master alarms blaring in the cockpit.
The pilots desperately calling out a mayday and the rest of the crew bracing in crash positions.
Those final, terrifying seconds when they still hoped for a miracle.
Their hearts slamming against their ribs, every muscle tight with denial.
They must have felt a painful surge of hope once the airfield came into view out the cockpit window.

Devon bit her lip.
God, the terror those poor people must have suffered when they realized they weren’t going to make it.
And then the terrible, bone crushing impact.
The shriek of tearing metal, and the instant explosion of the fireball.
Had they been conscious after the crash?
Had they suffered the unimaginable agony of the flames blistering their skin?

Her father had been so badly burned they hadn’t let her mother see his body.

The gathered crowd was silent while the crews fought the fire.
It must have been visible for miles out on the Shomali Plain.
Nasrallah’s men were probably watching right now, laughing, celebrating the death of the American servicemen aboard the burning Spectre.
Maybe the warlord himself was listening to their jubilation from the other side of the border in Pakistan.
The thought galvanized her into action.

Unable to watch another second, Devon spun away and headed for the main buildings.

“Hey, wait up!” Maya jogged up behind her, still toting her rifle like it was second nature to her.
Which it probably was, considering what she did in the service.
“Where’re you going?”

“To find out where Ace is.”

Keeping step beside her, Maya laid a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sure she’s okay.”

Devon couldn’t answer for the lump in her throat.
She kept thinking of Candace at the controls, trying to guide the plane in despite the terror flooding her veins.

She started running.
At least eleven people were dead, and the other two would likely die.
All because a handful of brainwashed assholes got lucky with an RPG.
Fury burned through her fear, making her heart race.
“Think someone’s already gone out to look for the bastards that did this?”

“Oh yeah,” Maya said.
“The assholes won’t be around for morning prayers, I promise you that.
But damn, I wish I was part of the team going after them.”

“Well, you can be part of my hunter team.
Help me find out about Ace.
I’ll meet you back here in fifteen minutes.”

“Sure.”

Devon made a beeline for the Exchange in the hopes that someone would know where her friend was.
But the crowd in front of the building was too thick to get through, and the few people she asked weren’t any help.
She doubled back and took a different route, frustrated at the time slipping by.
Somebody
had to know where the hell Candace was.

“Spike!”

She whirled at the feminine shout, searching around her.
Out of the crowd, a figure emerged, and when the overhead lights revealed a head of blond hair, her knees went weak.
“Ace!”

Candace rushed over and threw her arms around her.
“I’m okay,” she said, squeezing hard.

“Oh, God.” Suppressing a shudder, Devon held on tight and closed her eyes.
“I think I lost twenty years off my life when Maya said it was a Spectre.”

Candace pulled away and smiled.
“Yeah.” She ruffled Dev’s hair.
“Thanks for caring so much.”

Her throat was too tight to respond right away.
She looked back at the fireball and swallowed.
“Do you know them?”

“Not sure yet.
Nobody seems to know anything.”

Now that she knew her friend was okay, her head started spinning.
“I think I need to sit down.”

“Come on.” Candace dragged her to the wall of the building and sat her down.
“Need some water?”

“No.” She already felt like a wimp.
But her skin wouldn’t stop crawling.
“Good thing I fly helos, because this would’ve set me back years if I flew fixed wings.”

“Yeah, have to say I’m not feeling great about my choice of vocation at the moment.”

Devon pulled in a deep breath, the air heavy with the harsh smell of burning jet fuel.
Once someone smelled it, they never forgot it.
What had just happened served as a pointed reminder she was in the middle of a war zone.
No one was safe here.
An RPG could hit a slower moving, lower altitude helo way easier than a fixed wing aircraft.
She pushed the thought away.
She couldn’t think like that, because she had a job to do and a crew that relied on her.
Fear wasn’t going to help anything, let alone keep her safe.

Candace craned her neck to see through the crowd.
“Hey, there’s Maya.
Maya!” she shouted.

Maya’s eyes closed in relief for a moment when she spotted them.
“Good to see you, chica,” she said as she reached Candace, giving her a quick hug.

Candace eyed the M4 warily.
“Going someplace with that?”

“I’d love to, but unfortunately not.” Reaching down, she grasped Devon’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
The hard glint in her eyes left no doubt she’d rather be using her weapon on the men that shot down the plane, instead of hanging around the base.
Then her gaze fastened on something behind Devon, and her expression soured.
“Great.
Here comes Tweedle Dumb.”

Devon and Candace swiveled their heads.
Sure enough, Jackson exited the hospital and strode toward them, his black eyes running over Maya and the rifle she held.
“Yeah, keep staring at me buddy, and see what happens,” she muttered darkly, shifting the weapon in her grip.

“Jesus, Maya, don’t shoot him,” Candace laughed under her breath.

Devon ignored the undercurrent of hostility radiating from Maya and walked up to him.
“It’s Jackson, right?”

“That’s right,” he answered, his deep voice holding a distinct southern drawl.
“You must be Devon.”

“Yes, nice to meet you,” she said, distractedly accepting his handshake.
“I was wondering if you’d seen a PJ friend of mine tonight.
Tech Sergeant Munro.”

His eyes flicked to Ace and then Maya, lingering for a moment before coming back to Devon.
“Cam’s inside.”

Her eyes shot to his, “In the hospital?”

He nodded, black gaze steady and somber.
“He was one of the first on scene to evacuate the wounded.”

And the dead
.
Jackson didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to.

“Oh.” He was safe, then.
She swallowed, nearly overcome with the need to see him.
“I just wanted to make sure he was…”
Okay
.

“He’s just finishing up,” Jackson put in.
“You can probably still catch him.”

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder at Candace and Maya.
“Maybe I’ll just…say hi.”

“Go ahead,” Candace answered with a sarcastic edge.
“I think it’s safe to say everyone’s too busy to notice you guys right now.”

“I’m going back to the hut,” Maya announced, flashing a warning glance at Jackson before whirling away.
Candace shrugged and followed.

Devon smiled at Jackson to cover the awkward lapse, but his eyes still tracked Maya’s retreating figure.
“Thanks for your help.”

He met her gaze with a smile.
“Anytime, ma’am.”

Devon walked toward the hospital, her heart thudding against her ribs.
She just had to see Cam.
Then she’d feel better.
Once she saw him and reassured herself he was okay, she could go back to her barracks and try to get some sleep.
Entering the sliding doors and rounding the corner, she came to a sudden stop.
He stood in the brightly lit hallway, removing a surgical mask and gloves.
Her heart turned over at the sight of him.
“Cam.” His name came out rough.

His head snapped around and his mouth lifted in a tired version of the lopsided smile she loved.
“Ma’am.”

It was all she could do not to run into his arms as he walked over, but his proper greeting held her in place.
Her throat was tight, choked with emotion.
She couldn’t stay away from him anymore.

But he didn’t touch her when he got to her, just stood before her when all she wanted was his arms around her.
She almost reached for him instead, but checked the impulse.
They didn’t have any privacy here, and these were his co-workers and colleagues.
She didn’t want to embarrass him in any way.
The lingering awkwardness felt all wrong.

“You okay?” he asked, fathomless eyes delving into hers.

She nodded, swallowing the lump wedged in her throat.
“You?”

He shrugged.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Staff burst out of the room behind her and rushed past them down the hallway.
When she looked back at Cam, he was watching her expectantly.
Clearing her throat, she found her voice.
“The impact woke me up, and Maya and I ran out because we thought it might be a rocket attack.
When I saw the plane I thought it might be Ace, but she’s okay.” She was babbling, but didn’t care.
“Did you…see any of the crew?”

“Yeah.”

When he didn’t elaborate, her stomach clenched.
“Any survivors?”

“One, but he won’t make it.”

Oh, God.
Thirteen crewmen, dead.
Cam’s face said it all.
Lines of strain bracketed his mouth and eyes.
Tired, angry, but hiding it well.
“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.
And I’m sorry you saw it.
Must have brought back some ugly memories for you.”

“The smell was the same.
I’ll never forget the smell.” She wanted his arms around her, this instant so she could feel safe and banish the ghostly wisps of fear creeping into her subconscious.
But of course it wasn’t going to happen.

He blew out a breath and glanced over her head at something.
“Heard you brought in some wounded earlier.
Tough thing, seeing kids critically injured.”

Terrible
.
“When I talked to the nurses last they said the boy was critical but stable.
They wouldn’t tell me anything else.”

“Want me to find out for you?”

She tilted her head back to look into his eyes, so clear and full of understanding her heart ached.
He wanted to help, and this was all he could do for now.
“Would you?”

Without replying he took her elbow and led her to a plastic chair across the hall.
“Here, sit down and wait for me.
I’ll see what I can do.”

Devon watched him walk away with a painful mix of longing and hope.
Seeing him made her question what the hell she was waiting for.
Life was fleeting, fragile.
She knew that better than anyone.
Was she really going to risk losing him because of fear?
She didn’t want that.
She was stronger, braver than that.
But how could they possibly make a relationship work here?
It would be nearly impossible to spend time together without asking for trouble, not to mention they wouldn’t have any privacy.

It didn’t matter.
She wanted him, cared about him, and thought he felt the same for her.
She’d make it work.
But first, she had to take the leap and accept what he was offering.

Footsteps approached.
She lifted her head and watched until Cam appeared around the corner.
One look at his face and the flame of hope in her chest snuffed out.
On shaky legs she stood and faced him, though she already knew what he was going to say.