Page 74 of Seal of Honor
Audrey shouted something he didn’t hear. He tapped the headsets hanging between them and then slid one over his ears. She hesitated, then followed his lead, slipping on her own set.
“Did we… are we…?” Her voice was shaky in his ear, her grip on his arm a vise.
“We’re clear,” he said, forcing a calm into his tone he didn’t feel, and glanced over at her. Her face was pale in the dim lights from the instruments, her eyes too bright. “You did good back there, Aud. Really good.” He attempted a smile, but it fell flat when a fresh wave of pain ripped through his gut.
She turned away to stare at the shrinking lights beneath them with a hollow expression. She reached up and unclasped the diamond-studded necklace from around her neck, dropping it on the seat as if it were worthless.
“What now?” she asked, and he really didn’t care for the dull note in her voice.
“We need to find somewhere safe to land.”
“Safe?” She scoffed, finally turning her attention back to him. And there it was—the spark of his stubborn, feisty Audrey flaring back to life in her eyes. “Gabe, we just ran from a double homicide and stole a helicopter from one of the most powerful men in Colombia. I don’t think safe is on the menu anymore.”
For the first time that night, he let out a laugh. It was small and pained, but it was nice to feel something other than fear and the increasing throb in his chest. “Safe might not be on the menu, but it’s the only damn thing I’m ordering.”
Her lips twitched in a smile—a weak one, but it was something. But then she looked at the blood-soaked shirt plastered to his chest. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Fine.” He grunted as he shifted in his seat to scan the ground below. The Colombian countryside was pitch-black…
Or maybe that was just his vision going dim.
The truth hit him then: he was the furthest thing from fine. He was running on fumes, his body crying for rest it could ill afford to take. The adrenaline that had carried him through their daring escape was rapidly leaving his system, replaced by bone-deep exhaustion, and the pain was intensifying, each beat of his heart sending sharp spikes of agony through his chest.
Fuck.
The helicopter shuddered under his control, responding to the tremors in his hands. He gripped the joystick tighter, battling against the black spots that danced at the corners of his vision. He could see a clearing up ahead—an open field with no immediate signs of civilization. It was as good a place as any. He steered toward the clearing, his muscles screaming in protest as he fought to keep them steady.
Audrey glanced from him to the rapidly approaching ground and back again. Her hand flew out to grip his on the joystick. Her fingers were cold, but they were a tangible anchor he could cling to.
“Tell me what to do,” she said.
There was nothing she could do except…
“Brace,” he said through his teeth.
The helicopter hit the ground harder than he intended. The impact jarred his already injured body, sending a new wave of pain coursing through him. Audrey was thrown forward against her straps, her breath expelled in a shocked gasp. The helicopter skidded, gouging deep furrows into the earth before finally coming to a jarring halt.
Gabe’s grip on consciousness wavered as another wave of pain rolled through him. The world began to blur at the edges, and Audrey’s voice seemed to come to him from a distance, as if through a long tunnel.
“Oh, shit! Gabe! Wake up!” She scrambled to unhook her seatbelt and pressed her hands to his side.
His vision flared white…
Then faded to black.
CHAPTER 26
The address Gabe had given them was a hideous two-story house shaped like a sideways T with balconies at each of the three ends. Sure, it screamed money, but it also shouted, “no taste.” Greek columns welcomed visitors up front, Spanish tiles crowned a Tudor façade, and modern glass doors opened to a rustic verandah. The mishmash of styles was an assault on the eyes.
Not that Quinn knew anything about or had any interest in architecture. No, all he saw when he looked at the ugly house was the possibilities each feature offered to their targets. The balconies could be sniper nests, the glass doors providing a clear view of anyone approaching, and the numerous rooms and hallways inside were perfect for setting traps or hiding.
Breaching the place was going to be a clusterfuck.
The house sat on a fenced-in property surrounded by foliage. A gated entry to the brick driveway provided some security, but it was mostly for show because Quinn and the team got through without breaking a sweat. The backyard boasted a BBQ pit and bar on a tiled patio shaded by a wood pergola. A sunroom entirely made of glass opened up to the patio from the back of the house and shielded a Jacuzzi, which was currently in use by a scrawny kid barely out of his teens and a very friendly older man.
“That is disgusting,” Marcus whispered beside him.
Laying belly to the ground in the bushes at the edge of the property, he frowned, thinking of Gabe’s brother. “Keep your derogatory comments to yourself, men. I have friends that are gay.”
