Page 26 of Protecting Josie
“What’d you see?” Tate asked, as Kevlar moved quickly and efficiently to erase any signs they’d been in the cave.
“About a dozen men moving this way. Doesn’t look like they’re actively searching for anyone or anything, but I don’t want to take the chance that they found some indication of where we are.”
“Agreed,” Tate said as he shrugged on his backpack.
Blink had stood as the other men were talking. He turned to Josie and saw she was standing with her back against the wall of the cave, looking freaked way the hell out.
“Breathe, Josie,” he told her gently. “If they knew we were here, they’d be making a beeline for us. We’re okay. We just need to move out fast and silently.”
Her eyes were huge in her face and it looked as if she was on the verge of bolting.
Blink stepped toward her with his hand out. “Give me your hand,” he ordered.
She looked surprised at his request but immediately held her hand out.
He took it, marveling at how small and thin it felt in his own. “No one is going to take you captive again. I swear.”
She didn’t nod. Didn’t do anything other than look at him with intense emotions swirling in her eyes.
“We need to move hard and fast. I’d like to carry you.”
Josie shook her head aggressively.
“Please. Listen…” Blink said. They didn’t have time for this, but the last thing he wanted was to have to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off without her permission. He felt as if he was just breaking through her thick shields. He didn’t want to do anything that would ruin his progress. “You don’t have any shoes. And your body isn’t up for another hard day’s walk. Not that I don’t think you’d walk until your feet fell off and you couldn’t take another step. You’d probably crawl if that’s what it took. Let me help you, Spirit. Hell, the packs my brother, Kevlar, and Pyro are carrying probably weigh more than you. You can get on my back and help keep a lookout for tangos rather than having to watch where you put your feet. I’m not saying this to hurt your feelings, but we can move faster with me carrying you.”
Josie frowned and pointed at his torso. Then his legs. Then his face.
“My injuries?” he asked.
She nodded.
“They’re okay.”
That earned him a furious glare.
“They are,” he insisted. “I’m sore as hell, can’t deny that those burns on my legs fucking throb and my ribs don’t feel one hundred percent. But the day I let a few little torture sessions get the better of me is the day I give up my Budweiser pin.”
Josie didn’t react. Simply stood there staring at him.
“Please, Spirit. Let me help you. You aren’t alone anymore. We’re a team, the five of us.”
“Blink,” Pyro said warningly from the mouth of the cave.
But Blink didn’t move. He heard the concern in the pilot’s tone, but he’d stand in this cave forever if he had to and let Josie decide for herself what her next move would be. She’dhad enough choices taken from her in however many weeks she’d been a prisoner. He’d be damned if he took her free will away the second she was free.
If she wanted to walk, they’d make it work. It would be riskier, there was no doubt, as she would slow them down considerably. But he wouldn’t force her to do a damn thing.
After an agonizing second or two, she gave him a small nod.
Blink didn’t sigh in relief or tell her that she’d made the right decision. He simply turned his back to her and crouched down. “Hop on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
He felt her hands on his shoulders, and he helped her get up on his back. Just as he’d thought, she was lighter than most of the packs he’d carried on missions. Blink hooked his arms under her legs to help give her leverage and her arms went around his neck.
He nodded at the others, and the five of them set off, leaving the cave behind. Blink felt Kevlar at his back, ready to step in and take over carrying Josie if needed. Protecting their six. It felt good. Really good.
The mountains were beautiful at that hour of the morning, but Blink barely took notice. All his attention was on the woman on his back. The warmth from her body seeped into his and the farther they walked, the more comfortable she seemed to get.
Her body weight evened out, and she rested her upper body on his back as they walked. They were making good time, were moving probably twice the speed they had yesterday. They had no destination in mind as far as Blink knew, justto get away from the men Kevlar and Pyro had seen and put more distance between themselves and the downed chopper.
