Page 80 of Protecting Maggie
Making a split-second decision, Preacher leaned down and picked up Artem. The boy didn’t protest, simply held on tightly as he was carried toward the plane.
They were still on Ukrainian soil. They could leave the children in someone’s capable hands. The fighting on this side of the country wasn’t as intense as it was closer to the border with Russia. Someone would take care of the kids. They’d probably be adopted by a loving family and have a good life.
But the thought of simply dropping them off—especially Borysko, who was still unconscious—was abhorrent. And if Preacher was feeling that, MacGyver had to befeeling it ten times worse. He’d bonded with these kids. In a way that was soul deep.
MacGyver carried Borysko up the stairs to the plane, with Safe and Blink at his heels, the former holding the boy’s IV. Maggie went next, carrying Yana, and Preacher was behind her with Artem. Flash and Smiley had his back, and Kevlar brought up the rear. The Night Stalkers had already taken off, disappearing into the night, back to wherever they’d been deployed from.
Kevlar paused to talk with someone at the base of the stairs, and after shaking his hand, ran up the steps, taking them two at a time.
“Settle in, everyone. We’re going to be taking off hot,” Kevlar told them.
Preacher led Maggie to a seat along one of the walls. The configuration of the inside of the plane wasn’t like a commercial aircraft. There were seats along both walls, with a large open space in the middle. It was a military bird used for transport of goods and materials. On the way to the Ukraine, it had been filled with the crates the SEALs had delivered as ordered, as well as boxes of humanitarian aid for the besieged country.
MacGyver placed Borysko across three seats near the back of the plane, and the second Preacher put Artem on his feet, he headed for his brother. Yana began to squirm in Maggie’s arms, so she put her down. She ran after her brother, and Artem took her hand in his.
MacGyver got them strapped into seats next to him, and they all held on as the plane began to move.
“Holy crap,” Maggie whispered.
Preacher took a deep breath, then pulled her into his side. She buried her face in his chest and clung to him as the plane sped up and eventually lifted into the air at a much steeper angle than any commercial aircraft would ever attempt.
“This is intense,” she said after a moment.
“We’ll straighten out in a moment,” Preacher told her as calmly as he could. His heart was still beating way too fast.
“Not the flight. Well, this too, but…everything.”
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“Are you all right?” she asked, looking up at him.
Preacher couldn’t help but snort and shake his head.
“What?”
“You. You’re asking if I’m all right?”
“Well, yeah. You’re the one who was beaten. Can you even see out of that eye?”
“A little,” Preacher said. “You ever been shot at before?”
“Um…yes. When I was trying to make my way through the city to get to you,” she said a little cheekily.
“Before that,” Preacher insisted.
“No.”
“Right. I have. And you probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m gonna say it anyway. That was probably about a five for me on a scale of one to ten on the intensity meter, when it comes to an extraction. You’veneverbeen through anything that intense before. It should bemeasking ifyou’reall right.”
“I’m alive,” she said simply. “After everything I’ve been through, I’m taking that as a win.”
“Damn,” Preacher said on a sigh. “I love you.”
She beamed up at him. “I love you too. And for the record…I don’t ever want to do that again. Once was enough. And you’re right, I don’t want to hear that what we just did was normal for you. I’m going to be a basket case every time you’re deployed from now on.”
Preacher couldn’t help but love that. Not that she’d be worried, but that she was thinking so far into the future.
“Is he going to be okay?” Maggie asked.
