Page 81 of Rescuing Erin

“Marine One took no fire. Fully functional,” Rex called in.

“Repeat that?” Linc asked.

“No fire. Marine One was not hit.”

Zane looked at me, and, in all the years I’ve known him, I’d only ever seen fear on his face one other time. When Ivy was missing, he was terrified. Now, he was a mix of red hot pissed and worried. The emotions didn’t sit well with me.

“How they’d get into the box?” Zane asked.

He was asking about the bulletproof box in the cabin that the president sits in.

“Undamaged.”

So either Tom let himself out or one of the agents unlocked it. Neither was good. The box being destroyed would’ve been the best case.

“We have blood—motherfucker,” Phantom cut out.

“Rocco?” Zane called.

“Taking fire,” he panted.

“Do you need backup?”

“Fuck no. We can handle this in our sleep. Out.”

“Tex is in my ear,” the pilot announced. “Both follow helicopters have been downed in a Pennsylvania field. No survivors. He said you have an hour tops before it’s all over the news. He’s doing what he can.”

Marine One never flew without two follow helicopters. All the aircrafts were equipped with anti-missile and radar countermeasures. The fleet was guarded by eight hundred Marines, no one touched those helicopters unless they had special clearance. How in the fuck had someone taken down all three of them? Before today, I’d have said it would be impossible.

“How sure are we Gerard’s clean?” Declan asked.

“He’s clean,” Zane answered.

“You willing to bet your life on it?”

“He’s at HQ with my wife. I’ve already bet my life. He’s solid.”

Dec nodded and dropped the rope. The helicopter slowly lowered and finally came to a stop and hovered.

“Something’s not right!” I shouted to Zane.

“You fucking think? The goddamn president is missing. There’s not a damn thing right about this.”

“What are the chances all three helicopters malfunctioned at the same fucking time?”

“None.”

“Ready?” Dec asked.

Zane stepped forward, touched all of his equipment one last time, before he sat on the edge and wrapped his legs around the rope.

“Let’s do this!” He was instantly out of the helicopter, fast roping down.

Five rifles pointed toward the ground, ready to provide cover fire if needed. Once his feet hit the ground. Leo went, Declan, Linc, and Jax followed. I took one last look around, making sure no one had left anything. With a silent prayer the president was holding on, I slid down the rope.

“Rocco, what’s your twenty?”

“Counting the bodies,” he came back.