“Four hostiles down,” another voice responds. “Clear.”
Wrapping my good hand around the bars, I try to pull myself up. “American,” I call weakly. “Here.”
“Get that goddamn door open. Now.” Light flares, bright enough to penetrate my swollen lids, as the canvas is ripped away, and a dark shadow looms as someone breaks the lock. “Holloway?”
“Yes.” I reach out a tentative hand and find a tactical vest as the man kneels next to me. “Who—?”
“West Sampson. SEAL Team Eight on a joint op with ODA. Can you—”
“Where is he?” Ryker roars from down the hall.
Oh God. He made it.
“Third cell,” West calls. “I’m bringing him out.”
Only a few feet away now, Ryker growls, “No one touches him but me. Dax?”
I jerk my head towards his voice, opening my eyes, desperate to see him. Except…I can’t. Not after what those fuckers did to me. The pale reddish glow from the hall brightens as the heat of a flashlight paints my face.
“Fuck. Dax, what the hell…? Your eyes.”
“Questions later,” West says. “This place is coming down as soon as we’re clear. Get him up and move.”
“Where’s Kahlid?” Ryker asks as he hauls me over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, his arm hooking under one knee as he grips my wrist tightly. Unable to see or tell up from down, I can’t orient myself, and nausea crawls up from my stomach when he starts hustling down the hall.
Shouts, another three shots. “Blue Team Alpha approaching egress point. Need a location on Target Zulu,” West says.
We start to climb. I’m…safe. I’m going home. The tears gathering in my burned and blistered eyes send shooting pain through my skull, but I don’t care.
“Roger that. Kahlid’s down. They’ve got him at the mouth of the cave. He’ll be dead in five minutes.”
“Then we’ve got time.” Ryker’s voice lowers, turns grave. “He’s ours, Sampson. Give us sixty seconds alone with him, then we’re gone.”
West doesn’t respond—at least not that I can hear. The first whiff of fresh, free air smells like heaven, and then West orders everyone to fall back. Somewhere below me, I hear raspy, rattling breathing.
“I told you I’d kill you,” Ryker says as he bends and sets me on my feet. Keeping an arm around my waist so I don’t collapse, he presses a pistol into my hand.
“I can’t see, Ry,” I whisper. “You have to—”
He shifts me. “Put your other arm around my shoulders and hang on. I’ll aim for you. We fire together.”
With a nod, I clutch the back of his tactical vest so I don’t fall, and he supports my left arm with his. To my right, he cocks his pistol.
“Fifteen months, asshole. Every day, I pictured this moment. When your last sight would be the two men who took down Hell. Say your prayers, fucker.” After a beat, Ryker snorts. “On second thought…don’t.”
We fire together, and as the gun falls from my shaking hand, Ryker says, “We’re going home, brother.”
Home. As Ryker half-carries me down the mountain and a series of explosions shakes the ground under our feet, I start to sob. We might be going home, but I’ll never see Boston again.
ONE-CLICK SECOND SIGHT TODAY!
Also by Patricia Eddy
Away From Keyboard
Dive into a steamy mix of geekery and military might with the men and women of Emerald City Security and North-West Protective Services.
Breaking His Code
In Her Sights
On His Six
Second Sight
By Lethal Force
Fighting For Valor
Call Sign: Redemption
Midnight Coven
These novellas will take you into the darker side of the paranormal with vampires, witches, and more.
Forever Kept
Wicked Omens
Elemental Shifter
Hot werewolves and strong, powerful elementals. What’s not to love?
A Shift in the Water
A Shift in the Air
By the Fates
Check out the By the Fates series if you love dark and steamy tales of witches, devils, and an epic battle between good and evil.
By the Fates, Freed
Destined: A By the Fates Story
By the Fates, Fought
By the Fates, Fulfilled
In Blood
If you love hot Italian vampires and and a human who can hold her own against beings far stronger, then the In Blood series is for you.
Secrets in Blood
Revelations in Blood
Holidays and Heroes
Beauty isn’t only skin deep and not all scars heal. Come swoon over sexy vets and the men and women who love them.
Mistletoe and Mochas
Love and Libations
Restrained
Do you like to be tied up? Or read about characters who do? Enjoy a fresh BDSM series that will leave you begging for more.
In His Silks
Christmas Silks
All Tied Up For New Year’s
In His Collar
About the Author
Patricia D. Eddy likes to consider herself an unstoppable force. As long as there's coffee. Then, the voices in her head come to life.
Her tales of werewolves, vampires and witches; Doms and subs; and battle-hardened, scarred military heroes feature characters so real, you'll want to jump inside the pages of her books to be friends with them. Or just give them a hug.
When she's not writing, she's a professional freelance fiction editor and technical writer. On weekends, she loves to take on home improvement projects, especially if they involve power tools.
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You can reach Patricia all over the web…
patriciadeddy.com
patricia@patriciadeddy.com