Page 70
Story: Burning Hearts
Hammer grabbed it, then pulled him in and clapped him on the back.
“Thank you for being there.” Logan cleared his throat.
His fellow firefighter had probably saved all their lives by helping him take down the three men. Tristan had been a great distraction. Logan had jumped on one. That Hammer had taken out the other two and no one was shot in the process was pretty amazing.
“I’m glad I was.” Hammer squeezed Logan’s hand, then let go. “Any news on the others?”
Logan shook his head.
Hammer’s attention snagged on something over Logan’s shoulder. “Looks like we might find out something.”
The doors swished open. Skye and a big guy in a suit came in, Jade between them. The smokejumper boss hopped with one foot in the air. She spotted them, and her expression immediately changed, pain switching to relief. “Is anyone else here?”
Logan and Hammer met them halfway. “You’re the first we’ve seen. What happened?”
Skye said, “She turned her ankle when we hit the ground.”
A guy in red scrubs came over with a wheelchair, and Jade sat. He wheeled her away, and she leaned over the arm of the chair to call back to them, “No one leaves without checking in with me first.”
He was glad they were all right. But what about the rest of their team? Leaving them hadn’t felt good, even though he’d had no idea how to round up a group that had scattered in all directions.
“Guys,” Skye said. “Rio is here.”
The FBI agent.
“Babe, you remember Logan and Hammer.”
“Good to see you guys again.” Rio shook their hands. “I saw Deputy Mills outside. That’s how you got here?”
Logan said, “We figured we could use some help, so as soon as we were within cell range, we called for a ride.”
Rio grinned. “I bet he loved that.”
“He did mumble something about Uber when he showed up.” Logan didn’t understand it, but Jamie evidently thought it was funny. “You and Jade found Rio?”
Skye said, “We did the same as you, only I called the Feds, not the sheriff.” She winked and Hammer chuckled. “Jade spent the whole ride over on the phone with Tucker. He’s got the retardant plane in the air, and Mark went up as their spotter. The two helos are out as well. If our people are in the open, they should be able to find them.”
“I hope so.” Hammer was about to continue, but his phone rang. “Sorry.” He dug it out of his pocket, and Logan got a look at how grimy he was.
Pretty much the same as Logan, covered in sweat and dirt.
Hammer frowned at the screen. He put it to his ear. “Sax?”
Logan’s brows rose.
“Yeah. You’re good?” Relief washed over Hammer’s face. “That’s good news. Yeah, I’ll tell them. Call Tucker for a pickup. Keep your heads down.” He hung up and said, “Saxon got himself and Neil out. Neil is in bad shape, but he’s alive. Saxon will get him here.”
Skye leaned against her husband’s arm, clasping his hand.
“That’s good news,” Logan said. He squeezed Hammer’s shoulder. The guy looked a little shell-shocked. “Great news.”
Hammer nodded. “I need to call Mack.”
Logan trudged to the nearest chair and sat. All his energy soaked into the floor under his feet. He ran his hands down his face. “It feels like it should be over because we’re here, but half the team is still out there.”
Skye sat across from him. “Rio was already heading to my last location. That’s how he found us so fast.”
Her husband settled beside her. “I got intel this morning from a contact of mine that the militia had put out a hit on all the smokejumpers. When I couldn’t contact Skye, I headed for her location.” He reached over and took her hand. Partners. A couple who showed up for each other the way Jamie did for her family. The way Logan had for her.
“Thank you for being there.” Logan cleared his throat.
His fellow firefighter had probably saved all their lives by helping him take down the three men. Tristan had been a great distraction. Logan had jumped on one. That Hammer had taken out the other two and no one was shot in the process was pretty amazing.
“I’m glad I was.” Hammer squeezed Logan’s hand, then let go. “Any news on the others?”
Logan shook his head.
Hammer’s attention snagged on something over Logan’s shoulder. “Looks like we might find out something.”
The doors swished open. Skye and a big guy in a suit came in, Jade between them. The smokejumper boss hopped with one foot in the air. She spotted them, and her expression immediately changed, pain switching to relief. “Is anyone else here?”
Logan and Hammer met them halfway. “You’re the first we’ve seen. What happened?”
Skye said, “She turned her ankle when we hit the ground.”
A guy in red scrubs came over with a wheelchair, and Jade sat. He wheeled her away, and she leaned over the arm of the chair to call back to them, “No one leaves without checking in with me first.”
He was glad they were all right. But what about the rest of their team? Leaving them hadn’t felt good, even though he’d had no idea how to round up a group that had scattered in all directions.
“Guys,” Skye said. “Rio is here.”
The FBI agent.
“Babe, you remember Logan and Hammer.”
“Good to see you guys again.” Rio shook their hands. “I saw Deputy Mills outside. That’s how you got here?”
Logan said, “We figured we could use some help, so as soon as we were within cell range, we called for a ride.”
Rio grinned. “I bet he loved that.”
“He did mumble something about Uber when he showed up.” Logan didn’t understand it, but Jamie evidently thought it was funny. “You and Jade found Rio?”
Skye said, “We did the same as you, only I called the Feds, not the sheriff.” She winked and Hammer chuckled. “Jade spent the whole ride over on the phone with Tucker. He’s got the retardant plane in the air, and Mark went up as their spotter. The two helos are out as well. If our people are in the open, they should be able to find them.”
“I hope so.” Hammer was about to continue, but his phone rang. “Sorry.” He dug it out of his pocket, and Logan got a look at how grimy he was.
Pretty much the same as Logan, covered in sweat and dirt.
Hammer frowned at the screen. He put it to his ear. “Sax?”
Logan’s brows rose.
“Yeah. You’re good?” Relief washed over Hammer’s face. “That’s good news. Yeah, I’ll tell them. Call Tucker for a pickup. Keep your heads down.” He hung up and said, “Saxon got himself and Neil out. Neil is in bad shape, but he’s alive. Saxon will get him here.”
Skye leaned against her husband’s arm, clasping his hand.
“That’s good news,” Logan said. He squeezed Hammer’s shoulder. The guy looked a little shell-shocked. “Great news.”
Hammer nodded. “I need to call Mack.”
Logan trudged to the nearest chair and sat. All his energy soaked into the floor under his feet. He ran his hands down his face. “It feels like it should be over because we’re here, but half the team is still out there.”
Skye sat across from him. “Rio was already heading to my last location. That’s how he found us so fast.”
Her husband settled beside her. “I got intel this morning from a contact of mine that the militia had put out a hit on all the smokejumpers. When I couldn’t contact Skye, I headed for her location.” He reached over and took her hand. Partners. A couple who showed up for each other the way Jamie did for her family. The way Logan had for her.
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