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I hesitated, sweeping my gaze from Wyatt to Booker.
“Go!” Booker pinned me with eyes that were a mix of pain and determination. “We'll be fine.”
Gripping onto the roof, Wyatt pressed his hand to my shoulder.
“Listen, we'll make it out of this mess.” He sounded more confident than I felt. “Layla needs you. I’ll look after Cody and Booker, and as long as those monkeys keep their distance, we’ll be fine.”
I huffed. It was just like Wyatt to make a joke in a fucked-up situation.
I swallowed hard. “When we don’t return this chopper to Charlie, he’ll contact Hank. Right?”
“Yep,” Booker said.
“Then Hank will send a search party. Right?”
Booker nodded.
“That means the search party will go to the coordinates Layla gave us. Someone needs to get there to meet them and direct them back here.”
“Looks like that someone is you,” Wyatt said.
“Right. But I’ll need to get Layla back up here so she’s safe with you guys.” Nodding my conviction, I leaned out the side of the chopper for the hook to the winch. “Ah, for fuck’s sake! The winch is gone.”
I peered down through the trees, searching for Layla. She still hadn’t moved. I had to get down to her.
“We got any rope?” I asked.
Booker and Wyatt shook their heads. I searched the sparse chopper hold.
“Damn it.” I tossed a mangled strip of metal aside.
“Looks like you’re doing it monkey style.” Wyatt shrugged.
“Agreed. But I doubt Layla and I will make it back up here.”
Cody groaned, and Wyatt squatted at his side. “Hey, buddy. We’ve got ya.”
He needed medical treatment. Layla did too.
“Right. I’ll take Layla back to her lab with me. When the cavalry arrives, we’ll bring them to you.”
“See, I knew you’d figure it out.” Wyatt winked at me.
I unclamped my jaw. “Yep. I'm coming back for you, so you guys hang in there.”
“Very funny.” Wyatt emitted a strained chuckle.
“You damn well better get your ass back here.” Booker managed a weak smile.
“You have my word.” I forced a grin, though my heart was strangled in a vice. “No matter what it takes.”
Wyatt tapped my rifle. “No matter what it takes. Don’t get a bullet in your ass.”
“No way, Jose. I got enough scars to last me a lifetime.”
I checked the contents of my vest and pulled out my GPS. Without that, I would never find this wreck in these trees. I programmed the distance between here and the lab.
“Shit. It’s over twenty miles.”