Page 100 of An Epic Voyage

Jackson was silent, no doubt thinking the same thing.

Evangeline had prayed that this day would never come.Losing one of her girls was akin to losing her own child, and she didn’t know how to deal with the intense pain in her heart.She’d always kept her emotions in check, so the rush of sorrow and agony was crushing.

“Hey, there’s a boat,” the pilot announced.

Evangeline shook her head.“What?”

“Starboard side.”

She leaned forward, barely able to make it out.“Can you get closer?”

“Of course.”

He maneuvered the helo until it hovered above the watercraft.

“Evie, that’s Indigo!Oh no, she looks hurt.I’m going in.”

She spun around in her seat.“Wait—”

It was too late.Jackson had already thrown himself out the door without a parachute.One of the Navy men followed.

Pushing worry aside for now, Evangeline took charge.“We need to get the basket ready to send down.”

The other Navy man leaped to his feet.“On it.”

#

Griffin barely manageda glance at the helicopter circling overhead.His entire focus was on Indigo.He dropped to one knee beside her and took her hand.

“Indigo, it’s Griffin.Can you hear me?”

No answer.

The doctor found a first-aid kit beneath the helm and began working on her injury.He told Griffin his name was Dr.Cheung and assured him he’d had training and knew what he was doing.Dr.Cheung ensured her lungs were clear of water before he cut her dress to reveal the wound.

The bullet had pierced the edge of her left side below the rib cage.Her breathing wasn’t labored, and the bleeding was slowing down.It probably hadn’t helped that she’d plowed into him with that part of her body.The pain must’ve been excruciating, though adrenaline would’ve acted as a natural painkiller by blocking signals to her brain.Then they’d hit the water from a relatively high height.The shock to her system was a brutal one.

“Griffin.”

He looked up at Jordy’s panicked call and watched as two men dropped into the water close to the boat.Instinctively, he moved in front of Indigo, wishing he had his Glock.He’d dropped it when Indigo had hit him.

“Here.”

As if reading his mind, Dr.Cheung handed him a gun.The man was full of surprises.

A head appeared, and then a man hauled himself into the boat.He was tall, dark-haired, and muscular.Another man followed, dressed in military fatigues.

Griffin pointed the gun at the first man, who appeared to be the biggest threat.“Who are you?”

The man held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender.“Jackson Rushing.I’m Indigo Adair’s boss.What happened to her?”

Griffin’s legs buckled with relief.They could fly her to the hospital faster than the boat could run.“She’s been shot.”

The man bulldozed Griffin aside and dropped beside her.Griffin resisted cold-cocking him with the butt of his gun since he was panicked on Indigo’s behalf.

“Indy, can you hear me?”

Her eyes fluttered.“Griffin?”