Page 18 of Kyle (Gold Team #3)

“We’re getting closer,” Declan assured me.

Closer?

Anaya had been gone seventeen hours.

Seventeen fucking hours of pure hell.

With no direct flights to Dili, we’d stopped in Australia. By the time we’d landed, Tex had tracked Anaya, or more accurately he thought he had. So we were waiting in Darwin, Australia, for the boat Anaya was supposed to be on to cross into Australian waters.

With an ongoing feud over the maritime border over who controlled the oil-rich seabed, the Royal Australian Navy wouldn’t fly us out to the vessel until it cleared the border.

The longer we waited the longer Anaya was at the hands of men who meant her harm.

My gut churned at the thought.

She had to be scared out of her goddamn head.

Declan looked down at his phone and swiped the screen.

“You’re on speaker.” Dec’s curt greeting echoed in the small hangar we were waiting in.

Fucking waiting. Anaya had been kidnapped and we were waiting. Not hunting, not finding, not killing the men who’d taken her. Waiting.

“Get ready,” Garrett came on the line. “The boat crossed the border and is anchored.”

“Thank fuck,” I grouched, ready to board the Seahawk that would fly us out to meet the boat.

“Kyle,” Zane barked, joining the conversation. “Keep your head on straight.”

My boss’s demand pissed me off. My head wasn’t on straight, nor would it be. It was exactly where it needed to be. Maximum destruction.

“Copy,” I returned and Zane sighed.

“Don’t get dead and bring your woman home.”

My woman. That’s what she was and there was no more fucking denying it. No more pissing away opportunities. No more pushing away what I knew to be true. But now, it might be too late. All because I was a dumb fuck. This was on me.

The line disconnected and two Australian Navy pilots headed our way in flight suits. Declan and I stood ready to follow the team out to the tarmac.

“Have you ever flown on an MH-60 Romeo?” the female pilot asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Declan clipped.

The woman looked me over and lifted her chin. “Someone better get this one a jubie. He looks like he’s gonna chunder.”

“He’s fine,” Dec clipped and pounded me on the shoulder, reminding me to keep my mouth shut.

I didn’t need a goddamned drink and I wasn’t going to throw up. But I was going to hijack the fucking helicopter if they didn’t get a move on.

“Flight check’s been done, unless you’d like to inspect her, we’re ready,” the male interjected .

“We’re good. Let’s roll,” Dec answered.

The pilots parted ways, each climbing in the opposite side of the helicopter. Dec and I made our way to the open gunner’s window and hopped in.

Each of us secured a pair of headsets and settled in.

“Hold tight.” Declan’s hard features told me he was feeling this, too.

We shouldn’t have left Anaya. I’d allowed my personal feelings to get in the way of what I’d known—she’d be in danger if she stayed.

Now she was on board a fucking boat with an unknown number of male kidnappers. God only knew what had been done to her, or what they were still doing to her.

Fury hit my gut and turned it over, slushing around until it mixed with murderous intent.

The chopping of rotor blades started and a moment later the Seahawk started to lift.

“Should be a smooth flight. ETA forty minutes,” the female pilot announced.

“What’s your name?” I asked over the radio.

“Taylor,” the woman answered.

“Lee,” the man sounded off next.

“’Preciate the lift today.”

“We’ll cut down the time for you if we can,” Taylor told me.

“That’d be helpful.”

The longer I sat strapped into the back of the helicopter, the more antsy I became. Every minute meant Anaya was in harm’s way. Every second longer meant she was in fear.

Declan and I had a loose mission plan, but without knowing how many tangos were on the boat we couldn’t come up with a finite plan.

Something that had my nerves in a constant state of upheaval.

We always planned. We always had a clear mission strategy and backup plans.

That was what had kept us alive all these years.

This whole thing felt like we were flying by the seat of our pants and I didn’t fucking like it one bit. And the reality of the situation was, we were jumping into an unknown situation, with a half-assed evac plan in place. And the cold truth was, Anaya may not be on the boat.

And if she was, she may not even be alive.

We were relying on reports Tex and Garrett had dug up about a woman being abducted and carried to a personal water craft near the Maritimia museum and surplus store. Thankfully a group of school children had been visiting and the teacher had reported the abduction.

Anaya’s text messages gave us a starting point to look for her, but with the time lapse she could’ve been anywhere and we would’ve been searching by land, not the Timor Sea.

Once again, Tex’s skills, even from the other side of the world, were impressive. The former SEAL ruled the internet from his living room. And I’d never been more grateful he was on our side.

“We have your craft at three o’clock,” Lee came over the radio. “We’re going to circle around. Prepare for insertion.”

Dec and I unstrapped and carefully made our way to the gunner’s window. Wind rushed in, salty air blasted my face, doing nothing to cool my overheated body. He patted my shoulder and I glanced in his direction.

“We got this, Kyle. We’re bringing your woman home.”

My jaw ticked and my heart thundered in my chest. She had to be on that boat. Fucking had to be, or we were screwed. This was our one chance at rescue. It would be hours before we’d be back to shore and by then Anaya’s window would be slammed closed.

“I told her I’d find her,” I croaked.

“And you did. She’s right down there.” Dec motioned down to the water. “Easy day, friend. We’ve done this a thousand times. Strong hand over weak, hook your foot, turn and go.”

I didn’t need the goddamned reminder how to fast-rope out of a helo—that I’d done enough times I could perform the task in my sleep. But Dec was wrong, I’d never done this , because the woman I’d felt some odd and overwhelming connection to had never been fucking kidnapped.

“Throw the rope,” Taylor instructed. “We called in the coordinates for your evac. ETA on that is sixty minutes. Be safe, gentlemen.”

“Jump when ready. Holding fast.” Lee’s voice crackled over the radio and he was much harder to hear now that we were sitting with our legs dangling over the open door.

Dec nodded and we removed our headsets and latched them in the aircraft and both donned heavy gloves.

With one last check of my gear, I made sure everything was secure and reached for the thick rope dangling in front of me.

Without delay I pushed myself off the perch, hooked my foot, and slid down.

Seconds later I hit the water feet first and looked up to see Dec had not followed protocol and he was halfway down the rope.

He hit the water with a splash and a second later his head popped up and he shook the water from his face.

“Let’s get this done,” I growled.

Hold on, sweetheart, I’m coming for you.