Shiva (39 page)

His first priority
,
though
,
was Rebecca. He checked the wire around her wrists.

“
It is going to hurt like a mother when you catch that hook.
”

“
If
I catch that hook,
”
Rebecca responded.

“
So maybe somebody should stay stateside next time,
”
Brandt chided as he tightened the wire. He didn
’
t want her slender wrists slipping through.

Another explosion at the door made her frown waver despite her retort.
“
The next time you get snatched from the altar, I will seriously consider it.
”

No matter her words
,
Brandt knew she
’
d do no such thing. Even knowing everything she
’
d have to go through, he felt pretty damned confident she
’
d come after
him
again. Even if she had to hook a plane to do it.

“
I
’
ve got a safety line around your waist
…
in case…
”

Rebecca nodded.
“
And that would hurt like a mother too.
”

“
Yes,
”
he chuckled.
“
I suggest you catch that hook.
”

She nodded as he guided her up onto the side of the building.

“
It
’
s just like at the carnival,
”
Brandt reassured her. Rebecca
’
s glare told him she really didn
’
t appreciate his analogy right about now.

As she stood above him, he stabilized her with his hands on her outer thighs. He could feel her muscles shaking under his touch. That
’
s what made him love her all the more. Not that she was all that brave. Don
’
t get him wrong, she was freaking brave. But the fact she would do
anything to
follow him to hell and back
,
even when she was scared out of her mind.

That was his Rebecca.

Making sure he had a tight hold of the safety line, Brandt murmured to her
,
“
You can do this.
”
As the plane came in low and slow, Brandt patted her leg.
“
Just visualize your loop sliding over the hook.
”

“
Then the pain in my shoulders when it catches…
”
she finished. He knew Rebecca wasn
’
t complaining. She was truly visualizing a successful maneuver.

“
That
’
s right,
”
Brandt encouraged
,
then realized Lopez was coming in really, really, closely.
“
Duck!
”

Rebecca crouched down as the wings sailed overhead. It seemed Lopez didn
’
t want Rebecca to have to jump too far. The body of the plane slid by.

“
Now!
”
Brandt yelled.

Under his palms
,
her muscles bunched and propelled her up and out. But it would
n
’
t
be enough. She had too shallow an angle. Brandt wrapped another loop of wire around his wrist
,
ready to catch her. But Lopez was all over it, tilting the plane
’
s belly and therefore
the
hook toward Rebecca.

It wasn
’
t pretty, but the loop snagged the hook. The corporal nearly turned ninety degrees to make sure that loop stayed on. Levont scramble
d
out of the plane and down the fuselage to secure Rebecca.

Only then did Brandt release not only the safety line
,
but also a breath
he
’
d
held way too long. Whistling between his teeth
,
he refashioned the safety line into his own loop.

Now it was just Talli and him.

Of course
,
that was right around the time the roof door exploded off its hinges.

Fuck.

Talli laid down
gun
fire while Brandt
’
s
mind whirred.

He raised his hand, circling it overhead
,
then pointing to the other side of the roof. There was no way Lopez would have time to come all the way around. They were just going to have to catch him on the other side.

Lopez banked immediately
,
bringing the plan around.

“
Go!
”
Brandt yelled to Talli.

As the man ran, Brandt fired to the door. So far
,
the Disciples hadn
’
t been quite brave enough to poke their heads out, but it wouldn
’
t be long. Talli didn
’
t even have time to set up properly. He just hauled ass, jumped on the ledge
,
and flung himself at the plane. Thank goodness he had better aim with his loop than he did with a rifle. He snagged the hook square on.

Brandt couldn
’
t watch any longer. He had about a dozen gunmen deciding right about now they were brave. Quickly
,
he scanned the horizon. It was pretty much getting to the absolutely last second. Why the hell wasn
’
t Davidson firing?

Um, probably because the sniper had already figured out that there was no way Brandt could hold them off until the plane came back around. It was now or never.

Why was it always
now
?

Gritting his teeth, firing behind him, Brandt sprinted for the ledge. Talli was still trying to get his sorry ass off the hook and onto the plane. Brandt tossed aside the wire. There would be no hook in his future.

Lopez must have realized what Brandt was about to do as he cut the engines. Completely. The plane slowed, dropping altitude. Which was a damned good thing since Brandt ran straight off the roof.

Hitting air, his legs still pumped as if they could get him those last few inches. Then he
,
too
,
fell. Chest first…right on top of the wings.

Fuck…
T
hat
hurt
. He couldn
’
t even breathe
,
but his finger latched hold of the forward edge of the wings.

He was safe. Well, that was if Lopez could get the plane
’
s engines started again.

* * *

Davidson watched as the biplane
’
s engines finally caught and lifted his team out of their rapid descent. He hadn
’
t been too worried. He knew Lopez would get out and flap if he had to. As the night descended quickly, Talli finally, with Levont
’
s help, hauled himself onto the plane. It appeared that Brandt
had
decided the wings were just fine by him.

The Disciples were firing at will from the rooftop
,
but the plane quickly flew out of range. Turn
ed
out Davidson
’
s services weren
’
t needed. But that was the role of a perimeter specialist. Ninety-nine percent of the time you cooled your heels. Unless
,
of course
,
you were on Brandt
’
s team, then you were green-lit most of the time.

Davidson took one last survey of the area just to make sure that his egress was clear. His scope glided past the building where that couple had been…well…

Wait. He went back to the office. Not to be a perv or anything
,
but something was wrong. The couple was gone. Like
,
not there. The way those two had been going at it? There was no way they
w
ould have just closed up shop.

They had been a distraction. The watch. The sex. Everything had
been
meant to keep his attention diverted to the south.

Which meant something that really deserved his attention was happening
not
to the south. He brought his scope around to the north, checking those buildings. Most were dark this late at night. Only a few had lights flickering on.

If the sniper were here, he would
not
set up in the lighted offices.

He would be in the dark. Watching. Waiting for his shot.

And the best shot? Right at Brandt
’
s back.

Quelling panic, Davidson scoured the area for any sign of the sniper. If Davidson waited for the guy to take a shot to find out where he was, Brandt would be dead.

There! The faintest
-
green reflection from a night scope. Davidson didn
’
t have time to set up a kill shot. He only had time to prevent one.

Davidson fired, shattering the window. He fired again and again in no particular pattern
.
H
e just needed the sniper unable to aim as the plane moved out of range
,
even for a sniper rifle.

Then a bullet whizzed past his head.

Good
, Davidson thought as he rolled over onto his back, lying flat against the roof
’
s ledge. The sniper must have given up on the plane and decided to take out his frustration on another sniper. Fine by Davidson.

Now to get out of here and head to the rally point in Sudan
,
where they wouldn
’
t exactly need travel papers. Cash, American cash, would get them off the continent without a paper trail.

He was good to go
,
until he heard the rev of a jet engine. Not one jet engine
,
but two.

Crap
.

Davidson took a chance and brought his scope over the ledge. Sure enough
,
two F-16 fighters were streaking in their direction. They must have launched from the Abu Suwayr Air Force
B
ase. Whether the Disciples had tipped the Egyptians off or the government assumed this assault on the German building was the result of political unrest, their plane was in trouble.

Real trouble.

* * *

Rebecca ignored Vakasa as the little girl tugged on her
jibab
. She was too busy worr
ying
about Brandt still up on the wings. Why the hell didn
’
t he just get into the plane like any other sane person?

“
Damn, I wish I had access to the
I
nternet,
”
Lopez grumbled next to her. Rebecca really didn
’
t want to know why
.
H
owever
,
the corporal told her anyway.
“
I really, really, really need to know the world
’
s longest flight with a guy on your wings. Come on, somebody figure it out.
”

“
No matter what it is,
”
Talli stated
,
“
w
e will not be able to challenge it.
”

“
What do you
—
”

Lopez
’
s protest was drowned out by two jets streak
ing
overhead. Their turbulence rattled the plane down to its bolts.

“
That is
not
good,
”
Lopez said with an actual straight face. He wasn
’
t kidding. Lopez was actually worried.

Rebecca
’
s stomach plummeted. They were being hunted by the Eygptian Air Force
and
Brandt was on the wings. There was not time to worry or throw a tantrum or anything. There was only time to plan.

“
What are our options?
”
Rebecca asked.