Sniper Fire (Love in the Crosshairs) (9 page)

Farrah and Dell slid past one another, the soldier taking her place beside Kyle’s stretcher. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with a white WHO patch on the front. A stethoscope was draped around his neck. “Hey buddy,” he said.

“You change jobs?” Kyle asked.

He winked. “Nah, I’m just window dressing.”

Around him, his fellow NightHawks shifted, flattening themselves on the van floor as much as possible. Gage and Dell draped dark blankets over the prone bodies, then pulled out some medical gear and set it on top of them. Kyle felt the cold butt of a pistol pressed into his hand. Joshua leaned close to his ear. “We’ve been getting through the road blocks fine, but just in case—”

Before Kyle could respond, Rashid called out again. “Damn it, looks like they’re going to stop us this time. Show time, folks.”

Chapter Five

The siren cut off abruptly. The van slowed, then jerked to a stop. Kyle gritted his teeth, but the expected stab of pain wasn’t as sharp as before. Thank God for drugs. He checked the safety on the gun by feel. All they needed was for him to jerk the damn trigger by mistake. Kyle listened as Rashid spoke in a rush of Arabic to whoever was manning the checkpoint. He tried to pay attention, pick out words, but got distracted by Gage and Dell. The two men moved in quick, jerky motions, pulling out packages of gauze, tubes, and needles and slapping them on his stomach. Something wet trickled down his side. Kyle looked down to see a telfa pad soaked in blood lying on his chest. He jerked, trying to remember how he’d gotten wounded there, but caught Dell’s wink before panic set in. Right, window dressing.

Dell began hurriedly inflating the BP cuff on Kyle’s arm. On his other side, Gage was busy going through the motions of setting up another IV.

The conversation up front grew louder.

“Look,” Farrah said, her studied Arabic coming out like starched linen compared to Rashid’s smooth flow. “This man is a family member of the Commander of Cairo’s police force. Detain us any longer, and you will have to answer for his death, not us.”

Another spate of Arabic. The beam of a flashlight swept into the van. On cue, Dell called out, “We’re losing him.”

Gage immediately rose on his knees and proceeded to press down on Kyle’s chest, doing a great CPR imitation. Dell tipped Kyle’s head back and leaned over, the wicked gleam in his eyes clearly visible. Kyle stiffened, but knew he dare not make a move to stop him. Damn, the guys would tease him about his for months.

The light vanished. The guard began another stream of Arabic that was lost in the roar of the ambulance’s engine as it shot forward. Kyle shoved the muzzle of his pistol into Dell’s stomach. “Bring that ugly mug of yours any closer and Gage is going to have another patient.”

Dell froze, but smiled. The hand tilting Kyle’s head back released him with a little pat. “Come on, Ghost, you telling me you’d rather die than let me give you the kiss of life? Damn, man, that’s taking hetero to a new level.”

“If I were actually dying, I probably wouldn’t care. No offence to the gay populace, but put your mouth anywhere near mine any other time, and you’ll find out just how hetero they raise us Clear Springs boys.” Joshua rose up from his hiding place beside them. Kyle felt Joshua’s hand slide against his, trying to reclaim the gun. He held onto it just on principle until Dell moved back, his hands raised in surrender, though his teasing smile remained in place. Bastard thought he was funny. The ambulance rocked as the other NightHawks crawled back into sitting positions.

“Looks like we’re clear to the PZ,” Rashid called.

“Roger that.” Joshua tapped the com unit in his ear. “Need a look see on P3, Capella. Any hostiles in the area?”

Kyle half-listened to Capella’s response. He was waiting for Farrah to come back. He needed her to come back, to touch him again. Her touch was the best medicine. He opened his mouth to call for her, but Joshua reached out and lightly patted Kyle’s leg. Just that slight touch made the dull pain flare into something that took the breath from Kyle’s lungs. When he could breathe again, Joshua was staring down at him, his expression apologetic. “Sorry, bro. Did you catch that?”

Kyle rocked his head back and forth. He should have paid more attention, but between the pain, the drugs, and the worry over Farrah, his focus was shot.

“Our luck on this mission hasn’t changed. Capella says he got word that the pickup point we’re headed to might be compromised as well. Nothing concrete, but he talked Abe into stirring up a diversion on short notice just in case.”

“What kind of a diversion?”

Joshua’s expression shifted into a slight grin. “Beta unit’s having a bar-b-que.”

Besides being experts in urban warfare, Beta unit specialized in blowing things up. The half-mad group of explosive experts had tried to lure Brick away from the NightHawks ever since he joined up. Kyle tried to grin, too, but couldn’t tell if he made it or not. “And they didn’t invite us? I bet Brick is pissed.” A non-committal grunt came from the back of the ambulance near the doors.

“Nah,” Joshua said. “I promised him we’d throw a real bar-b-que of our own when we all get back safe and sound. He gets to blow out the pit.”

Kyle clenched his fists. Home. The idea had damn fine merit. Safe would be good, too. A bit late for the sound part, though.

Reading his mood, Joshua said, “Hang in there, Kyle. Like Sam said, Farrah did good work. We both know you should be dead. Yet here you are, living, breathing, and you still have both legs. One’s just a little messed up right now.”

“A little messed up? Is that what you call this?” He waved one hand at the leg swathed in bandages and grabbed a handful of Joshua’s shirt with the other, pulling him down until they were nose to nose. “I’ll tell you what’s messed up,” he hissed. “Messed up is that woman up there being within a hundred miles of us right now. What happened to go in, get the leg stabilized, then get as far away from her as fast as possible? What happened to that plan, boss?”

Grim-faced, Joshua pried Kyle’s hand loose. Instead of moving away, he settled on the floor next to the stretcher. He leaned close. The noise from the vehicle’s engine and the wind rushing through the open windows up front allowed them a small bubble of privacy. He tilted his head in Farrah’s direction. “She didn’t want you moved. Said it would be too dangerous. Your knee was, still is, in pieces. Jogging you across town wasn’t on the good doctor’s list of approved activities.” Joshua shrugged one shoulder. “When things got hot, I let her talk me into smuggling us out in the clinic’s ambulance.”

Kyle closed his eyes. God, had he heard right? Sweet, pacifist, Farrah Hastings voluntarily on the run with a bunch of special ops soldiers? If they weren’t barely a step ahead of a well-armed, well-organized group of terrorists who’d do anything to get their hostage back, that might be funny.

“Kyle?”

Kyle opened one eye. “Quiet, you. I’m going back to sleep. I’ve obviously woken up in the wrong universe.”

Joshua chuckled. Kyle closed his eye again. It was either the wrong universe or the whole world had gone insane while he was out. He couldn’t believe Joshua let her do this. Especially considering the tender little scene Kyle’s memory had no problem serving up in crystal clarity.

“You know, people keep asking me why I do things.” Joshua sighed. “And I get tired of explaining that sometimes I have no damn choice. You know Farrah, Kyle. She’s stubborn as hell. Woman wouldn’t turn you loose.”

And didn’t those words send a warm fuzzy feeling through him. God, what he wouldn’t give for them to be real.

“She insisted,” Joshua continued, “on coming with us until she could turn you over to another MD. You have her worried, bro, and you know how she gets when something worries her. I would have had to tie her up to leave her behind.”

Kyle opened his eyes and leaned his head back, trying to see the
she
in question. Farrah sat stiffly in the front passenger seat facing forward. He motioned Joshua closer. “You know you can’t let her go back to that clinic. Not now. Not with the terrorists sniffing around. They’re bound to figure out that she helped us.”

Joshua glared at him. “Do I look stupid to you?”

“Lately? Yeah. Does she know?”

“That she’s not going back? Not yet.”

“Always living on the edge, aren’t ya. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a death wish.”

“Just keeping life interesting.”

He pursed his lips, then sighed. “You realize that if I lose this leg now, she’s going to feel responsible.” That was the reason he hadn’t wanted her to operate on him. He knew Farrah. She’d take any loss personally. And occasionally, even the best physicians lost a battle. Why in hell she’d chosen to be a doctor, he’d never understand.

“Yeah,” Joshua said, sounding as tired as Kyle felt. “Again, no choice, bro. I had to let her do it. It was that, or lose you.” Joshua’s hand landed heavy on Kyle’s shoulder. “And let’s face it, you’d have done the same.”

Would he? Kyle felt ashamed he had to even ask himself that question. He might have a better shot at some kind of life with Farrah without Joshua around, but the two of them weren’t blood brothers for nothing. Joshua would always be family. The last thing he wanted was to come between his brother and the woman he loved. “Yeah, well, I just hope Farrah sees it that way if something goes wrong.”

Joshua dragged a hand over his face. “You and me both, bro. You and me both.”

****

The pickup zone turned out to be a scraggly meadow behind a half-collapsed building outside a small village. Farrah eyed the run-down area as Rashid parked the ambulance in a copse of trees south of the crumbling structure. As soon as he turned off the lights, darkness closed in. Pale moonlight filtered through the sparsely leafed trees surrounding them, creating a sinister backdrop.

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait by the building?” Farrah asked, trying to stifle a shiver.

Rashid shook his head as he peeled off the layer of civilian clothing. “Structures make good targets. Best to lay low in whatever natural cover we can find. Easier to see anyone coming and better chance of not getting blown up by booby-traps.”

“Wonderful,” Farrah said drily. She got out and moved to the back of the ambulance that was suddenly empty of all but Gage and Kyle. She glanced around, but the rest of Joshua’s men, Jeff Waterhouse included, had already melted into the surrounding darkness. She turned back to the ambulance and climbed inside. “How’s our patient?”

“He’ll live.” Gage flashed her a smile. “Just so we’re clear, we have your permission to pack him as far as the chopper from here, right? I’m not the Harrier, so I don’t want to get into trouble with a fellow medical professional.”

“No, I’m the Harrier.” Joshua stepped out of the dark, his voice so low she could barely make out the words. “And that means you take orders from me, not her.”

Farrah welcomed the flash of outrage at his words. “He might take orders from you, but Kyle is still my patient.”

“Only for the next five minutes. And keep your voice down. Sound travels pretty far at night.” He placed a hand on Kyle’s good leg. “Just a little longer, bro, and we’re out of here.”

“Good. Can’t wait.”

“How about another shot for the road,” Farrah said. She didn’t mention it to Joshua or Gage, but she was worried about Kyle. His fever was definitely rising. “Just a small dose to take the edge off.” She’d slip a little antibiotic in as well.

“Sounds like a plan, doc.”

Farrah shot a glance at Joshua. No argument from Kyle wasn’t a good sign. She didn’t say anything, glad to see Gage taking another set of vitals without being asked. He looked at her and grimaced when he was done, wobbling his hand back and forth. She took it to mean that Kyle wasn’t critical, but he wasn’t good, either. She squirted the low-dose of morphine into the IV tube, followed by the antibiotic.

The muted sound of thunder rolled to them through the night. Despite being inside the ambulance and under some trees, Farrah couldn’t help but glance up. A thunderstorm?

Joshua slapped a hand lightly against the floor of the ambulance, startling her. “That’s our cue. Let’s go. Farrah, can you take this end of the stretcher?” Farrah’s heart began to pound. This was it. Another few minutes, and she would hand Kyle off to the military doctor on the helicopter. Kyle would fly off for a date with a first-class surgeon and she would return to the clinic. Hopefully things will have calmed down there and she could get back to learning what she’d need to know when she opened her own practice.

She hurriedly slipped the strap of her medical bag over her head and grabbed the end of the stretcher. Together, she and Gage pulled Kyle from the Ambulance. Joshua jogged ahead of them, his gun out and ready. She hoped he didn’t expect her to keep up. Even though she had the light end of the stretcher, her arms and shoulders were already feeling the strain.

Brick appeared out of the night like a specter, making her stumble. “I’ll take that, ma’am.” She gladly relinquished her end of the stretcher, moving up to walk next to it instead. The sound of a helicopter grew louder, but she wasn’t sure which direction it was coming from. All she could do was follow along and try not to trip on the uneven ground.

A shot broke the stillness of the night, followed by a yelp of pain.

“Sniper,” Joshua shouted. “Take cover!”

Farrah dropped immediately to the ground near a bunch of tall weeds. She hugged the medical bag to her chest, wishing she knew who had been hit. More gunshots rang out. She pressed harder into the dry grass as several bullets whizzed by overhead. Twice the deadly hail landed so close she was sprayed by the sand kicked up by the impact. Farrah couldn’t hold back a cry as she covered her head with her arms. Dear God, she didn’t want to die here.

“Farrah? Farrah!”

Kyle’s voice. Farrah peeked through her arms. She found his white face in the darkness, barely visible over a rise of ground a dozen feet away. It took her a moment to realize that Gage and Brick had followed Joshua’s order a lot better than she had, taking cover in a shallow ditch.

“Here,” Kyle called, waving her toward him. His wide-eyed gaze held a note of the same panic that coursed through her veins. “Crawl over here.”