Around-the-Clock Protector (6 page)

“If you want me to come into the fold with you, I will.” He turned toward her, witnessing her look of confusion.

“Say again,” she said into the mouthpiece.

“I’m coming in with you. Make sure you’re treated right.” He stared into her face, hoping for
some kind of acceptance. Her fate was, after all, sealed. Sealed in the belly of a C-130. There was no way out until they landed at Andrews AFB outside Washington, D.C., in six and a half hours. He could make peace with his doubts by then. Maybe tagging along was the only way to do that. The only way to assure that Ava and his child weren’t harmed.

“Okay.” She nodded and looked away.

Ava tried to calm the fear in her stomach with the knowledge that Carson was going to come in with her, but it did little to alleviate her concern.

He was an agent. An IAops agent. The kind the CIA would deny existed. Perhaps she should consider herself lucky it was him next to her and not a suit.

Maybe there was still time to convince him McLean was a bad idea. If not, there was always escape.

T
HE CONSTANT DRONE
of the aircraft engines lulled Carson into complacency. He looked at his watch. One hour until touchdown at Andrews.

He glanced over at Ava, sound asleep in her seat. Taking the liberty, he let his gaze slide down her body and found himself staring at her abdomen.

He could just make out the small round bulge below her navel, covered by the taut flight suit. He resisted the urge to cover the bump with his hand. To feel the hard evidence under his palm.

“Sir.”

Carson started, looking up at the young crewman who stood in front of him. “Yeah.”

“The captain would like to speak with you.”

Warning rose in his gut. He tamped it down, unfastened his harness and stood up, letting the blood flow return to his legs.

He followed the crewman to the three-stair platform up into the cockpit of the aircraft. He climbed the steps, opened the door and went inside.

The captain of the airplane looked up from his seat at the flight controls. “Close the door,” he said, before extending his hand.

Carson pulled the door shut and reached out, shaking the pilot’s hand. “Agent Carson Nash.”

“I’m Captain Springer Davis. This is my cocaptain, Ray White.”

“Your crewman said you needed to speak with me.”

“We just received a direct transmission from Andrews base command. We’ve been ordered to remand your prisoner, Agent Ava Ross, upon arrival.”

Suspicion battered Carson’s senses, but he kept his cool. “Any word on the order’s origin?”

“Negative. I just fly the plane.”

“Are we on schedule?”

“Affirmative. Down to the minute.”

Carson reached for the door handle. “She’s all yours once we’re on the ground.”

The captain nodded.

Carson left the cockpit, taking the stairs at a leisurely pace he didn’t feel. Something was wrong. Dead wrong.

He glanced around for the crewman and spotted him in his seat on the other side of the cockpit door. Slipping back into his seat, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest, letting his mind work the details his gut had already deciphered.

Ava’s claims might be true, but without a name to go with the redirect order, he didn’t have anything to go on.

He couldn’t let her be taken from his custody until he knew she’d be safe—and if that meant evasion, then so be it.

Carson opened his eyes and looked at his watch. They were twenty minutes from the drop zone. He gazed at the Hummer sitting in the belly of the plane and made his decision.

He stood up, making his way over to the crewman’s seat. “Hey, I can’t sit any longer. Can I help you prepare this beast for launch?”

“Sure.” The airman glanced at his watch. “It’s about that time anyway.” He stood up and moved toward the Hummer. “Pull the tie-downs on the corners. Make sure they’re unhooked and clear of the roll-out track.”

“You got it.” Carson moved down the left side of the Humvee, releasing the tie-down straps one by one. Stepping up, he looked inside the vehicle. The
keys swung from the ignition. Reaching out, he tried the door latch. It opened in his hand, just as the crewman came around the tail end of the Hummer.

“Better close that tight,” he said, pulling the last tie-down strap free.

Carson shut the door. “What’s next?” he asked, his hands on his hips.

“The captain comes over the intercom, tells me we’re over the drop zone and lowers the cargo door. I tether off and punch that red extrication button over there.” He indicated a button near the cockpit door. “And it’s bye-bye baby, off into the wild blue.”

“Sounds simple enough. Does the captain close the hatch?”

“Yeah. After the cargo launch sensor light goes out.”

“Smooth operation. Thanks for the rundown.”

“You better buckle up. When the door drops, the wind currents can be rough. Men have been sucked out of the plane.” The crewman turned around.

In one swift move Carson put him in a choke hold and pulled off his headphones.

The crewman went limp in his arms.

Carson dragged him over to his seat and buckled him in. Grabbing a tie-down strap, he bound the man’s hands together in front of him.

There was no need to gag the crewman, he decided, doubting anything could be heard over the drone of the aircraft engines.

He rushed to the seat where Ava still slept, and pulled off her headphones.

She startled, her eyes flew open and she stared up at him as if he’d lost his mind. He put his hand over her mouth and pointed at the Hummer. “I believe you,” he mouthed, watching her absorb the information. “Let’s go.”

He undid the seat-belt buckle and pulled her up, feeling her resist. “It’s the only way. They want to take custody of you at Andrews.”

Her features softened, her shoulders straightened. She nodded.

He pointed at the Hummer. “Get in!”

Ava couldn’t believe what was happening. One moment she’d been lost in sleep, the next she was preparing to climb into a Hummer for a ride out of the sky.

Her legs shook as she wobbled to the driver’s door of the vehicle.

Carson pulled open the door and she climbed inside.

“Roll down the window, put on the emergency brake and pop it out of gear.”

She obeyed, cranking the handle until the window disappeared. She yanked on the emergency brake and pulled the Hummer out of gear.

“Get in the passenger seat and buckle up! It’s going to be a rough ride.”

An instant of terror struck her, but she forced it back. She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up.

Carson grabbed his pack and pushed it through the driver’s window just as the captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker.

“We’re over the drop zone. Door down.” A hazard warning buzzed three times. The massive cargo door mechanically unlatched and began to drop.

Ava put her hands over her ears. The noise level inside the belly of the plane intensified. Why wasn’t Carson in the Hummer with her?

Panic streamed over her, turning into a torrent as she watched him approach the cockpit door.

Was he crazy? He should be strapping in right now, but he was just standing there staring at her.

“You’re clear to launch,” the captain said over the roar of the wind.

She watched Carson punch a red button and felt the Hummer jolt backward on the launch tracks.

Terror sliced through her as he lunged toward the moving vehicle, fighting the air currents swirling around him.

He rounded the front bumper and dragged himself along the side of the vehicle.

“Hurry!” Ava yelled, glancing in the side mirror at the clear blue sky five feet behind the rolling Humvee.

If he didn’t get inside before the rear wheels left the platform, he’d be sucked out of the aircraft.

Ava’s heart hammered in her chest.

Carson jumped onto the step rail.

Thump
. The rear wheels dropped off the back of the cargo gate.

She closed her eyes and waited for the nightmare to end. Carson Nash was as good as dead.

With all the strength he could muster, Carson dived through the open window of the Hummer, grabbed the seat belt and wrapped it around his hand.

In slow motion the vehicle dropped out of the belly of the airplane.

Carson held his breath, feeling the Humvee rock back and go vertical.

The auto deployment cord hissed in the wind.

He braced for the jolt, hanging on for dear life.

The parachutes snapped, filling with air.

Bobbing like a yo-yo at the end of its string, the Hummer jerked.

Carson’s teeth rattled in his head.

Free fall ceased, and they settled into a swaying glide to earth.

He pulled himself the rest of the way through the window, and up into the driver’s seat, where he buckled in.

Only then did he look over at Ava.

Her eyes were closed, her skin ashen.

Reaching out, he touched her.

She opened her eyes, staring at him in disbelief, before poking him with her finger.

“Made it.”

She nodded, a wry smile spreading on her lips. “I wasn’t sure.”

“I wondered, too.” He rolled up the window, cutting down on the noise level inside the Hummer as it dropped slowly to earth, buoyed by three massive parachutes.

“In half an hour, they’ll discover we decided to take another flight.” Carson stared out the front windshield at the C-130 cargo plane growing smaller and smaller on the horizon.

“They’ll radio Belvoir’s control tower, where they’ll dispatch an MP unit to scour the drop zone for us.”

“What?” Ava asked, an edge of fear in her voice.

“That’s why we have to drive this rig.” He searched the ground, trying to pinpoint the location they’d most likely land. He spotted an open area with a road through the middle of it. There were trees within half a mile in both directions. “If we can make it to the trees, we’ll change into civilian clothes. From there, we’ll pick up the road and hope to hell we can get a ride. Otherwise we’re going to have to lie low until nightfall.”

Looking down at the circumference of the drop zone, he searched for the equipment recovery team, but the landscape was clear. With any luck they’d be able to make the dash undetected.

He guessed their drop time was less than two minutes out. “When we hit dirt, we might bounce. Lean forward and put your arms and hands over your head, brace until we come to a complete stop. Do you understand?” He looked over at her.

She nodded.

“Good.” Reaching into the back of the Hummer, he pulled his pack up into the seat next to him. “Can you run on your ankle?”

“I’m sure going to try.”

He looked at the tree line some three hundred yards from the drop zone. Staring hard, he gauged the wind direction. The tops of the trees were blowing due east.

Reaching down, he released the emergency brake and wobbled the gearshift to make sure the rig was in neutral.

He put the wind speed at approximately ten mph. Not great, but if his plan worked, they’d pick up half the distance.

In his peripheral vision he caught a flash of movement on the ground. Straining to look over his shoulder, he spotted a dust trail. Following to the source, he saw a single vehicle approximately three miles from the drop zone.

“You have to get out of your seat belt the instant we touch the ground.”

“Okay.”

“The pickup crew is going to be right behind us.”

An instant of fear widened her eyes.

“Don’t panic—we’re going to make it.”

She swallowed and assumed the brace position.

Carson kept his head up and turned the Hummer’s key to the start position, unlocking the steering column. At the last second before they hit the ground, he assumed the brace position.

The Hummer landed, bounced forward and continued to roll across the open field.

Carson rose up and grabbed the steering wheel, aiming for the grove of trees three hundred yards east. He could hear the wind crack in the massive parachutes overhead. “Hang on.”

Steering with the pitch of the wind, he let their sail do the work until the Hummer gradually began to slow, and rolled to a stop.

The green canopy settled over them, enclosing the vehicle in a drab olive shroud.

“Let’s move!” Carson popped his seat belt, pulled on the emergency brake, grabbed his backpack and climbed out of the driver’s door.

They’d ridden an extra 150 yards, courtesy of the wind. And they were going to need every extra second it provided.

Ava’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it in her eardrums. She undid her seat belt and scampered over the console into the driver’s seat. The cover of green had a disorienting effect on her senses, but she kept her eyes on Carson and climbed out the driver’s door.

He gave it a kick shut and took her hand, shoving through the yards and yards of parachute silk that hid them from the world outside.

They made the edge of the chute and Carson lifted it slowly. The sun blinded Ava for an instant.

“Our target is those trees.”

She stared at the grove of maples, wishing they were closer. “Okay. I can do this.” She gathered her nerve.

“Go!” Carson yelled, bolting forward with her hand in his. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder. The pickup team would be on the drop zone soon. He just hoped it wasn’t soon enough to catch sight of the stowaways who’d dropped from the sky along with the vehicle.

Ava pushed forward, fighting the fatigue in her body. She focused on the tree line and regulated her breathing, feeling a surge of energy. She didn’t know if it was Carson’s constant hold on her hand or the fact that she’d eaten well this morning and slept on the aircraft.

The field was covered in tall grass that hit her midthigh. The ground under her feet was flat, but she
could feel the slight decline as they moved closer to the tree line and cover.

Her foot lodged in a chuckhole before she could avoid it. Intense pain shot through her ankle and radiated into her leg.

A shriek squeezed from between her lips as she launched forward headed for the dirt.

Only Carson’s grip on her kept her from landing hard. He eased her down into the grass and went down on his belly beside her.

He raised his finger to his lips.

Ava wanted to cry out. The pain was intense. Her injured ankle pounded and throbbed.

But the sound of the approaching vehicle stilled her.

Clamping her teeth together, she closed her eyes to wait for the inevitable.

Carson listened intently to the squeal of brakes as the pickup team rolled up on the parachute-covered Humvee and stopped.

They’d managed to make it fifty yards before Ava’s ankle had given out. He glanced over at her now, lying next to him on her back. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the amount of pain she was in. Her teeth were clamped shut, her jaw, rigid, a hand protecting her belly.

Sympathy laced through him, the weight of her suffering catching in his brain. He needed to get her to a doctor ASAP.

The sound of voices drew his attention, and he focused on the words he could decipher.

“Fuel…roll the chutes…ice pack.”

Carson listened for any change in the crew’s level of concern. He should have made sure Ava still had her ice pack, but he’d neglected to check. He’d disobeyed the team’s cardinal rule. In clean, out clean.

A curse rested on his tongue as he waited…hoping the crewmen would let it go.

The rise and fall of their voices gave no indication they were concerned about the ice pack lying in the floor of the Humvee. It was only going to make sense when the pilot of the C-130 radioed Belvoir’s central command and let them know they’d inadvertently dropped off more than an empty vehicle. Carson listened to yards of parachute silk skim across the grass before he heard the clank of a gas tank lid rattling loose, and the sound of fuel gurgling into the rig.

They’d be on their way soon. Worried, he glanced over at Ava. With her ankle possibly broken, they’d play hell moving any faster than a couple of turtles in a snowstorm.

They needed transportation.

“Do you think you can belly crawl to the tree line?” He looked over at her and watched her eyes flicker open.

“Do I have to?”

“If you don’t want to wait for nightfall and a miserable hike out of here on that ankle.”

She raised herself up on her elbows and looked down at her feet. Carson couldn’t help but stare at the tiny bulge in her abdomen. He swallowed against a zap of worry and refocused on her face. “I want you to crawl into the brush and change into your street clothes. I’m going to do the same.”

“Okay.” She glanced over at him and he watched courage gather in her demeanor.

“I’m going to come running out of the grove, waving my arms. They’re going to stop me and I’m going to make some outrageous claims. Go with it.”

“All the way.”

“Let’s move. We don’t have much time.” He turned onto his belly and moved through the grass with Ava not far behind. Still listening to the movements of the crew, they reached the tree line and paused. The landscape sloped off gradually, leaving them a secure spot just below the lip of a slight ravine.

Carson sat up and pulled off his pack. Digging into it, he pulled out Ava’s clothes along with his own.

She flinched as he slid down the zipper on his flight suit, and she turned away, grabbing her own clothes from the pile.

The sound of her zipper gave him pause as he wriggled his shoulders out of the fabric and pulled on his T-shirt.

The sight of Ava’s bare back put fire in his veins and he recalled the feel of her skin under his lips.

“Dammit,” he whispered under his breath as he refocused his energy on getting dressed, instead of lusting after her. He needed to keep his head in the game.

She pulled on her blouse and he stared at her back, remembering how he’d caught the men holding her in the woods. They’d had her shirt up, her back exposed.

He pulled on his pants. It was significant, but why?

“I’m going to take off. You’ve got less than two minutes to finish dressing and stuff the flight suits into my backpack.” He reached in and pulled out a camera before looping the strap over his head. “Be ready.”

“I will.” She stared up at him. He was taken by the look of sheer determination on her face. She’d been a good agent. She’d received commendation for superior service. Somewhere in that brain of hers were the answers that were going to save her life, and maybe his. He just had to hang tough until he found them.

Standing up, he lurched forward at a run. “Help. Somebody please help.” With one hand, Carson held the camera to keep it from bouncing as he ran, and with the other he waved at the stunned crew staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“Help.” He ran straight for them, judging their reactions as he moved in closer and finally stopped just short of the Humvee.

“My wife’s been injured. She’s right over there. Can you help us?”

“Slow down, sir. Are you aware this is a restricted area?”

“Restricted? From what?”

“Civilians.”

“No way. We were on Telegraph Road. There weren’t any signs.”

“What are you doing here, sir?” The senior officer stepped forward and Carson sized him up.

“We were bird-watching. I spotted a yellow-rumped warbler. He’s too far east. I had to stop and try to get a shot.” He deliberately raised his camera to add validity to the story. “But he took off. We gave chase. My wife stepped in a hole and fell. I’m sure she needs medical assistance. If we could just get a ride back to the main road, we’ll be out of your hair.”

Carson braced for a positive answer. The alternative wasn’t pleasant, and it might draw attention along with a detail of armed soldiers, which he wasn’t prepared to battle at the moment.

The senior officer glanced over at his second in command, then back at Carson. “Where’s your wife?”

“At the edge of the tree line…she’s pregnant with our first child.”

He saw the senior officer pause. “How far along?”

“Just four months, but I’m worried.”

The officer was already moving past him, and he
jogged up beside him. “I hope this doesn’t cause any trouble. I mean, we never intended to enter a restricted area. And it’s a damn good thing you guys were here, because my wife could be in bad shape.”

“Take it easy, man. My wife just gave birth to our first child. We’ll get you out to the main road.”

“Thank you.” Carson slowed a bit, catching his breath. The ruse was almost a done deal. If Ava did her part, they’d be in the clear.

“Over here.” They paused on the edge of the shallow ravine and Carson located Ava sitting in the grass where he’d left her. She was dressed in civilian clothes, the stuffed backpack on the ground next to her.

“She loves to bird-watch with me. We try to get out every couple of weeks. Last week we discovered a black-billed cuckoo over in Maryland.” Carson prayed Ava had been listening to his spiel. They closed in on her and he watched her try to stand up. She made it up onto her feet just as he moved in next to her and put his arm around her waist for support.

“He’s in that tree, Drake. If you hurry you might get the shot.”

Carson smiled at her, warmed by her acting abilities as much as the feel of her body next to his. “Always the zealous one, aren’t you dear? But the warbler will have to wait. These officers are going to give us a ride to the main road.”

She looked at the two officers and smiled sweetly.
“Oh, thank you. I’m not sure I could have gotten very far on this ankle.”

“You’re welcome, miss, but we’d better get moving before command gets perturbed. Officer Gracowski, take a hike and bring the Humvee over. I’ll follow in the jeep.”

“Yes, sir.” The officer turned, quickly covered the distance to the vehicles, climbed in and fired up the engine.

In a matter of minutes, Carson and Ava were seated in the Hummer they’d ridden to the ground and were being driven to the main road.

Carson tried to relax as he mentally went over the layout of the military reservation.

“There’s a pullout on the northeast corner about a mile from here. That’s where our car is parked.”