Read Online 19 Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Brockmann
Tags: Troubleshooters
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couldn’t get the words out.
“Ah, Jesus, thank you, God” was all he could manage, and even that was little more than a whisper.
Meg and Savannah both leapt to their feet. Meg pulled one of the kitchen chairs behind him, and Savannah tugged him back into it, Joan pushing his headdown between his knees—as if they thought he might actually faint.
“Hey!” But, shit, he
was
dizzy and on the verge of falling out of the chair, so maybe they were onto something there. But before he could thank them, they all left, hurrying out into the backyard to give him privacy.
“The SAS came in and … Gordon MacKenzie, remember him?” Alyssa asked. “His team pulled us out. He remembers you. He wants to know what you think of his SAS boys now.”
Gordon MacKenzie …?
“Gordie told me his SAS team did some training exercises with SEAL Team Sixteen, back a few years,” Alyssa continued as Sam desperately tried to regain his equilibrium. “He said they learned a lot from you—that you used to rate them on a scale from one to ten. But you never gave them anything higher than an eight.”
Yeah, he remembered that. MacKenzie had gotten in his face and accused him of being a hardnosed asshole. Actually
arsehole
was what he’d said in his quaint Scottish accent. Sam had countered by standing his ground and saying he’d give them a ten when they fucking deserved a ten. And no sooner. Maybe they’d earn it next year, he’d told MacKenzie when the exercise had ended.
“Sam, are you still there? Can you hear me?” Alyssa was saying through the phone.
“Yeah,” he said. “Yes. Lys, are you really all right?” Frickin’ Gordie MacKenzie’s team had helped save Alyssa’s life. Next time he saw the dour bastard, he’d kiss him on the mouth. “Where are you?”
“The helo just landed on an aircraft carrier,” she said. “We’re safe.” She sounded exhausted, and she exhaled hard. “Those of us who made it out alive.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked, heart in his throat.
“Just a little tired,” she told him—she always had been the queen of understatement. “Well, yeah, okay, Icould use a few stitches—just a few, don’t get upset, I’m fine. We’re pretty dehydrated, though. They’ve got us all on IV drips.”
“I am so freaking glad to hear your voice,” he told her, and she laughed. “You have no idea.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Actually, I do. Although, don’t be jealous. I have to admit, as glad as I am to talk to you, I was even more glad to hear Gordie MacKenzie’s voice this morning.”
No kidding. “Tell Gordie that I love him,” Sam said.
Alyssa laughed again. “Those aren’t the three little words he’s longing to hear from you, Sam. Seriously, what they did was … It was remarkably courageous. We were trapped and … I honestly didn’t think anyone was coming for us—that anyone would be able to … I thought … It was bad,” she said quietly.
Sam had to put his head back down between his knees. Alyssa, who never gave up, who wouldn’t dream of quitting, had honestly thought she wasn’t going to survive.
“He doesn’t need me to give him a ten,” Sam told her. “He knows.”
“Still …” There was a storm of static. “… ignal’s fading—I have to go. Sam—”
“I love you,” Sam told her.
Thank God, thank God, thank God …
“I know.” Alyssa’s voice was fading in and out, but he could still make out her words. “There was a point where it would have been easier to, you know, just … have it over and done, but …”
“Thank you,” he said, hoping she could still hear him. “For not giving up.”
“How could I?” She sounded as if she were a million miles away. “You were with me, you know. Every minute. I could feel you by my side.” Sam could just barely hear her laughter over the static. “Ready to give me shitif I so much as faltered. Gordie told me you have a permanent spot on his shoulder, too—whispering into
“Ah, Jesus, thank you, God” was all he could manage, and even that was little more than a whisper.
Meg and Savannah both leapt to their feet. Meg pulled one of the kitchen chairs behind him, and Savannah tugged him back into it, Joan pushing his headdown between his knees—as if they thought he might actually faint.
“Hey!” But, shit, he
was
dizzy and on the verge of falling out of the chair, so maybe they were onto something there. But before he could thank them, they all left, hurrying out into the backyard to give him privacy.
“The SAS came in and … Gordon MacKenzie, remember him?” Alyssa asked. “His team pulled us out. He remembers you. He wants to know what you think of his SAS boys now.”
Gordon MacKenzie …?
“Gordie told me his SAS team did some training exercises with SEAL Team Sixteen, back a few years,” Alyssa continued as Sam desperately tried to regain his equilibrium. “He said they learned a lot from you—that you used to rate them on a scale from one to ten. But you never gave them anything higher than an eight.”
Yeah, he remembered that. MacKenzie had gotten in his face and accused him of being a hardnosed asshole. Actually
arsehole
was what he’d said in his quaint Scottish accent. Sam had countered by standing his ground and saying he’d give them a ten when they fucking deserved a ten. And no sooner. Maybe they’d earn it next year, he’d told MacKenzie when the exercise had ended.
“Sam, are you still there? Can you hear me?” Alyssa was saying through the phone.
“Yeah,” he said. “Yes. Lys, are you really all right?” Frickin’ Gordie MacKenzie’s team had helped save Alyssa’s life. Next time he saw the dour bastard, he’d kiss him on the mouth. “Where are you?”
“The helo just landed on an aircraft carrier,” she said. “We’re safe.” She sounded exhausted, and she exhaled hard. “Those of us who made it out alive.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked, heart in his throat.
“Just a little tired,” she told him—she always had been the queen of understatement. “Well, yeah, okay, Icould use a few stitches—just a few, don’t get upset, I’m fine. We’re pretty dehydrated, though. They’ve got us all on IV drips.”
“I am so freaking glad to hear your voice,” he told her, and she laughed. “You have no idea.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Actually, I do. Although, don’t be jealous. I have to admit, as glad as I am to talk to you, I was even more glad to hear Gordie MacKenzie’s voice this morning.”
No kidding. “Tell Gordie that I love him,” Sam said.
Alyssa laughed again. “Those aren’t the three little words he’s longing to hear from you, Sam. Seriously, what they did was … It was remarkably courageous. We were trapped and … I honestly didn’t think anyone was coming for us—that anyone would be able to … I thought … It was bad,” she said quietly.
Sam had to put his head back down between his knees. Alyssa, who never gave up, who wouldn’t dream of quitting, had honestly thought she wasn’t going to survive.
“He doesn’t need me to give him a ten,” Sam told her. “He knows.”
“Still …” There was a storm of static. “… ignal’s fading—I have to go. Sam—”
“I love you,” Sam told her.
Thank God, thank God, thank God …
“I know.” Alyssa’s voice was fading in and out, but he could still make out her words. “There was a point where it would have been easier to, you know, just … have it over and done, but …”
“Thank you,” he said, hoping she could still hear him. “For not giving up.”
“How could I?” She sounded as if she were a million miles away. “You were with me, you know. Every minute. I could feel you by my side.” Sam could just barely hear her laughter over the static. “Ready to give me shitif I so much as faltered. Gordie told me you have a permanent spot on his shoulder, too—whispering into
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