scaled a steep rock face. While she felt, and must have looked, like the living dead.
It could be worse, she reasoned. She could be lying dead in that cellar right now. What was a descent down a sixty-odd-foot cliff compared to that?
[Back to Table of Contents]
67
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Chapter Six
"You ready?"
Bryn glanced up into Declan's camouflaged face and nodded. She stood to let him hook up her harness, noting again how tall and strong he was. This time, with him so close, self-consciousness crept in. She so wanted a bath. She must stink to high heaven, and it was only going to get worse.
Something whizzed past her head, hot against her ear.
"Get down!"
He tackled her to the ground. Her heart galloped as she realized what had happened. A bullet. Someone had shot at her!
Dec had her pinned flat beneath him, sheltering her with his body while Spencer lay on his belly, scanning through the scope of his high-powered rifle. "Five of 'em," he reported, calmly pulling the trigger.
Dec spoke quickly into his mike, directing the rest of the team on the ground below them. Rocks dug into her belly and pelvis. Squashed beneath his heavy weight, she dimly heard the rapid transmission, while more gunshots cracked through the clear desert air.
"Move, Bryn," he commanded, shoving her in the opposite direction. She crawled as fast as she could away from the edge and toward the far end of the open plateau, heart clattering.
68
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Spencer ran ahead and quickly anchored a rope, tethered his harness and dropped over the side. Dec tugged some gloves on her, hooked her up and swung down behind her.
"Jones got two of them," he reported to Spencer grimly.
"Rendezvous at the extraction point at twenty-one hundred."
His arms tightened around her as he gripped the rope.
"I'm going to get us on the ground fast," he warned her, "so just let the rope slide between your hands and let me do the work, okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, shaking. Had her father made it down all right? Was he still unconscious? "Ulp—" she choked as her body fell backwards, automatically grabbing the rope to slow her descent.
"Let go, Bryn," Dec ordered.
Fighting her instincts, she did as he commanded, dropping another ten feet and stopping when he caught her against his body. She squeezed her eyes shut, sent up a prayer, dropped again. And again. And again as they rappelled down the cliff until her feet touched solid earth. She all but crumpled to the ground, then Dec grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder, running for cover behind a cluster of boulders next to what appeared to be the entrance of a cave. He set her down and she collapsed in a heap as he peered around the rocks, rifle at the ready.
"Clear," he said softly.
"Clear," Spencer responded.
Dec turned to her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Fine." All things considered, anyhow. "How about my father?"
69
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Yeah. They got him down and hidden when the firefight started."
"But has he woken up? He must be starving—"
"No." Sympathy filled his golden eyes. "He's in a coma, Bryn."
"Is he?" she demanded of Spencer, stomach churning.
The medic nodded. "Since this morning."
Fear and grief welled up inside her. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Because we couldn't afford to have you fall to pieces,"
Dec said bluntly.
Oh, but they could now? She drew her knees up, dropped her face into her hands. "I wouldn't have," she insisted.
The guilt ripped at her. This was her father she was talking about. Any other daughter would be screaming or crying over him by now. He'd never been much of a parent to her, but still she figured she owed him something more than this numbness. Nothing. All she felt was a heavy lump in her chest.
"Come on," Dec said, hauling her up by the hand. She followed him into the dark cave and sat next to him.
Spencer held out a silver pouch. "Here. Better eat something." When he opened it, the
It could be worse, she reasoned. She could be lying dead in that cellar right now. What was a descent down a sixty-odd-foot cliff compared to that?
[Back to Table of Contents]
67
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Chapter Six
"You ready?"
Bryn glanced up into Declan's camouflaged face and nodded. She stood to let him hook up her harness, noting again how tall and strong he was. This time, with him so close, self-consciousness crept in. She so wanted a bath. She must stink to high heaven, and it was only going to get worse.
Something whizzed past her head, hot against her ear.
"Get down!"
He tackled her to the ground. Her heart galloped as she realized what had happened. A bullet. Someone had shot at her!
Dec had her pinned flat beneath him, sheltering her with his body while Spencer lay on his belly, scanning through the scope of his high-powered rifle. "Five of 'em," he reported, calmly pulling the trigger.
Dec spoke quickly into his mike, directing the rest of the team on the ground below them. Rocks dug into her belly and pelvis. Squashed beneath his heavy weight, she dimly heard the rapid transmission, while more gunshots cracked through the clear desert air.
"Move, Bryn," he commanded, shoving her in the opposite direction. She crawled as fast as she could away from the edge and toward the far end of the open plateau, heart clattering.
68
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Spencer ran ahead and quickly anchored a rope, tethered his harness and dropped over the side. Dec tugged some gloves on her, hooked her up and swung down behind her.
"Jones got two of them," he reported to Spencer grimly.
"Rendezvous at the extraction point at twenty-one hundred."
His arms tightened around her as he gripped the rope.
"I'm going to get us on the ground fast," he warned her, "so just let the rope slide between your hands and let me do the work, okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, shaking. Had her father made it down all right? Was he still unconscious? "Ulp—" she choked as her body fell backwards, automatically grabbing the rope to slow her descent.
"Let go, Bryn," Dec ordered.
Fighting her instincts, she did as he commanded, dropping another ten feet and stopping when he caught her against his body. She squeezed her eyes shut, sent up a prayer, dropped again. And again. And again as they rappelled down the cliff until her feet touched solid earth. She all but crumpled to the ground, then Dec grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder, running for cover behind a cluster of boulders next to what appeared to be the entrance of a cave. He set her down and she collapsed in a heap as he peered around the rocks, rifle at the ready.
"Clear," he said softly.
"Clear," Spencer responded.
Dec turned to her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Fine." All things considered, anyhow. "How about my father?"
69
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"Yeah. They got him down and hidden when the firefight started."
"But has he woken up? He must be starving—"
"No." Sympathy filled his golden eyes. "He's in a coma, Bryn."
"Is he?" she demanded of Spencer, stomach churning.
The medic nodded. "Since this morning."
Fear and grief welled up inside her. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Because we couldn't afford to have you fall to pieces,"
Dec said bluntly.
Oh, but they could now? She drew her knees up, dropped her face into her hands. "I wouldn't have," she insisted.
The guilt ripped at her. This was her father she was talking about. Any other daughter would be screaming or crying over him by now. He'd never been much of a parent to her, but still she figured she owed him something more than this numbness. Nothing. All she felt was a heavy lump in her chest.
"Come on," Dec said, hauling her up by the hand. She followed him into the dark cave and sat next to him.
Spencer held out a silver pouch. "Here. Better eat something." When he opened it, the
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