Finding Monica, page 25
Monica jerked at the sound, then looked around Stuart’s arm, holding her even tighter…to see Baker standing over Shane. The headlamp had been knocked off the rocks in the fight and was lying nearby, illuminating the scene. A dark stain was spreading on Shane’s thigh, obviously from a gunshot wound.
“Such a waste,” Baker said with a shake of his head.
“Fuck you!” Shane bit out.
“No, fuck you,” he retorted. “You were one of the best on the team. But I saw concerning signs early on. You liked killing a little too much. Liked hurting our targets to get info, even when they cooperated. I tried to get you help, man…but like usual, you thought you were smarter than everyone else. Tonight just proves how fucking stupid you really are. Taking a SEAL’s woman wasn’t smart, Bull. In fact, it was downright moronic.”
“You ruined me!” Shane seethed. “And—”
But Baker didn’t give him a chance to say more. “Wrong. You ruined yourself. I had nothing to do with it.”
“Are you okay, Mo?” Stuart asked, taking her attention away from Baker and Shane.
She nodded jerkily, even as she began to shake from the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
“This isn’t over, asshole!” Shane swore. “I don’t care how long it takes, who I have to bribe, how much it’ll cost me—I’m gonna make you suffer. I’ll kill everyone you care about. Your SEAL pals? They’re dead! Their women? I’ll pay extra to have them raped and tortured before they’re dead. You’ll never be free of me. Ever!”
Monica shivered at the deranged venom in his voice.
To her surprise, Stuart’s arms loosened around her and he stood. Then he was moving away from her, toward Baker and Shane.
She watched as the man she loved more than she ever thought she could love another human being walked up to Shane, pointed a gun she didn’t know he had, and pulled the trigger.
Shane howled in agony. Monica wanted to look away, but couldn’t. She watched in morbid fascination, needing to know what was happening, that she was safe.
Shane was writhing on the ground, holding one of his knees.
Baker lifted his hand and aimed the gun he was holding.
She wasn’t as surprised by the loud noise this time.
They’d shot both of Shane’s kneecaps. There was no way he was getting up anytime soon. He was effectively out of commission, though the shots hadn’t been lethal.
“Radio the pilot,” Baker ordered Stuart, then he squatted down near Shane, lowering his voice. Monica couldn’t hear what was being said.
“Pid here. We’re ready,” Stuart said, walking back toward her as he spoke to someone through a very sophisticated-looking headset.
“Hang in there, Mo, we’ll be out of here in no time,” he said in a low voice as he knelt next to her.
Monica supposed she should be leery of Stuart. He’d just shot someone point-blank, illustrating a ruthlessness that was eerily similar to her father’s. The difference was, her father would have enjoyed it…and it was clear Stuart hadn’t taken any pleasure in what he’d done. Also, her father would never have done something like what Stuart had in order to protect her. Besides, after what Shane had said? She’d wanted to shoot him herself.
Monica wanted to feel relieved. Baker and Stuart had prevailed. They’d prevented Shane from hurting her and had effectively ended any immediate threat to anyone else. But even in the short amount of time it had taken to defeat him, the heat from the nearby lava had increased tenfold. Monica could feel sweat rolling down the sides of her face. Stuart was also sweating, but he looked otherwise calm, as if he stood in the middle of a lava field every day.
“You can’t leave me here!” Shane cried out.
Monica turned her attention back to the other men. Baker was now standing again.
“Why not? It’s what you had planned for me and Miss Collins, wasn’t it?”
“A SEAL never leaves a SEAL behind!” Shane shouted desperately.
Baker shook his head. “The only SEALs I see here are me and Pid. The first time you used your training against us, you stopped being a SEAL and became a terrorist. And that reign of terror stops here. You’ve been a bully for the last time. If I were you, I’d start trying to make my peace with God.”
Then he holstered his weapon behind his back and headed toward Monica and Stuart.
“The pilot comin’?” Baker asked.
Before Stuart could reply, the sound of a helicopter gave Baker the answer to his question.
“Seriously—help me!” Shane begged.
“We need to get away from that approaching lava,” Baker said calmly, ignoring his former teammate.
Monica felt a little sick, knowing what was about to happen to her kidnapper. But considering what Shane had said, how he’d planned to terrorize Baker and kill everyone he knew and loved, including her and Stuart, she couldn’t feel sorry for the man. For every home he’d looted, for every man, woman, and child he’d killed. For every act of terrorism against his country…he was reaping what he’d sown.
She instinctively took a step away from where Shane was lying, still begging for his life, and couldn’t stop the small sound of pain that escaped.
“What? What’s wrong?” Stuart asked immediately.
“My feet,” Monica said. “I’m not wearing shoes and the rocks freaking hurt.”
Even before she’d gotten the last word out, Monica was being lifted. Stuart held her securely in his arms. She relaxed and put her head on his shoulder as she clung to him. Amazingly, she felt not one twinge of fear in his arms. Stuart would never drop her. Ever. She knew that without a doubt.
He carried her about forty feet from where they’d left Shane. He was still screeching behind them, his begging turning to anger. He was using some swear words Monica had never heard before, screaming at Baker that he was basically a piece of shit. She stared at him as the glowing red-hot lava got closer and closer to where he lay.
Stuart turned away from the injured man to try to prevent her from seeing what was about to happen. “Don’t watch,” he told her.
“I don’t want to…but I need to,” Monica said, not sure she could really explain why she had to see such a gruesome sight.
“Fuck. I’m calling a psychologist first thing when we get home,” Stuart muttered, but he turned back around.
Monica would have laughed but it definitely wasn’t a time for humor. Her gaze returned to Shane, frantically attempting to crawl away from the molten lava. The headlamp on the ground gave her just enough light to witness his end.
The second the lava touched his boot, a flare of fire burst upward as the rubber sole immediately caught fire.
Shane screamed then…a sound so piercing and gut wrenching, Monica knew she would never forget it.
Almost as soon as the sound started, it stopped. She watched in fascinated horror as the lava steadily flowed over his feet…his calves…his thighs…
Within seconds, Shane “Bull” Beyer was no more. He was instantly cremated.
Monica couldn’t help but think of Pele’s Curse. As far as she was concerned, it was definitely a real thing.
Her hair whipped around her face, and Monica realized as she’d been staring at a man burning to death, a helicopter had arrived high above their heads.
“I’ll go up first,” Stuart told Baker, loud enough to be heard over the rotor blades of the chopper. “I’ll make a loop with the rope.”
Baker nodded and held out his arms.
Stuart looked down at her for a moment. “This is almost over, Mo. Just hang on for a little longer, okay?”
She nodded. What else could she do? A tantrum wouldn’t help right now, neither would crying or freaking out. All she could do was go with her newfound trust in Stuart. She’d had an epiphany earlier; now was no time to question it.
Stuart kissed her hard and fast, then transferred her into Baker’s arms. Monica watched as Stuart grabbed hold of a rope swinging wildly in the wind of the blades and began to climb. He made it look so easy, but having tried to do the exact same thing on her dad’s obstacle course, Monica knew it was anything but.
“I’m okay. You can put me down, Baker,” she said, turning her attention to the man.
“No,” he replied simply, not taking his eyes off Stuart, still climbing above their heads.
With no choice but to stay where she was, Monica tightened her hold around Baker’s neck as she craned her neck back and followed Stuart’s progress. It didn’t occur to her until he was over halfway up that if he fell, he’d most certainly die. It was impossible for anyone to survive a fall from that height. Not to mention the lava that was all around them.
“He’s fine. He’ll make it,” Baker said, yet another SEAL who could seemingly read her mind.
Monica held her breath anyway, relieved when Stuart reached the skids of the chopper. He let go of the rope with one hand, reaching for the skid. She gasped as he let go of the rope entirely and dangled there for a long moment, before using his incredible strength to pull himself up and stand on the skid, then climb through the open door of the helicopter.
“Holy shit,” she breathed. She didn’t think she was loud enough to be heard over the chopper, until she felt Baker’s laughter shaking her lightly.
“You ready for a ride?” he asked.
Monica looked at him skeptically. “Um…you guys do know there’s no way I can climb that, right?”
“Yup. Which is why all you have to do is hold on. Pid’ll pull you up once you’re secured to the rope.”
Monica wasn’t sure that sounded much better, but she pressed her lips together and looked upward once more.
Stuart had hauled the rope into the helicopter, where she could see him fiddling with it.
“Head’s up,” Baker said, stepping backward.
The rope appeared about ten feet above their heads once more, but this time there was a large loop in the end.
Monica heard Baker talking to the pilot, directing him to come lower. As soon as the rope was within reach, Baker slowly lowered her feet to the rocky ground. She managed to hold back a wince when her already bruised and probably bleeding feet touched down. Baker kept one arm around her, holding her steady as he grabbed the rope and, without a word, looped it over her head and under her arms. He wrapped her palms around the coarse rope and said, “No matter what, do not let go, understand?”
Monica wanted to roll her eyes. There was no way she was letting go of that rope.
“The ride won’t be that comfortable, but Pid’ll have you inside with him in a blink.”
Then he stepped back, waved his hand in a circle, and Monica felt tension on the rope. Suddenly her feet were off the ground and she was airborne.
Gasping in shock as the rope tightened uncomfortably around her back and under her arms, she did her best not to completely panic. Still, looking down, she realized how precarious their situation was for the first time. The light that Shane had brought with him was no longer in sight, having been swallowed by the same lava that had burned him alive. But she didn’t need the light to know Baker was in deep shit.
The lava was slowly but surely closing in on him. It seemed to be bubbling more aggressively than it had when she and Shane arrived. Monica wasn’t sure why; maybe another vent had opened nearby? Or the entire ground under them was about to open up? She didn’t know. She only knew there was nowhere for Baker to go because he was surrounded by the deadly lava. If Stuart didn’t get her into the helicopter quickly and lower the rope for his friend, Baker would certainly suffer the same fate as his ex-teammate.
Deciding looking up was preferable to watching the lava creep closer to Baker, Monica tilted her chin. The chopper looked so far away, but she was indeed being pulled upward at an extremely fast rate. Pid had to be tired after climbing up himself, but she’d never have guessed. She felt the rapid jerks of the rope every time he pulled.
Before she knew it, she was approaching the skids. Just when she thought she was going to hit her head on them, she stopped. Her body was being buffeted back and forth from the power of the blades, and as she spun in a circle, she wondered how in the hell she was going to get inside the cabin of the chopper.
Then she nearly had a heart attack when Stuart climbed from the cabin and straddled one of the skids. She couldn’t see any safety harness around him either. He leaned down, keeping a firm grip on the doorjamb and held his other hand out to her.
Their gazes met, and Monica saw nothing but confidence in his. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Even though they were who-the-hell-knew-how-far above an active lava field, his friend was minutes away from burning to death, and Stuart was literally straddling a freaking helicopter skid far, he looked calm and composed.
For a split second, a familiar memory flashed through Monica’s mind yet again. Struggling to climb that wall when she was little, her dad impatiently waiting for her at the top. She’d asked for help and he’d lowered his hand, just as Stuart was doing now. What followed was the most pain she’d ever experienced in her life. Even now, her left hand tingled as if in warning.
Trust no one but yourself.
Her father’s words echoed in her head. Monica froze as she stared at the fingers reaching for her. Then her gaze moved up the hand, up the arm, and locked onto his face once more.
This wasn’t her father.
It was Stuart. A man who’d proven time and time again that he wouldn’t hurt her. That she could trust him. And she did trust him. With her life.
And if she didn’t make a move right this second, Baker would die. She wasn’t going to let that happen.
Without another thought, Monica let go of the rope with her right hand and reached upward. Within seconds, she felt Stuart’s strong fingers around hers.
“I’ve got you!” he yelled.
And he did.
Stuart pulled her up using nothing but brute strength. Once she was kneeling on the skid, he maneuvered himself back up inside the cabin of the helicopter, without once letting go of her hand. Then she was inside too, in his arms, holding onto him and never wanting to let go.
But she had to. Baker was still in danger. She couldn’t be all needy when he was about to be swallowed by lava.
Monica forced herself to let go of Stuart. He stared at her for a split second with a look she couldn’t interpret, then quickly and efficiently removed the rope from around her. He turned back to the open door and dropped it once more.
Monica scooted backward until she was clear of the door. The last thing she wanted was to get in the way of Baker being able to get inside. She felt the chopper move, and panicked for a second because Baker wasn’t inside yet.
Stuart, as if feeling her apprehension, turned to her and yelled, “He’s on the rope, we just have to move because of the heat!”
Monica nodded and took a deep breath. She was safe. They were all safe.
She felt the difference when they were no longer over the lava field, the temperature in the air dropping considerably. Within seconds, Baker’s head appeared in the doorway. He climbed inside and moved forward on his hands and knees. He nodded at Stuart, who shut the door. Immediately, the noise inside the cabin dropped by half. It was still too loud to have any kind of conversation, but talking wasn’t high on her list of things to do right now.
As soon as the door was secured, Stuart came toward her. He dropped on his ass next to her and Monica immediately snuggled into him. As he pulled her onto his lap, she closed her eyes, sighing in contentment, every bone in her body relaxed. She was safe now. Stuart had her.
Chapter Nineteen
The ride back to Oahu went by quickly. Pid couldn’t make himself let go of Monica long enough to make sure she was unhurt. He had no idea what Bull had done to her in the hours he’d had her alone. The thought of him even touching her made Pid want to go back and kill him all over again.
It helped that his death hadn’t been easy. It had been a bit too fast for Pid’s peace of mind, but at least no one had to worry about him popping up in the future. There would be a lot of meetings he’d have to attend, a lot of explaining he and Baker would have to do, but for now, all he cared about was that Monica was alive and in his arms.
Getting her inside the chopper had been tricky. Pid knew reaching for her hand would possibly be a trigger. But he hadn’t had a choice, and while he’d seen the panic and flashback in her eyes, he’d never been more proud than when she’d overcome her fear and reached for his hand.
Pid felt a tap on his leg and turned to see Baker pointing at the ground, then lifting one finger. He hadn’t bothered to put on a headset, needing to hold Monica more than he wanted to communicate with the pilot or his friend.
Nodding to show he understood, Pid tightened his arms around Mo. She’d been boneless from the moment he’d pulled her onto his lap. After a brief panic attack, during which he’d thought she’d passed out—then being relieved he was wrong—Pid had just held her.
The landing was nothing but a small bump, then the pilot immediately shut down the engine.
Monica lifted her head and stared at him. “It’s over,” she said.
“Yeah.”
The door to the chopper opened, and Pid wasn’t surprised to see Mustang and Slate standing there. Behind them were Midas, Aleck, and Jag.
“She okay?” Mustang asked, the stress clear in his voice.
“Not sure,” Pid answered. At the same time Monica said, “Yes.”
She tried to get off his lap, but Pid couldn’t let her go just yet. Not after the scare he’d just had. “Easy, Mo. I’ve got you.”
To his relief, she relaxed against him immediately.
Mustang jumped into the cabin and reached for one of his arms, as Baker gripped the other. Between the three of them, Pid stood without having to let go of Monica. When he got to the door, Slate and Aleck helped him climb out, again without jostling Mo too much in the process.
When Pid’s feet were on the ground, he was only slightly surprised to see he was back on his property. The pilot had brought him straight home.
