SEALs of Honor: Mason Read online

  How could her rescuer see anything? The sky was overcast and even the moon was covered. She could barely see him. And he stood in front of her. She definitely couldn’t see anything around them. Her clothes were black, but she knew her face had to glow in the dark – especially shining with sweat like it was.

  Not a good day to shine.

  Her droll humor helped her regain her sense of balance. She knew she could be off and running any second and needed to be ready. Unfortunately her body wanted to slide to the ground and collapse.

  “Rest. We have two minutes then we’re off again.”

  She didn’t waste the energy nodding. Two minutes wasn’t enough time to catch her breath and respond.

  She focused on her mental state instead. If that was strong the rest would follow. She hoped.

  At the two-minute mark, she was hauled to her feet and dragged on another marathon through the bush. Why? If he’d been able to rescue her, why wasn’t he able to get her picked up and shipped out to safety?

  When he shoved her down behind a log, she knew she wasn’t getting up again.

  Not willingly. She closed her eyes and willed back the tears of exhaustion.

  Damn.

  “You okay?” That low deep note of concern had her opening her eyes and lying.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered.

  His smile of appreciation warmed the coldness inside. When his grin widened, flashing his white teeth, and he whispered, “Good, let’s go again,” she groaned.

  “Once more,” he promised, helping her over the log they’d been hiding behind.

  She didn’t believe him but forced her legs to move. But instead of a run they stumbled. Instead of landing softly they came down hard, stilted. He reached out a hand. She put hers in it, loving the way his hand, fingers closed over hers as if he could impart some of his strength, his endurance to her.

  Maybe she was gaining strength from him as her feet seemed to cooperate better, and she could pick up the pace. When they stopped the next time, she slid in a weak heap to the ground. She huddled up into a ball and closed her eyes.

  When had she last hurt like this? Had she ever hurt so badly? She didn’t think so.

  Her rescuer crouched beside her and said, “We’re waiting for a pick up. Should be in ten minutes.” His voiced deepened. “We’re in Mexico and need to get across the border fast.”

  She lifted her face to his and wanted to cry. Mexico? Oh no. She wanted to be home. Away from this nightmare. Were they driving out? Flying out? By donkey? Maybe she didn’t want to know. But whatever method she wanted to go now.

  His finger stroked down the side of her cheek. “You’re doing just fine.”

  “Doesn’t feel like it. Feels like you ripped my ribs out and made me walk on them,” she muttered.

  His grin widened. “You got spunk. I like that.”

  She rolled her eyes. That was a first. She’d been called a lot of things but never spunky. Brainy, nerdy, geeky. Yeah, they had all been tossed at her head a time or two but not in a complimentary way. And never making her spine quiver at the banked emotion in a man’s voice.

  It was almost as if he was proud of her.

  She wasn’t proud of her. Good Lord she knew she’d start crying at the drop of a hat and look at the shit she’d gotten into. Her dad would have kicked her ass good for this mess. He wasn’t going to be pleased when he found out. Then again, he wouldn’t have anyone to blame for what happened to his only child and that would bring up his anger too.

  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She had to survive. For his sake and hers. He’d already lost one child. He wouldn’t survive losing another.

  “No energy for spunk,” she whispered, her throat so dry it hurt to talk.

  A water bottle was shoved into her hand. Her eyes opened, lit up with greed.

  She tilted it and took a long drink.

  “Don’t drink too much. It will be hard on your stomach,” he warned.

  Instantly she stopped but she didn’t want to. She had to hand the bottle back before she drained the rest of it on him. As it was, the bottle was less than a third full. He must need some too. “Sorry, I should have left you more.”

  “There’s enough. Rest now. You’re almost safe.”

  He squeezed her shoulder before settling down beside her. She closed her eyes and rested. Only the sounds of the forest filtered inside her mind. The wind gently floated through, plucking a leaf here and there off a branch, picking up dead ones off the ground and tossing them in the air. But there were no birds. No squirrels. No wildlife.

  Just her rescuer.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Mason, ma’am.”

  She winced. “I’m Tesla.”

  “Nice to meet you, Tesla.”

  At the teasing quality in his voice, she tilted her head and opened her eyes. To find his head inches from her shoulder. In the faint moonlight she could see the thunderous frown, so at odds with his voice as he stared at her puffy shoulder. “What’s this from?”

  “They injected me with something,” she whispered. “I think it was to knock me out, but whatever it was, my body didn’t think much of it.”

  “It looks infected.” He smoothed a gentle finger over the puffy skin. She tried to hold back a gasp of pain, but he heard her. Of course he did. “It’s hot.”

  She shrugged. “Of course.”

  “Not good.” He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out some tiny tube of clear liquid and a small gauze. He cracked the tube and poured half the liquid on the wound. She gasped at the stinging pain. He poured the rest of the liquid on the gauze and placed it gently against the site. Somehow he had a medical tape in his hand and managed to wrap that around the gauze on her arm.

  “That’s all I can do out here,” he said. “We’ll get you looked at as soon as we land.”

  She nodded, staring in bemusement at the field dressing. Being an injection site, there wasn’t much that the gauze was going to do to help the situation, but it would help keep it clean. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

  But couldn’t get comfortable.

  “Isn’t it time yet?”

  “Another couple of minutes.”

  She shifted again. This was a horrible position. Everything ached. She couldn’t wait for a hot bath.

  He tugged her toward him, so she was leaning against his shoulder and hips. Instantly she felt at home. Comfortable. She closed her eyes and nodded off to sleep.

  *

  HE SHOULDN’T LET her sleep. Waking her up would take time. She’d be groggy. And needy. He couldn’t afford either.

  But she was exhausted. Injured. And needed rest. Where was the helicopter? They were one minute late. He could hear calls around him. His team on the lookout. But so far, nothing.

  She moaned softly and shifted. He knew she had to hurt. Had to be sore as hell from being tied up for so long. The intel had been good and they’d moved fast. He had said she had spunk. In truth she had a lot more than that. Grit.

  She’d done everything he’d asked of her. Without complaint. She’d only stopped when he’d stopped. He hadn’t seen that quality in a civilian before.

  He had to admire her for that. He knew very little backstory on her. Something about a brainy programmer who developed software intended to save lives in the field. He’d have done his best to save her without knowing that. But knowing that, he’d make damn sure she made it out alive. Anyone who worked and took the risks she had to save him and his fellowmen was worth everything he had to give. And then some.

  A hawk call came from the left. Hawk signaling that a helicopter was coming. Good. That should be their ride.

  This extraction was deadly. And the weakest link. They had to expose her to take her to safety. All sorts of hell could happen. He wanted none of them.

  The second call came through. Confirmed.

  Mason reached over and shook Tesla awake. She bolted upright and pivoted, her body in a defensive stance
. Whoa. He stood up slowly, a hand out. “Easy. It’s all right. The helicopter is here.”

  She blinked several times then slowly relaxed. Reaching up, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Still silent, she nodded. He reached out a hand carefully, wanting to make sure she was awake and not ready to attack. He’d hate to hurt her at this point, yet he’d do what he had to do to get her on that helicopter the fastest and quietest way possible.

  “Okay,” she whispered. She blinked at him owlishly. “Which way?”

  He grinned. “Damn, you’re good stuff, you know that?”

  She blinked at him again, this time in confusion. He wished they had time for more of this, but he could hear the wap wap wap sound of the helicopter. “Let’s go.”

  Hooking his arm through hers, he walked her to the edge of the tree line where the clearing opened up. Large enough for the helicopter to come down. His men were hidden in position along the clearing. He counted them as he gazed around. Hawk. Shadow. Dane. Swede. With Cooper handling the chaos behind the scenes as he wasn’t allowed back into the field until he’d passed his physical after being injured. Good. His team was accounted for.

  He frowned.

  Except there wasn’t a captive. There should have been. He’d left Daniel for them to bring back. Where the hell was he?

  The large black helicopter came in as quietly as a machine that size could. Before it had landed, Mason had Tesla bending low and racing to the open side. He picked her up and launched her inside then came up after her. In a smooth move they’d practiced hundreds of times before, the rest of the men boarded effortlessly and the helicopter lifted in a smooth movement. They were away.

  Chapter 3

  TESLA WATCHED THE trees disappear from view as the helicopter rose. She couldn’t stop the panic from choking her. They were so damn close. Anything could happen yet. Please let us get out safely. Please.

  “You’re good now,” Mason said at her side, leaning back to rest. He nodded at his team. “Nice and easy on my end.”

  “Yeah, wasn’t sure it would go that smooth,” Hawk said. “Daniel must have been lying.”

  “Daniel always lied,” Dane added.

  Mason nodded. “It’s harder to deal with when it’s one of our own turned traitor. Speaking of which, where is Daniel?”

  The others shook their head. Baldly, Swede said, “He was gone.”

  “What?” Tesla watched Mason’s gaze harden.

  The group nodded. Swede said, “The ropes were there, cut.”

  “Shit. I should have killed him.”

  “It was the right move to keep him alive. We needed what information he had.”

  “I know that’s how it’s supposed to work,” he said in frustration, “but I wanted to put him in the ground for what he’d put Tesla through, if nothing else.”

  “Still,” Hawk said smoothly. “We need to know where Tesla was being shipped off to, and who the purchaser was.”

  At the term purchaser, Tesla gasped then cried out, “Purchaser?”

  Hawk winced. “Sorry, ma’am.”

  She nodded as a fine shudder moved over her skin. “It’s okay. Daniel used the term buyer earlier. It just sounded different when you said it.”

  Hawk glanced over at her and smiled somewhat bashfully. “Still not something you need to dwell on. We’ve got you now.”

  “And thank you very much for that.” She smiled warmly at him.

  He grinned. “My pleasure.”

  “My thanks to all of you,” she said, carefully looking at each man. “I do appreciate it. Wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay in that position to be honest.”

  They all grinned. “We do understand.”

  She bet they did. She’d heard some things about the types of training these men went through, and her brother Harry had been a big fount of information. Filling her head with tales of what he and the others went through. He’d been so proud to be a part of his family. And that was what he and his men had been. Family. All family.

  “Hey, are you Harry Landers’ sister?”

  She glanced over at the tall blond man who looked like a tree trunk. “Yes, I am. Was.” She stumbled over the word. It was so damn hard to know her beloved brother was gone and wouldn’t be back. She missed him so much. She’d instinctively avoided relationships with other men in dangerous careers because she’d suffered enough loss. But these men, one in particular had her rethinking that.

  The men sat up straighter and studied her differently.

  She knew they’d look at her in a new light. Harry had been a SEAL too. Hopefully her behavior wouldn’t make them wince. That Harry, if he was looking down on her, would be proud.

  There were few people in this world whose opinion mattered to her, but Harry’s had been the big one. His team…possibly another. This couldn’t, shouldn’t be his team. But what did she know. It was a small select group. No, chances were they didn’t know Harry, but they’d know of him.

  *

  MASON FELT THE blow to his stomach as if a torpedo had blown through. This was Harry’s sister? They’d nicknamed him Dirty Harry after finding out the man could imitate Clint Eastwood and those old movies perfectly. Harry had been gone just over a year now. Mason had known him well, although he hadn’t gone on any missions with him. But they’d been friends. Harry had spoken about his kid sister a lot. Affectionately, with respect and always admiration. She’d intrigued Mason. He’d always wondered about her. Always considered contacting her. But there was that unwritten rule about staying away from sisters.

  So he had. After Harry’s death he’d considered it again. Had even sent a card to her but hadn’t heard back. Then that was to be expected. He was no one to her. Maybe a name but more than likely just one card in a sea of condolences. Back then, at the time of Harry’s death, they’d all been in Iraq. They were leaving for a mission the next day but one superior took Harry with him on a trip to a different camp, needing to talk to him about a problem.

  The truck had hit a land mine. They’d all died.

  Losing one of their own was always hard. It had left them all at a loss.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Tesla. Harry spoke about you often.”

  She turned to stare at him. Those same blue eyes as her brother’s made him wonder why he hadn’t seen the resemblance in the first place. Because Harry was dark and she was light, as in ash blonde light. But now that he knew, he could see it in the eyes.

  “You knew him too?” she asked softly.

  He nodded. “We all did. He was one of us.”

  Chapter 4

  SHE SAT BACK, not surprised. Then all SEALs had a camaraderie that was second to none. She might have gotten to know some of them if she’d lived closer to Harry. Had these ones been at his funeral? They might have been. She’d been so blind to everything but her grief. Now that she understood, she could see the resemblance in their faces. The same hard, dangerous look to them. Harry had sent her dozens of photos of men. Some here and many others. “I have a photo of you all. And more. From Harry.”

  They looked at her, gazes narrow, considering. She didn’t know if they were worried about the type of photo she had. “He kept it with him all the time. You’re all on a large boat, grinning.”

  “Ship,” one of the darker haired men said in a pained voice. “It’s called a ship.”

  She chuckled. “I know that. It used to bug Harry too. That’s why I still say it.”

  The men’s eyes widened in shock then the air warmed up noticeably as they laughed.

  Harry had loved her teasing. It was one of the things she missed most. Teasing him and knowing it was part of the relationship. Part of the joy between them. They’d been so different. So much the same. God she missed him.

  As she struggled to pull her painful memories back to the present, there was a flash of light and a huge explosion. A high pitch mechanical scream ripped through the helicopter. It listed sideways. She shrieked.

  Mason grabbed her and held her clo
se. Several of the men raced to the front of the injured machine.

  She didn’t have time to think what anyone was doing. Mason had his hand wrapped around her wrist like a vice on a board. But he was dragging her to the back, then he slammed something large and heavy against her chest.

  “Hold this,” he shouted at her.

  Her arms closed instinctively around the harness. Before she could understand, he spun her around and was leading her to the side, locked tight against his chest. “Now if we get separated, pull this.” And he stuck a cord in between her frozen fingers. “Ready?”

  She stared panicked into his gaze. “For what,” she screamed over the noise. “Are we going down?”

  “Yes, the easy way.” He dragged her to the side, the wind gusting into the helicopter. “We’re going to jump. Hang on to me.” He reached down and clipped their chest straps together. Outside the ground fell away to a valley way down there. Oh hell no.

  “No. No.” She shook her head. “No, it’s not possible.”

  “Three, two, one…”

  And he jumped, dragging her out of the machine.

  Cold wind pricked her face, head and hands, but it was her endless scream that killed her throat. He finally grabbed her head by the hair and tugged it backwards. He lowered his head and sealed her mouth with a kiss.

  She clung to him, her hands clutching his chest straps as her mouth soaked up his comfort. Whimpers escaped out of her throat.

  It took her a long moment to realize her legs were wrapped around him, and she was kissing him back as much as he was kissing her.

  If she had to be thrown out of a helicopter then it was a hell of a way to go.

  She shuddered by the time he finally lifted his head.

  “Better?” he asked, humor in his voice.

  She heard it – barely. There was just enough volume in his voice to hear him over the wind streaming past her head. “As far as I can be…” she snapped. “Considering someone just threw me out of a helicopter.”

  “Would you prefer to have stayed inside?” he said against her ear. He moved his head to the side. And a whole different vista opened up. The other men in parachutes floated around them, apparently all safe. Thank heavens. Just then a huge blast split the skies behind them. A cry escaped as she watched pieces of the helicopter fly through the sky.