Survival Mission - Chapter 19
Valerie braced for the worst, and screamed at the touch to her shoulder.
“Val?”
More leaves crunching as he fell to his knees. A sob unlike any she’d ever heard, from…
“Trevor?” She gasped. “How—”
“How are you alive?” His voice cracked as he reached for her. “Oh, I thought I lost you for good.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “You didn’t. But you said—”
“I was a fool. I only wanted you safe.”
“I am.” She sat up. “So, we’re good? Except for the bad guys?” Their gazes locked and she recognized the flicker of hope in his, the same hope she’d been afraid to acknowledge in her own heart.
Trevor smiled. “We’re good. My team is here, by the way. You’re safe.”
She lifted her arms—
Crack!
Trevor was flung backward, away from her. More gunfire surrounded them but all Valerie saw was Trevor. His face, suddenly pale, his eyes closed. He lay still on the forest floor. Deadly still.
A scream rent from her deepest self. “No!”
She’d lost the one man she should have never let chase her away.
“Get down!”
It was her only warning to drop before the world exploded around her.
***
Trevor was floating, falling in a cocoon of unfamiliar sound. A consistent slap of noise sent tremors through his body and realization hit at the same time as his memory kicked in. He’d been hit, hard. Was he in a helicopter?
Why had he been hit? He hadn’t been paying attention. He couldn’t reach Valerie. He’d lost her.
“No!” He opened his eyes as no sound came from his open mouth. And found the most beautiful pair of amber eyes watching him.
“Valerie.” His mouth was practically frozen, his tongue a mass of cotton. He sounded more like a bald eaglet making its first chirps than a man who must have died and was in heaven with the woman he needed to be with.
“Don’t try to talk,” Valerie shouted and moved aside as a uniformed paramedic hung an IV bag from the ceiling. She remained in his line of sight, smiled at him. “We’re taking you to get your shoulder fixed up.”
“Yeah, you got lucky, sir.” The paramedic grinned, nodded at him with respect.
The mission came rushing back, fighting around whatever painkiller was dripping into his veins. He looked around the small aircraft for another DEA agent, a familiar face.
Valerie was at his side again. “It’s okay, your team came in and took care of everything. All of the mules were apprehended, according to Glen. He said to tell you he’s damn proud of your work, by the way. LE saved both our lives, Trevor.” Tears swelled and rolled down her cheeks. He raised his uninjured hand to wipe them away but Valerie took his hand instead. “Don’t try to move, just hang in there until we land.”
“Where?”
“Seattle.” She caressed his cheek. He didn’t care how long they were aloft as long as she was with him. Was this real? Or was it a dream he’d wake from, into the nightmare of life without Valerie?