THE BRAVO BOYS - SNAKE EATER [book three]

Chapter FIFTY FOUR

Shelby Quinn

"What in the fuck-?" Cassidy's Cockney growl vibrates through my earpiece as I stand, transfixed by the blazing carnage that unfolds over the compound grounds.. The blades of a helicopter whip up a frenzied cloud of dust and debris as they whir overhead in a deafening crescendo.. The bird circles above with a spotlight aimed downward to illuminate the fray below.. Paratroopers pour from its cabin, repelling down on long black ropes, decked in government labelled tactical gear, helmets with dark reflective visors and bulletproof vests..

"Snake Eater, fall back! Repeat, fall back!" Killian's rough command hits my ear, but his voice seems a million miles away and it as though my feet are glued in the mud.. I couldn't obey the order, even if I wanted to..

I can't leave him..

Logan is trapped in there, likely reliving the very same nightmare that had hardened him against the world, and me since the moment we first met.. My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach when I think of the suffering he now endures, all because I had dragged him into this mess..

A dizzy sickness descends over me as the flash of explosives and ringing gunfire remind me that I lost my entire unit to an ambush much like this one.. Now seeing the vicious blitzkrieg strike that is occuring before my eyes, I am unable to look away and paralysed with terror at the prospect that it could happen all over again..

I can't lose him.. I won't survive it..

Across the expansive concrete parking lot, masked mercenary figures file from the facility doors.. They take up strategic defence positions among the trucks and discarded chemical barrels, moving low and fast.. Shooters appear on the roofs of the various outposts, quickly rendered blind by the deployment of smoke grenades and tear gas..

"Shelly! Get the hell outta there!" Bellows a far away voice, too distant to be recognised over the swell of gunfire and battle-cries.. Caught between following orders or following my heart, I glance over my shoulder to see Lincoln barreling through the tall grass towards me.. His worried espresso eyes burn with a fierce protective gleam, pleading etched upon his handsome face.. "Shelly! Please!"

But there isn't time to wait for him, and I certainly won't be talked down from the ledge of my temporary insanity..

I have to go in..

Tossing Slater an apologetic grimace, I spin in my boots and take off running, heading right towards the fire-fight.. My blood pumps and my chest catches fire as my focus narrows down to one single pinpoint..

Rescue Logan..

"NO!" Linc howls, but he is too late to stop me..

In under a minute I make it to the boundary of the compound.. Slinging my rifle over my shoulder, I scale the chain-link fence with ease, marking the seven foot jump down to land in a tuck and roll on the other side..

"Goddamnit, Quinn!" Killian snarls through my com-device, his reprimand sharp and surly.. "This isn't the time to be a fucking hero! Get out of there!"

Ugh, shut up!

Reaching up to silence my commanding officer, I flick the relay out of my ear and continue on running.. Kicking up dust, I slide in behind a pile of discarded pallets butted up against the side of the closest outpost.. There, I crouch down low, carefully peering around the chemical barrels at the chaos..

"FAN OUT! FIND HIM!" A lead agent shouts with a jarring Australian accent.. His thick, ebony black hair bristles in the smokey breeze and he stands tall with a powerful build, oozing a familiar authority.. Dressed in dark navy, marked in large yellow lettering, he holds his pistol at the ready in an effort to gain control of the situation, but it is already so far out of hand.. "I WANT THE TARGET ALIVE!"