Page 6 of SEAL's Promise
In the midst of Eli’s protests of their innocence, Brent’s office door flew open and Micah Winter, the Fortress logistics coordinator, hurried inside, satellite phone in his hand. “We have a problem.” He tapped the screen and said, “You’re on speaker with Brent and one of the Fortress teams. Tell them what you just told me.”
“The hotel in Antigua where I was staying with Amy Morales was attacked by terrorists.”
Blood drained from Cal’s face. “Rachelle, are you safe?”
Her breath caught. “Cal, you have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice. The answer to that question is no, we’re not safe. Terrorists shot one member of Amy’s security detail. We brought Eric to the hospital for treatment, but within minutes, the terrorists showed up here.”
Here? His stomach tightened into a knot. “You’re still in the hospital?”
“Tim told us to find a place to hide.”
Adrenaline poured into his bloodstream. “Leave the hospital. The terrorists are hunting for you and Amy. Find a place to hole up until we arrive.”
“Are you close?”
Regret had him closing his eyes, wishing he wasn’t hundreds of miles to the north of her position. “We’re six hours away. You have to protect yourselves until we reach you.”
His boss leaned closer to the phone. “Rachelle, it’s Brent. Are you or Amy injured?”
“No, sir.”
“What happened to the other members of Amy’s security detail? Are they with you?”
“There are only two.”
Cal gritted his teeth, glancing at his teammates. Their expressions were grim. The women should have had at least four, if not six, security people with them. Certain areas of Mexico were volatile. Antigua happened to be one of the least stable areas. “Where are you in the hospital?”
“The morgue. I figured it was the last place they’d look for us.”
“Smart.” Instead of running for the nearest exit which would have landed the women in the hands of the terrorists, Rachelle had chosen a place they wouldn’t search first. “Morgue’s have outside exits for the delivery of bodies. Get out of the hot zone and find a safe place to wait for us.”
“Cal?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Hurry,” she whispered.
His hands clenched. “We’ll be wheels up within the hour. Is my number programmed into your phone?”
She hesitated a moment, then said, “I have Micah’s number and yours.”
The other men in the room looked surprised at that. Tough. He wished she’d called or texted. He’d missed her. “You and Amy need to go. When you leave the building, don’t run unless the terrorists are on your heels. Otherwise, running will draw attention to you.”
“Okay.”
“Call me as soon as you’re safe. Rachelle?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful.”
“I’ll do my best.” She ended the call.
Brent picked up his handset and called one of the pilots on standby. “Prepare the jet for a flight to Antigua, Mexico. Wheels up in one hour.” He ended the call and looked at Cal. “Something you need to tell me?”
“No.”
His friend’s eyebrow rose. “Care to reconsider that?”