Page 97 of Keeping Zita

Flying over the capital, Pyro could see smoke rising from dozens of sites across the city. Buildings were burning, and even from his seat in his chopper, he could see the destruction in the streets below.

He and Casper had been assigned to evacuate one of the hotels American citizens had been sent to as they waited for extraction. The original plan, devised that morning, was that two dozen women and children would meet them in a field by a school, not too far from the Radisson Blu Okoume Palace Hotel.

But as they flew over the area, Pyro knew that was no longer an option.

The plan had most likely been leaked by one of the very officials the US was working with to get the Americans out. The field was now covered by dozens of vehicles, preventing the chopper from landing. Not only that, Pyro could clearly see several men standing in the backs of pickup trucks, their weapons pointed at the sky.

The mission was getting more harrowing by the second.

“RPG fired!” Chaos said through the radio. He and Edge were on the other side of the city, attempting to evacuate US officials from the embassy building, and, as they’d expected, resistance was heavy in that area.

“Shit. This is gonna be dicey,” Casper muttered.

Pyro nodded but didn’t speak, all his attention on the ground, on trying to figure out their next plan of action.

“Look,” he said seconds later, pointing at the hotel. It was about seven stories high, and there were people on the roof waving white flags…no, bedsheets…calling attention to their plight. The hotel was surrounded by more vehicles, and there were swarms of people with weapons on the grounds.

Pyro had no idea if they’d infiltrated the hotel yet or not—and if not, he didn’t know what they were waiting for—but he wasn’t going to wait to find out. Every second they delayed increased the threat of violence against the citizens they were charged with picking up.

They’d been flying together so long, Casper and Pyro could almost read each other’s minds. They were both on the same page as Casper said, “There. The north side. There aren’t any antennas and I can set the skid on the building and hover as you help get as many people as possible loaded.”

“They’re going to have to leave their shit behind,” Pyro said, as they flew closer and he saw that just about everyone had suitcases and bags.

“They aren’t going to be happy about that.”

“Tough shit,” Pyro mumbled. “If they want to get the hell out of here, they’ll leave it behind. Make room for everyone on board.”

Pyro wasn’t concerned about material things. He’d spent the first eighteen years of his life having to leave stuff behind as he was moved from one foster home to the next, many times only able to bring what fit into a garbage bag. He’d learned that he didn’t need much. A roof over his head, food, water…those were more important than stuffed animals and clothes.

These people would have to learn that as well. A human life was more important than whatever they had in their suitcases.

As Casper maneuvered their chopper closer to the roof of the building, Pyro looked down and noted that the pissed-off citizens were mobilizing. Moving trucks to the side of the building where they’d be hovering.

“We’ve probably got about three minutes, maybe more, maybe less,” he warned Casper.

“Understood. Get those people onboard, Pyro. Do whatever you have to do.”

He nodded. He didn’t need his teammate to tell him that. He was more than aware of the danger they were in. The details of what happened in Mogadishu were fresh in all their minds anytime they were on a mission in an urban area. The Night Stalkers who’d lost their lives there were a constant reminder of the dangers of ordinary citizens when pissed way the hell off for one reason or another.

Pyro unclipped his seat belt and prepared to duck into the back of the chopper and open the door to assist people inside.

“Do not leave this chopper, Pyro,” Casper warned. “I don’t give a shit what’s happening on the roof. I’m not leaving you here, so if you get out, we’ll all fucking go down.”

Pyro nodded. He wasn’t about to forget what happened when he and Casper had left their chopper in the mountains between Syria and Turkey. How Laryn had been taken right from under their noses. And when Buck had left his chopper in the rainforest to find Mandy.

He wasn’t going to make that mistake. He was a rule follower. He wouldn’t do anything that could possibly hurt his career…and one of his best friends. Because he knew without a doubt Casper was a man of his word. He wouldn’t leave without him, would die if he had to.

No one was dying today. Not on Pyro’s watch.

Casper lowered the chopper until it was hovering over the edge of the roof, then he shifted the huge machine a few inches until the right skid bumped against the rooftop.

“Go, go, go!” Casper ordered urgently, as he held the helicopter steady on one skid.

Pyro jumped out of his seat and into the back. He grabbed the door and wrenched it open.

Dozens of frightened gazes met his as they huddled around each other. Women, children, and even a couple of men. Pyro gestured for them to run toward the chopper.

To his annoyance, no one moved. They seemed frozen in fear.