Page 63 of Protecting Salvation

He hadn’t loved her like she loved him. She was fun for a while but ultimately she was alone. People had lives of their own and she was always on the periphery. She didn’t resent them, she got it. It was what people did.

Tears filled her eyes and she didn’t try and stop them. If this was to be her last few minutes she wanted to feel all of it. She wanted to live every second she got. Her only wish was that Warren got his surgery and lived his life like it was precious because it was.

* * *

“Jesus Christ, is that a body?”

Hurricane locked eyes on the helicopter in the distance and cursed his blurry vision. They’d gained on them because they had a far superior aircraft and he wasn’t just any pilot.

“Fuck, that is a body.”

“No!” Bile built in his throat and it took everything he had not to puke at Titan’s words. “Who?”

“Can’t tell, man.”

Hurricane saw Lotus glance back at Titan and his chest felt like it was caving in, panic and the desire to claw at something, anything, so he could turn back time and not be here. God, why was he such a coward? He’d pushed away the woman he loved because he was fucking scared of dying. In the RAF, he’d known any mission could be the one that ended his life and he’d accepted it. Even with Shadow that acceptance had been present but now he was fucking terrified of dying and leaving the woman he loved unprotected. Leaving her to live without a man who loved her.

“Find out who it is.”

Lotus relayed the scene back to the vehicles on the ground.

“Bein and Snow are heading that way.”

He saw the helicopter change direction, the pilot made a move that seemed off and he wondered if it was worth trying to speak to the pilot or if he was in on this. He watched as best he could but couldn’t make it out properly.

“Air traffic control, this is Mike, Charlie, Foxtrot, Lima, X-ray.”

“Go ahead.”

“Have you had contact with Foxtrot, Alpha, Bravo, Sierra, November?”

“Affirmative we have a code 7500.”

“We’re in a position to assist.”

“Please stand by.”

Hurricane looked at Lotus because he couldn’t even think about what Bein was about to find or he’d lose it.

“What was that?” Lotus asked as he disconnected from the tower.

“The pilot on board has put out a call to indicate he’s been hijacked.”

“So he might be able to help?”

“If I can make contact.”

“Do it.”

“Read his tail number out to me again.”

Lotus looked at him but all he could see was a blur now. He was flying by instinct and adrenaline.

“Hurricane?” He heard the slight wobble in her voice as she spoke his name like a question.

“I can’t see, a lot, Naz. Everything is one big blur, so I need you to help me fly.”

“Okay, I got you big guy.”