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Two crewmen grabbed the flapping rope ladder as the helo blasted wind down on the ship.
Gage was tired of his group being at everyone’s mercy while this situation showed no signs of improving.
He might be commandeering that chopper.
Chatton said something to the captain, who gave her a terse nod, then she stepped up first to climb. Josh waited for Sabrina to go next, then he stepped up before Gage, obviously watching Sabrina’s back.
Sabrina, Josh and Dingo were three peas in a pod.
After finding her in that river that swept her away from the castle, then suffering the terror of trying to get her off a sinking ship, Gage now said a silent thanks for her having two surrogate brothers. He could have died anywhere during this trip. Where would that have left Sabrina?
I don’t want to be the one left behind.
Her words haunted him. If he couldn’t be there for her when she needed someone, he didn’t want her alone, which she eventually would be when the time came that he didn’t come home from a mission.
And even if they made it out of this, he’d have to leave her again, because his offer to partner with her was off the table.
Oh, he’d kill to keep her with him in any other way, but not working in the field together.
The minute he rescinded that offer, she’d castigate him for changing his mind and pull back into her shell. He wouldn’t blame her. He’d pushed her hard, when she’d been right to say partnering wouldn’t work. Now he was the one backing away.
He might as well face the truth.
There would never be a time for them.
Furious prop wash lashed at him as he climbed up to the helicopter and inside where seating was along the walls. He waited for Sabrina to turn around from where she and Josh crowded near the cockpit. Sabrina was speaking to the pilot.
Wait a minute. She didn’t speak Taiwanese.
Chatton held on to a handgrip and watched in confusion, too.
When Sabrina did spin back to him, she put a headset on and handed one to Gage, saying, “We’re good. Talk when we land.”
Josh passed a headset to Chatton.
If they were good, why couldn’t they talk now? Gage didn’t ask.
The pilot announced in English, “Everyone buckle up.”
Sabrina backed away to sit against the far wall.
The crew chief came back long enough to close the hatch. He looked just like the Taiwanese crewmen on the ship.
Gage strapped in as the helicopter lifted and banked away, kicking it in the ass to get moving. There would be no private conversation since he’d bet everyone was on the same channel.
Sabrina smiled and mouthed, It’s okay.
They landed in Taichung forty minutes later. That’s when the pilot stepped into the passenger area as everyone unbuckled harnesses. The rotors were still spinning but slowing down.
Pulling the headset off, Sabrina stood to meet the pilot and introduced him to Gage. “This is Logan, a friend of mine.”
They shook hands. “I’m Gage. Are we among friendlies?”
Logan gave him a not-really grimace. Clearly not Taiwanese, Logan was a big guy with Slavic features who might be Russian, but he was someone Sabrina trusted and that worked for Gage.
As the noise of the helicopter died down, Chatton and Josh moved close, listening.
Logan thanked his Taiwanese copilot and crew chief, waiting on both to leave, then he turned back to the group, keeping his tone low. “On your flight from Mumbai here, Sabrina filled me in about being sent to Taiwan. I got to Taichung right after you, but had to wait on the signal you activated to come find you. I pulled strings to get this helo and pick you up, but those connections have a limit. I have an associate who is involved in national defense for Taiwan and told him I had friends tracking a terrorist who needed to be brought in. When you boarded, Sabrina filled me in that Rikker and his boss got away before the ship sank. If you don’t find them, and stop them, before that coast guard captain goes off duty and hands in his report, I put my connection at risk and it will be far more difficult to get out of this country.”
“We need a few things,” Sabrina said.
Logan didn’t look excited over that. “Like what?”
“We think Rikker is going to kill Zhou Tai Peng’s son tonight, then Zhou at some point after that, but the minute we try to convince anyone of an assassination attempt with our questionable status, it will blow up in our faces. I’ll give you all the details later, but we’ve discovered Rikker’s boss is planning a coup and he’s launching it by taking out Zhou and his son. We need access to the big MMA bout tonight where Zhou’s son is fighting.”
He cupped his chin and his eyebrows tucked in tight. “Damn, this is huge. The main fight will probably be on around nine. That gives us eight hours to pull together everything you’ll need to insert. I can make a couple of calls and get you into the match.”
“What about an exit plan?” Gage asked.
Logan huffed out a harsh blast of air. “If you catch Rikker there and stop him, my friend in the defense department will step in to handle it at that point. If you don’t catch Rikker, getting out will be dicey, but I’ll be your ground man ready with transportation once you’re out of there.”
Sabrina clearly didn’t like that. “What if you’re caught here?”
“I won’t be.”
Gage liked the confidence behind that. He asked Logan, “What about getting me to Beijing?”
Sabrina wheeled around on him. “Why in the hell would you do that?”
Chatton told Gage, “Zhou isn’t known for mercy with his own people, much less foreigners.”
“I know,” Gage said. “But someone has to catch Wayan before he figures a way around all of this. With his position, he probably has a backup plan that will work.” Gage hated to leave Sabrina here hunting Rikker, but he was not taking her with him. She’d be with Logan, Josh and maybe Chatton, putting better odds on Sabrina getting through this safely.
Much better than taking her to China with him.
He said, “If Logan gets you into the arena and out, then regardless of what happens, you have to get out of this country when you’re done.”
Sabrina argued, “I’ll go with you as backup. Josh and Chatton can handle this.”
Chatton cleared her throat. “I can’t stay.”
Logan asked, “Why not? How are you leaving?”
“I’ve got my own contacts. I have a situation to handle.”
Sabrina scowled. “Something more important than catching Rikker?”
“No, but you and Josh can handle that without me, because Gage isn’t taking you to China.” Chatton fished Sabrina’s scroll briefcase out of her backpack and handed it to Josh. “Thanks for the ride.”
With that said, Chatton descended the steps and walked away. Gage shook his head at the woman. She just might be the ghost who took down the Yaawt Seven.
Sabrina huffed out a noise. “Josh and Logan, would you give me a minute?”
Logan said, “That’s about all we can afford to hang around here.”
As soon as the men stepped off, she started in on Gage. “What the hell? One minute you’re talking to me about being a partner and the next you go off on your own.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, rubbing his tired eyes. When his vision cleared, he said, “We didn’t get a chance to finish that conversation on the boat. We don’t have time to go into it here, but I was wrong to think you and I can work together in this business. I can’t handle you being in danger. It’s killing me to consider leaving you here hunting Rikker, but I’m banking on Josh’s overprotectiveness toward you as well as Logan being good to his word and getting you both out of here. The two of them can keep you safe.”
She put her hands on her hips and got in his face. “I don’t need anyone to watch out for me. I can keep myself safe. So now, after I finally agree to do this, you’re backing out?” She shook her head in disgust. “Just like every other man in my life when things got real.”
She turned to leave.
He grabbed her arm. “No, I’m not like the men who walked away from you, dammit. I’m just as dependable as Josh and Dingo.”
“Josh is staying here and you’re leaving. Looks the same from my side right now.”
Pulling her to him hard, he kissed her and his chest ached at having to let her go. He kept up the kiss, begging her silently to understand, until she joined him in the connection. This was more than a kiss. This was him telling her so many things words couldn’t convey.
When someone outside shouted, “Let’s go!” Gage pulled back, feeling as if his body was being yanked in four directions. Couldn’t hurt any more if it was.
Holding her close, he said, “You have no idea what you mean to me.”
She put her fingers on his lips. “Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear words. Not those words.”
He knew she meant not to say he loved her.
It didn’t take much to figure out someone, or more than one someone, in her life had uttered words of love, then betrayed her trust. He did love her. He knew that now, but this wasn’t the time for trying to convince her.
He could have handled her anger, but she was hurt. “We will talk when I get back.”
“If you get back.” She lifted her chin, daring him to swear he was returning.
“If I don’t, will you miss me?”
Her eyes got shiny. “No.”
“Liar.”
He kissed her again, but softly. “This is not goodbye.”
“Feels that way.” She turned and descended the steps.
He refused to think they would end this way, but he finally saw this from her side. He didn’t want to live without her, but he couldn’t keep her close and safe.
What kind of life was it for her if he ended up in a Chinese prison, or beheaded?
He shoved all that into a place that didn’t interfere with what he had to do next.
Logan stepped up to him as soon as Gage reached the ground. “You aren’t going to China.”
“Why not?”
“Zhou is in Taiwan for tonight’s match.”
