“Later,” he said brusquely. “I have some grub in my bag and we can eat on the way to Camp Leatherneck. But our flight departs in ten minutes and if we’re not on board, it leaves without us.”
Kate was silent after that. They continued to drive past the parade field, until the only buildings in sight were enormous hangars and storage facilities. But it wasn’t until Kate caught sight of a helicopter landing pad, complete with military attack helicopters, that she began to understand just how they would travel to Camp Leatherneck.
“You’re kidding,” she breathed, and looked over at Chase for confirmation that he was, indeed, just pulling her leg. But he kept his attention fixed on the road, and the only indication that he’d heard her was a small smile that played at the edges of his mouth. “We’re flying in a helicopter?”
“Not just a helicopter. A Black Hawk.”
He drew the Humvee to a stop at the edge of the helo pad and climbed out of the vehicle, while Kate sat in the passenger seat and peered through the window at the helicopter. Were those rockets strapped to the underside of the small stub wings? Her heart began to thud hard in her chest.
Chase opened the door and waited for her to climb out before he reached in and grabbed their duffel bags and a rucksack. Charity hopped down, her tail wagging in anticipation of this new adventure.
“I brought you something,” Chase said, opening the rear of the vehicle.
“A thermos of coffee?” she asked hopefully.
To her surprise, he pulled out a combat helmet and a flak vest. “Try these on for size.”
Kate took the helmet from him and put it on, then waited while he fastened it beneath her chin. His fingers brushed the skin of her neck and she tried not to stare at his mouth. He was so close that she could see the tiny scar that bisected his upper lip. She wanted to rub her fingertip over it. When she raised her gaze to his, she found his light green eyes were fastened on her mouth. She had to resist the urge to nervously moisten her lips.
He helped her into the body armor, lifting her arms to tighten the Velcro fastenings on either side. The weight of the metal plates inside the vest were enough to make Kate’s shoulders sag.
“Is this really necessary?” she asked, noticing that he wore neither a helmet nor a vest. “We’re in a helicopter, after all.”
Even without body armor, his uniform, combined with his expression, gave him a distinctly dangerous appearance. He nodded toward her vest. “Those metal plates are the only thing standing between you and a bullet. If we come under attack en route to Camp Leatherneck, you’re going to be glad you’re wearing them.”
Kate knew her face went a little pale. “Is that a possibility?”
“That’s always a possibility, Miss Fitzgerald.”
“Where is your equipment?” He didn’t respond, and Kate suddenly knew why. “Wait. Am I wearing your helmet and flak vest?” She couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice. “Is that why you’re not wearing anything?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Hefting his rucksack over one shoulder, he lifted their duffel bags as if they weighed nothing, and handed her shoulder bag to her. “Are you ready?”
She wasn’t, but she nodded mutely and followed him and the dog across the tarmac to the waiting helicopter. She felt humbled by the knowledge that he’d given her his protective gear, and his speech about the possibility of coming under attack had dampened her mood.
The sliding door on the side of the aircraft was open, and he threw their gear inside before climbing in. He snapped his fingers and Charity jumped nimbly in, enthusiastically sniffing at the interior before he gave her a command to lie down. Turning, he extended a hand to Kate and helped her up and into the main cabin. There were five soldiers inside, and two more in the cockpit. Kate saw with a sense of surprise that both pilots were women, as were two of the soldiers in the main cabin. They were occupied cleaning what looked like machine guns mounted inside two windows directly behind the pilot and copilot.
The pilot turned in her seat and gave Kate an appraising look before shifting her attention to Chase and the dog. A broad smile spread across her face. She extended her hand and offered the dog a treat, before shifting her attention back to Chase. “Hey, great to see you.”
“Great to see you, too,” he replied. “What have you been up to?”
“Keeping busy, doing the Afghan shuffle,” she said with a grin. “When did you get back?”
“Yesterday.”
Kate didn’t miss how the other woman practically devoured Chase with her eyes, and she experienced an unfamiliar tightening in her chest at their obvious friendship.
“Let’s catch up when we reach Camp Leatherneck,” the pilot said, still smiling. “I have a lot to tell you.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” Turning toward Kate, he indicated one of the empty canvas jump seats. “Why don’t you sit there and strap yourself in? We should be airborne in just a few minutes.”
Kate did as he asked, fumbling briefly with the harness until Chase swept her hands aside and buckled her in himself. Kate told herself that her accelerated heart rate had to do with anticipation of the flight, and not with the way his hands brushed against her breasts. He took the seat next to her, and his hip pressed against hers in the narrow confines.
Kate watched as the two female soldiers slid the cabin doors closed and then took up positions at the open windows on either side of the cabin, their hands maneuvering the mounted machine guns with ease and confidence. Kate’s stomach did an uneasy roll, and she was suddenly glad that she hadn’t eaten breakfast. Glancing at the three male soldiers who sat in the other jump seats, Kate was relieved to see that none of them looked alarmed. In fact, one of them had tipped his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, apparently happy to sleep through the flight. Even Charity had settled down, curling up near Chase’s seat with a small whine.
The pilot twisted in her seat and gave both Chase and Kate a smile. “Welcome aboard. I’m Captain Larson and your copilot today is Chief Warrant Officer Costanza. We’ll be departing shortly. Our ETA at Camp Leatherneck is approximately 0900 hours. There’s some adverse weather moving into the region, so the ride could get a little bumpy, but nothing to worry about.” Her gaze touched briefly on Kate and then lingered on Chase. “Sit back and enjoy the flight.”
The rotors whirred into life, and Kate forced herself to relax as she listened to the pilots go through their checklists for departure. Chase pulled a mobile device out of his pocket and began scrolling through his messages, as if he had no concerns at all. The action was so normal that Kate found herself relaxing in spite of herself.
“You okay?” he asked without looking at her.
“I think so. So the flight will take about two hours?”
“Give or take.”
Even as he spoke, the enormous helicopter lifted from the ground. Through the window, Kate watched Bagram Airfield slide away beneath them. She found herself studying the two pilots and wondering what kind of woman would choose a career that endangered her life on a daily basis. Did Chase and Captain Larson have a romantic relationship? There was no question
