Ice (Elite Forces #1)(59)

“Okay. Fuck, we’ve got him out. Get the chopper here now.” Kaleb sounds frustrated, and I can hear the loud sounds of the rest of the guys making their way out of the house. Bullet and I watch until the sounds of the chopper are near. The team has moved outside, and there’s no sign of any movement, so we start to move to the chopper, one at a time, just like we’re supposed to do.

We run like there’s someone chasing us, and we both make it into our new positions before the rest of them move. We watch the area and give them the clear to move.

“All clear, Fire. Move now,” Bullet orders them to the chopper, and I watch through my scope. I see movement after they’ve all moved out of the house, so I take the shot. I hear Bullet begin to shoot and cringe, knowing what this means as I take down at least five more guys. Harris has Al-Quaren, and the other guys are following him, shooting as they move forward.

“Get him the f*ck in that chopper!” Kaleb yells. We take two more down, then they begin to run. Harris forces Al-Quaren onto the chopper and shoves him out of the way, holding him down. They all start to jump on around us, and I stay focused on their backs. Kaleb is last in line, and I watch him turn to look when more shots are fired. Men move in quickly, surrounding the last of them, and I shoot as fast as I can, taking out every single one I can get in my view. The rest of the team continues to move, but Kaleb turns to fire.

“Fire, move now!” Bullet yells between shots, and he finally listens and begins to run. I watch the area through my gun and miss how Kaleb lands on the ground. When I pull my scope back to him, he’s holding his shoulder and trying to get up before he’s ambushed.

“We’re being ambushed. We have to f*cking go now.” I feel Steele begin to lift the chopper.

“Don’t you dare f*cking leave him.” My voice is very loud in my own ear. My demand was heard, and he better f*cking listen.

“Go, Steele. Get him the f*ck out of here.” Kaleb’s voice crushes my heart.

“No,” I argue, only to have them talk over me.

“We have to go now. We’ll all die if we don’t get the f*ck out of here.” The forcefulness of Steele’s voice is cold, and I’m instantly pissed. I take out the three men holding Kaleb down, missing him every single time, only to have more grab him. We lift off the ground, and my heart falls out of my chest, smashing all over the ground below. I can’t f*cking feel. I can’t breathe, and panic begins to flood through my veins. We’re leaving him. I can’t. I love him. I can’t breathe. I’m dying inside. They’ll kill him.

I work hard to keep my focus on Kaleb for as long as my scope will allow and watch him move his head. He’s alive. I send off one last shot and kill the f*cker holding the knife near Kaleb’s face before I’m no longer able to see him.

There’s so much fire in the air and a few hit the chopper, but don’t disable us. I stand quickly and move my rifle to the side of Steele’s head and hold it point blank. “Go the f*ck back, right now, or I’ll blow your goddamn head off.”

“I can’t. We have to get Al-Quaren to the States.” I feel a firm grip on my shoulders and a familiar voice in my ear.

“Elliott. We had to move. We were all going down if we didn’t.”

“Harris. I can’t leave him. Make them go back now.” Tears fill my eyes as I try to talk around the giant lump in my throat. I can’t breathe and only lower the rifle when Harris guides it out of my hands. I fall to my knees and cry as I hear Kaleb for a second in my ear. His guttural sounds almost kill me as I hear him hurting. I wish he would say something to me.

“Fire. Talk to me.” I listen for him to respond.

“Ti amo, ghiaccio.” I have no idea what he’s saying.

“I’m coming back for you. I promise. Stay alive. I need you.” I listen for more and only hear Spanish coming through.

“Cierra la boca. Yo te torturo tan lentamente. Te deseo que ya estaban muertos.” I don’t waste time asking Harris to translate. I want Kaleb to hear me as long as he can.

“Please fight for me. Don’t let them break you.” The sound in my ears goes silent, but the sound of my heart fills it.

“Harris, what did he say?”

“He said he loved you in Italian.”

“Oh my god. Please go back. Please, please, please f*cking go back for him, Steele.”

“Ice. We will. I just need to deliver him, then we’re coming back.”

“NO. NO. NO. NO. We’re f*cking coming back tonight. Drop me, Steele. I can’t leave him.” I don’t recognize my own voice.

“You’re not going in alone. We need to regroup and get our shit together. We don’t operate like that.”

“Fuck how you operate. If you leave a man behind, then I want no f*cking part of this team.” I reach for the cable that drops us, in hopes of getting it loose before someone has a chance to stop me, but I fail. Harris is standing too close and pulls me into his arms, holding me tight, and I want to kill him right here for stopping me from jumping.

“Harris, let me go. I swear to God, I’ll kill you.” I pull out my pistol and set it on his temple.





FIRE - Prologue


KALEB


I can hear her in my ear as they pull away. The sound of her voice screaming keeps me fighting until I don’t have a choice. There’s too many of them. I can lie here and take their brutal attacks all f*cking day because I know she’s safe. I’ll play their games as long as it takes. I’ll either die this way, or I’ll kill a few of these mother f*ckers and find my way out of here and back to her.