Awesome.She’d efficiently transformed the helo from a sight-seeing ride to a rescue ship.
“Go, go, go,” she yelled. “You’re ready for wheel’s up.”
They all loaded in, taking places on the floor while Zita leaned in and handed them all their comms. There was a sense of deja-vu for Vince, and he was sure his brothers and Jett were experiencing the same thing. How many missions had they gone on that had begun like this?
Too many to count.
By the time the extra-wide door closed behind them, Vince had regained his sense of calm calculatedness, forcing back his emotions to be dealt with at another time.
After the rescue.
Obi-Wan increased the rotor speed then pulled up on the collective, bringing them airborne before Vince had even finished settling his butt.
“This is your mission, Vince,” Obi-Wan said in his ear and everyone else’s. “How do you want to play it?”
Vince hadn’t been in charge of anything since the ill-fated mission that had been his last. He tried not to think of that right now.
Trask must have known where his mind was attempting to go, because he laid a hand on Vince’s knee and gave him a purposeful nod that said…
Yes. You can do this.
Right.He damned well could.
“Obi-Wan. Coordinate with the local Coast Guard.” Vince ordered brusquely. He gave him the frequency the nearby station used. “They have a cutter, the Bunyan. It was forty-five minutes out approximately nine minutes ago.”
Obi-Wan’s voice came back steady and strong. “According to the location I’ve been given, if I push it, which I will, we can be there in just under thirty minutes. That means we’ll get there first.”
“Good.”
Did Vince wish they’d get there faster? Of course. But he knew Obi-Wan would give it everything he could.
“Come up with a grid-search plan with the Bunyan,” Vince directed, “and bring us in above theWater Wrester,” Vince told him.
“Roger that,” Obi-Wan returned. “I’ll let you know when we’re approaching our target.”
They all used the next few minutes to get into their gear, preparing for a drop into the water that Vince hopedwouldbe necessary, because that meant spotting survivors.
After that was accomplished, all Vince could do was wait. And pray.
Twenty-four minutes later—Vince hadn’t been able to stop looking at his diving watch as they sped over the waves—Obi-Wan came back on.
“I have theWater Wrestler, in sight.”
“Take us in low, Obi-Wan.” Vince put on his best Commander’s voice. “Spence, are you armed?”
“Always,” his brother told him. “In a waterproof bag.”
“Good. I need you to drop into the water, climb onto that boat and get any info that might be helpful, any way you can.”
It was left upspoken that if he needed to threaten with his weapon, that option was on the table.
“While you’re doing that,” Vince clipped, “we’ll start our grid search. You can let us know what you find.”
Spence gave him a crisp salute as Vince opened the door.
Within seconds, Spencer was outside the helicopter; his feet braced on the skid.
Obi-Wan swooped in low, holding position twenty-five feet above and fifteen feet starboard of the idling vessel.