Free Around-the-Clock Protector by Jan Hambright

ground.”
    “Okay.”
    “The pickup crew is going to be right behind us.”
    An instant of fear widened her eyes.
    “Don’t panic—we’re going to make it.”
    She swallowed and assumed the brace position.
    Carson kept his head up and turned the Hummer’s key to the start position, unlocking the steering column. At the last second before they hit the ground, he assumed the brace position.
    The Hummer landed, bounced forward and continued to roll across the open field.
    Carson rose up and grabbed the steering wheel, aiming for the grove of trees three hundred yards east. He could hear the wind crack in the massive parachutes overhead. “Hang on.”
    Steering with the pitch of the wind, he let their sail do the work until the Hummer gradually began to slow, and rolled to a stop.
    The green canopy settled over them, enclosing the vehicle in a drab olive shroud.
    “Let’s move!” Carson popped his seat belt, pulled on the emergency brake, grabbed his backpack and climbed out of the driver’s door.
    They’d ridden an extra 150 yards, courtesy of the wind. And they were going to need every extra second it provided.
    Ava’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it in her eardrums. She undid her seat belt and scampered over the console into the driver’s seat. The cover of green had a disorienting effect on her senses, but she kept her eyes on Carson and climbed out the driver’s door.
    He gave it a kick shut and took her hand, shoving through the yards and yards of parachute silk that hid them from the world outside.
    They made the edge of the chute and Carson lifted it slowly. The sun blinded Ava for an instant.
    “Our target is those trees.”
    She stared at the grove of maples, wishing they were closer. “Okay. I can do this.” She gathered her nerve.
    “Go!” Carson yelled, bolting forward with her hand in his. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder. The pickup team would be on the drop zone soon. He just hoped it wasn’t soon enough to catch sight of the stowaways who’d dropped from the sky along with the vehicle.
    Ava pushed forward, fighting the fatigue in her body. She focused on the tree line and regulated her breathing, feeling a surge of energy. She didn’t know if it was Carson’s constant hold on her hand or the fact that she’d eaten well this morning and slept on the aircraft.
    The field was covered in tall grass that hit her midthigh. The ground under her feet was flat, but shecould feel the slight decline as they moved closer to the tree line and cover.
    Her foot lodged in a chuckhole before she could avoid it. Intense pain shot through her ankle and radiated into her leg.
    A shriek squeezed from between her lips as she launched forward headed for the dirt.
    Only Carson’s grip on her kept her from landing hard. He eased her down into the grass and went down on his belly beside her.
    He raised his finger to his lips.
    Ava wanted to cry out. The pain was intense. Her injured ankle pounded and throbbed.
    But the sound of the approaching vehicle stilled her.
    Clamping her teeth together, she closed her eyes to wait for the inevitable.
    Carson listened intently to the squeal of brakes as the pickup team rolled up on the parachute-covered Humvee and stopped.
    They’d managed to make it fifty yards before Ava’s ankle had given out. He glanced over at her now, lying next to him on her back. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the amount of pain she was in. Her teeth were clamped shut, her jaw, rigid, a hand protecting her belly.
    Sympathy laced through him, the weight of her suffering catching in his brain. He needed to get her to a doctor ASAP.
    The sound of voices drew his attention, and he focused on the words he could decipher.
    “Fuel…roll the chutes…ice pack.”
    Carson listened for any change in the crew’s level of concern. He should have made sure Ava still had her ice pack, but he’d neglected to check. He’d disobeyed the team’s cardinal rule. In clean, out