Caribbean Gold

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Crouch, Healey, Caitlyn and Russo ran headlong and desperately away from Panama Viejo’s centuries-old cathedral, moving so fast they were practically tripping themselves and finding it hard to balance. Bullets created a tracery among them. Lady Luck shone her bright light. But even that would not have been enough if Alicia hadn’t acted within seconds. Healey felt fire along his leg, saw Crouch stumble as a lead missile cut through the strap of his pack. It was that close.

Then, to his left, Healey saw Alicia’s intention.

Fuuuuuu… ran through his head even as he ran for his life.

With Caitlyn directly before him and flat even ground, he turned his head to watch as Alicia depressed the rocket launcher’s trigger and let loose the grenade. A streak of white smoke denoted the bomb’s trail and then it struck the side of the cathedral with stunning force. The entire wall buckled. A hole blasted through the side. An explosion rocked the dying day. Healey leaped as the entire structure wobbled.

He heard Alicia’s groan: “Ah, shit.”

The lower part of the tower came down in a cascading, fragmented shale whilst the top half collapsed to the right, groaning as it leaned and then fell, its last moments becoming a roar and then a blast like a detonation. Smoke and dust marked its final resting place and the graves of the mercs that had been chasing Healey. The entire team slowed as they were then faced with three gun-toting mercs.

Alicia was already sprinting their way.

Healey pulled Caitlyn to the side as he lifted his gun and fired in one swift movement, leaping left. The action sent the mercs scrambling and Caitlyn flying, but it helped gain them precious extra moments. Healey had been a badly bullied younger brother until he joined the Army at the age of eighteen. Now, he reveled in the new experience and the incredible responsibility. He hit the grass and rolled, rose fast, took a punch to the jaw because he hadn’t reckoned on the proximity of his opponent. Rookie mistake. He survived it, though, stumbling on purpose, creating space and shooting the man. Alicia was then at his heels.

“C’mon, Zacky, stop praying. The bloody cathedral’s gone.”

Funny. He stood up and immediately looked for Caitlyn. She was struggling on her haunches as a merc strode toward her, pointing his gun. Caitlyn couldn’t raise hers and Healey set off on an impossible sprint, screaming, “No!” as he went.

The merc grinned.

Caitlyn turned her eyes to Healey.

No.

Russo came out of nowhere, hitting the merc with a rugby tackle that almost broke him apart at the waist. The gun went flying, the man’s headset too as he all but folded in half. Russo pounded down as he landed, the arms descending like a full-size gorilla’s upon a small animal, breaking bone and shattering teeth with every strike. He would not stop. He could not stop. The rage was a living thing that encompassed all and sent the world away for a time. Healey helped Caitlyn up and then raced over to Russo.

“Rob, stop! You’re killing him.” He tried because he knew Russo would regret it later, only for his teammate. He got in close and risked a battering.

“It’s not worth all the self-loathing, mate,” he said quietly. “Not this brain-dead animal.”

Russo flung arms down twice more. The merc’s face was bloody, misshapen. Alicia arrived at that moment. Russo hesitated with his fists in mid-air, blood dripping down, and drew in a deep, wracking breath.

“Oh, hell. Oh, bloody hell.”

He collapsed face first beside the unconscious figure, rasping for air and coughing at the same time. Healey moved in but Alicia held up a hand.

“Let me.”

He delayed, allowing Caitlyn to draw him away. It was easy to forget that Alicia, having overcome some major crisis of her own recently, was fast becoming a deeper, more caring person and trying to help in every way she could. The more she succeeded the more she would try.

Healey draped an arm around Caitlyn’s shoulders. “I was worried there.”

“You didn’t see Russo. That merc never stood a chance.”

“Still… it was too close.”

“Aw, still looking out for me?”

“Always.”

She hugged him briefly. Healey allowed her that few moments even as he cast around for what they should do next. Caitlyn would need the close companionship even if they weren’t together. Her recent move to the Gold Team had been due to an early-twenties burnout. Devastating, and all down to the revelations surrounding the fact that her father beat and killed her mother. A lifetime of love could never put that knowledge to the side, but Healey would be happy to try.

Crouch had now finished off the last merc. He glanced over to their little party. “Is Russo aware?”

Healey knew he was questioning how deep the rage-state had affected the soldier. Healey caught Alicia’s eye.

“All good?”

Alicia blinked. “Give me a few.”

Healey held up three fingers. Crouch nodded and then started to survey the area.

“We have to find Jensen,” he called over. “Did they find anything? And this will never be over until he’s out of the picture. Not for us.”

“Sorry?” a British accent called out. “Did someone mention my name?”