Once Burned (Task Force Eagle) Read Online Free PDF Page B

chest wall, he’d
do her no good this way. He tamped down emotion and assessed the situation. The
driver’s airbag hadn’t deployed because of the sideways skid. And she was
right. One guard-rail support had popped from the rocky soil and another was
bent. More weight or another shake of the vehicle would hurry the job.
    He knew the rocks that lay below. If the Forester went
over, Lani would die.
    He returned to the Cherokee. No towing gear, but he’d
stowed a mooring line in back. The engine lacked enough power to pull the car
to safety but could steady it. He ran over with the rope.
    “Hold still until I give you the word. Then open the
door and jump out fast.”
    She eyed the rope and seemed to realize what he
planned. She wasted no breath or time on questions. “I got it.”
    Confidence instead of terror in her voice reassured
him. He looped one end of the rope around the raised front wheel and tied it
securely.
    Unwinding the coil as he went, he returned to the SUV.
He maneuvered the rear end toward the Forester and set the emergency brake.
Pulled the rope through the trailer hitch until it was taut. His fingers flew
to tie a bowline. A hard tug on the free end would release the knot.
    When she jumped, he’d have to move fast or the
Cherokee might take a dive into the briny with her car. He had to take the
chance.
    He jumped into his vehicle, put it in first gear, and
released the emergency brake. Kept his foot poised on the gas pedal in case the
Forester started to go and watched her in his side mirror. “Car’s anchored.
Jump now !”
    She shoved open the door, a hard task at that angle.
Pushing herself upward, she widened the space with her shoulders.
    Then she hung suspended, only her torso out, for long
moments.
    The car rocked and wobbled. The rail shrieked in
protest. The taut line groaned. Jake nudged the gas pedal before force could
drag the truck.
    “I’m stuck,” she gasped. “Door’s heavy.”
    Another rail support sprang free with a loud pop like
a gunshot.
    He was powerless to help her. Could only keep the line
taut and wait. And pray. Those nails still in his gut jabbed him again and
again. “Hurry! It’s going.”
    She heaved at the door. Dived out head first. Landed
in a heap beneath the tilted car.
    The railing broke and tumbled over the cliff. Rocks
and soil slid after it. The Forester skidded sideways a few feet. Rocked.
Threatened to right itself. It could fall and crush her.
    Lani lay still.
    Jake’s chest squeezed. Maybe the fall knocked her
unconscious? He killed the engine, released the knot. Dashed to her. The stiff
muscle in his thigh pulled but he pushed on. “Get up! Move! ”
    Sucking in deep breaths, she scrambled to her feet.
    He slung an arm around her in support. Together they
staggered away from the cliff and the teetering vehicle. He looked back as the
car rolled over the cliff.
    The tow rope followed, whipping back and forth like a
live snake. The first impact, as loud as a crate of C-4, killed the headlights.
Steel scraped and slammed against rocks. Glass shattered with the impact.
    The busted-up vehicle hit the water with a tsunami
splash. Then all was silent except the waves churning against the rocks.
    Still trembling, Lani clung to him. He wrapped his
arms around her and held on. Waited for his heart rate to slow and for the
tight pain in his gut to ease.
    Feeling her against him, she felt athletic and strong,
and her lemony scent—shampoo—reassured him. “You okay? Anything broken?”
    “I’m fine. Just pissed as hell.” With unsteady steps,
she trudged to the cliff and peered over the edge.
    He joined her. The moonlight showed only roiling
water. “Careful. The edge is unstable.”
    She stepped back gingerly, sighing. “My poor car.
Totaled.”
    “Did that speeding pickup have something to do with
this?”
    “Of course it was that asshole. You think I have a
death wish?” She laid a palm on her cheek in mock dismay.
    Her sarcasm ought to grate like