Читать книгу Two Dauntless Hearts онлайн | страница 18

Buck leaned close to his friend and whispered, “You’re a knucklehead.”

“What’s your point?” Pitbull snapped back, too engaged in his view of Marly to care what Buck had to say.

“She landed the plane,” Buck said.

T-Mac added, “That’s right. We’re alive. You should be down on your knees, groveling at her feet.”

His teammates were right. What was it about Marly that got Pitbull all fired up? She was smart and sexy and knew her way around her airplane. Why couldn’t he leave her alone?

She turned, a smile on her face.

That smile hit him square in the chest like a round from a .55-caliber machine gun. He almost staggered back a few steps with the impact.

“Here comes our rescue team.” Marly pointed to a cloud of dust rising from the grass, heading straight for them.

The men gathered around Marly, like cowboys circling their wagons.

“Are you sure that’s our rescue team?” Pitbull asked.

“Who else would be out in the middle of nowhere?” Marly’s brows dipped. “Seriously, the ATC had our coordinates from the transponder. They had to have passed them on to whoever they called.”

“We’ve seen some of the welcoming committees here in Africa,” Harm said, squinting at the oncoming vehicle.

“If you’re worried, wait behind me.” Marly unzipped her flight suit to reveal a pink bra beneath and a shoulder holster. She pulled out a nine-millimeter handgun.

The team all backed up several steps, every man raising his hands.

“Whoa there, Marly,” Buck said. “Do you know how to use that thing?”

She glared at him. “Do you think I’d carry it if I didn’t?”

Buck shrugged. “Some women do.”

“I’d be a fool to fly around this country unarmed, now, wouldn’t I?” She nodded toward the vehicle now visible through the cloud of dust. “Looks like a safari wagon.”

“And it’s not empty.” Pitbull dove for his backpack, unearthed the M4A1 he’d stashed inside and quickly assembled the main parts.

“Hold your fire, Zippy,” Marly said. “They wouldn’t come out without a contingent of armed men. The animals can cause enough damage, but the poachers and warring rebels are even more dangerous. Wait and see.”