CHAPTER 160
The mountain pass erupted into chaos as Swiss military helicopters descended from three directions, their spotlights cutting through the smoke and debris like silver knives. Henry's mercenaries found themselves caught between professional military forces and the three men I loved, who were advancing up the mountainside with the kind of lethal precision that had made us legendary.
"Situation is deteriorating rapidly," the mercenary holding me said into his radio. "Request immediate extraction."
"Negative," Henry's voice crackled back. "Secure the primary target and hold position. Reinforcements are en route."
I could see the doubt creeping into the mercenary's eyes as gunfire erupted around us. This was supposed to have been a clean extraction, not a pitched battle against the Swiss military on their own territory.
"Your grandfather miscalculated," I said conversationally as bullets whined overhead. "He thought the Swiss would be too polite to fight back."
"Shut up and move."
But before he could force me toward Henry's extraction point, a rifle shot rang out from the ridgeline above us. The mercenary staggered, clutching his shoulder where Jax's bullet had found its mark.
"Target down!" Harry's voice echoed across the pass. "Skylar, get to cover!"
I didn't need to be told twice. Despite my advanced pregnancy, I rolled behind the overturned Swiss vehicle as more gunfire erupted around me. Through the chaos, I could see Lucas moving with tactical precision through Henry's defensive positions, eliminating threats with the kind of cold efficiency that reminded me why we'd been so successful as a team.
"Skylar!" Jax appeared beside the vehicle, his face streaked with dirt and his eyes wild with concern. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. The baby's fine. How many of Henry's people are left?"
"Too many. And he's got another wave incoming from the north."
Through the smoke, I could see Henry's helicopter hovering just out of range of the Swiss forces, waiting for the tactical situation to shift in his favor. He was patient, calculating, willing to sacrifice as many mercenaries as necessary to achieve his objectives.
"We need to end this," I said, struggling to my feet. "Before more innocent people get killed."
"Absolutely not. You're staying in cover until this is over."
"Jax, look around. This isn't going to be over until Henry is dead or captured. And he's not going to surrender as long as he thinks he can still get to me."
Before he could argue, Lucas's voice crackled through our comms. "We've got problems. Swiss forces are taking heavy casualties, and Henry's reinforcements just arrived. We're about to be seriously outnumbered."
I could see what Lucas meant. More helicopters were approaching from the north, carrying what looked like a full military unit. Henry had prepared for exactly this scenario - overwhelming force that would crush any opposition.
"How long until UN reinforcements arrive?" I asked.
"Twenty minutes minimum," Harry replied through the comm. "We don't have twenty minutes."
Around us, Swiss soldiers were falling back under withering fire from Henry's professional mercenaries. These weren't police officers or border guards - they were special forces units being systematically dismantled by an enemy that had superior equipment and tactical training.
"Skylar," Jax said urgently, "we need to get you out of here. There's an extraction point about half a kilometer down the mountain."
"No."
"This isn't negotiable."
"You're right. It's not." I looked at his face, seeing the desperation and love warring with his tactical instincts. "Because I'm not running anymore. I'm not letting Henry chase us for the rest of our lives, always wondering when he'll surface again to threaten our daughter."
"What are you proposing?"
"I'm proposing we give him exactly what he wants."
"Absolutely not."
"Think about it, Jax. He's not going to retreat while I'm still here. He's invested too much in this operation to walk away empty-handed. But if he gets me..."
"If he gets you, he wins. Game over."
"Not if you're tracking me. Not if you know exactly where he's taking me."
I could see him understanding the logic even as he hated it. Use myself as bait to draw Henry away from the battlefield, then let the guys follow and eliminate him on ground of their choosing.
"The baby," he said desperately.
"Will be safer with Henry dead than with him alive and hunting us."
Through the chaos of the firefight, I could hear Henry's helicopter moving closer. He was preparing for a final push, probably planning to extract me in the confusion while his reinforcements kept everyone else pinned down.
"Lucas, Harry," I called into the comm. "I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Skylar, no," Harry's voice was sharp with alarm. "Whatever you're thinking, no."
"I'm thinking that sometimes the only way to protect your family is to trust them to save you."
Before any of them could stop me, I stood up and walked out of cover, my hands raised in surrender. Around me, gunfire began to decrease as both sides realized what was happening.
"Grandfather!" I called out, my voice carrying across the mountain pass. "I surrender! Come get me yourself, and let these people go!"
The response was immediate. Henry's helicopter descended toward the road, its rotors churning smoke and debris into violent whirlwinds. Through the cockpit, I could see his face - satisfied, triumphant, absolutely convinced that he'd finally won.
"Skylar!" Jax's voice was desperate behind me. "Get back here!"
"Trust me," I said quietly into my comm. "And be ready to finish this."
As Henry's helicopter touched down and armed men emerged to escort me aboard, I felt our daughter kick sharply against my ribs, as if she understood that the next few minutes would determine her entire future.
But I also felt something else - the absolute certainty that the three men I loved would move heaven and earth to protect both of us.
And that Henry Mitchell had just made the last mistake of his very long life.
"Hello, granddaughter," Henry said as I was forced into the helicopter. "I do hope you're ready for a family reunion."
"I've been ready for this my entire life," I replied.
But as the helicopter lifted off and began moving toward whatever secure location Henry had prepared, I wondered if my confidence in the guys' ability to track and rescue me was about to get all of us killed.
The only way to find out was to trust in the love that had brought us this far.
And pray that it would be enough to bring us home.
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