PenWomanShip

Time to go! Dani hurried down the prison passage, glancing back to make sure the escape from her cell hadn't drawn attention. She slid up next to the guard's door and flattened her back against the wall. Pressing her sweaty palms against the cold stone, she squinted down the dark hall as if possible to see beyond the door where the villagers were being held. A commotion stirred inside the room. Sucking in her breath, Dani steadied herself. The guards had lodged their "Shoot first; don't ask questions ever," motto well into her heart when they killed the other engineers.

Please, God, only you can do this. I'm trusting you, here. Peeking around the corner, Dani saw a half-dozen guards gathered for the night shift. Her split-second recon confirmed that time was short. She sprinted down the long hall, and nearing the end, heard the jingle of keys that warned she might be discovered. Skidding to a halt, she looked for a place to hide. At the last second, a low-hanging pipe caught her attention. Dani grabbed the pipe and pulled herself up, the moorings groaning in protest as a nearby door swung open. A guard searched left and right, suspicion etched into his grubby features. She stared hard at him. Go away; there's nothing to see. He turned and made his way into the stairwell.

Dani dropped to her feet, sprinted to the end of the hall, and opened the door with her stolen keys. A dozen other prisoners poured out of the room. "Rapido! We've got eight minutes."

Dani maneuvered through the passages, scolding herself over this incredible mess. She and three other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team members had been dropped into this backwater Filipino village to blow a bridge. The idea was to stop, or at least hinder, the fundamentalist rebels from taking over yet more territory. Instead, the insurgents killed the other engineers, and captured Dani and thirteen villagers. Dani unlocked the door and counted as they went into the tunnel.

A girl peered toward freedom. "It's peetch black," she said in a thick accent.

"Just walk. It's a straight shot from here to the end."

Dani used her fingers to trace the tunnel walls as the group made its way.

Her hands smacked into something cold and smooth. Grimacing, she felt the object.

Steel.

Keep moving! The clock is ticking! She pushed herself forward, noting that the steel formed rails of some sort.

A yelp from up ahead made Dani's heart skip a beat. "What is it?"

"Someone fell," A woman called back. "He tripped over something."

There's nothing to trip over. "I checked the passage myself," Dani said, feeling her way past the others. On the floor, she found another steel bar and stepped over it. She lowered herself to a crawl position to look for more bars. Returning a few moments later, she gave instructions to the others. "Step three times, then over. Three and one. The bars are every three paces."

Dani stood and listened as the group made its way. Where are we? Have I led them into the wrong tunnel? She closed her eyes and continued the three-to-one pace, praying. Please, let something go right!

***

Canyon stared into the blackness, oblivious to the faint illumination of the instrument panel. You're the only guy who can do this. That's what they said to get him airborne in under twenty minutes. He'd been standing in line at the Manila airport to catch a hop back to the States to see his dying father. Now, I sit in this beast of a chopper heading in the opposite direction on some hair-brained rescue.

"ETA in two," Canyon said, flipping the switch that brought the target into a heads-up display.

"Sorry about your trip," co-pilot Bronco whispered.

Canyon glared at him, but decided to let it go. "It was too good to be true." He flipped another switch. "My numbers are in my back pocket."

Bronco tried not to appear worried. "I am not making calls. We're all coming back alive."

Hostile territory meant casualties. In a Black Hawk over the jungle, they might as well be driving a tank into the heart of downtown Manila. "I want my Apache back."

"You'll get it."

"I better," Canyon said. "Going silent."

The loud thwump of the rotors faded. He set down just inside the designated area and studied the scene through his night vision goggles, the fields and banana trees bright green against a backdrop of black.

"Do you have a visual?" Canyon asked.

"Not a soul except a water buffalo."

Heaving a sigh, he looked around. In and out, nice and easy. That's what they promised him. That was not reality. "Base, this is Hotel Charlie Two One Five. We have negative contact. Repeat negative contact."

"Copy that."

Canyon reached over and pressed a small button near the digital time readout. The clock started ticking down. Five minutes. "Unbelievable," he mumbled as he searched for signs of life.

"They'll be here."

"Yeah, well I'd be spending time with my father during his last hours right now if it weren't for this bungling mess. And I want my Apache back."

Silence engulfed them as they waited.

Bronco scanned his instruments and radar with a huff. "Base, this is Hotel Charlie. Two minutes left and no contact."

"Copy."

"This is something; sending us into hostile territory for a rescue op and the rescuees don't show." Bronco started flipping switches.
"Hey!" Canyon suddenly leaned forward when he saw the scanner's thermal readouts. Over his shoulder, he watched shadows move in behind them.

"Oh, please tell me this isn't what I think it is." Bronco reached for his gun.

"It's our POW's. They're just coming from the wrong direction."

"'Bout time." Bronco started the rotors.

"Base, we have positive visual and contact with the package." Canyon climbed out of his seat and reached to help the villagers into the chopper. "Who's the man in charge?"

"I am."

The sight of a petite brunette made Canyon gulp - twice. "I thought you were a guy."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that bad?"

"No," Canyon said, stumbling. "They said you were a guy. They said Danny..."

"Dani, as in Lieutenant Danielle Roark," she answered, still stuffing people through the door. "Get them on board. I'll be right back."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Get them on board," she said. "I have to take care of something."

Oh, man! This is not happening! Canyon ripped off his helmet and tossed it into his seat. "If we aren't back in two minutes, lift off," he said to Bronco. "Send search and rescue two miles south by the river in two hours."

"Canyon! No way. Get back in. She ain't our problem. No SAR, no complications. This was supposed to be nice and easy, remember?"

"Look, I've already been yanked from leave once. It's not happening again because we left this woman behind." He slammed the door and burst into a sprint. He threw himself into her back, sending them both spiraling. To his surprise, she wriggled free and leaped back to her feet. Canyon paced her move for move, until she started with some karate-kung-fu stuff. "Hey, Lara Croft. We don't have time for this. Your ticket out of here is leaving."

"I have to go back."

"No, you don't and you're not going to. I have orders." Canyon stepped forward ready to knock her unconscious if necessary.

"You don't understand. I set a bomb."

"Good. Thank you. We're now assured this mess won't happen again."

"I set that bomb directly over a missile silo."

"Come again?"

"This prison is a front for a missile program."

"You're out of your mind! The Filipinos have an agreement about nuclear arsenals." Canyon reached to take her arm. "We need to go."

Dani tried to drive her foot into his stomach, but he was faster than she had anticipated. Canyon caught her leg, twisted it, and sent her to the ground. He pressed her shoulder to the ground, and pulled her hand behind her back. "I really don't have time for this."

"Please," she cried. "If you don't let me go down there, we're all going to be vapor dust in four minutes." This is not happening!

He stood and hoisted her up. "Fine. Two minutes, but don't pull any funny stuff. I am trained and qualified to handle any moves you throw my way."

"Clearly."

***

Dani lowered herself into the silo, silently chiding herself. Rule number one of demolition: never return to a bomb you set. Rule number two: if you have to return, make sure you have enough time to disarm it. Rule number three: If rule number two fails, make sure you followed rule number one.

"Okay," Dani said, "we'll proceed north thirty meters, using a three to one step-hop ratio."

"What?"

Light burst around them and Dani cringed. The source emanated from GI Joe's shoulder. Dani craned her neck for a split-second appraisal. Tough. Macho. Expert. Like every other Joe, but maybe a little cuter. "Your light will buy us some time." She pointed down the tunnel. "Rails every three steps." Glancing at her watch, she groaned, and then started jogging.

"What's our time?"

"One minute thirty."

"No. How much time before the explosive detonates?"

"Sorry," she said. "One minute twenty-seven." Able to see, they negotiated the tunnel in a few seconds. She stopped at the vent leading into the prison. "Guard hut ten meters on the left."

"Armed?"

"Always."
------------------
I must have scrambled eggs for brains. Canyon hovered next to Rambo's sister, with his weapon ready. He rolled his shoulders to release the mounting tension. After tucking himself through the opening, he dropped to one knee, and scoped the dark passage for trigger-happy guards. "Clear," He called mostly to himself since she was already sliding up to a cross-section. He rushed up next to her.

Dani pointed to a cell on the right.

The fear in those beautiful blues was intense. "I'll cover you."

With a curt nod, she darted past the door.

He waited for a burst of commotion. Nothing. Not good. He peered into what should have been a heavily armed guard station. Deserted. He caught Dani just before she entered a cell and jerked her back. "It's no good."

"I just need to deactivate the device, and we can get out of here."

"No. It's a trap. It's too quiet."

"I can be in and out in twenty seconds."

"Too late."

"I know ordnance."

"And I know tactics. It's a trap. Let's get out while we still have options."

"This is crazy! We're going to be killed if I don't deactivate the bomb!"

"Correction." He tugged her into a doorway when he heard voices. "We should already be vapor dust." The ripping of the Velcro covering on his watch echoed in the tunnel. He leaned closer and angled his light so she could see. "You said the bomb would go active four minutes from the time we entered the tunnel. We've been here exactly four minutes fifteen. Time's up and we're still here."

She double-checked the time on her own watch.

"Let's go." He took her hand and started back toward the vent.

"Stop!" Someone shouted from behind and started firing.

Canyon ducked and swung Dani ahead of him. "Run!" He fired several shots, scattering those in pursuit.

Dani waited at a vent in the wall. "This leads to another tunnel."

Twisting his lamplight, Canyon appraised the passage.

She moved nimbly, looking back to check on him every few paces.

Canyon slowed as the tunnel opened into a large area. She had been right. The underground network was, indeed, a silo. He wrinkled his brow as several facts flooded his sense at once.

"What's wrong?"

"The silo--it's ours."

"Ours, as in American?"

"Yes. There were rumors that we had a missile presence ten years ago. Apparently, someone is resurrecting it. Our boys won't be too happy. Let's get out of here."

It took a while, but they finally found a vent out of the tunnel. Canyon climbed through and checked the area before pulling her out into the open. As they started south to rendezvous, gunfire erupted around them.

He pushed her to the ground. "Keep still." Rolling onto his side, he lined up a man in his sights. Canyon squeezed the trigger, once, twice, and a third time. He patted her on the shoulder and pointed. "That way. Go!" Confident she obeyed his orders, he turned to eliminate a few more hostiles. Before he knew what had happened, his face slammed into the dirt, as an ache the size of a baseball bat crushed the breath from him. A rush of warmth spread across his back and chest.

With gritted teeth, Canyon steeled himself against the pain extended across his shoulder. Knowing if he stopped their invisible enemy would make Swiss cheese out of him, Canyon crawled out of sight, huffing and grunting. He dragged himself behind a building and tore at the vest that had done nothing to stop the armor-piercing bullet that ripped through his muscle and bone.
"You're shot," Dani said.

"No kidding." He stuffed his injured arm into his shirt as a makeshift sling, and used the building to push himself up. "We don't have much time. Let's go."
------------
Dani felt her breath grow shallow as wailing sirens grew closer. She knew if they didn't make the rendezvous, they would die here. "Come on." She lifted his hand and wrapped it around her shoulder. Tucking her arm around his waist, she threaded her thumb through a belt loop. Half way across the city, lights swirled around them. Dani tugged him into a shop portico and sat him down. "Rest for a minute. They're close." She heard him groan and found him using his bad arm to get something from his pocket. "Here. I'll get it." Dani lifted a small emergency radio from the pocket over which a name patch read: METCALF. She switched the radio on so it would emit a secure signal for the SAR chopper to locate them. "Okay, it's on." In the distance, she heard frantic shouts and occasional gunfire.

Canyon's head bobbed and he looked at her with droopy eyes.

"They're getting close. Can you move?"

His attempt to stand answered her question.

"Wait. Let me look at your shoulder." What am I doing? I'm not a nurse. I blow things up, not make things better! "All right, big guy. We need to get moving." She tugged him into a sitting position, and then pulled him onto his feet.

They limped down the deserted street, hugging the buildings with their bodies. Dani used the wall's extra support to counterbalance Canyon's burden. She let him rest for a moment while scanning the intersection. Straight, we'll keep going straight. The guess was fifty-fifty. Hoisting his arm up, she tucked herself under him, but something was wrong. "Hey! Soldier boy, I need your help. I can't do this on my own."

No response. Only one thing would get him moving, but the thought made her queasy. It had to be done. With a quick breath, she dug her thumb into his injured shoulder.

He flew forward like a cannon, a violent growl echoing in her ears as they landed in a puddle.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Sitting, she wiped the muddy water from her face. "I need you with me. We've got to get out of here."
He groaned as he pushed himself off her and tenderly cradled his arm.

Gingerly she touched his back. "They're waiting for us. You were fading...I didn't--"

"You did what you had to do." He lumbered to his feet, and propped himself against the wall. "Let's move."

She followed him closely. Sweat poured from his brow. His eyes, normally a brown-green hazel, sagged under the oppression of pain. She stilled at the sound of a distant noise. "The chopper!" A dark shadow spirited across the sky.

"Go," Canyon urged.

"I'm not leaving you."

"This isn't the movies. If you don't go, we don't make it. They leave and the rebels kill us. Your choice. Live or die."

She wanted to cry.

"Go!" he shouted, sending her down the dark alley toward the SAR team.

Get me there, Lord. I have no idea where I'm going. Two minutes later, cramps in her legs, and her shirt sticking to her back, Dani stopped at an open area near the river. "Where's the chopper?" She could not hear the repetitive beat of the rotors. "No, no, no. Please!" She dropped to her knees.

While her blueprints for this escape were anything but simple, they weren't that complicated either. Escape, rendezvous with the good guys, and be home in time for Sunday dinner. So, why was everything falling apart? Was she doomed to spend her last days on earth in a foreign country with a critically injured soldier? Metcalf.

Dani lifted herself from the soggy field and checked one last time for the enormous black bird. She returned to Canyon, propped on the stairs where she had left him. "They were gone. I was too late."

"My beacon signal will guide them to us. We'll get out of here."

She looked up at him in disbelief.

"God always has a plan, even if we don't."

A broad smile lit her face. "My dad says that."

"He must be a smart man."

"I just want to go home, give my parents a big hug, and enjoy a swim."

"Sounds great. We'll make it a date." He held out his hand. "Now, let's find my buddies."

Dani grinned up at him, amazed at his sudden burst of strength and vitality. Where had he gotten this dose of energy? She placed her hand in his. They started down the alley, but a half-dozen rebels closed in on them. Despite their disheveled appearance, the men gave a solid and terrifying impression that they would readily rip the clothes and limbs from her body.

"Is this part of God's plan?" She gulped, as they stood like cornered game hen on cooking day.

Shots rang out. Dani jerked away. She hadn't run two feet when she felt Canyon tackled her to the ground and covered her with his body.

The alley fell silent save heavy footfalls rushing toward them. Dani cringed and hoped that enough of her body would be left for her parents to bury. However, when she looked up, she found a group of black-clad men running toward them shouting, "U.S. Marines!"
"Canyon, I'm shot. There's a pain in my side."

"That's my knee," He said with a chuckle.

Dazed, Dani rolled off his leg and sighed in relief. "What happened? I thought you'd been shot, again."

"No, I saw the good guys just before the shots. I knocked you to the ground to avoid being caught in the crossfire." He turned to their rescuers. "Where have you guys been?"

***

Slicing through the cold water of her parent's pool, Dani recalled the soldier who had endangered his life to save hers. Where was he? Had his shoulder healed? Was he still serving? Was he married? She had never asked. She chided herself for getting googly-eyed over a man just because they had fought through dangers together. That was months ago; four grueling hours that would thankfully never be repeated. And most likely she would never see him again. Yet, it amazed her how he trusted God, a rare treat in men these days.

A shadow above the water blocked the sun. She swam to the top, squeezing her eyes shut when the chlorinated water stung her eyes. "Daddy, hand me the towel, please." She felt the towel press into her hand and wiped her stinging eyes. Climbing out of the pool, Dani gazed into brown-green hazel eyes.

With a gentle smile, he spoke. "Did you forget our date?"