Pushing Up Daisies by Melanie Thompson Read Free Book Online

House yelled. “Protect her. The minute we get close, I’m gonna shift.”
    Sarah had no idea what he was going to shift. She was terrified. She felt like she was going to throw up and or lose control of her bowels. Daisy unstrapped and fell into the rear compartment. She knelt in front of Sarah, wrapped her arms around her and held her. Sarah held her back.
    House leveled the bird for a moment, then it began dropping again. When it hit, they bounced once on the struts beneath the aircraft, the nose tilted forward and hit hard. Glass in the front windows exploded. Daisy took the brunt of it. When Sarah opened her eyes for a second, she couldn’t see House. He was gone.
    The bird skidded across the ground at a terrifying rate, finally hitting a rock. It careened off the formation and flipped. Daisy never let go as they landed hard on the rotors still sliding.
    Daisy felt strange in her arms, furry and bigger. Sarah hung on, keeping her eyes tightly shut. It must be her hair. The helicopter finally shuddered to a halt upside down and Sarah opened her eyes. She was hanging in her seat harness with Daisy still holding her. She hit the release button and Sarah tumbled into her arms.
    â€œWe survived,” Sarah gasped.
    â€œWell, we’re alive,” Daisy said as she hauled herself to her feet.
    Little was left of the chopper. The tail was missing. A gaping hole was all that remained. Sunlight gleamed over the tops of mountains to the east illuminating an arid plain with an occasional clump of reddish rocks. The entire cockpit was gone along with House.
    â€œHouse is gone,” Sarah said. Her voice quivered with the after-effects of the crash, her capture and the firefight. Her hands shook. Her entire body trembled with terror. They’d survived the wreck. Now they were going to die in the desert alone, just her and this warrior-woman.
    Daisy crawled to the open rear of the compartment. “He’s here somewhere,” she said.
    Sarah crawled after her. Together, they fell out of the inverted bird to the hard ground under it. “How could he survive? The front of the helicopter is gone.”
    Daisy sat next to her. “House is a survivor. He’ll show up. You’ll see.”
    Sarah didn’t see. The nose of the craft was crushed beyond recognition. The only reason they were alive was Daisy’s strength. She’d held Sarah and the seat in place.
    â€œYou are the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” she said.
    Daisy nodded and pulled herself upright. “Yeah, I’m a bitch. You stay here. I’m gonna search for House.”
    â€œThose other two guys died didn’t they?”
    Daisy shrugged. “Lots of guys died. It was their time.”
    Sarah huddled in her spot against the rocks. The sun rose swiftly, turning the surrounding area into an inferno. The remains of the helicopter cast shade over her but she needed water. The arid air was sucking all the moisture out of her.
    Daisy returned and tossed her a bottle of water. Relieved to see her, Sarah twisted it open and drank the entire thing. “Did you see any sign of House?”
    The tall, dark-haired man’s silver eyes haunted her. She couldn’t believe someone that powerful and strong could be dead.
    Daisy stared down at Sarah. She was a complete mess. Her dress was torn and she’d lost a sandal. Barefoot in this nasty hole could mean death. Her blond hair was tangled and her face smudged with mascara and dirt. She hunkered down beside her, licked a finger and wiped a clump of black crap off her face. “He’s alive.”
    Sarah pushed her hand away. “Where? Do we need to help him?”
    Daisy laughed. No, they didn’t need to help House. She’d spotted big wolf tracks leading into the surrounding mountains. House was running as a wolf, searching for a way out of this mess. “He’s checking out the surroundings, looking for a way out of