The sudden knowledge it would be a miracle if either of them survived.
And he’d been helpless to stop it.
He shuddered and shoved it into a box to deal with later.Hawk and Mila had both survived.By Christmas they’d all be sitting around, having a beer and talking about the mission and laughing about what a douche bag Vance had been.
As long as Vance didn’t decide he was better off with Agus.
Another wave rolled in and he checked the time.Yep.Thirty minutes.The crash of the wave against the shore reached him and he shivered.He shouldn’t be able to hear any waves from this distance.
So definitely still tsunami waves.
He continued his round and when he was satisfied there was no one in the vicinity, he returned.
The camp was quiet.He gave Axle the all-clear signal.Axle gestured him over.Hawk was sleeping and Axle moved towards him.
“I’m worried,” he murmured.“Hawk might have internal bleeding.He needs surgery as soon as possible.”
Shit.“Can you do anything for him?”
He shook his head.“It would be good to get some more pain medication for him and a hard stretcher so he’s not jiggled about when we move him.”
The only place they would get that was in the village.His gut clenched.“We need to get to the medical centre and discover what’s left of it.”
Axle nodded.
“Write me a list of what you need.”They couldn’t afford to wait for the all clear to be given.
“You can’t go alone.”
Dobby shrugged.It would be a couple of hours before Joker and Radar returned.“You need to stay with Hawk.It’s thirty minutes between waves.”
Axle frowned but nodded.
Yeah, Dobby didn’t want to go back into the village if the waves hadn’t stopped, but he would if it would save Hawk’s life.
It was his fault Hawk was injured.
He ignored the tightening in his chest.
It was doable as long as he could navigate around the remaining buildings.
The rumble of an engine drew his attention.
It was too soon for Radar and Joker to be back unless they’d run into trouble.He crept towards the road, staying far enough back to ensure he wasn’t seen.
The car was coming from the mountain.It slowed as it approached, flashed the headlights twice and then cut them.
Dobby slid his night vision goggles on and confirmed it was the black four-wheel drive.He stepped out, waved and Radar brought the car to a stop.
Radar wound down his window.“There are too many people awake in the village.We explored a little beyond it but there’s a landslide blocking the road.”
Which meant the other villages were cut off from them unless they found a boat, or trekked through the jungle.
“What should we do with the car?”
“Leave it there.We still need it.”With the car, they’d reach the main village in only a few minutes.From there they might have to go on foot if the roads were blocked, which was highly likely.Another five minutes to reach the medical centre.Five to ten minutes to find the things they needed – if the centre was still standing – and another five to get back to the car.
Twenty-five minutes.That’s what he needed between the waves.
