The scene was absolute chaos.
I couldn’t see Torin, but I could see Max, below the wall, hunched over unnaturally beside the ATV.
Charlie had blood pouring down his arm, he looked down on it. “Dammit. I’ve been shot.” He dropped the drone controller. “We gotta go!”
“We need to go back and help Max!”
“No! Go to the extraction point, Ryan’s got him!”
While I ran down the spiraled steps, holding a few bags, he was behind me, occasionally stepping on my skirt, sort of staggering, his energy flagging.
We made it to the ground and I threw an arm around him for support over the wall as an ATV rolled beside us with Max slumped over in a front seat. Charlie staggered over and rolled into the back. I stood on the side and held on. A soldier ran up. Ryan asked, “You got the first aid?”
“John’s got it!” Ryan floored the ATV along the bouncing path. Charlie grimaced. Max was so freaking still.No no no, please.
The extraction point was just ahead, Ryan slammed to a stop. We spilled from the vehicle.
… I looked back at the castle.Where was Torin?
Aenghus said, “He’s comin’, lass, daena worry.”
“Yeah of course.”
It was harrowing watchingthem drag Max from the ATV. They laid him on a stretcher. Charlie sat down beside him looking pale and weak.
Ryan and a soldier were over them administering First Aid. Behind us I saw soldiers running, holding an injured man. Aenghus was shouting orders up and down the line as men ran up, collapsing, or hustling around preparing to go.
I watched in the direction of the castle. Smoke from the burning castle drifted across the moor, stinging my eyes as men shouted and boots pounded the earth. “Where is he…? Can we wait?”
Aenghus was chewing his lip, watching that direction.
Ryan looked at his watch, the soldiers frantically worked around the injured soldiers on the stretchers. “We gotta go.”
I said, “We can’t leave him.”
Ryan said, “He told me to, he’s coming. He made me promise, he’s got a vessel.”
Aenghus said, “Another minute, Ryan, come on.”
Ryan said, “Yeah, but call the men together.”
A moan from a stretcher.
A soldier said, “We need to get Colonel Larson to the med bay!”
Aenghus called, “Everyone hold on!”
All up and down the row I could see soldiers grab hold of the man beside them, with their arms around equipment.
I said, “But… you heard him, he sounded weak, I think he’s hurt?—”
Aenghus said, “We canna, lass, hold on. Ye will see him at the camp.”
I begged, “I’ll just wait here, I’ll go with him.”
Ryan clamped a hand on my arm. “No way, he made me promise, he specifically said?—”
He had the vessel in his hands. He was going to jump us.
