I’m not sure how much longer I can stand. I feel myself wavering, so put a hand on Hargrave’s back.
“Lean on me while we wait,” he murmurs. “He’s checking if the vehicle is there, along with the two guys.”
“What if it’s not there?”
“Priest requests another car, and we keep walking until we meet it.” His voice is the whisper of rain on the leaves.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m safe. I don’t get to cry about walking. Me leaning on Hargrave isn’t making this easier on him, but I can’t force myself to stand on my own either. I draw on his quiet strength. The regular movement of his back as he breathes. I swear I can feel his strength seeping into me.
The car will be there. It’s going to be dry…until we climb in.
I hold on to those thoughts until Colton returns. If he says it’s gone, I might drop to the mud and stay there.
“All clear.”
A sob of relief escapes.
Colton walks around and puts his arm around me. He’s tired, I can see it in his face in the gray dawn. He’s carried Reed and the backpack all night. “Come on. You’ve got this.”
I don’t. But I don’t say that. I let him guide me, propel me, through the last bit of jungle. When we break free of it, I gasp as if surfacing from a great depth.
The four-wheel drive and two armed men are waiting.
My throat thickens and a few tears escape, hidden by the rain.
The two guys open up the back so Reed can be slid straight in.
“You sit in the back with me, okay?”
“Yeah.” I don’t have the strength to argue.
Colton helps me in, then follows. The doors are shut after us. When we’re all in, the drive back to camp on roads that are nothing more than slick mud begins.
Which is how this whole thing started.
I lift my head from Colton’s shoulder. “What happened to the guy who called me out to site?”
“Dealt with,” Priest says.
I trust him. I don’t need to know any more.
CHAPTER24
Priest
The rain is peteringout to drizzle, but the sky is heavy and gray. We could’ve done with the break last night, but I welcome the pause. I shower and change into a clean dry uniform—most people don’t appreciate being able to put on clean clothes enough—then join Hargrave in the mess to eat and review what happened. I’d like Colton to be here, but there’s no point in asking him to leave the medical building where Reed and Ashley are.
They’ll be letting her out soon.
Reed is being stabilized for evac to the nearest city where he can receive proper treatment.
I load up my plate with eggs and bacon and toast, then sit opposite Hargrave. His plate is empty, but he’s nursing a coffee.
We’re sitting in a corner away from those who are running late and grabbing food before they need to start work. Colton is going to miss out on a feed. He probably doesn’t care.
Hargrave doesn’t interrupt while I eat. I want to go to bed and sleep for a few hours, but it’s better I put something in writing because there’s going to be questions and kick back.
He drains his cup and sighs. “I’d have another, but I’d also like to sleep.”
