“Hoist, all clear.”
“Sabra, all clear.”
“This is Dutch Boy; I have target in sight.” Tim Holland crouched under the table. “Gwen, it’s Tim. We’re going to get you out of here. I need a backboard.”
“Kip, is he okay? He was shot in the shoulder,” Gwen garbled the words.
“Hey, Gwen, it’s Trask. You’re going to feel a little stick.” He started the IV.
“Kip helped us find you.” Tim pumped up the BP cuff.
“You have to call Troy. Tell him not to worry.” Gwen coughed and struggled with the words.
“My beauty, you can tell me yourself.” Troy knelt and pressed his lips to her forehead.
“How did you get here?” Both her hands were occupied by the medical personnel.
“Shh. I’m right here.” Troy rested his hand on her chest.
Gwen crunched her eyes, looking up at his grease-painted face. “You came for me again.”
Wes carried over a backboard. “Hey, Gwen, you decided I need some practice.” He squeezed between Trask and Troy and slid a collar around her neck. “Slide her up the board, on my call.” Wes placed his hands on either side of her head. “Three, two, one.”
With Gwen wrapped in blankets and secured to the board, they walked out into a small clearing. Troy tapped his comm. “Let go the smoke.”
Kip made it to her side. “You okay?”
“Fine,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.
A basket dropped from the Pave Hawk. They strapped Gwen into the basket, and with Wes holding a rope to keep it level, watched the crew pull her on board. A ladder and rope dropped next. Tim ascended the rope, hand over hand. Kip started up the ladder, one foot, one hand at a time. Zach climbed a half body length over him to aid his ascent.
Troy gripped the ladder. One step, one hand; one step, one hand, he made his way up. Wes covered him with his body, attaching the clip of his harness to him. Once inside the helo, it banked hard and headed toward the Twentynine Palms helipad.
Chapter 44
The ER was already busy, but when the helo arrived with Gwen, overflowing with brass, it became even more frenzied. Brody Garrett stood waiting. “I need the bloodwork STAT. Also get me a UA, blood gas, pan CT. Get me an arterial line setup.”
Tim placed his hands against Troy’s chest. “We need to run some tests. Garrett received word a recertification flight of some of our airmedical transport personnel is landing. They’re going to move Gwen and Kip to the building for treatment.”
“I think she remembered her first rescue. The way she looked at me. You can’t let her die,” Troy begged.
“Have you told her?” Tim asked. “Go.”
Troy moved as fast as he could to catch up to Gwen before they took her to CT scan. “My beauty, I’ll be right here waiting for you. I love you.” He swallowed hard.
She smiled, her eyes hazy from the pain medication. “I love you too. Tell me…” her voice drifted off. Her eyes were slits. “You took me to Israel?”
“Yes, my beauty. I cradled you against me. I always will.” He kissed her swollen lips.
Her hand came up. “The psych… Stop… Jay Acosta—here.” She closed her eyes.
Troy tapped his comm. “I want Dr. Jay Acosta from psychiatry in custody forthwith.”
Martin moved to his side. “The HH60 went to pick Ian up. He’ll work with Stone to process the scene. To the best Jule and I can figure, Gwen took them all out. Every one of them was armed. There wasn’t any mistaking their intention was to kill her. I think there’s going to be a second medal of valor. Husband and wife.” Martin grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”
Four personnel dressed in flight suits surrounded them. A man with a stocky build removed his flight helmet and glared at him. “I knew when this simple refresher turned to shit, you were involved,” Pete Walter, Director of Facility Management for all of Chase Medical, said with his gravelly Boston accent. “We’ll bring her home.”
Troy rubbed his head. “Pete…how do I thank you?”
