Max stiffens.
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” I continue. “And her body was already weak from the infection she’s fighting.”
“The bullet?”
“Through and through,” I say. “Clean entry, clean exit. Didn’t hit anything vital.”
His shoulders relax a fraction.
“But?” he asks.
I pull my gloves off, toss them, and grab a fresh pair.
“Some of the meds I had her on earlier had mild blood thinners in them,” I explain. “Anti-inflammatories and anticoagulants to help her lungs clear out the infection.”
Max’s jaw tightens in understanding.
“So she bled more than normal.”
“Exactly.”
I glance at the monitor we rigged up beside her.
Her pulse is still too fast.
“She needs a transfusion,” I say bluntly. “And that’s not something I can safely do down here.”
“And with snipers out there,” Max mutters, “we can’t exactly take her on a field trip to the ER.”
I look back at Abby’s pale face.
“We’re going to have to if we want her to live,” I say bluntly. “Soon.”
***TANK***
Maverick’s jet lands us as close to the compound as a landing strip will allow. It’s still a few miles out, but that’s nothing compared to the five hours it took to cross the damn country.
The second the wheels touch down, a vehicle is already waiting.
We pile in, and the driver floors it toward the compound.
The entire ride is silent except for the engine screaming down the road.
We got word an hour ago that ten of our men were killed before the snipers were located and locked up.
My jaw aches from how hard I’ve been grinding my teeth.
Luckily, Max and his family were already inside the compound when the attack started. A few of the guys had come by to hang out, so they were all near the clubhouse when the SOS hit.
Lila had been over at Riley’s, helping her cut Asher’s hair.
So they made it to the bunker without incident.
Eli wasn’t so lucky.
He’d been outside playing with one of the kids who came with their dad. Didn’t have his phone on him, so he never saw the signal.
When the first shot rang out, he grabbed the boy and ran straight for the clubhouse.
