“‘Kay… Zeke.”Catherine sounded as if she was crying.
“Thanks, Rowan,” Henderson said.“Del?”
“I’m fine,” Delgado said between gritted teeth.“Get up.Cath, hold him, that’s a good pressure bandage, good work.Yoshi, give me another five-point here, okay?Shut down those goddamn lights.Giving me a headache.”
“Shutting down the lights, on the mark… mark.Del, be careful, they’re crawling toward you.”
“I know.Walk, Zeke, you asshole.Come on!Catherine, drag him.Here?—”
Confusion.Rowan bit her lip.“Justin,” she whispered, too low for the commlink to pick it up.
“Get him out of here,” Delgado said harshly.“Waitfive minutes,not a second more.You hear me, Yoshi?”
“Delgado, don’t you fucking dare play hero,” Henderson barked.
“I’m not playing, I’m getting my goddamn teammates out.Yoshi,now!”
“Right with you, Del,” Yoshi said.They’re in the red—move to your left, four feet.Oh fuck, there’s a Sig at your six.Drop,goddammit… good.Move, move, move… okay, Henderson’s out.Goddammit,move,Del.You can haul ass faster than that.Get that motherfucker, Del.”
“I got him.One less motherfucking Sig.”
“Good, nowbook it!”Yoshi barked.
“Kenwood, Rowan still there?”
Henderson again.“Don’t worry about her, Del.Worry about getting out of there!”
“Of course I’ll get out.”
There was a noise like worlds colliding.Rowan winced at the burst of static and Kenwood cursed.
“Oh,fuck.”Justin sounded surprised, and Rowan’s heart plummeted.
“Delgado?”Henderson didn’t sound worried, and yet.
“I think I’ve been shot,” Justin said slowly.Rowan’s heart finished its drop by splashing into the absolute pit of her stomach.
“We’re loose,” Catherine said.“Thank God.Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Del?Delgado?”
“I’m here, General.Get out of here, they’re closing in.”
“Not without you.We’re clear, Morgan’s good, Sheila’s under control.Dammit, Del, get the hell out of there.”
“Justin?Get out of there.”Rowan couldn’t believe her own voice, authoritative, snapping like Hilary used to.“On your feet, soldier!”
“You… say… the… sweetest…” He stopped.There was a long ten seconds of silence.
“Get up, Delgado,” Yoshi said harshly.It was the first note of panic Rowan had ever heard from him.“Rowan, talk to him, get himup.”
“Justin, you have to move,” she said, motioning frantically and uselessly at Kenwood.His fingers danced over the keyboard.“Get upnow.”
“Rowan…” It was a long exhale.
“Getup!”she shrilled.
“He’s up,” Yoshi said.“Down to your right, Del.Take the access hatch.”
