Beside her, Christa knelt over the body of her father, her face streaked with tears as she gripped his hand in hers.
Kaitlin hated the fucker. But Christa had loved him. And by all accounts—weird though it seemed—he’d loved Christa. That was how she’d come into their lives. The colonel had taken some of their people hostage, including Kaitlin, and was threateningto kill them unless Jake and the others surrendered themselves. They’d needed some leverage. Kaitlin had once been in the colonel’s mind, and knew Christa was the only person the colonel cared about.
So Jake had kidnapped her.
The rest was history.
At that moment, Christa raised her head and gazed in the direction the others had disappeared. “What’s happening?”
“I have no clue, but at least there hasn’t been an explosion.”
“If they’d blown the bomb, we wouldn’t be here. We’d just be a great big crater.”
Kaitlin hadn’t thought of that. She’d just expected a big bang. But Christa was right—they were still here. Was that good or bad? “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Not really,” Christa replied. “I know you hated him, but he was my father, and he always looked after me. Loved me.”
“I know. And he gave up his life to save mine. He must have known it was suicide. He was a brave man, if occasionally a little misguided.”
“Sometimes we can’t always see that we’re taking a step in the wrong direction until it’s too late. His motives were good.”
Kaitlin didn’t think it mattered what your motives were if you stopped thinking that individuals were important. But Kaitlin didn’t want to get into that with Christa right now.
“Oh God, where are they?” Christa took a deep breath. “I’ll be better when Jake comes back. Can you reach them?”
She closed her eyes and reached out tentatively with her mind. “Kane?”
No answer.
“Nothing,” she said. “Doesn’t mean much, though. Presumably, they’re still wearing the reflector devices.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Come on,” she muttered. “Take them off.”
“Well?” Christa asked.
“Still nothing.” She tried to push herself up, but pain shot through her ankle, and she collapsed to the ground again. God, she felt so helpless. She hated that. She looked around for something to strap her ankle up and her gaze rested on the medical kit Christa had dropped to the ground.
“Can you pass me that?” she asked, waving her hand at the kit.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. You’re hurt. I should be helping you.”
“Your father just died. I think we’ll allow you a little leeway.”
Christa gave the colonel one last look, then released his hand, resting it on his chest. She scrambled to her feet, grabbed the kit, and came over to her. Hunkering down next to Kaitlin, she stared at her ankle. “That looks nasty.”
“It doesn’t feel too good.”
“Is it broken?”
“No. I’m pretty sure it’s just sprained, but it hurts like hell.”
“I’ll strap it up for now. But maybe we can x-ray it back in the clinic.”
They’d set up a medical center at the base. It had all the mod cons, including an x-ray machine. But she didn’t think that was necessary.
She held herself very still as Christa gingerly lifted her foot up a little and ran her hand over her lower leg. Kaitlin winced but managed to hold back her cry of pain. Every muscle tensed as Christa wound a bandage around her ankle, pulling it tight. But it felt better once the bandage was on, and at least it took her mind off the idea that she might be vaporized at any moment.
When it was done, she sat back until the churning in her stomach calmed. Sweat beaded her brow, and she swallowed down the nausea. When she opened her eyes, Christa was holding out a couple of pills on her open palm. Kaitlin took the pills and dry-swallowed them. They stuck in her throat.
“Kaitlin?”
