A medic slides toward us immediately. “Lay her down.”
I do.
Even though every part of me wants to keep holding on.
The medic cuts fabric, checks wounds, works fast.
“How bad?”
He doesn’t answer immediately.
I hate that silence.
Olivia’s eyes flutter open again and find mine instantly.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Hey.”
Weak.
Still there.
I take her hand without hesitation.
Don’t care who sees it.
Outside, the compound disappears into darkness behind us.
But this isn’t over.
Not even close.
Because Lucas and Clay are still inside.
Because children are still missing.
Because Hannah Bowers and Stephen Cole are still out there somewhere.
And because the people who built this nightmare just made the worst mistake of their lives.
29
Russ
The inside of the exfil vehicle feels too small.
Too bright.
Too loud.
Metal rattles beneath us every time the tires slam through another rut, and Olivia’s body jerks with each impact stretched across the bench in front of me.
Blood keeps soaking through the medic’s gauze.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
