Every touch made her flinch, either from pain or fear. On the positive side, she’d temporarily pushed aside her panic from being out in the open and the fall of night. So that was something to be thankful for.
Xander lifted her wrists. “Zip ties?”
“Yes. When they abducted me, they secured my hands and weren’t nice about it.”
His jaw twitched. “You appear to have a mild concussion, and I agree with your assessment that you have a couple of cracked ribs, but that’s not definitive. Only an X-ray will confirm that. The bruising across your back and shoulders will ache, but I don’t see any serious damage. I’m more worried about infection from the cuts on your wrists. I’ll clean and bandage those and wrap your ribs to give you support.” Xander paused and made sure he had her full attention. “Raven, you’re severely dehydrated. When’s the last time you ate or drank something?”
“I ate before they took me.” Her voice cracked. “And they gave me water a couple of times. Not much. Just enough to keep me alive.”
Xander muttered under his breath. “And we dragged you through the jungle. I’m sorry, Raven.”
“As if you had a choice. Besides, it’s not your fault. You didn’t kidnap me.” Her gaze met Liam’s. He’d heard the entire conversation and didn’t look happy.
Xander went to work on her wounds.
Liam strode over and handed her a canteen. “Start with the water. Take small sips.” His clipped words jolted her, but she knew this man. Maybe better than herself. He was mad. Not at her, but at the men who’d hurt her.
Her fingers trembled as she took the container and brought it to her lips. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how dry and cracked they were. When the liquid hit her tongue, she almost cried.
“Remember, go easy.” He held out an energy bar from his pack and peeled back the wrapper. “Small bites. Don’t push it or your stomach will revolt.”
Her stomach growled, but the first nibble churned her belly. She handed the bar back to him. “I can’t.”
“Keep it. Try a little more every few minutes. You need the calories. And the water.” He tapped the canteen.
She sighed and followed his directions.
Xander wrapped a compression band around her ribs and gently wiped away some of the dried blood at her temple.
Liam stepped a few feet away, allowing Xander room to work. Jaw tight, he crossed his arms over his chest. When their eyes met again, something passed between them. She couldn’t name it, but it settled the swirling anxiety inside her—mostly.
The man had intrigued her on the missions she’d supported his team. His strength and confidence endeared him to her.It was silly, really. She didn’t personally know the man, but somehow, he’d carved a special place in her heart.
“There, all finished.” Xander tucked his supplies into his kit.
The medic’s words yanked her attention from Liam. The intensity of her situation swarmed her. For a moment, she’d forgotten about the jungle—the open space. But the calming link to Liam had broken. Her pulse raced, and her respiration increased. Her agoraphobia took hold and choked the air from her lungs. The desire to bolt overwhelmed her.
She wanted four walls and a locked door. Someone or something was going to find her out here, and she wouldn’t be able to hide.
Xander stood. “I’ve done all I can do out here. You’ll need real medical attention when we get out of here.”
“Thank you.” Her voice quivered.
“You’re welcome, Raven.” Xander nodded to Liam and sauntered away.
Liam stepped forward. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I can’t thank you enough for saving our sorry behinds on several occasions. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I’m fine,” she lied. Her eyes darted to the different sounds. She blinked to keep the tears from falling.
Liam opened his mouth but chose to nod instead. “We’ll set up camp and a watch rotation. I promise we’ll keep you safe. I’ll let you relax and finish that water and protein bar.” He left and helped Dax and Boone make camp.
Jade pressed her back against the tree and drew her knees to her chest. The strain on her ribs made her wince. The light seeping through the trees wouldn’t last much longer as the night continued to close in. Being outside in a strange place was bad enough. How would she survive the fall of night? Her skin crawled, but she had no way out of the situation. It would be a long night filled with anxiety and panic.
Jade curled tighter into herself. Fear wasn’t always screaming. Sometimes it was silent white-knuckled breaths.
She’d survived the abduction. Now she had to survive the night out in the open. Her two worst nightmares coming to life.
She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer.Just get us out of here, God. Please.
