“Well, if she jumped from stone to stone, she could be anywhere. I say we call it for the night.” Good. At least that one seemed inclined to quit searching. “We’ve lost the light and can’t go farther. The countryside opens up, and we’re already too close to their gatehouse. We’re supposed to stay beyond their regular patrol distance.”
“I tell you, she’s close,” the one with the deeper voice insisted.
There was a pause, then the other said. “Maybe.”
A scraping sound came from below. She bit her lip. Someone was climbing the rock face. Like she had. Hot tears pricked her eyes. She became rigid, unable to move. There was no escape.
In the distance, there was an odd fizz then a loud pop. Her eyes snapped open as a flare of neon pink filled the sky, the flare almost blinding in intensity. She blinked several times, trying to regain her night vision.
“That’s the signal. Told you we’ve come too far. We’re done tonight. Let’s go. I don’t want to miss our ride.”
“She could be right here,” said the deeper voice. “Let me check. I’ve already climbed halfway.”
Something scratched against the rock again. Probably boots scrabbling for a hold. She swallowed, praying the low light conditions made her invisible.
A man-sized head and shoulders appeared level with the rocky ledge. He wasn’t much more than a sinister black shadow.
“I think I see something,” he called down, excitement in his voice.
“Shoot her already. Hugh will be pissed if we’re late.”
The man’s arm stretched over the ledge. She shuddered, pressing her hand over her mouth as she tensed. A handgun, aimed to her right. He fired two shots, the blasts setting her earsringing. They missed. The third caused her to flinch as the bullet struck close enough that rock chips sprayed outward. A flake hit her forehead, leaving a hot, stinging patch. The fourth shot hit the stone higher and ricocheted.
Time slowed as her upper arm exploded with fiery pain.
Her shoulder burned where the bullet struck, its heat blinding as she almost passed out. Despite her intense agony, she didn’t move or make a sound. To do anything would mean her death. The taste of blood flooded her mouth as she bit her tongue with clenched teeth. Remaining still was her only chance to survive.
“Anything?” The man on the ground called.
“Na. Guess not.” The second man retreated, dropping from sight.
“Hurry. We can’t be here if an xTerra patrol investigates your shooting.”
Fear and shock kept her from moving as the climber dropped to the ground with a thud. Their voices faded, becoming faint echoes as they strolled toward the road, taking their light. She let out a single breath, trying not to sob. They hadn’t gone far enough. Not yet.
The heat and pain in her shoulder radiated down her arm, while spreading warmth seeped downward, pooling underneath where she lay. Her right hand touched the rock beneath her to find blood spreading around her chest—a lot of blood.
Lissa closed her eyes again, pressing her flaming cheek to the chilled stone. The night pressed down harder as the men’s voices disappeared. In the distance, an engine roared to life, fading as it drove away, its sound growing fainter as they left. She could rest. It would be so easy just to sleep. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her limbs felt heavy. Her mind couldn’t grasp what to do next. Everything seemed fuzzy. The only thing keeping her awake was the expanding pain. Her whole body prickled, hot and on fire.
For a second she gave in, riding the wave of agony.
Then, her eyes popped open. She needed to stop the bleeding. The men had mentioned that xTerra’s gatehouse was close. She just needed to go a little farther.
She had to try. For xTerra’s sake. For Cam.
Gritting her teeth, she used her good arm and her legs to wiggle toward the open where she would have room to deal with her wound. She sucked in a breath each time she jarred her left shoulder. But she kept inching. Once her head and shoulders were past the edge of the overhang, she pushed to sit, her back against the rough stone.
One-handed, she unzipped her pack and removed her first-aid kit. The cold air helped clear her mind. The bullet had missed her arteries, or she’d have bled out already. She had a chance.
Lissa carefully touched the area at the center of the fiery pain. She sucked in a breath as the pain intensified, but she continued to prod. The back of her arm remained smooth. Only an entry wound, meaning she had a bullet lodged where her arm and shoulder met. Her breath became short pants as she pressed a heavy gauze pad to the wound. She reeled at the increased torment but pushed through. Grimacing, she wrapped the tensor bandage around the thick pad, yanking it tight. She let out a whimper.
Though awkward as hell, she wound it around for its full length before clipping the end. Hopefully, the pressure would slow the bleeding. She shoved everything back into her pack. Though sticky with blood, she didn’t have time to worry about being presentable.
The next problem. She couldn’t put on her pack in this position or climb down with one arm. Scooching forward to the edge, she glanced over the edge. The ground below was shadowy. She wouldn’t be able to grapple for holds on the descent. Especially not the route she’d clambered up. She exhaled. She’dhave to lower herself as far as possible, then drop. And hope she didn’t break a leg when she landed.
Lissa tucked her injured arm against her body, another slight whimper accompanying the movement. She clenched her jaw, clamping her molars together. She couldn’t afford to make a noise. Someone might still be out there. Perhaps leaving had been a trick to flush her out.
Every motion sent pain cascading through her, but she couldn’t stop. She dropped her pack to the ground, gauging how far she had to fall. It hit the ground with a muffled thud. She cocked her head, listening. No one appeared. No sounds of alarm.
