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‘Do you know anything about the camp at Luerina?’
‘Luerina is about two days’ journey north of here,’ Bridget replied. ‘It’s a small outreach camp like our own. If you think about a clock face, with Rejupe here at the centre and Jukrem in the seven o’clock positio
n, Luerina is at about the one o’clock position.’
‘Right.’
‘You’re sure there were no casualties?’ She turned to the young man.
She knew volunteers who had gone to Luerina. People who weren’t just colleagues but friends.
‘None that we know of, ma’am, but our intel is sketchy. We’ve never had any communications in the area so the reports coming through now are through the charity. You’ll probably know it from your team before we get the report.’
‘Thanks,’ Bridget acknowledged as she turned back to the door and jogged out over the courtyard towards the hospital cluster. The charity had their own communications facility, and the project managers here would surely have more information.
Her head was so full that she wasn’t expecting it when Hayden fell into step beside her. But she wasn’t surprised either.
‘Slow down.’ He placed his hand gently on her arm. ‘It won’t help anyone if you end up with a broken ankle.’
Reluctantly, Bridget slowed.
‘Do you know the team?’
She bit her lip. It had to mean something that he could he read her so easily. Didn’t it? A sob bubbled inside her, and she fought to choke it back.
‘I know, I know,’ he said softly. ‘You’re all out here for the same reason, working for the charity. I get it, it’s like a brotherhood. Or sisterhood, if you prefer.’
Despite everything, she managed a wry smile.
‘I understood what you meant.’
Reaching the hospital, she headed for the radio building where plenty of others were milling around, the volume louder than usual.
‘What’s going on?’ Bridget asked one of the nurses whose face she recognised from the previous day, even if she didn’t know her name.
Hayden had already slipped across the room, no doubt going to see if his men could lend support.
‘Apparently Luerina got hit a few days ago. A couple of pickup trucks of rebels. They got medical supplies, food and a charity vehicle, but fortunately no one got hurt.’
In the grand scheme of things that was, at least, some good news.
‘And the guys who were working there?’
‘They’re all on their way here,’ the nurse answered. ‘The charity called them back straight away, until local police can apprehend the rebels. They still had another vehicle, so they were okay. We understand they’re less than an hour out.’
Relief coursed through her.
‘Thank goodness for that.’
‘You’re heading back to Jukrem with the army unit?’
‘I’m heading back with part of the unit. Hayd...that is, the major in command, is taking a group of his men out on a recce into the area around Luerina.’
‘That’s good.’ The nurse nodded. ‘We could do with someone seeing what’s going on out there. How many rebels there are and what they’re after. The reports coming in are conflicting and no one is quite sure what the situation is.’
And Hayden was the perfect guy to do that. So why did her chest ache so badly? As if a part of her wished he didn’t have to go?
‘Anyway,’ the nurse continued, oblivious to Bridget’s unease, ‘if you can wait just for an hour or so, I think the project coordinators are working out a group to send out with you.’
