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The helicopter starts to descend, making my stomach feel like it’s in my throat. I open my eyes and see nothing but white, fluffy clouds for a moment before a small town comes into view. For every building, there are at least a half-dozen trees. The vivid yellow paintwork they seem to favor here intermingling with the lush green makes it look stunning, at least from up here.
I nudge Salem and fight back a grin when she mumbles something about five more minutes, cocksuckers. I know I’m not the only one who heard it because the guy beside Cooper, Dillon—I think that’s his name—snickers.
I lean down and whisper to her, “Salem, we’re here.”
She jolts awake and wipes her mouth, then looks up at me sheepishly before looking at the others to see if anyone else noticed. They did, of course, but they all look away, pretending they didn’t.
“Are you sure about this? We don’t usually have people at our safe houses.” Having unknowns in a place where you’re supposed to be hiding out is a big no-no.
“You guys spent months in the fucking jungle. You each need to be checked out by the medical team. I’m grateful you’ve fared as well as you have, but what’s the point in surviving all that just to succumb to some bullshit tropical diseases?”
I don’t do anything but nod. If I put up too much of a fight, they’ll want to know why, and the last thing Salem wants us to do is draw attention to her. I lean down over her and lower my voice. “What do you say? I know you have a fear of doctors, but they’ll just check you out to make sure everything is okay. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
She looks into my eyes, trying to read me. I know she doesn’t want to be examined, and she knows I know that. But she’s smart enough to read between the lines that if I’m asking her to get checked out, it’s for a reason. I just pray to God that she doesn’t think this is us turning on her.
“I… Okay. You won’t leave me, though, right?”
“I need to debrief you both, but I’ll make it as quick as possible. We’ll get you checked out at the same time so you can get back to Salem quickly if that’s what you want,” Cooper informs us.
She turns and looks at him before nodding. “Thanks. I’m not trying to be a pain. I’m just nervous.” She squeezes my hand tightly. I know she isn’t happy about this, but if we refuse, people will want to know why, and that will be harder to answer.
We land on the large green field just in front of the building I assume is the clinic. I wait until we are firmly on the ground before helping Salem undo her seatbelt and easing her out of the chopper beside me. I tug her to me and wrap my arm around her shoulders, protecting her from the wind whipping around us.
Zig appears on the other side of her, and like we always do, we keep her between us until we reach the facility doors. They open automatically, and a couple of nurses appear, indicating for us to follow. I feel Cooper and the others at my back, my eyes moving to Zig, who stops and moves so that he can talk to Cooper, shifting so he is seamlessly behind us.
“To the left, Oz,” Cooper calls out. I follow the nurses, who are already heading in that direction.
Double doors swing open, revealing a bed and a heart monitor, as well as what looks like an ultrasound. I look behind me with a scowl, but Cooper just shakes his head.
“It’s for checking internal injuries.” He rolls his eyes at me before addressing Salem. “This is Pika and Tor. They just want to check you over. The doctor will come by once he’s done with these knuckleheads to ask you a few questions and make sure you’re all good. His English isn’t great, so I can leave a man with you if you like.”
She shakes her head. “I’ll be fine.” Her body is so tense that she might snap at any moment, but she keeps the expression on her face neutral.
“We won’t be long, and we’ll only be down the hall. If you become distressed at any point, all you have to do is shout out, and we’ll hear you,” Copper adds.
That calms her down a little, thankfully.
“The debriefing can wait,” Zig starts, but Cooper shakes his head.
“There’s more you need to know. It’s important, guys, or I wouldn’t drag you away.”
Zig sighs but nods.
“I’ll post Denny and Mark outside the doors. Nobody will get in or out unless they’re a doctor or nurse.”
I don’t want to leave her, but we need information to keep her safe, and right now, it feels like we’re flying blind.
“Are there other patients here?” Salem surprises me by asking.
“A couple, but they are on the other side of the facility. This place takes in the locals and treats them for free.”
I frown down at her, wondering if she is worried. Then I remember her telling us about her compulsion to heal. That has to be a hell of a lot harder in here, surrounded by patients.
“I can stay,” I murmur to her quickly.
She looks up at me and gives me a fake-as-shit smile before shaking her head. “I’ll be fine.”
I drop my head and press my lips against the shell of her ear. “Liar.”
