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They picked their way through the streets as silently as possible, and Alexis drew them to a stop behind an old, burned out bus. The end of the city was just a few blocks ahead, and nothing stood between it and the entrance to the valley. If they could make it the last few blocks without being followed, theystood a good chance at extraction within the next few hours. The opportunity to escape was nearly overwhelming, but Alexis continued with caution.
The streets were silent, Kate and Alexis crept forward, keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of trouble. Wary of the silence, Alexis glanced around. Something didn’t feel quite right, and Alexis slowed, trusting her gut.
Ahead of them, the final intersection loomed in darkness. Blinding lights flicked on, coming from each side of the intersection. Behind them, the sound of a truck revving its engine roared into the night, and more lights bathed them.
They were trapped. It had been an ambush.
They’d known that any survivors would have headed through the city and not around it, so they’d just set up their men by the exit to the city. The lights were blinding, and Alexis couldn’t make out how many combatants there were.
“Get down,” Alexis ordered quietly. Kate dropped to the ground just as gunfire rang out and Alexis crouched over her to shield her. Heat and searing pain bathed Alexis's previously injured shoulder. She’d taken another hit, but this one had definitely hit something important. Hot, wet blood trickled down her left side, and Alexis rolled off Kate, stood, and ran toward the southern exit dragging Kate with her.
Rifle at the ready, Alexis fired, ignoring the pain that threatened to make her pass out. She managed to take out two of the enemies ahead of them, and a gunshot barked near Alexis's ear from behind. Kate fired, nailing the third assailant. He went down, and they broke into a sprint. Kate followed close behind her, and Alexis heard her firing behind them, It sounded as if she had taken a few out from those who were pursuing them, as well.
“I need to conserve ammo,” Kate said in her ear.
Alexis nodded, running as fast as her injury would allow. There was a cave off to their immediate right, and if they werefast enough, no one would see them go into it. She put on a burst of speed and led Kate into the cave. Her knees gave out five feet from the entrance, and Alexis collapsed.
“I took a hit, Kate.” Alexis coughed. The pain was blinding, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to stay conscious much longer.
Kate rolled her over and saw the condition of her left shoulder. “Oh, fuck. Oh, Alexis, you idiot!”
Blood pooled around the wound, and Alexis started to feel cold.
Alexis had been right all along. She would die out here in the sand. She would never make it home.
Kate dug through her pack, searching for something, and Alexis’s vision swam. At least Kate was uninjured. Alexis pushed her rifle into Kate’s hand, dug through her pockets and found her satellite phone.
“Take it. Call them and let me know you’re twenty minutes from the extraction site. Leave me. Just run south. They’ll see you and pick you up.”
It was as if Kate had been slapped. She reared back, obviously angry.
“Don’t you fucking dare think I’m leaving you here. Shut your mouth, stop moving, and sit the fuck still while I save your life, you idiot!”
Angry tears coursed down Kate’s face, and Alexis cupped her cheek and swiped at the tears with her thumb.
Darkness crept in, and she let it as the pain engulfed her. Alexis saw Kate shake her head before she blacked out.
Chapter 7
Kate
Fear and adrenaline surged through Kate’s system as she searched for her cauterization tool. Alexis’s shoulder looked mangled. There were several bullet wounds, and she was bleeding from them all. There was so much blood that Kate wasn’t sure if she’d even be able to pinpoint where all the bleeding was coming from. With only so much she’d be able to do, she was grateful Alexis had passed out. Cauterizing the wound was going to hurt like a bitch, and there weren’t any narcotics left. It was going to be extremely painful, and it was better that she didn’t have to be awake to endure it.
Determined to stop the bleeding, Kate pressed gauze into the wound. She tried to mop up as much blood as possible, hoping to find the source and that there wasn’t any damage to major arteries or veins. Alexis would bleed out in minutes if a major artery had been hit, and Kate moved robotically, intent on staying calm.
The location of the injury was disadvantageous, at the juncture of her arm and shoulder, and Kate wouldn’t be able to tourniquet the wound. She had to cauterize what she could, then put quick clot powder on the rest. If she could bandage it in placewell enough, it might hold a twenty minute jog to the extraction point, but that was only if Kate controlled the blood loss. And Alexis was growing paler by the second.
Kate’s hands worked tirelessly, and time stopped existing. The only thing that mattered was repairing the damage done to Alexis's circulatory system. She swiped and mopped up blood with her gauze, applied the red incandescent tip to the injury.
The smell of burnt flesh usually bothered her, but Kate ignored it and the pain in her chest and pushed on. She could only use the tool in so many places, and then she had to resort to quick clot powder. When all the obvious bleeding had been stopped, Kate hit the speed dial on Alexis’s satellite phone. It rang twice, and then a deep male voice answered.
“Come in, Sniper Alpha. This is Bulldog One.”
“Bulldog One ,this is Medic One. Sniper Alpha has multiple life threatening GSW’s. We are twenty minutes north from extraction point. Headed your way. Come get us. Over.”
“I read you loud and clear, Medic One. Bulldog One is sending the cubs. Over and out.”
Kate hated radio speak. He’d been clear and concise, knowing thatlife threateningmeant they were under a time constraint. She knew the terms and codes were to keep anyone from intercepting information, but it still took her a second to put it together. They were coming to get them. Now Kate had to finish bandaging Alexis and get her up and to the extraction point without being seen.
