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He gave her another puff of air.
The longer she didn’t breathe, the greater the chances she never would.
“Please, honey. Breathe for me. Breathe,” he roared the word into the quiet forest as though by sheer force of will he could make Lila come back to him.
Beneath him, she tried to suck in a breath, choked, and began to cough. Surf rolled her onto her side so her lungs could expel the inhaled water.
“Thank you,” he whispered to the universe as he kept Lila on her side with one hand and with his other stroked back wet hair from her face. Her skin was so cold, and he knew that even though she was breathing she was nowhere near out of the metaphorical woods.
Forcing his exhausted body into action, he gathered Lila into his arms and pushed to his feet. He had to get her somewhere warm and get her out of her drenched clothes. It was the only chance she had at surviving the fall into the freezing water.
Pain screamed through his injured shoulder as he took Lila’s weight, but there was nowhere else in the world he wanted her right now. She didn’t stir, her body had already been teetering on the brink of complete and utter exhaustion. Hypothermia on top of almost drowning was more than enough to push her right over the edge.
Time meant nothing as he stumbled through the forest looking for shelter.
Lila didn’t stir.
His fear for her grew.
Fear for himself as well.
His own body wasn’t much warmer than Lila’s, but at least he was moving to generate some heat.
The world around him blurred a little, and he blinked to clear it.
If he had to guess, he wasn’t much further away from exhaustion than Lila had been this morning.
He had to find them somewhere safe and warm soon or he was going to pass out.
If he passed out there was no one to protect Lila.
Zara and Ross were still out here somewhere.
As was the man who had shot him.
Then there were the elements.
Danger seemed to surround them on all sides, and for a moment, Surf felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Of course, with his job danger had always been lurking around the corner, but that was different. This time Lila was here, she was in danger, and that changed everything.
Surf stumbled and went down hard on his knees.
He swayed.
Struggled to stand.
Then he caught sight of a small cabin.
Warmth.
Knowing it could be the house belonging to the man who shot at him, Surf had no choice but to head toward it. Right now, Lila’s dropping body temperature worried him more than anything else. He was still armed, he could defend them, and wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate any threats.
Somehow, he made it to the cabin.
A glance in the window showed it was empty.
While sparsely furnished there was a fireplace and a bed.
