At some point, Erin mused, she must have fell asleep, because as her eyes opened, they’d reached the sandy expanse and the flash of blue water extended beyond the front of the copter.
“With us again?” Amusement colored David’s tone, and she almost squeaked with embarrassment.
“Uh, how long was I out?” She pushed the glasses up over her hair, a little embarrassed that she’d slept, and caught sight of his grin.
“Not that long.”
“Okay, so where are we, and how long until we reach the location of Celeste?”
“Her position was about two nautical miles from here. She knows the area well and was able to tell us pretty closely the location and sent us some photos before her comm system went offline. I’m going to have to quick stop. It’s tricky. I’ve got to wash off the speed, hover and drop down if there are things in the way. Not my preferred landing type, but it’s all we’ll have.”
“O-kay.” The way he spoke told her more about the danger than he probably realized. “We’ll be able to take off easily?”
“Yeah.”
“Why is it different to what we did—”
He turned. “I’ll explain later. Once we’re safely back at the base, okay?”
She nodded and, now silenced, waited for him to give further instructions.
“In the box behind your seat there are binocs. Grab them out. I need you to be on the lookout for a small island in a group of five. They’re called the ‘Five Brides’. We need to find the middle one. It’s got a cave where she’s hidden the dingy and is hiding out. Once we fly over, he’ll know and send backup, so we’ll have to move quickly and be decisive.” He thrust a small communicator at her. “You’ll find her listed under ‘B’ for ‘Buffy’, so dial and tell her what to look out for.”
‘B’ for ‘Buffy.’ Erin wasn’t sure she liked how close and friendly this all sounded. And why is that, hmm? You’ve avoided him and any kind of connection studiously. Now you’re what... Jealous?
She snatched up the binocs, refusing to consider the situation any further. They flew along the coastline, keeping it on the pilot’s side as she glanced out the window.
The expanse of blue glowed like a sapphire, but no small islands caught her attention. “I can’t see anything.”
“All right then, we move further into the channel. I’ll fly back to our starting position, and you can check again.”
She nodded, realizing he needed some silence, the only sound the thudding of the blades and the engine cutting through the air. They flew swiftly, the nose once again slightly dipped, then he banked and turned the copter into a tight turn, realigning them. This time the expanse of blue on both sides increased her nausea, which she controlled with some difficulty.
“Okay, beginning the pass again.”
She raised the binocs and peered through. “Hang on, what’s that?” She pointed into the far distance at a speck of color against the shine of the water.
“Let’s go find out.”
He maneuvered, changed his heading, and powered forward, over the top of a large yacht. “Dammit!”
“What?”
“That super yacht down there? It looks like the Sun Spinner.”
“Okay. Clearly we need to find her quickly and get out of here,” Erin murmured.
They checked the small islands, counted five, and picked the central one out. She dialed ‘B’ for ‘Buffy’ and the call was answered with, “David, it took you a long time to find me.”
Erin held up the unit. “Yes, longer than I wanted. Stay in the cave until I land, then run like the hounds of hell are after you. He’s not that far away and we’re running short on time to get off the island.”
She tapped the communicator off and waited, hands clutching the bar again as he washed off speed, sand whipping around them as he hovered.
Erin knew he’d said the landing would be tricky, but he just looked cool and fresh, like he did this every day. She bit her lip and held it there, even though the tender skin stung.
They landed with a tiny thud. Sand flew into the air and Erin watched him wait until the blades stopped spinning, then he tugged off his belt and shoved the door open wide. A tiny whirlwind of blond hair with a small, lithe body, encased in a figure-hugging white and gold swimsuit, came sprinting up the hill.
He pulled his seat back, shoved the woman in, then clambered back in, closing the door and once again firing the engine. “Get your belt on, then scrunch down. We don’t want them to see you until we’re past them!”
David had the copter up, and the nose dipped again as they flew over a tiny speed boat, three people crowded inside. “Just missed them!”
Pings of sound echoed, ‘Buffy’ cowered and slapped her hands to her head, and David grimaced. “We’ve been hit. I don’t think it’s anything serious though. Erin?”
“I’m good.”
“Celeste?”
“Uhh no. Not so good really. I, um, think I’m hit.”
“Erin?”
She threw off the belt and turned in the seat, hissing at the red staining the other woman’s swimsuit. Erin dug into the emergency supplies, searching for the first aid kit, and thanked the training in field triage. “Turn toward me.”
The woman did, slowly unclasping her seatbelt with shaky hands.
Erin inspected the wound site. “I think we should be good to reach home, but I’m going to have to apply a field dressing as best I can. I’m going to start by cutting your swimsuit then will pad the wound site. It’s going to hurt, but will compress the wound and slow the bleeding.”
It was uncomfortable and slow, hanging over the seat, the way it pushed into her still healing wound site, but the woman wasn’t going to bleed out, at least not on her watch.
Celeste yowled as she shoved the packing at her, applied firm pressure. “Hold that. Hard,” Erin barked as the woman’s hands flailed ineffectively.
“It hurts.” Celeste employed a plaintive voice, and it took all Erin’s efforts to control the eye roll.
“Yeah, it does, but I need pressure on the wound, okay?”
“You don’t know how much it hurts—”
Erin smothered the words that came to her lips as David called out, “She does. She was injured just a couple of weeks ago. Nearly died from wounds like yours.”
The woman’s eyes squeezed shut. “Can you give me something for the pain?”
“No. I don’t carry those kinds of things in my kit. This is the best I can do right now.” She gave instructions, watched as the woman settled herself against the corner of the copter, and climbed back into position, which was difficult in the cramped conditions. “How quickly can we make it home?”
David’s lips thinned. “I’ll push as hard as I can. Maybe an hour? That’s from here.”
They’d already crossed the white sandy area and were quickly approaching the tree line beyond. Somewhere down there was Cam, Astrid, and Jude, who’d moved to escape this kind of situation.
“How’s the copter?”
“She’ll keep flying.”
Erin just hoped Celeste would make it that long. Her skin was taking on a decidedly pasty whiteness. It could be shock, or it could be something far worse, and she couldn’t get close enough to tell and inspect the wound site. They’d just have to hold on.
“Celeste?”
“Hmm?” It was a groan of pain and Erin frowned.
“Uh, what can you tell be about Draven Sorrington?”
“Dav? He’s a friend. I went to school with him.” Celeste shifted in the seat, and Erin reached out, trying to encourage her to stay as still as possible.
“Does he have a sister? Cousins? Anyone you know who’s named Elina?”
“Eliana? No... Not that I know of. Our families have been friends for a long time. Mama didn’t mention anyone. She’s a cousin, you know. Distant.”
Erin rubbed at her wound site, feeling the burn of memory. “Okay. You’re sure?”
“No... Not sure. Need to ask mama.” Celeste opened her eyes and Erin’s concern rose another notch at the glassiness.
“David, we’re going to need to detour. Get me to Cam’s. We need a medic now.”
“We’ll be drawing them into the area if we do that.”
“And if we don’t, we could lose her. I can’t check her pulse, but she’s glassy and pasty. It could be shock, David. We need down as quickly as we can.”
He banked, Celeste gasped, and Erin swore. Their descent this time was gradual, gentle even so that they landed with barely the insult of a nudge.
Erin threw off her belt and shoved the door open before the blades ceased spinning, adrenaline spiking as she ran to the other side. David was out, shoving his seat out of the way and lifting the woman over the seat. “Get her on the grass, I need to inspect the injury now. Then get hold of Astrid or Jude. We need the medic here.”
Throwing herself on the ground, Erin tore at the hastily applied bandages and padding.
“Shit!” It was definitely worse, with the heat surrounding the tissue, some obvious distension which was spongy to her touch. “I think she’s got some internal bleeding I missed in the cabin.”
David headed off down the road. There wasn’t much else Erin could do, so she repacked the site and kept pressure on the wound while she waited for David to return.
Upon his return, David was puffing and panting. “They’re bringing the medic. He’s going to stabilize, then we’ll try and fly out of here. The longer we’re here, the greater the danger to this community.”
“I agree.” She also remembered Cam’s words about his friend, Dougie. “I just hope Cam doesn’t see us.”
That was a faint hope as the sound of a pickup truck echoed. Erin groaned. “Head him off, will you?”
Another sound, this time a throatier pitch, told her Astrid or Jude were there. A woman in her late thirties climbed from the back of the extra cab with a big metal box in her hands.
“Let me see,” the woman bellowed, and Erin moved aside as the woman barged over. Erin stretched her aching muscles while hovering in the general vicinity.
The ‘hmm’s and ‘okay’s didn’t shed any light, but Erin could afford to be patient. For Celeste to survive, they needed the expert help this woman could offer.
The medic dug deep into her carryall and produced an IV solution and got it running, setting Astrid, David, and Jude to attaching a customized, retrofitted pallet to the running board of the copter’s skids.
“Is that the best we can do?” Erin queried.
“They used to do it, long ago, when transporting combatants from battlefields,” David offered.
Erin subsided, aware Celeste wouldn’t be going anywhere during the flight, given the way she was trussed up. A plasglass bubble would cocoon Celeste and keep her warm during their flight.
“The strapping will keep her immobilized,” the medic explained as they set about fitting all the parts together. “There’s nothing new in the world, you know? This system still works today.”
Within twenty minutes the woman gave an, “Okay, I’ve stabilized her. You’ll need to have an ambulance and surgical team on standby, but she’ll survive the flight now.”
David swiped an unsteady hand over his brow. “My brother is a surgeon. He’ll be ready to receive her as soon as we arrive.”
“Good. I’d appreciate an update as soon as you have her sorted at your location.” The medic shook David’s hand then stepped back.
Erin shook her head. “I wish we could, but to do that would bring your location under scrutiny.”
“Ahh. Like that, is it? I was in the military and understand. When you can, let me know.”
With all the safeguards in place, Erin and David took up their spots in the craft before he started the engines.
“This is going to be rough and ready,” he offered, and Erin understood.
The flight was quick and silent, every few minutes Erin would check the stats fed from the unit containing Celeste to the communicator in her hands. Her vital signs remained within the parameters the medic had given her, and before long they’d once more arrived back at base, the small ambulance waiting and Michael hovering by the side of the unit.
David cradled his wine glass, gazing at the ruby liquid. “You know, I never realized you had combat medical training.”
Erin laughed. “It’s basic as you saw. Enough to gain an idea of the worst wounds, some triage skills, but that’s about my limit. I just knew she needed the kind of help I couldn’t give.”
“Don’t undersell yourself, Erin. You do that all the time.” He slid the glass to the table top, pleased the bar was empty except for them. No one would interrupt their conversation and he needed time alone with this woman, so they could get to know each other better. The conversation in the copter today had confirmed that neither understood or knew each other as well as they should.
“What do you mean?”
Inhibitions fled and he reached out, cupped her cheek, and was surprised that this time she didn’t flinch away, though her gaze widened.
“You diminish your skills. Just some triage skills, you said. Without you doing what you did, she would have died. You saved her today by knowing what to look for. The same as other things. I know you’re capable, in fact more than capable, in hand-to-hand. Your investigative skills are incredibly strong, and your empathy astounds me. But not once have I ever heard you say you’re good at something.”
“Yes, I have. More than once. I’m excellent in the field.” Erin opened her mouth as if to say something more, then closed it again. Not for the first time, she wet her lips so they shone a dark pink in the half-light.
It was too much, the temptation far too great, and he slowly lowered his mouth to hers. “Erin, stop me now if you don’t want this.”
She shivered, closed her eyes, and angled upward to accept the kiss.
He kept it light, a glance, yet the sweet warmth of her breath caressed his skin, set the butterflies to wing in his belly and the deep-seated hunger roaring.
She placed her fingers over his hand, slid them up his wrist so that they tangled in his hair, anchoring him close to her.
The thudding of his heart, a rapid tattoo, increased, and he pulled away. He didn’t want her to feel crowded or forced in any way.
It took every ounce of willpower for him to step back, and Erin sighed.
He smiled, satisfied she needed the touch as much as he did. “Slow steps, Erin. You need to be as comfortable with this as I am.” He rested a forehead again hers for a moment then backed away.
Her eyes had closed at some time during the kiss, and reopening them seemed to take forever. The passion on her face seared him, burning him with the intensity.
“I’ve been thinking about it. A lot.” She groaned, and he sighed at the confusion that flashed over her face. “More than I should have. I don’t want to fight it any longer, David.”
Excitement skittered, feeding every nerve in his body. The excitement, a rush of adrenaline threatened to overwhelm him.
David closed his eyes, tamping down on the feeling, needing to settle his emotions, so he could act on what she promised, while he stayed true to his words. It was a tussle, hard fought and even with the best of intentions, he feared, a promise he’d struggle to keep, his body clamoring for hers.
“I... Erin, you’re so damned beautiful, inside and out.” He spoke in a rush, needing her to understand the depths of the emotions that bubbled below the surface, but even more so, to understand he’d slow it down. That he feared the repercussions of another misstep. “More than I ever dreamed of in a woman. That humbles me.”
Her laugh—throaty and enticing—forced him to look at her. He was powerless to do anything other than gaze deeply into her eyes. The ones that shone like brilliant emeralds.
“I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any man, but I don’t know how to be like you. I’ve spent years alone. I’ve...” She licked her lips, his gaze following the temptation of damp pink flesh. “...cultivated it, I guess.”
His eyes narrowed. “Does that mean...”
She giggled at his stumbling query. “I’ve had sex before, you know. But it was a release without any kind of emotional tie, which isn’t what either of us is expecting, is it?”
“No, Erin. What’s between us is a lot more than that. A whole heap more.” He willed her to read between the lines, and her smile, tremulous and patently unsure, reinforced that they were looking for the same thing.
She gulped her drink. “And on that note, I should call it a night, before I do or say anything that would be unwise.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
She shook her head, a veil of red wisps. “No. I need some time to think. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She gazed at him, time seeming to stop...
Should I kiss her? The thought flared bright for an instant. He’d do better to let her go this time. Next time, he’d steal a kiss when she was prepared.
She turned, leaving him at the table and gazing into the red wine. With a sigh, he lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed.
He should call it a night too.
Erin embraced the chill of the night air. Clearing her head was high on the priority list, given she’d just agreed to something with David. If only she knew exactly what that relationship-status-stuff actually was.
Nerves shattered the calm that had descended once outside. “What the hell was I thinking?” She stopped and looked up, the dark sky offering no answer. She shrugged. “I don’t know anything about families, or relationships.”
She kicked a small stone with her foot, wondering if she should just march straight back in there and tell him she’d made a mistake.
The very thought of that sliced through her. Sharp and indescribably painful.
A tear trickled down her cheek and she dashed it away. “I’ve never been some shy and retiring woman, so why now?”
Erin made herself move, head back to her accommodation unit, watching as the winking out of lights reinforced the fact that she was alone.
“Concentrate on the case,” she mumbled and rubbed at one temple. “Celeste says she doesn’t know Eliana. Liv knows Eliana’s signature though. Why? Who’s not telling me everything?”
A seed of doubt sprouted in her mind, but she pushed it away. They’d already determined that Liv was telling the truth. Hadn’t they?
At the bottom on the steps she started up them. First one, then the next level until she moved to the side, on the landing of the third floor, before she was startled to hear rustling behind her. She turned.
Too slow.
It took place in an instant, the blow to her head hard. Sharp, stealing her senses, and even as the black billowed across her mind, she knew she was falling.