Page 103 of Shielding Instinct

“Hawkeye, if it was only the girl who was missing,” Reaper said, “we’d have a police report and frantic parents. No one’s heard anything about a single missing child. As soon as Cerberus gets back from their mission, they’ll join in the search. The authorities have posted that the Johnson family still has two missing adults and two missing children. Do you think Petra is willing to help?”

“I can almost guarantee it. Hey, there’s a single boat here where Molly McBeth ties up her boat. This craft is seaworthy. The name isChill Out. Do you want to document that in case it turns out to be interesting?”

“Documented,” Reaper said. “Call in if this plan isn’t a go. The nurse is en route with three volunteers to help with the extraction. She hikes that area and is familiar with it. You can consult with her if you have any questions about the terrain. She’s bringing two of our wilderness medic bags. One for her to use as she stabilizes the child, one for you and Petra as you continue the search.”

“The girl is covered in mud,” Hawkeye stood and pulled the ruck strap over his shoulder. “Should we clean her up?”

“She might be part of a crime scene,” Reaper said. “The hospital will need to do forensics on her, DNA under her fingernails, for example. Touch her as little as possible.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Petra

Sitting in the lost woman’s cabin, the relief Petra felt when Cooper sat up and perked his ears was immense.

Whether this was Molly coming home safely or the nurse who volunteered to come package the child—yes, as long as it was one or the other—that was great.

But then her mind flashed with other possibilities, and Petra found herself scooping up the child, fast asleep, cocooned in one of Molly’s blankets, and dashing to the bathroom.

“Petra?” Hawkeye had jumped to his feet.

“Someone’s coming. I don’t know friend or foe. I’ll hide with the child until you figure it out.”

“I figured it out. The woman is in scrubs, and they’re carrying Iniquus wilderness medical cases.”

When Petra came out of the bathroom, Hawkeye was standing angled at the window like a soldier. Could have been habit, might also be that she’d spooked him.

He caught her eye. “Good call to grab and go. Better safe than sorry.”

The nurse came in, “Oh, she’s tiny.” She called over her shoulder. “If she doesn’t have broken bones, I don’t think we need the gurney, guys. Let’s just take turns holding her if she’s asleep. Can you sit down for a minute?” she asked Petra. “I want to do a quick physical and take a history.”

“No history. We found her. Called it in. You showed up.” Petra said. She was agitated because the boys were still missing. An enormous internal pressure swelled her veins, trying to force her into the woods with Cooper to start the search.

The nurse sent her a look of curiosity. But seemed to make an internal decision when Hawkeye didn’t offer anything of any kind. After listening to the child’s heart and checking her temperature, searching for bruises, bites, or other telltale signs, the nurse stood and signaled one of the men to pick up the child. “Thanks for making the find and calling it in,” she said, and they all filed out.

“I was rude,” Petra whispered.

Hawkeye hooked an arm around her and pulled her to his chest, kissing her hair. “Yeah, I’m worried about the boys, too. I’m all packed up. How about you use the bathroom, and we’ll leave?”

That was two hours ago.

Now, the sun was starting to sink.

The sky was filling with bats.

Cooper was a machine. With his pink tongue hanging long, Hawkeye had to physically stop Cooper from searching to sit and rest and try a sip of water.

She didn’t know what happened with the search once it got dark, but as the light dimmed, so did Petra’s ability to tell where her body was in space. With the shadows and dark spots, Petra was tripping more frequently.

Soon, she’d be a liability.

Her plan was that if she fell, that would be her clue that her time of being a help was over. She’d just walk toward the sound of the sea, find a beach, and walk until there was a way to get back to the hotel. Nothing was but so far on this tiny island.

It was important that her disabilities did nothing to interrupt Hawkeye and Cooper’s finding the boys.

But now, something was different.

Petra had to remind herself to breathe. They were close; she could feel it in her body.

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