Page 69 of Taken for Granite
“Oh! No, I’m not. They were going to shoot Chloe and it’s the first thing that popped out.” A delightful pink blush rose to her cheeks. “Sorry. It was kind of a shitty thing to say.”
Disappointment gnawed at him, but he shoved it aside. “No. It worked. I am grateful for my quick-thinkingHondassa, and one day, we will have younglings.”
“Plural, huh?”
“Many.”
“Guys,” Chloe interrupted, “they’re leaving.” The young female crouched near the edge and peered down.
Tas watched the agents leave in their black vehicles. He didn’t know what called off their pursuit and he didn’t particularly care.
“Are they coming back with helicopters or something?” Chloe asked.
“I do not hear any,” he said, after listening carefully. “Do you have the sigil?”
Juniper nodded. “Right here.” She removed the device from her trouser pocket and handed it to him.
He checked the countdown. “I will take you to the proper elevation, where you will be transported to the ship.” He had time for two trips. Barely. If he encountered no further complications.
“Take Chloe first,” Juniper said.
The wind gusted, bringing with it the cries of a human moaning in pain.
Juniper peered over the edge. “It’s Rhoda. They left her.”
“Good,” Tas replied bitterly. He verified that his ex-handler lay on the cold ground, scarlet spreading across her abdomen. From this height, he could barely detect the tang of copper and blood. Soon it would attract predators.
“She’s hurt,” Juniper said.
Tas hated to repeat himself, so he remained silent.
“She took a bullet for you.”
“She tackled the shooter and suffered the consequences.” His ex-handler could not have meant to sacrifice herself for him. He refused to believe it.
“And if she didn’t, it’d be you on the ground!”
He ran a hand up from the base of his horns. Rhododendron had helped him previously, if in her own twisted way. She set the stage for his initial escape and gave him back his sigil. As loath as he found assisting his captor, he owed her a debt.
“We do not have time,” he said.
“Then let’s not waste time with feeble arguments, huh?”
“Oh, she totally used her Big Sister voice on you,” Chloe added.
He did not appreciate the commentary.
“Very well. I do not know what you propose we do, as none of us have medical supplies,” he said.
“She’s in pain and alone,” Juniper said. “The least we can do is hold her hand.”
Damn her for being correct.
He gathered the two females to him and glided to the ground. Juniper rushed Rhododendron’s side, murmuring words of comfort. She placed the female’s head on her lap and smoothed back her pale hair.
Unhappy with the situation, he inspected the wound. The bullet remained inside the female’s gut and recognized the unmistakable, foul septic odor. He had seen the wound before and knew there would be no recovery without medical attention.
“She has lost a great deal of blood, but the bullet tore through her intestine. She needs a medic, or she will perish,” he said.
