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didn’t offer them any more
protection now than they had earlier in the evening. And now they didn’t have
the night vision to help. But she had something better. She faced each
direction for a split second before grabbing his hand and setting off in a
sprint in the direction that made her feel the best.
    By the time they crested the third hill she was starting to
feel more comfortable. Except for the lightheadedness. That was troublesome.
“Blood loss.”
    She stopped to gasp for air and wait for the sensation to
pass. “Is now a good time to bandage your arms?” He’d redressed in the remnants
of his shirt but the hem was noticeably too short and the arms missing below
the elbows.
    “It’s the right time.” She held her arms out to him and he
quickly began wrapping the scraps of cotton around the wounds.
    “It’s not good. You need water and disinfectant.”
    “Not to mention three booster shots,” she teased.
    “At least. What were you thinking?”
    “I was thinking of how much you’d owe me if I saved you.”
She winked and then looked over his shoulder. “Speaking of which, we’re not
done yet.”
    He nodded and they started running again. They ran until
they reached the edge of a forest. Once inside the relative shelter of the trees,
though, they had to slow down to accommodate the shrubs and roots. The timing
couldn’t be worse. She could hear dogs barking in the distance. No doubt they
were on her and Jack’s trail.
    She turned east and ran until she stumbled over something.
It could’ve been a low-lying branch except it squished. “A deer?”
    “Or a wolf.” Jack helped her get up. “Either way, it might
distract the dogs long enough for us to get over the compound fence.”
    The closest segment of the fence was to the south. She
changed directions and started leading him that way. By the time they reached
it the sound of the dogs was far off in the distance. But the corpse wouldn’t
keep them busy forever.
    “Would you look at that? You brought us right to an access
panel.” He broke the lock and started to fiddle with the circuits in the small
box.
    She took a couple of deep breaths. “Gut.”
    “You’d be dangerous if you could actually remember these
visions of yours.”
    “I’m working on it.”
    He glanced up at her but then went back to the panel.
    “Thomas isn’t the boss. I heard them talking when they
thought I was out.”
    “They thought you were out?”
    “Not the time.” She handed him one of her earrings and then
took two steps back.
    “Thanks.” He put her earring in the panel and a shower of
sparks flew out. “Stand back.” He looked back at her and smiled. “Never mind.”
The grid of lasers flickered a couple times before going out. “My turn to
lead.” They darted through the gap as he pulled his digital reader out of his
pocket.
    In a few minutes there were helicopters circling overhead.
    “The cavalry has arrived.”
    Thankfully they dropped a basket and not a rope ladder. She
didn’t think she could climb anything in her current condition. But with the
basket it only took a few moments and she and Jack were safely in the bird and
being flown off to a secure base. She wanted to feel elated that they’d
escaped. But she was more disappointed they hadn’t found out who was the head
of the militia than anything else. She’d gotten them out safe and sound but
she’d failed the mission.
    As soon as the helicopter touched down a circus of medical
personnel and men in suits surrounded them. Thankfully the suits seemed content
to allow the doctors to work first. Now that the adrenaline was starting to
fade she could feel each cut and every bruised rib.
    When she was finally in a sterile room, the doctor unwrapped
the strips of cloth that were around her arms to reveal the mess that lay under
them. “You must have tapped out your reserves, young lady. You should’ve
already started healing.”
    “High-stress situation. It slows down the