Page 17 of Last Chance

“Talk to him while I stitch him up.” After injecting lidocaine under Sawyer’s skin, Jesse tugged off his gloves and stood. “Now’s the time to prepare Janie’s meal, Sawyer. We have about fifteen minutes before I can work on your wound.”

“Perfect.” Sawyer rose. “Do you need another blanket, Janie?” he asked.

“I could use one,” she admitted. “I can’t stop shivering.”

“The shakes will pass soon,” Jesse said as he walked to a cabinet and pulled out another blanket. “We all have different methods for dealing with an adrenaline dump.”

Sawyer took the blanket from Jesse and draped it over Janie. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” When Sawyer returned, he brought a plate with a sandwich, chips, and a banana. “This is a chicken salad sandwich. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else. We have several options in the galley.”

Janie took a bite of the sandwich and moaned. “This is wonderful.”

He smiled. “I didn’t know how much food to bring. If this isn’t enough, I’ll bring more.”

“Sit,” Jesse ordered Sawyer. When he did, the medic grilled him with questions about other injuries.

Sawyer shook his head. “My shoulder is the only place you need to check. The rest of my injuries are bruises and scrapes. I’ll deal with them after we land in the states.”

Jesse scowled. “We’ll deal with the scrapes now, and I’ll give you cold packs to apply to your bruises. You have to stay mobile, Sawyer.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Stitch me up, Jesse. I’ll take care of the rest after you finish with me.”

“We have a few more minutes,” the medic said. “Janie, do you have any injuries? A scrape, bruises, anything. Even a minor scrape or cut could get infected.”

“Some of both.” She wrinkled her nose. “We were thrown around the back of the van when the hijackers transported us from the plane to the compound where you found me.”

“Take a minute to settle, then consciously do an internal assessment of how your body feels. Start at the top with your head and work your way down to your feet. As you do, catalog every ache, burn, and pain.”

She did as he suggested. When she opened her eyes, Janie said, “My legs and hips ache from being tossed around in the back of the van. My wrists are bruised from rough handling. I have scratches on my arms and back.”

Jesse studied her, then said, “Is that all?”

“You expected more?”

“Jesse,” Sawyer murmured.

The medic held up his hand to forestall Sawyer before he answered Janie’s question. “Frankly, yes. Vatos Locos has a reputation as human traffickers. Look, Janie, I understand you don’t know or trust me. However, if the members of Vatos Locos assaulted you, you must see a doctor for the sake of your health.”

Janie stared. Human traffickers? Now everything she’d heard in that building made sense and confirmed her worst fears. Tears burned her eyes. Scar Face had assaulted and killed the woman imprisoned in the cell next to her.

Tears escaped and trailed down her cheeks. Oh, man. Now it all made horrid sense. What about the other passengers? Had the other women been assaulted and killed? What had happened to the men, including the man who sat next to her on the plane?

“Janie?” Sawyer sat beside her again and reached for her hand. He froze before he actually touched her skin. “May I hold your hand?”

She nodded and swiped at her tears. “I’m okay, Jesse. They didn’t rape me.”

Sawyer’s hand gripped hers. “Why are you crying?”

Jesse set up his stitch tray.

Janie focused on Sawyer. His touch and focused attention gave her the courage to answer his question. “That building was filled with women before I arrived with my fellow passengers. The men were sent somewhere else. The rest of us were forced into cells in the building where you found me.” Her cheeks burned. “Several men visited the women.”

“No one visited you?” Sawyer asked softly.

She shook her head. “Scar Face visited the woman in the cell next to mine. He hurt her, Sawyer.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. You don’t understand. He and one of his men carried something wrapped in a blanket from that cell. Scar Face killed Emily.” More tears slipped down her cheeks. “I think he murdered everyone except me.”

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