Page 90 of No Going Back

“Pulse is faint. We need to get a chest tube in now to stabilize her before we move her.” The paramedic was already placing an oxygen mask over Mira’s face. Tyler went to grab the chest tube from the guy’s bag.

“Tyler, let the man do his job. You’ve done yours.” Dex crouched beside him, moving his hand away. The paramedic immediately took over, inserting the tube quickly and professionally. Tyler took Mira’s small hand in his, squeezing it tight.

“Come on, baby, hang in there.”

The paramedic secured the chest tube then got on his radio.

“This is ambulance 41, bringing in female, unconscious, chest tube inserted in field, signs of collapsed lung and severe internal bleeding. Have surgical team on standby.” He paused, looking at Tyler. “Let’s get her in the ambulance. Take the other end.”

With relief to finally be doing something, Tyler grasped the board near Mira’s head and lifted her up in tandem with the paramedic. They carried her toward the gurney.

“I’ll go with him,” Kelly called out from where she was standing close to the gurney.

“Mackie, you go, too. He’s going to need you,” Dex said.

“Tyler?” Stepping up into the ambulance, Tyler glanced back at Dex’s voice.

“She’s a fighter. Don’t give up on her.”

Tyler nodded before pulling the doors shut behind Kelly climbing up on Mira’s other side.

***

DEX WAITED WITH RYAN, Steve, and Donnie, eager to see their boss hoisted out alive. If Mira had made it, Sam had to be OK. Right? The rope lifted again to reveal one of the rescue team guys. He was unconscious, but alive. Ryan and Steve got him out the harness and down to another waiting ambulance. Next up was the body of the dead female agent.

Dex’s cell rang. Seeing Liam’s number, he answered.

“Hey, man. Thought you’d be back by now?” Dex had been holding off calling until he knew for sure Sam’s status.

“Yeah, Dale got a call from Kramer. They got a name and an address; we checked it out. Looks like it was another hideout.”

“Find anything useful?”

“There’s a lot to go through, but it could lead to other cell members. Dale’s coordinating agents now. What’s the situation there? Been expecting a call.”

“Yeah, I was hanging on, hoping to have some better news. Is Dale there?”

“Shit, I’ll get him.”

Dex waited, hearing Liam call Dale over. The rope was coming back up.

“We’re both here. What’s happened?”

“The rescue team were almost to them when there was a second collapse. The shaft survived but we lost contact with everyone down there. Max went down himself. So far, they’ve hoisted four out. Two agents, one of the rescue team, and Mira.”

“All alive?” Liam asked.

“Male agent is pretty banged up, but didn’t look too serious. The female agent didn’t make it. The rescue team guy was unconscious, no update on him. And Mira. Fuck, she’s bad. They just left. She needs immediate surgery.”

“Shit. She was talking when we left.”

“She took a dive, Sam had to cut her open and insert a fucking straw to help her breathe. The paramedic believes there’s extensive internal injuries. She was unconscious when they brought her up.”

“And Sam?”

Dex hesitated; a head appeared out the hole. Fuck, it was the dead prisoner.

“No news yet. Max is still searching.”

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