Page 13 of Shadow Undercover

He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sam patted Bridget’s shoulder. “While I wait for the lidocaine to take effect, I’ll check the rest of your injuries. Which wrist is hurting?”

“The left.”

“Sip the soft drink. Trace, place one ice pack on the back of her neck.”

“And the second one?”

“Forehead. The patch should start working soon.”

“The nausea is better,” Bridget admitted.

“How does your head feel?”

“Like it will explode at the slightest noise.”

“I’ll give you something for pain in a few minutes. Right now, I don’t want to mask any symptoms.” Sam gently probed Bridget’s wrist. “Looks like you sprained it. We’ll do x-rays to be sure when we land in Texas. In the meantime, I’ll wrap your wrist to give the joint support.”

Bridget’s gaze shifted to Trace. “Is your unit stationed in Texas?”

“We’re based out of Nashville.”

She brightened. “I live in Freeport.”

Trace couldn’t deny the relief he felt knowing she lived close to him. Stupid. He’d likely never see her again after Shadow found her sister. He and his teammates wouldn’t force Ruth away from Hugo if she wanted to stay with him. On the other hand, if Ruth wanted to escape from Hugo’s influence, nothing would stop them from rescuing her.

“You said you and your friends were in the military.”

“That’s right.”

“What do you do now?”

“We work for Fortress Security.”

“Doing what?”

“We specialize in rescuing hostages and working as bodyguards.”

“And other tasks.”

He stilled. Was she referring to his particular skill set? “Yes, ma’am.”

Sam finished wrapping Bridget’s wrist. “Joe, Trace, close your eyes. I want to check Bridget’s back.”

Trace tightened his grip on Bridget’s hands and closed his eyes.

A rustle of clothing, then, “You have a couple scrapes back here that I’ll treat but they aren’t serious. You have significant bruising on your ribcage where I suspect you have cracked ribs.”

“Guess that’s only to be expected when a couple of thugs kick you a few times while you’re on the ground.”

Trace growled. If he could, he’d go back and track down the men who hurt her.

A few minutes later, Sam said, “You can open your eyes now.” She glanced at Trace. “I treated her scrapes and taped her ribs so she’ll be more comfortable. Sorenson will want x-rays of her ribs to make sure she doesn’t have to worry about a broken rib puncturing a lung.”

The medic continued her examination but didn’t find injuries that needed attention. “All right, Bridget. Let’s take care of the scalp wound. After that, you can sleep until we land in Texas.”

“Why are we detouring to Texas?”

---