Page 23 of Some Like It Hot

In the distance, he made out the whump-whump heartbeat of a chopper. He turned his glasses toward the noise and spotted the Sky King chopper coming into view. It would put down in the meadow they’d burned over.

He picked up his PG bag and managed to climb the ridge without screaming.

Mostly.

More of a grunt, in his opinion.

The rotors kicked up ash and soot, but the bird set down softly, and he waited until the blades stopped spinning.

Seth had come running, breathing hard as he crunched his way down the ravine.

The side door opened, and a couple blue jacketed marshals got out. Big guys, one was linebacker sized, dark skinned, and raked a gaze over Riley that suggested he was exactly the guy to go after the fugitives.

The second guy got out and the wind flattened his blue jacket against his shoulder holster.

A coil loosened in Riley’s chest. They would find Skye and Tucker and bring them all back safely. Then the front door opened, and the copilot stepped out, her blonde hair pulled back, her face hard as she came over to him.

Oh. She wore her medic face.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said.

“Stop talking.”

She wasmad?Apparently, because she grabbed his bag, not in aHey, I’m glad to see youway but all business and marched over to the chopper, threw the bag in, and pushed him onto the deck. The two marshals were talking to Seth. Riley supposed the big guy, who had at least a couple years on him, did look like the man in charge.

“How’d this happen?” Larke said as she took his pulse. Pressed a hand to his forehead.

“A snag. I walked right under it.” Might as well tell the ugly truth. She was already angry.

Her mouth tightened, as if she might be holding back a comment.

“It could have been worse. It could have landed on my head.”

“Not helping,” she snapped. She opened his shirt and peeled it away. Sucked in her breath as she saw the wound. “That’s definitely a fractured collarbone.”

“The fire is rekindling. I need to get back on the line.”

“What you need is a hospital.” She ran her hands over his shoulder, and he tightened his jaw, let out a grunt despite himself.

“That’s a doozy of a dislocation, too. You might need surgery to get that back into the socket.”

“You can’t put it back in?”

She stared at him. “Did you not hear me? You have abrokenclavicle.”

“And we have a fire that is turning!” He shook his head. Closed his eyes. Cut his voice low before he opened them. “Listen. I’m not trying to be a hero. We could be in real trouble here. The fire could flash over, and if I leave, there are only rookies here.” His gaze cast to Seth, who might have heard him, because despite his girth and the fact that the marshals still raked him with questions, he nodded. “They need me, orsomeonewho knows what they’re doing.”

She put her hands on her knees. “I could try and get it back into the socket, but that clavicle is still an issue. Maybe if you have surgery, get a pin it it—”

“Yeah. That. We’ll pin it.” He turned to Barry sitting in the cockpit, still wearing his headphones. “Then, can you drop me back off?”

“I mentionedsurgery, right?” Larke snapped.

“If the weather holds,” Barry answered. “And if it doesn’t get too smoky.”

Riley nodded. “I could always drop in, I guess.”

“Oh my gosh, what is yourproblem? Not with a broken shoulder!” She got up. “Just get in the chopper.”

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