Page 26 of Heat Force

A hole in the wall that had once been a window let in streams of sunlight, but it did little to brighten her heavy mood. Patrick was in the recovery room, trying to straighten that out, so at least they had one area that was operational.

Anger simmered just beneath the surface. Why did they have to destroy the clinic? She knew the rebels didn’t care, that their motives were rooted in poverty and desperation, but it still felt personal. The clinic had been her sanctuary as much as it was for the animals. Now it was barely usable, and she couldn’t shake the thought that no matter how much they rebuilt, it could all be taken away again in an instant.

They worked for most of the morning, and by lunchtime, she was a hot, sweaty mess. The clinic was in better shape, however,and the floors clear of glass, the office back to working order, the recovery room usable again—and that cheered her. She was just washing her hands when Hawk stepped in.

“Good job,” he said, glancing around. “Much better.”

“Well, it’s usable,” she said, reaching for a hand towel.

He held up two cans of lemonade. “Figured you could use a cold drink.”

“That sounds great.” They sat in her office, the ceiling fan whirring quietly above them, moving hot air around the room. Still, it was better than being outside where the sun was at its pinnacle and dangerously hot.

Hawk sat opposite her, placing the two cans and a leather-bound notebook on the desk. “What’s that?” She nodded toward it.

“Those are my plans for the reconstruction,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you about your ideas.”

“My ideas?”

“Yeah, for the clinic. You know this place better than anyone. Walk me through it—tell me what you need, what would make your job easier. I’ll take notes and put together a plan.”

She opened the can of lemonade with a soft hiss and took a long sip. Damn, that tasted good.

Hawk was watching her, a smile on his face.

“Alright,” she said, setting it back down. “But it would be easier if I showed you.”

He nodded. “Let’s do it.”

They started in the main surgery room, where the smashed windows let in hot gusts of air. She pointed out the lack of space for equipment, the outdated tools, the poor lighting. Hawk listened intently, jotting down notes in his notebook, occasionally asking thoughtful questions.

She led him to the recovery ward, “We need more cots in here. And better ones. The frames we have now are rusted,and the mattresses are ancient. Also, more storage for medical supplies. The cabinets we had barely held anything, and half of them are broken now anyway.”

“Got it.” Hawk scribbled something down. “What about a play area for the infants? Somewhere they can recover under supervision, before they go back to the enclosure?”

Lexi blinked. “That would be amazing. Are you sure you can afford all this?”

He gave a soft snort. “Yeah. Don’t worry about that.”

As they moved through the clinic, the tension that had knotted her shoulders all morning began to ease. Hawk’s calm, practical approach was reassuring, and she found herself opening up about her vision for the space. By the time they reached the storage room—what was left of it—she was talking animatedly about staff lounges, isolation wards for sick animals, and proper workstations for the carers.

“You’ve clearly thought about this,” Hawk remarked, his expression thoughtful as he flipped through his notes.

“Of course I have,” she said. “This place is my life.”

As they made their way back to the office, Hawk said, “I’ll draft up a blueprint and run it by Robert. We’ll make this place better than it’s ever been.”

Lexi looked at him, his earnest expression, the sincerity in his voice. It was so different to how he’d been when he’d first arrived. It was like he was a different man.

“Why are you doing all this?” she asked softly.

He frowned slightly. “You know why.”

“I know you want to change the world, but you don’t have to stay here to do it. This place is dangerous, and you’ve got responsibilities back in New York. A whole company to run. So why risk your life to be here?”

Hawk was silent for a long moment. “Maybe I just want to help while I can,” he said finally.

“Well, whatever the reason, we appreciate it. I just hope it’s not all in vain.”

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