Page 121 of Deadly Strain

Sharp grabbed March by the elbow and began towing him along behind Smoke, who had already started out.

March looked even more unstable.

“Lovely.” Grace didn’t bother hiding her sarcasm as she picked up her pack, dusted off her uniform, and followed the men. “That sounds so much less bad than just shootingandkilling someone.”

“Why are you mad at me?” March wanted to know, a confused expression on his face as he glanced back at her.

“Oh, it’s not just you.” She looked pointedly at the back of Sharp’s head. “I’m mad at a bunch of people.”

“But—”

“March,” Sharp leaned over to say in his friend’s ear. “She’s a woman and a superior officer. Don’t argue.”

“Oh. Right.” He put a hand to his head again. “Shit, my head feels like it’s about to explode.”

Sharp glanced back at her and she gave him a grim look. “We should hurry.”

“Yeah.” Sharp stepped up the pace and no one said anything for several minutes. It wasn’t until Smoke, up ahead, stopped and gave the stop hand signal too.

Sharp left March with her, while he moved ahead to consult with their point man.

“I don’t feel so good, Doc,” March whispered. There was a glistening sheen of sweat on his face. “Was I drinking last night?”

“No, sorry. Can’t blame this on alcohol. It was the rocks.”

“Goddamn rocks should have stayed where they were.”

“I wish the same thing. I really do.”

Sharp came toward them. He leaned in close so they could both hear his barely there voice. “The exit is guarded by at least two men. There may be more.”

“Can you get a signal? Call for help?”

“Smoke is talking to the base now. An extraction team could leave at any time, but there’s nowhere to set down. The terrain is too rough. We’re going to have to travel at least a quarter mile before we get to an area where the bird can land.”

Grace looked pointedly at March. “That’s a long time to be out in the open, and we need to get back to the base. Now would be good.”

Sharp glanced at his buddy and his lips tightened. “Understood.” He met her gaze. “You two stay here and guard our backs.”

March was in no condition to guard anything, but she nodded. She had a Beretta, she could do the guarding.

Sharp stared at her for a moment then muttered, “Fuck it.” He slid a hand behind her head and kissed her. It was quick, hard, and thorough. As if he were trying to put a lifetime of need and desire into it. The kiss left no question in her mind that he didn’t like this situation any more than she did.

He let her go with the same smooth speed he’d used to kiss her and was gone before she could say or do anything.

“That had better not be a good-bye kiss,” she said to herself under her breath.

She helped March to sit down next to a large boulder. He leaned against it and closed his eyes. “I’m not going to be of much use, Sharp,” he said, his words slurring a bit. “Everything is blurry.”

“He’s gone,” Grace said in a soft tone. “You and me, we’re going to do this together.”

“You’re a pretty good liar, Doc.” March smiled, but it was so sad. “I might be half out of my head, but I figured out I’m dying. Those rocks killed me, right?”

“We just have to get you to the base and drill a little hole in your head. Then you’ll be fine.”

He opened his eyes and stared at her. The smile on his face turned genuine. “That’s a pretty fucked-up thing to say.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but he sagged, his eyes closing. She put a hand on his shoulder and shook him. “March?” She did it again, then checked his carotid pulse. It was fast and weaker than she would have liked.

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