Page 20 of Deadly Strain

“Anyone else alive?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to look.”

“Okay, let’s look now. I’m also going to arm myself to the teeth and see if I can radio for help.” He took two steps away, then stopped and turned back to her. “You took your suit off?”

“It was torn in several places. Just like yours.”

“Good point.” He pulled it off as he walked.

They entered the wreck, and Grace began checking for more wounded. She found Williams first, but he was dead, one side of his skull crushed. He’d always been so quiet, but the second she ever needed anything he’d be there helping out or pitching in any way he could. Grief surged to the surface of her mind, but she shoved it back down and put a lock on it. Next, she found another soldier from her security detail, a bullet hole in his head. Finally, after some digging through debris, she found Rasker. He was breathing, but unconscious. Her palms moved up his body, checking for injuries, and found broken bones and at least one skull fracture.

“Doc.”

She glanced up. Sharp crouched in front of her, cradling an M4 in one arm with the pistol she’d fired in his other hand, butt toward her. “I want you to keep this.”

She took it and holstered it. “The pilot?”

Sharp’s expression was so carefully bland she knew the news was bad before he said it. “Dead —along with the copilot. The radio is junk, too.”

Chapter Five

Grace’s stomach doveinto her combat boots. “How long until we can expect a rescue?”

“Don’t know,” Sharp said, his gaze roaming the area around the aircraft. “It depends on whether the pilot was able to radio our situation out before we crashed or not. If he did, then we should see help soon. If he didn’t, we’ll be on our own for a while.” He glanced down, a grimace creasing his face. “How’s Rasker?”

“He needs immediate surgery. He’s got a skull fracture and probably a hematoma.”

“His brain is swelling?”

“Yeah. If it swells too much, it could kill him.”

“Can you do anything to help him now?”

“The only thing that’s going to help him is if I drill a hole through his skull and drain away some of the fluid collecting in the bruise.”

“Fuck.”

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