Page 6 of Freedom Fighters
She looked over his shoulder—or tried to. He was taller than her. She couldn’t see anything. Her anger cooled a fraction. “It’s not like wewere making out,” she said defensively.
“For a fraction of a second, your mind wasn’t on the job.” Garrett’s tone was cooler, too. “That’s all the time the enemy needs to step out and take aim. When are you going to get it through your head that I know what I’m talking about?”
Now she was embarrassed. “You’re right.” It took all her courage to admit that. “It won’t happen again.”
Garrett nodded.“You’ve got an instinct for this,” he said. “You’ve got natural talents and you’re smart. Don’t let a stupid mistake get you killed. I don’t have enough smart lieutenants I can rely on.”
“Jeez, Garrett, is that a compliment?”
“And then you have to open your mouth one last time.” Garrett sighed.
The metal gave a loud groan as it gave way. A cheer went up.
Carmen and Garrett hurried to whereeveryone was bent over the box.
Angelo threw the lid back. Someone whistled.
“Man…is that what I think it is?” Ledo said. He ran his fingertips reverently across the bright slabs of metal in the box.
“Silver,” Garrett said.
“The mine is closed,” someone pointed out.
“Not anymore,” Garrett said. “They’re pulling silver out of it, somehow.”
“It’s not even their mine,” Carmen said. “Astra Corpleased the mineral rights on The Big Rock for ninety-nine years.”
“I don’t think Serrano has any lawyers around to tell him that,” Garrett said. “Not that he would care about the legality. The Insurrectos clearly think the mine and the silver in it is theirs. Spoils of war.” He kicked the lid back closed. “Whydo they want it? That’s the million dollar question.” He glanced at Carmen, his eyesnarrowed. “Your Internet thing will be useful, after all.”
Gracia stepped up beside Garrett. She had deep, dark circles beneath her eyes from lack of sleep and her black hair showed premature gray streaks. Her face, though, was the calmest Carmen had ever seen.
“Doctor, Zuzen is getting worse.” Gracia glanced about the fire and lowered her voice even more. “I don’t think he’ll last much longer.”Her voice was rough and naturally low, adding to her aura of peace.
Zuzen had taken a bullet in the upper stomach a week ago. His screams of pain had kept everyone awake, until the monks offered an herb from their gardens that would make him drowsy and lessen the pain. They were so low on pain killers that only the worst cases received them.
When Garrett had reached for the little medical boxthat carried the few supplies they had, it had been Gracia who argued that Zuzen should not get one of the precious doses, for he would not live. Gracia’s ruthless expediency had shocked Carmen.
Garrett nodded at Gracia now. “I’ll be there in a minute.” The wounded and sick were kept inside the monastery, on the few proper beds the monks had to spare. When Gracia dropped from exhaustion, themonks would provide simple care until Garrett returned from whatever mission he was on.
Carmen watched Garrett head into the monastery, following Gracia. Carmen was hungry and exhausted. All she wanted to do was dry out, then curl up in her sleeping bag. Garrett had worked harder than her this day, yet his day hadn’t ended. Now he had to turn back into a doctor and spend the night taking careof people.
If he wasn’t such an asshole she might have felt sorry for him.
