Page 12 of Wandering Souls

His entire unit?“Oh. I’m so sorry to hear that.”

He smiled. “Thank you. I still find myself looking for unusual objects by the roadside, half expecting to find explosives. It’s weird.”

“I’d imagine so. How many were in your team?”

“Eight. You?”

Abi blinked in surprise. “My co-pilot was killed but we weren’t close.”

He nodded. “You pilots have a reputation of being lone wolves. You must have felt very isolated.”

The closeness with which he skated to the truth made her chest tighten. Abi looked away and focused on the copse of trees down by the river, wishing like hell he didn’t pursue the topic. To his credit, he remained quiet.

The reprieve allowed her to banish the memory of the rocket blasting a hole in her chopper to a dark corner of her mind. It stayed there unwillingly, and only through the use of sheer brute force she’d honed over the last few months.

“Were you injured?”

She turned back to see him glance toward her leg. Hollywood mention he was a doctor. He probably noticed the size difference of the left thigh compared to the right. She gave a small nod and watched as he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. Extensive scarring trailed down his right arm, the purple tissue deeply gnarled.

“We all have our scars, Abigail. Some we can see, some we can’t. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

She patted her thigh. “I’m not ashamed, just frustrated. It’s been nine months.”

“Are you in pain?”

She glanced down to find her fingers kneading the muscle. The lack of sensation worried her. “Some days more than others.”

“The medic in me wants to prescribe you something to ease the pain but the look on your face suggests I shouldn’t. Are you sleeping?”

Abi pressed her lips together, suspecting her reaction and words didn’t matter. His life experiences gave him a unique ability to see right through whatever front she tried to put on. Honesty was her only option.

“Some days more than others,” she repeated. “Today, not so much.”

“Well, you know where I am if you need anything. Even if it’s just to talk. Hollywood’s a pretty good ear, too, so don’t hesitate. Actually, there’s a few of us ex-soldiers around so if you want to talk shop, we can do that, too.”

“And you’re all Army?”

He nodded. “It wouldn’t matter which branch of the military we served. Surviving a warzone is a feat unto itself and whether you were flying a plane or fighting in the trenches, you pulled through. Besides, they served in East Timor, not the Middle East. You’re not alone anymore, Abigail.”

As he got up to leave, she found herself wanting him to stay. “Tell me, can shrapnel move after this long?”

Colt unfolded the arms of his sunglasses, preparing to put them back on his face. “It can. It just depends on how much scar tissue has built up around it. Are there any pieces you are concerned about?”

Abi turned her attention to her thigh, seeing the X-ray image laid over the top of her jeans. She pointed to an area on her inner thigh. “Two pieces, here.” She grimaced.

“Close to the femoral artery, I guess. We can do an X-ray if you like? Swing by the hospital and I’ll arrange it.” His hand touched her shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Abigail.”

The confidence in his voice eased her worry. “Thank you, Colt.”

“You’re most welcome.” He slid his sunglasses back into place and smiled, the gesture highlighting his handsome features. “We look out for each other here in the Crossing. You’ve come to the right place. I feel it in my bones.”

Watching him walk away, Abi took a deep breath and focused on his words.The right place.How could that possibly be? She didn’t even know where her place was any more.

After her mother’s death, she finished high school, took care of her mother’s affairs and enlisted in the Army. The distraction it offered helped mitigate the grief threatening to drown her. The physicality of the training kept her strong and the demanding challenges occupied her thoughts. No one gave her sympathy. No one offered her excuses. She had to survive like every other cadet, and survive she did.

At what cost, Abi?

She swallowed the uncomfortable question. There were no answers and there was no point dwelling on what could have been. Life had taught her time was too short and precious, which was why she was here.

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