Page 71 of Demon Defeat: Part One

While she started examining his arm, I grabbed one of the bottles we’d brought up and opened it for him. He watched me, his eyes showing that savage edge he usually hid from us just below the surface as I tipped the water to his lips. He drank greedily and ignored the doctor as she prodded his arm for the claw.

“Found it,” she said.

A burst of closer gunfire almost drowned out her words.

I tossed the empty bottle aside and watched her pick up a long tweezer thing.

“I know you can feel what I’m doing, so I’ll try to be as gentle as possible, but it’s in deep,” she said in a rush.

“I don’t need gentle,” Molev said. “I need fast.”

He didn’t look away from me as she dug into his arm. I held his gaze, willing myself not to flinch as fresh blood bubbled out.

“I saw a can of Spam in that closet,” I said. “I told them to save it for you. If you’re good, I’ll make it for breakfast.”

“What do I have to do to be good?” he asked.

“Stay alive.”

He grunted at the same time the doctor made a triumphant noise and held up a claw.

“You were right,” she said, setting it aside. She put pressure on the wound.

“Andie, get some gloves on. I’m going to apply glue, and you’re going to pinch the skin together.”

I grabbed some gloves and learned really quickly how to work with the doctor to glue Molev back together. I snipped threads and opened packets, moving quickly and as much in unison with her as I could manage.

When he stood several minutes later, he had a few sets of amputated glove fingertips hanging from various wounds.

“Stay on the roof until I return for you,” he said.

He disappeared between one blink and the next.

I got on the radio and warned everyone he was moving again so that he wouldn’t get shot, then went to check the sides of the building.

It took an hour for the all-clear to come over the radio. And another after that for a team to clear the housing and reorganize to continue searching the building. The infrared helped find a few trying to hide.

I saw Molev again as the sun rose. He was coated with dried blood and moving much slower than usual as he spoke to several soldiers.

“Set watches for the interior fence. We have no way of knowing how many might be hiding in the outskirts,” Molev said. “And keep guards on the main housing door at all times.”

“On it,” the one man said.

Molev’s gaze shifted to me at my approach.

“You’re tired and dirty. Time for you to clean up,” I said.

He shook his head. “I will only be covered with blood again when I leave. Is Brandon ready?”

I tilted my head at him like he’d done to me the day before. We both knew we needed to leave Vance as soon as possible. However, he’d lost too much blood and needed time to recover before he threw himself into another fight. But I knew saying that would only make him more stubborn about pushing forward. He’d sacrifice himself for us—for me—without hesitation.

So I went with a different approach.

“You just acknowledged that we have no idea what’s lingering between the fences. Do you still think it’s wise to leave now?”

He slow-blinked at me, and I could see his sheer exhaustion.

“I think it would be wiser for you to shower, eat, and sleep while we keep watch for a while. That way, you’ll be close when we need you.”

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