Winters Heat (Titan) (31 page)

Brock pulled a knife out of his back pocket and flipped it. A blade shot straight, and before she could wonder why he had it, he cut Colby’s pant legs straight to the waistline, sheathed the knife, and inspected his legs. Colby didn’t stir.

He took the knife out again and repeated the cut on the front of his shirt. It sprawled on each side of Colby, who now vibrated with the shakes. His teeth chattered. His brow pinched tight.

Brock motioned to Rocco. “Help lean him over. I need to see his back.”

Rocco stepped forward. Cash and Jared followed. Rocco and Cash braced a shoulder, lifting him up and on his uninjured side. Colby didn’t wake up. His body was limp, and his head rolled forward. Brock cut the remaining remnants of his shirt off.

“Son of a bitch.”

Mia tried to see around the men. All the cussing did little to explain what was happening. They conversed in shits and bitches, and she was left clueless.

“What’s the deal?” Jared asked.

Well, at least Jared had a taste of her annoyance. He hadn’t translated the shits either.

“Shrapnel. Right near this GSW. Probably couldn’t feel the difference. He’s had way more blood loss than originally estimated. It’s all still in there. Best case scenario, dehydration and nasty infection. Worst case, septic shock. We gotta get him out of here, like now. Or he’s done.”

The analysis hurt deep in her chest. Physically made her flinch, cringing away from the men. Jared cursed a Colombian mile wide, grabbed the radio handset, and strutted out the shack door.

“This is bad, isn’t it?” Mia mumbled but already knew the answer.

Nobody responded. No words of comfort. No lies. The hush answered her question.

She swallowed past a knot of despair. “Well, what are we supposed to do? Guys? Anything?”

“With what we have, not much we can do.” Brock moved to a backpack. “This is the last of the antibiotics. But we need to cool him down. I don’t see anything to do that with. We need to keep watch.”

“Watch for what?”

“To make sure he keeps breathing.”

Tears leaked. Her throat seized in pain. “And if he stops breathing?” The words barely passed her lips, and the prickle of cold sweat beaded on the nape of her neck.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Mia.”

“I don’t give a fuck what I said before.” Jared’s bark streamed into the shack. “Get me that helo now, or my man is good as dead.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

They landed at an airfield outside Washington, DC. The last day was a hazy blur, and Mia had yet to sleep any length of time. Short bursts of shut-eye here and there, whether she realized it or not, were all she got.

Whatever Jared did to re-route a helicopter worked. She heard whispers that another team needed it as bad, and she hoped they survived. But it didn’t keep her from thanking God they were choppered out of that godforsaken jungle.

Her fingers interlaced with Colby’s limp, nonreactive fingers. He was in a coma. A helicopter ride to a field hospital, then a private jet ride, and Colby was still out, under medical supervision, and scaring the shit out of her.

Brock, who had some sort of medical training, monitored him on their supersonic trip back up to the US. He wasn’t a doctor, but Mia could tell he was the Titan go-to-guy for all things health related. She was also convinced he had more practical experience than the collective knowledge at the field hospital in somewhere, South America. Hospital was a very generous term. But they were gracious to Colby, so she kept her mouth shut.

A red medevac chopper stood on the ready, as they landed and taxied on American soil. She watched out the oval airplane window. Their flight crew jumped out and scurried to open the backside of the transport helicopter.

She looked back into the belly of their plane. Titan’s jet came with an exterior opening to allow the transportation of bedridden patients, similar to the backside of the medevac chopper. The opening hadn’t been immediately obvious to her, but they loaded Colby in through the side of the jet and directed her to a set of stairs.

Once inside, with a few moves of collapsible chairs, his gurney was locked into place. Nondescript hooks on the wall held IV bags and a travel monitor.

Guess this wasn’t their first flight with a bedridden passenger. Who outfitted their private jet to function as a makeshift hospital room? Titan did, apparently. She wondered how that conversation went with the manufacturer.
I’d like the medical transport option and a few gun racks.

The medevac crew wore air suits with arm patches. They boarded the plane like old habit. They whispered to Brock, facing away from her. She couldn’t hear what they said. Jared stood with the men, listening and nodding. A moment later, they moved to Colby’s bed and opened the hatch. Clicks sounded as the gurney released from its holds. One man grabbed the IV and monitors, while the others were ready to lower him away from her.

Emotion choked her. This was where the crazy adventure stopped. Where they’d part, and she’d have to catch up with Colby later. Jared would tell her where he was going. She was sure of it. He couldn’t be that terrible.

A cough caught her attention. Jared pointed at her. “This is Mia. She goes where he goes. Tell whoever you need to.”

Mia’s mouth dropped and hung slack-jawed. Her thoughts of gratitude scrambled to form before she pulled it together to mouth
thank you
. She didn’t have the energy to do anything more, but his look of acknowledgement said she didn’t need to. His eyes were very expressive. Did he know about that chink in his tough guy armor?

She stayed with the medevac crew as they loaded Colby up and ran him from the plane to the chopper. Immediately, they were airborne again. Not flying high, but they moved forward like a hurricane blast.

A crew member gave her headphones. It muffled the dull roar from the chopper blades. When the pilot talked to the hospital, it sounded so formal—their estimated time of arrival, Colby’s condition, and his vitals.

Mia watched out the window, not wanting to hear his reality. The farther away they flew, the more the Titan team became tiny action figures trudging to their waiting trucks and SUVs. Just another day in the life of those guys. Parking their vehicles at a private airstrip to go battle evil, dodge bullets, and save the day.

One truck remained—Colby’s—and she focused on it until it was out of sight.

What a crazy life. It should’ve scared the hell out of her, but it didn’t. He’d pull out of this. No problem. He’d be up, ready, and waiting for another chance to chase down the bad guys. She laughed.
Tangle
. He loved that word. He wanted to
tangle
with the bad guys. Always looking for the righteous fight. This was how he earned a well-paid living, doing right in the shadowy face of malevolence. His job was an intrinsic part of him, which made her proud. He was her body-armor-clad dark knight. A silent hero. The man wagered his life in high stakes combat games. He had the training and the know-how. She’d seen that in action. He was careful and deliberative. Tough as he was smart.

When he busted out of his coma, she’d tell him how she felt. She was proud, accepting, and in love.

In love.

Her blood thumped in her neck. Her mouth went dry. When had that crept up? He was sexy and strong, with a tender heart and a caring soul. She trusted him. Believed in him. But in love with him? Love was a deep personal attachment. A profound affection. Love was something she hadn’t thought possible in her situation.

But, yes, she loved him.

And, surprise, surprise, it wasn’t a scary realization. Rather, it was warm and calming. Centering. She was secure and stable with him. When he awoke, those would be the first words out of her mouth. She might even shout them, shaking him completely awake at the first sign of stirrings. Until then, all she could do was hold his lifeless hand, as they floated through the air.

Exhausting minutes later, she heard the approach in her headphones before they landed at the top of a hospital tower. Nurses stood by, ready for their arrival, heads down and hair blowing, as the chopper hovered over the red and white painted landing zone. The flight crew disembarked, and the hospital nurses took over. Everyone moved fast, checking monitors, bags, and wires.

They rushed into an elevator, and Mia pressed against the wall. No one spoke to her. She was invisible in the midst of chaos. The doors opened, and they rolled into a quiet hallway, then a private suite. Such a whirlwind. She didn’t know what to say or who to thank. Each person placated her with a pitying smile as they left her alone in the room. Well, not alone. Colby was in bed. The only noise breaking the silence between them was the beeping of machines.

It was only after they left that she saw herself. She was filth covered, blood spattered, and her dress had only one working sleeve. She looked like death and smelled like it, too.

A tap on her shoulder startled her out of a downward descent of depression. A man with salt and pepper hair, caring brown eyes, and a white coat stood in front of her, clipboard in hand.

“You must be Mia.”

He knew her name. “Uh, yes.”

“I’m Dr. Tuska. I’ll be taking care of Colby from here on out. Anything you need, just ask for it.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have his health insurance card, or his—”

“Don’t worry about it.” He flipped through the chart.

“I don’t understand.”

Dr. Tuska chuckled. “The Titan Group has been very, very generous to us in the past. You have to be the first wife I’ve met, so it’s—”

“I’m not his wife.”

“Whatever you are, Mia, you have the Titan stamp of approval. I’ll have a cot brought in here so you can rest. There’s a shower in the bathroom. I’ll ask the nurse to bring you some scrubs to change into. You’ll probably feel better, sleep better, if you’re able to shower and relax. There’s a menu card on that table.” He pointed to a small table beside Colby’s bed. “Fill it out, and lunch will be here by the time you’re out of the shower.”

She felt her eyes bulge, and couldn’t shake the shock long enough to mind her manners.

The doctor tilted his head, seemingly aware that she didn’t expect the first class treatment. “Like I said, Mia, very generous. I’m going to do a once over on Colby to see if I want to change anything, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“When will he wake up?”
Please, please have an answer.

“That’s up to him. He’ll wake up when he’s ready, when his body is ready. Until then, we monitor him, make sure nothing changes for the worse, and we wait.”

Not the answer she wanted. Mia saw the doctor off and eyed the lunch menu. Not the typical cafeteria fare. Right about now, anything other than MREs and the protein bars she found on the plane would be delicious. She circled grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese, and a salad. Oh, and a cookie. Definitely needed a cookie.

She walked into the bathroom. Private room or not, the bathroom still had a hospital feel. Institutional gray tile covered the floor and wall. The overhead florescent lights hummed when she flipped the switch. A stack of bleached towels were piled on a counter next to a hospital thermos, plastic-wrapped cups, and toiletries.

Mia slid her clothes off and into a pile on the floor, then stared at the oversized mirror. Dirt streaked her face, arms, and neck. Scabs and bug bites decorated her skin with varying shades of red. Her hair was a giant rat’s nest. And good Lord, she smelled like things she didn’t even want to think about ever again.

Mia unwrapped the plastic from a comb and started at the bottom of a handful of hair. She picked and picked and picked. With each methodical stroke, the knots tore, strands floated to the floor, but her hair made no progress. Her arms ached. Frustrated, she put the comb down. Its bristles were not straight and pristine anymore. They were bent, like the comb had given up, too.

She twisted the shower knobs. Scalding water ran into a nearby drain, steam floated into the sterile bathroom. Mia adjusted the temperature from scalding to dirt-melting. She hooked her clothes with a toe and tossed them into a trash can, stepped under the cascading water, and pulled the curtain around her.

Soul-soothing water crashed over her. It dulled the aches and pains, made her sunburn sting, and eased the torment of the itchy bug bites. All in all, Nirvana, but she refused to look at the dirty water swirling down the drain.

Somehow in her hypnotic trance, Mia heard a quick rap on the door. “Hi, Mia. Just dropping off some scrubs for you. I saw your lunch order. Thank you. Need anything else? Snacks, munchies?”

Snacks? This was like a hospital with a hotel concierge. How much money did Titan pour into this place?

“Do you have any Dots?”

Her chipper chatter replied from around the corner. “I’ll see what we can do,” the nurse said from around the corner. “I’ll be back.”

Colby would appreciate a box of Dots when he woke up.

She was far past burnt out and exhausted to the point of debilitation. After shampooing her hair, she dumped the entire travel-sized bottle of conditioner into her hair and finger combed it. More progress than with the plastic comb but still a dismal mess. She didn’t care. She needed sleep. Bad.