17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Fleur
" J esus, it's good to see you." I hugged Orion hard. Behind him was Alpha One, and he was holding up Alpha Two who gave me a thumbs up sign.
"So, we're all alive." I was relieved.
"I'd rather be dead," Alpha Two remarked. "I fucking hate getting shot."
"Please, it's your thigh, and it's fucking soft tissue. Stop being a pussy," Orion mocked.
"How about you, Wraith?" Alpha One asked.
"Probable concussion," I admitted. "Everything gets fuzzy. Gash on my thigh. Shrapnel on my side. The right arm is broken, probably in lots of places—probably happened when I was thrown to the wall because of the explosion."
Orion cursed as he looked at my limp, swollen arm, which was all but hanging. "Evac has sent coordinates. We need to get there. Can you walk?"
"Legs are fine." I winked at him. "And I took some painkillers two hours ago."
The streets of Aleppo were a chaotic blur. We moved swiftly, using the shadows for cover. Every step was agony, but I pushed through, driven by the will to survive.
We found temporary refuge in a partially collapsed building. Orion let me lean against a wall, his eyes scanning for threats.
"We have two clicks to go," Alpha One said.
I nodded, gritting my teeth against the pain. "Let's go."
We walked endlessly, I thought, but I knew we were making progress.
Orion adjusted the portable transmitter. "Signal's stronger. Trying to reach Viper and Rune now."
I watched him work, my thoughts drifting to Callum. He had told me he loved me, and I'd hardened my heart to that, but those words had been a lifeline for the past hours while I lay in that building, waiting for help. I'd held onto them in the darkness—onto him.
Orion's voice broke through my reverie. "I've got them. Viper, Rune, do you copy?"
The static crackled, then cleared. "Copy, Orion. What's your status?" Viper's voice was a balm to my frayed nerves.
"Mission complete. Wraith and Alpha Two have minor injuries," Orion replied.
"I got shot," Alpha Two protested.
Orion grinned, "As I said, minor. Evac coordinates are one click away."
"I have your location, we'll send a drone as backup," Rune confirmed.
I leaned back, the pain a dull throb now. "Hey, Rune, I left a message but I don't know if you got it. If I don't make it, make sure Callum knows. Tell him I love him."
"You'll tell him yourself, Wraith. We're getting you out of there," Viper snapped.
Minutes felt like hours as we walked again, but finally, the thudding of helicopter blades pierced the night.