Chapter 19 Lissa #2
Lissa carefully touched the area at the center of the fiery pain.
She sucked in a breath as the pain intensified, but she continued to prod.
The back of her arm remained smooth. Only an entry wound, meaning she had a bullet lodged where her arm and shoulder met.
Her breath became short pants as she pressed a heavy gauze pad to the wound.
She reeled at the increased torment but pushed through.
Grimacing, she wrapped the tensor bandage around the thick pad, yanking it tight. She let out a whimper.
Though awkward as hell, she wound it around for its full length before clipping the end. Hopefully, the pressure would slow the bleeding. She shoved everything back into her pack. Though sticky with blood, she didn’t have time to worry about being presentable.
The next problem. She couldn’t put on her pack in this position or climb down with one arm.
Scooching forward to the edge, she glanced over the edge.
The ground below was shadowy. She wouldn’t be able to grapple for holds on the descent.
Especially not the route she’d clambered up.
She exhaled. She’d have to lower herself as far as possible, then drop.
And hope she didn’t break a leg when she landed.
Lissa tucked her injured arm against her body, another slight whimper accompanying the movement. She clenched her jaw, clamping her molars together. She couldn’t afford to make a noise. Someone might still be out there. Perhaps leaving had been a trick to flush her out.
Every motion sent pain cascading through her, but she couldn’t stop. She dropped her pack to the ground, gauging how far she had to fall. It hit the ground with a muffled thud. She cocked her head, listening. No one appeared. No sounds of alarm.
She turned and dangled her foot below, groping until she bumped the seam she’d climbed.
Bracing her good arm on the edge, she worked her way down until she couldn’t go farther without extending her injured arm.
Probably half the distance was left. Far enough that landing might hurt, but she shouldn’t break anything.
A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her.
Getting down was taking too long. With a deep breath, she braced against the rock before pushing off.
She jumped the remaining distance—collapsing on impact.
Her legs took the bulk of the force while pain stabbed her arm and shoulder.
She fell to her knees, scraping them open on a half-buried sharp rock.
With every part of her now sore, she lay on the muddy ground waiting for the newest pain to subside to a tolerable level.
Lissa allowed herself a count of ten, gritted her teeth, picked herself up, and collected her pack.
Sweat ran down her face, and a wave of heat passed over her, and she grew dizzy.
Her stomach lurched. With no more warning, she heaved the contents of her stomach beside the stone formation.
Twice more she threw up before she felt settled enough to continue.
Afterward, hands shaking, she rinsed her mouth and spat.
After a second quick rinse, she downed half the contents of her canteen and then slung it over her uninjured shoulder.
Then, with a deep, stabbing breath, she threaded only her right arm through the straps of her pack and lifted its weight up before awkwardly clipping the waist belt.
The click sounded loud in the silence.
She took her bearings and walked north along the patched road, her boots heavy and her muscles beyond aching. Her legs shook as she somehow stumbled forward. She clenched her jaw and kept going on willpower alone. If she stopped before she found help, she would die.
At first, the night seemed pitch black but soon stars popped overhead and a brilliant three-quarter moon rose, casting a ghostly glow on the countryside.
She used the light to navigate, still moving slower than she’d like.
In the moonlight, she glanced at the dark patches on her makeshift bandage, unable to tell if her wound had bled through.
Maybe it was just smeared with blood from her hands.
At last, Lissa reached the dirt road again and headed in the direction where she expected xTerra.
Her uneven steps grew slower, and her balance grew more unsteady as she plodded through the night.
Before she’d been shot, she estimated she had two to three miles remaining, so she gritted her teeth and continued.
The silence pressed in, the only sounds being her labored breathing and what her tired feet made crunching through the random patches of gravel. Sticky with drying blood, she shivered, unable to get warm. Maybe she was in shock. Convulsing, she kept moving, focusing on one step at a time.
When at last she spotted a dim yellow light ahead, scalding tears of relief slipped down her icy cheeks.
She shuddered and pressed onward, her world shrinking to reaching the light.
A gate appeared out of the darkness. It blocked the road, and a massive rock wall stretched out on either side, disappearing into the shadows.
In the moonlight, she made out a sign stretched out above the gate: Vita xTerra.
The light shone from the windows of the building on the other side. Another tear slipped down her cheek. She’d made it.
“Hello.” Her voice emerged weak, a whisper nobody would hear.
She tried again with the same result. At the end of her strength, she staggered against the gate, shaking one of the iron bars, the metal cold in her grasp.
It didn’t move or rattle. She was so close.
“Hello.” She still wasn’t loud enough. Stooping, holding the gate, Lissa grabbed a fist-size rock.
Heart in her throat, she banged it against the metal, the sound loud and jarring. She repeated the motion.
Several long seconds later, the door to the gatehouse flew open.
Someone stood outlined, peering into the darkness.
Once more, she tried to speak, but nothing emerged.
Black spots swam in her vision, and her knees shook, her legs like Jello.
With the last of her energy, she tapped the rock against the gate again.
The shadowy figure outlined in the doorway stepped forward, holding a rifle.
“Anyone out here?” Cam’s familiar voice said. He must not be able to see her as he stepped from the light. “Identify yourself.”
Tears flooded her eyes, and she dropped the rock. It rolled to the ground with a thunk.
“Step back from the gate.” He advanced, his gun steady.
She wobbled backward two tiny steps, her legs now too weak to hold her upright. Her vision blurred, and her knees folded as she collapsed. A pebble poked against her cheek, but she couldn’t shift. She’d made it here, and Cam would help. With a sigh, she closed her eyes.
From far away, Cam’s voice spoke, his words garbled. They became more urgent as he drew closer. Her eyelids fluttered, but she couldn’t open them. Her whole body felt heavy. The gate clanked, an echo of sound. Then nothing as everything faded to black.