Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Marcus says from nearby. “She’s type O negative. I’m not a match.”
“I’ll give her my blood,” Nova says.
“Are you O neg?” Marcus asks.
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Yeah.”
I speak up. “I’m O negative. I’ll do it.”
The dirt path through the jungle narrows, forcing us into a single-file line. Nova takes the front, her pace close to an all-out sprint. The jungle’s song of caws and calls plays on, oblivious to our frantic rush to help Ellison.
“If she loses consciousness, do you know how to transfuse?” Marcus asks from right behind me.
“No.”
There’s a momentary pause before he says, “Wyatt, you and Chance and Stella stay with the Tider until I can get there.”
“We will,” Wyatt calls. “We’ll be all over him, don’t worry.”
A droplet of rain lands on my cheek. A thin line of Ellison’s blood marks the dirt beneath our feet, fear for her knotting in my stomach. If his cut was meant as a warning, Theron went too deep.
“Amira and Olin!” Marcus calls, the raindrops intensifying. “Work with Command Team Two to give the garden and the farm advance notice of what’s happening. Make sure you secure the Sub.”
“She’s barely conscious!” Nova cries from the front of the line.
“What about aromium?” I ask, because it speeds healing.
“Not an option,” Marcus says.
Probably because she’d have to be outside our shield to have her aromium active, and she can’t get a blood transfusion in the jungle.
Adele cuts out of line, running ahead of the rest of us. We were in such a hurry to get to Ellison that we left the aromium switch hidden in a bush, and I think she wants to get to it without Theron seeing where we hid it.
Rainfall slices through the thick, humid late morning air. When we reach the switch point, Adele puts the switching device next to Nova’s right hip first, powering off her device with a beep.
Nova shudders, the deactivation hitting her hard. Marcus takes Ellison from her, Ellison limp and unconscious now.
“Give us a five-minute lead,” Marcus says as Adele switches off my aromium.
Nova’s bent at the waist, throwing up. Switching off is hard on people, but it’s never been an issue for me. I hate leaving her, but we have to.
“McClain won’t be able to help,” he says. “It’s just us.”
That one word—us—makes my heart squeeze in my chest. I thought the two of us would change this island hell into something better. Find a way for those who want to go back home. We’re the most powerful people here, and together, we’re a force.
I miss what we had. Or, I guess, what I thought we had. I trusted him and believed in him with my whole heart. Now I fear he hasn’t tried to explain his involvement in making aromium because there is no explanation. He was Team Whitman—until he wasn’t. I don’t know how to trust anyone who supports that monster.
Word seems to have spread around camp, because when we go through the front gate, people are standing around watching us. It’s not curiosity, but worry I see etched into their expressions.
We don’t have time to stop and reassure them. The news that we’re giving up half our supplies and weapons is going to create more than just worry. It could be an all-out panic, and Marcus may not be around to steady the ship.
Getting Ellison stabilized is more important, though. The guards at the Sub entrance scramble to get the door open as we approach, rain falling so heavily it’s hard to see through it.
“Don’t leave your posts,” Marcus barks at the guards as we run into the Sub.
We race down the wide concrete path into the main area quickly. There are only a handful of people down here, and they give us a wide berth.
Marcus takes Ellison into one of her treatment rooms, setting her on the table.
“I need two sixteen-gauge needles and tubing.” He goes over to the wall and pulls open the stainless steel cabinet doors one at a time, frantically searching. “You have to be above her and your arm needs to be below your heart.”
“Above her. Okay. Uh ...”
I search the room, trying to figure out how I’m going to position myself above Ellison without the ability to levitate.
“You can sit on the table,” Marcus says. “Find some alcohol wipes and clean your antecubital site on both arms.”
“Where is that?” I’ve seen Ellison get alcohol wipes, so I’m able to go right to the drawer where she keeps them.
“Inner elbow. Clean her sites, too.” He slams a cabinet door. “Fuck! Where’s the fucking tubing?”
I make an executive decision, opening the door and yelling out into the main Sub area. “Someone go get McClain! Carry him here if you have to. We need him right now!”
“I can do this,” Marcus says, but I feel like he’s talking to himself more than me.