Since yesterday afternoon, Felicia had been working nonstop-first delivering supplies to Hillfort, then searching the mountains for Lucas, later falling into the rapids, and finally ending up here. She was utterly drained but she managed to summon the last of her energy, waving branches and jumping to signal to the helicopter above.
Her efforts paid off; the helicopter circled twice overhead before slowly descending as she watched in relief.
She stepped back as it landed on a large, flat area by the stream. Several of Stephan’s men jumped out. Felicia recognized them-they had been with him outside Macey’s house the other night. Seeing her, they greeted her politely, bowing slightly. “Hello, Ms. Fuller.”
She was taken aback by their sudden respectfulness but replied, “Hello.”
The last time they had met, they had been indifferent and neutral. Now, there was an unmistakable warmth and deference.
What happened?
She didn’t know what had changed but shrugged it off and pointed to the small cabin. “Stephan’s in there. Go help him.” “Understood.”
The men hurried over, and when they saw Stephan, their jaws dropped despite having braced themselves.
Was this really their boss? His clothes were smeared with dirt, ripped in several places, and he had lost his shoes-a look they had never thought possible for him. Even with his pale face from injury, his gaze was still sharp and commanding. One look from him made them all avert their eyes out of respect.
“Mr. Russell,” they greeted him, heads lowered.
He got up, glancing at the fire still burning in the cabin. One of his men understood immediately and rushed to extinguish it thoroughly before leaving.
Felicia had already climbed into the helicopter. As Stephan stepped in, he saw her rummaging through a pile of supplies, sounding pleased when she exclaimed, “Found it!”
She had pulled out a medical kit. “Lift your shirt. Let me treat that wound.”
There had been no way to clean his wounds yesterday, and the two of them had barely stayed warm by huddling near the fire. Now that they had medical supplies, it was time to
care for his wounds.
He sat down, pulled up his shirt, and cooperated as she carefully unwrapped the fabric from his wound. Then, she cleaned, disinfected, and applied fresh bandages. Neither of them spoke. Each of Stephan’s men focused on their tasks, doing everything possible to avoid looking at them.
As the helicopter lifted off, filling the air with the roar of its blades, Felicia worked in silence. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Did you strip me of my clothes yesterday?” She was speechless.
The bottle of hydrogen peroxide
slipped from her hand with a thud, a
few droplets splashing onto her face. She quickly wiped them away, looking up and saying loudly”What? I can’t hear you!”
He held her gaze momentarily before looking away, his tone neutral. “Nothing.” “Oh.”
She went back to treating his wound, but the loud hum of the helicopter couldn’t mask her own heartbeat, thundering in her chest, faster and louder with each beat. It was as if it would burst out at any moment.
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