The Assignment (Elvis presley story)

Chapter 54

Ava was groaning now and trying to sit up. He grabbed a water bottle from the scattered items of the bagpack and wet her face, daubing the worst of the blood off her with the t-shirt he had used as a towel earlier. He picked up his flashlight and turned it on for a closer look.

"Open your eyes and look at me," he coaxed. The skin on her forehead was broken, but the wound itself looked minor. However, with the goose egg forming around it, above her eyebrow, she could easily be concussed. "Let's see those pupils," he murmured.

She blinked at him for a few seconds, then collapsed back with a moan. "He hit me!"

"Lucky he didn't shoot you. Look at me now. Follow my finger."

"Wh-where is he?" She demanded.

"Got away, but I'll get him. For now let's get you squared away."

Elvis rummaged around for the first-aid kit and found gauze and antibiotic ointment. He poured some water over his hands, splashed some on his face to clear off the worst of the mud and dried off on the shirt. With one of the antiseptic wipes, he cleaned his hands more thoroughly and treated her wound. "I don't think you have a concussion. Eyes look okay. How do you feel?"

She sat up then, a hand to her head as she shook it gently. "Brian scrambled. We need to get some more searchers up here."

"How?"

"Oh yeah." She sighed, remembering that they were stuck up in the mountains.

Elvis ran a hand over her arm, caught her hand in his and nodded at Vinland's .22, which lay several feet away. "Well, he's unarmed now unless he has another weapon wherever he's camped. Im thinking if he had anything better than that cheap pistol, he would have been using it."

She rested her head in her hand and drew up one knee to prop her elbow on it. "We have to find him and we'll need the element of surprise. You can bet he'll be waiting somewhere he's sure the detonator will work."

Elvis agreed. "That also limits the area we'll have to search."

She turned her head and smiled thinly. "Look for the silver lining, huh?"

Elvis heaved a sigh, sat down beside her and drew her into his arms. "That optimism of yours is contagious, I guess."

She clung to him and he held her tight, relishing the warmth of her body, thankful beyond everything that she was still breathing. She had escaped death yet again.

How many times was this now?

And how long would her luck hold?

"Twice i almost lost you, Ava."

"You, too. When he told me he cut your rope, I almost shut down and gave up. But I knew somehow you would make it."

"Borrowed some of your luck, I guess. I wish I could carry you back down this mountain and stash you somewhere safe until all this is over."

"As If i would let you," She replied. "This is my case and im not about to hand it over because of a bump on the head. Quit trying to play Knight in shining armor when you look like a giant mud pie."

"Good camouflage," he said, setting her away reluctantly and noting how dirty he had gotton her. "How about if you rest here for a little while and get your wits together. Im going out to take a look around."

She was standing up before he was and brushing of the back of her pants. Elvis realised he wasn't going to go anywhere without her unless he butt-stroked her back into unconsciousness. "You are one hard headed woman, Walker," he smirked.

"Lucky for both of us," She quipped as she picked Vinland's weapon off the floor of the cave and checked it for damage. She searched for her Glock, but it was nowhere to be found. "My weapon's gone and his is empty." She tossed it onto the pack.

"We might as well gather up what's left of our supplies and head out before his trail gets cold."

Elvis just hoped there was a trail to follow. Vinland was much cannier than they'd figured. With a little luck, he could destroy everything he planned to, get rid of the only two people who could point the finger at him and walk away from this unscathed.

Elvis kept thinking about the part of his vision where the earth fell away and he experienced that sinking feeling of failure.

Could he turn that around?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thanks for reading! Xoxo