Salvage

Sixteen - Part 1

November 21st

We located three of the group deep in the Chihuahuan desert. Seems they crossed the border in Texas over to Mexico. Corporate thinks maybe they were using coyotes to transport the kids.

Ms. Miller was one of the three, and while she is not my charge, I am still relieved. She was the only one I feared we'd find dead. The others will likely be safe. I am currently waiting for the medics to finish with Ms. Miller and W12 so I can debrief them thoroughly.

We have teams already headed to the facility. Speed is of the essence, we weren't subtle when we pulled the kids up out of that desert, so they know we're close. If they think we're closing in, they'll become... Dangerous.

Aurora limped down the whitewashed hospital hallway, spotting Jamison leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"How is she?" Aurora approached him with a faint smile, and he kicked away from the wall.

"Sleeping." Jamison passed a hand over his face. Up close, she could see the ragged look in his eyes, and the scruff on his jawline. "Her feet are a mess. But yours aren't much better."

"It was stupid." Aurora grimaced and glanced down at her well bandaged feet. They felt kind of like she was walking on balloons at the moment. They'd tried to put her in a wheelchair, but she was too restless to sit still. "Should've just given her the boots in the beginning, both of us wouldn't be like this."

"Yeah, but you might have fallen behind." Jamison shrugged. "They wouldn't have left you, so you'd have slowed them all down, and maybe gotten caught again. Can't be thinking about what could've happened. You guys made it back safe, that's what matters."

"Right." Aurora sighed and glanced further down the hall, to where an unfamiliar agent was stationed outside another closed door. "Can I see him yet?"

"Doctor just finished up a few minutes ago. I let Jane know, so she'll be along soon."

"Got it." Aurora stuck out her hand. "Thank you. You were part of the group that found us, and... and..." She felt her throat clogging with tears once more, and couldn't finish.

Jamison clasped her hand in his long, strong fingers, and gave her a warm smile. "It was my duty and privilege. I'm glad we found you alive, Ms. Miller."

"Please. Aurora is fine." She blinked hard and took a deep breath. "I'm glad, too."

The smell of the hospital was playing with her mind as she limped away from Jamison and continue down the hall. It had only been a couple of hours, but it felt like a whirlwind. They'd all been gathered up and transported via helicopter to the nearest town. Aurora had been poked and prodded and bandaged, and they'd even stuck an IV in her arm for a while. She'd had time to finish crying, and get her mind back together. She wished she could sleep, but when she tried, her mind just whirled. Everyone they'd left behind, the moments she'd chosen to save Adam and Chinook because she knew them. What would happen to the others she didn't choose? They all deserved to be saved. And what was Ros thinking? Would she be fired for missing work? She'd been a good employee so far, maybe they would give her a break.

Crap. she couldn't let it continue to circulate through her brain or she'd start crying again. She hesitated outside Adam's door as the unfamiliar agent shifted back to attention and looked at her sharply.

"I just want to talk to Adam? Is he okay?" she asked tenatively.

"Name?"

"Aurora Miller." She swallowed hard as the agent stared at her long and hard, before finally standing aside and jerking his head in a nod.