Intensity by Aliyah Burke

she knew if Fith’s men found the crash,
tracking her would be a snap.
    The only thing in her favor was the sun had gone
down, so unless they had night vision on them, they would be using
flashlights. That alone would give her a heads up before they
reached her.
    Exhausted, she sank to a tree trunk at the edge of a
clearing. After checking to make sure the man at her side was still
out and secure, she used her free hand to touch the injury. Broken
rib that had punctured through. She could only pray it hadn’t
gotten to a major blood vessel.
    Spots had begun to flicker before her eyes when she
heard the familiar whoomp whoomp of a helicopter. God
love you, Mucker. She struggled to gain her feet only to give
up and remain on the cold ground, pistol pressed up to the man at
her side.
    “Bug? I’ve got her, up here to the right.” Windy’s
voice was music to her ears. The light hurt her eyes, but she
didn’t care.
    Windy crouched before her while Owl and Liver took
the other man. He moved her jacket aside and shook his head. “This
is what happens when you take vacations without us.”
    She licked her dry lips. “Noted.” A few deep painful
breaths. “We secure?”
    He nodded in the light. “We got you, Bug.”
    “Good.” She passed out.
    αβ
    Sarah opened her eyes and groaned. There wasn’t an
inch of her that didn’t hurt.
    “Want me to get the doctor?”
    She cut her gaze to the left and found Shea waiting
there. Her friend was in civvies and looked exhausted.
    “Shea?”
    “Let me fill you in before you ask. You’re in
Bethesda, three broken ribs, so damn lucky you didn’t puncture your
lung or something else vital. You’ve been here for a week now.”
    “I don’t remember anything.”
    “You’ve been in and out of consciousness since they
brought you here.”
    “My mom?”
    “Doesn’t know.”
    “I have to get home and see her.”
    She tried to sit up, but Shea shook her head. “Don’t
move.”
    The doctor showed up, and once she left, there was
another knock on the door. Cooler stood there, his hat in hand.
Also, dressed in civilian clothing. He walked in and approached the
bed. His normally bland eyes were hard as flint, and she couldn’t
even begin to say how happy she was not to be on the shit end of
the storm he would be creating.
    “How are you feeling?”
    “Like I’ve been fucked. Who was he?”
    Cooler flicked his gaze to Shea, who shook her head
and stood.
    “I get it. I’m not needed for this part. I’ll be
back later, let you two talk. Coffee?” When Cooler nodded, Shea
reached out and squeezed her arm. “Back in a bit.”
    When they were alone, Sarah looked back at her CO.
“Well?”
    The man sat at her side and inhaled deeply. “It is a
man who works for Fith.”
    “Who is he?” Her palms burned with the need to wrap
around the asshole’s neck. “I should have reacted sooner. I
shouldn’t have let it get as far as it did.”
    “Don’t go there. Davies wants to come see you.”
    She immediately shook her head. “Tell him to stay
away. The car blew up, so by all accounts, I could be dead.”
    “Not anymore. You’re in Bethesda. Fith will know
you’re alive.”
    “I can leave, right?”
    Cooler nodded. “Yes, I asked they keep you a bit
longer for observation. You can go if you feel better enough to
head home.”
    Home. That would be a nice thing. Go see her mother
and relax.
    “I’d like to go. Don’t suppose you’d allow me on my
bike, right now, would you?”
    “Not happening.” Shea’s tone was sharp and decisive.
“I’m driving you home.”
    She’d not even heard her friend come back in. “What
about—”
    “I’m on leave. No room for arguing. You won’t have
to drive in my car, and it’s about time I meet your mother.”
    Cooler grunted. “I’ll patch you in on more and let
the Admiral know you’re okay.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    He squeezed her shoulder and walked out, taking the
coffee on his way. Shea took her seat once more and