That’s the only thing giving me hope as I speed through black smoke. I have to slow down, afraid I might run her or Langston over in the water.
I see a body, face down in the water—Langston. I race to him and pull his limp body into the boat.
With one hard press against his chest, water expels from his lungs. “Where’s Kai?” Langston asks.
I shake my head because I can’t speak.
He jumps up, not acting like he almost died in an explosion. I know he needs a doctor to look at him. He could have internal injuries, but right now, we need to find Kai.
“Kai!” Langston shouts.
I’m thankful he can shout, because I’ve lost my voice.
Slowly we make our way through the wreckage, and with each second that passes and I don’t see her, my panic rises.
This can’t be the end.
Not like this.
We approach a small dingy boat. “I’m going to search on that boat. We can cover twice the ground that way,” Langston says.
I nod, agreeing.
He hops on and then we both head in different directions.
Please God, let her live. I won’t ask for anything but her life. Take mine instead, just not hers.
Faster I race. Needing to find her faster.
And then I see her, clinging to a life preserver in much the same way she was when I left her to swim to shore that first time I met her.
I dive into the water, needing my hands on her immediately, even though I can tell she’s still alive.
“You’re alive,” I say, my breath weak at the sight of her. Her face is pale, covered in soot, her hair is drenched in water and blood from a cut on her head. But she’s alive.
“So are you,” she exhales, like she was as terrified as I was that I didn’t survive.
I pull her into my arms and swim with my legs to get her back to the speedboat.
We both collapse onto the bottom of the boat with me still gripping her tightly in my arms.
“You’re alive,” Langston shouts over us.
Kai laughs. “People keep saying it like they are shocked.”
I kiss her forehead probably too hard, but I don’t care. I just need to keep reminding myself she is alive.
“What do you want me to do, boss?” Langston says to Kai.
I look at her. I need time alone with her. And from her heavy eyes, I know she needs the same. She just nods at me to talk, exhausted in my arms.
“Get everyone medical care as fast as possible. Yourself included. And then get everyone in attack formation on all of our best ships. We are going on the offensive as soon as the team has healed and recovered,” I say.
Kai nods her agreement.
“Don’t take too long,” Langston says, warning us. “And make sure she sees a doctor too.”
I kiss her head again. “I will.”