My stomach did a little flop when we did a deep tilt and dip. Why did it appear that the people on the ground were running away from that building? They were even turning away from the splat on the ground that represented the man Tywin had kicked off the roof.
Tywin took the seat next to me; the one Arjen had made a survivor vacate. It wasn’t lost on me that Arjen had played musical chairs with the men until there were two empty seats between me and the next man. Was I reading too much into his actions or was he protecting me like I was his cousin’s woman?
Tywin took my hand between his, rubbing the back softly. He lifted it and placed a delicate kiss to the back, ignoring how dirty and grimy my hands were.
Although Khane, Arjen, and Tywin sat in different areas on the helicopter, they all turned in their seats to stare at each other from their various locations. My best guess was they were concentrating to listen to whatever was being broadcast into their earpieces.
“Are they cleared?” Arjen asked and paused for an answer.
When they all nodded, I along with the men, hung on to their every movement. It was reasonable to assume they were receiving word that the rest of their crew was in the clear and away from that building. I glanced through the helicopter window where the building was still visible.
“The pedestrians on the ground,” Khane stated. Again they paused before nodding.
“Blow it,” Tywin commanded, making me twist my neck to glimpse at his face set in such a vicious expression that it caused me to do a double take.
The collective gasp from the survivors drew my gaze away from Tywin’s face that had thankfully returned to its usual handsomeness. My eyes bucked when the top of the building started melting into the bottom.
What the…
The whole damn building was collapsing and the jarring sight explained why the men kept confirming the whereabouts of their crew, the survivors, and the pedestrians on the ground.
How had they persuaded the nosey people on the ground to back away from the building? How many of those torturing assholes who worked in that building had survived or sneaked out?
I twisted and stretched my neck as far as it could go, ogling as tons of well-structured concrete disintegrated into rubble. What kind of bomb had they used? The building hadn’t blown up, and there hadn’t been a big boom. Instead, it appeared to have dissolved into itself. I’d never seen anything like that in my life.
Once I lost sight of the building, I finally turned back around in my seat. A million questions nipped at my tongue, but the roar of the helicopter didn’t allow for a normal conversation. I leaned my head against Tywin’s sturdy shoulder when the heaviness of my captivity forced me to surrender to exhaustion.
I didn’t lift my head again until Tywin shook me awake. We had landed on what appeared to be the roof of a warehouse before we exited the helicopter along with the pilot and co-pilot.
I did a double take, noticing the pilot was the man I had met at the back of the semi, the one with the scar on his neck that reminded me of the Grim Reaper’s scythe. He glanced up at me and smiled, sensing my gawking eyes. He and the other pilot veered off and disappeared behind a wall of wooden crates.
Khane and Arjen marched ahead of the group, but they stopped short once we were all in place. I remained silent and leaned on Tywin, allowing his strong arm to keep me standing.
The heavy march of boots called my attention. It was the rest of the Vallin team and the other victims they had rescued. The men actually looked like the hell they had been through, but an unmistakable level of quiet peace and gratitude rested in their expressions.
“Guys, there is a medical team waiting to treat you. If you would like to seek care elsewhere, there are teams waiting to take you home,” Arjen announced to the victims.
All of the men stayed to receive medical attention while Tywin directed me into the heart of the building, along several hallways to one of the treatment rooms.
“We’ll get you initial treatment here and later if you feel up for another ride, I’d like to take you home so we can have our family doctor take another look at you,” he told me.
I nodded. I didn’t need a doctor to tell me I needed medical attention. I felt it in every cell of my body. My therapist would also be receiving a call as soon as I had the strength to lift a phone to my ear.
* * *
When I woke up,Tywin was the first beautiful sight my eyes took in. He sat in a chair near my hospital bed. I didn’t need a clock to tell me it was morning because I could sense it. Unlike the rooms in that building, this one had a window. The blackout curtains were drawn, but the sight was a welcomed one.
I was hooked up to an IV and a monitor displaying my blood pressure and the squiggly lines representing my heart rhythm. A glance down confirmed that I had been thoroughly cleaned from head to toe, and instead of a hospital gown, I was in a comfortable cotton pajama set.
“How are you feeling?” Tywin asked. Though he tried, he was unable to keep the stress out of his tightly-pulled brows or the tiredness out of his hunched posture.
“Good. I feel rested and re-energized,” I replied, smiling. “How long was I out?”
“Only eleven hours, but who’s counting?” His grin had mine making an appearance.
The care in his gaze wasn’t missed and the sight sparked a level of contentment within that I had never experienced. My curiosity had reared its ugly head in record time.
“So, how did you guys—”