When will I get to be in charge again? I flick my gaze to Halder and almost ask him to call me boss, just one more time. But that’s crazier than the tunneled view through the windshield. The subtle rocking could almost be soothing if my mind was in a better place. I’m just holding on tight while crossing all ten fingers and toes.
Wippa turns slightly to face us. “We’re almost there, loves. Just hold on a bit longer.” Her eyes find mine. “Your family is already en route, by the way. Great news, eh?”
All I manage is a shaky nod. My mother must be worried sick. The fact she’s leaving her house is a testimony to the level of severity. It’s not every day that one of her daughters needs to be retrieved from a different country. That’s after I’ve already been reported as missing for over a week. She’s going to require a heavy tranquilizer to ever sleep again.
The remainder of our ride is smooth yet terrifying. Buildings appear below us and in the distance. Bright lights twinkle in the dusk, beckoning us in. Soon we’ll be down there with crowds of people. I haven’t been gone long, but the isolation we’ve been in was protecting me all the same. That bubble is about to burst in a very big way.
Eddie steers to the left, lowering us into a seemingly dangerous nosedive. My belly flips and riots at the chaos brewing to a boil inside of me. A tall structure looms underneath us, and we’re suddenly going down.
“Hey,” Halder murmurs.
I rip my stare off the red symbol at the roof’s center to find him grinning at me. “Hi.”
“Are you okay?”
I blow out a heavy sigh. “Kinda? This is just scary, I guess.”
“Flying?”
“Well, yeah. But the arriving part is making me anxious. Am I that transparent?”
“You’re about to cut off my circulation.” He glances at my fingers white-knuckling his leg.
A wince strains my features further. “Oh, yikes. Sorry about that.”
“I don’t mind being the crash dummy. That includes a squeeze doll, too. But there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be with you. Just remember that.”
Just hearing that releases a hefty weight off my shoulders. “Thanks, babe. I’m just being paranoid.”
Halder drifts a knuckle down my cheek. “I can understand that, trust me.”
Our conversation meets an abrupt end as we jolt against the ground. The instant we touch down, a whirlwind of action begins to buzz in all directions. Eddie and Wippa are a synchronized jumble of commotion in the cockpit. Once they kill the engine, a mass of people swarm toward the helicopter. By the looks of it, they’re a mix of medical practitioners and security guards. Halder unbuckles my restraints and offers me a hand to exit the tiny compartment. The welcome wagon sweeps in on us and forms a blockage along all sides. This flurry of activity makes my skin crawl as I search for holes in their fence.
I clutch Halder’s arm in another vice grip. “What’s happening?”
His eyes are blown wide while he tracks our human shield. “No clue. Maybe it’s a standard measure?”
One of the uniformed guards shoots a glare at us, effectively sealing my lips. Okay, then. They herd us inside—similar to unruly cattle after a long afternoon giving chase. The white walls and floors are pristine, blinding me upon entry. Antiseptic and bleach burn my nostrils. The chemical stench makes me miss the crisp scent of freedom that still hangs in my clothes. While I’m wiping the sting from my eyes, a nurse manages to corral me away from Halder.
We’re escorted into separate rooms, much to my dismay and vocal protesting. Once I plop my butt onto the lumpy mattress, a different nurse bustles around the space on a mission to do who knows what. It’s not like I’m bleeding or in need of urgent attention. What I want to do is tear down the wall and make sure Halder is okay. This forced split makes my skin itch all over again. I don’t appreciate being separated from him.
“Why am I in here?”
The nurse pauses in her search through a cabinet—white, of course. “Just a routine exam, dear.”
“For what?”
She blinks at me. “To make sure you’re all right. You went through a very difficult experience.”
I grind my molars until an ache stops me. “I’m not traumatized. If anything, you putting me in this room alone is causing great distress.”
“Of course not, dear. We just need to ask you a few simple questions. Your