We both laughed, but I pressed my hand against his arm as I heard chopper blades in the distance.
“I think our ride is here,” I reassured him, but when he didn’t reply, I looked down and saw his eyes were rolled back in his head as he was overtaken by a seizure.
“Shit.” I quickly rolled him on his side as I snapped my smoke flare and signaled the chopper in our direction. I fought the dizziness that gnawed at me. I swore the place was trying one last attempt to keep us there. “Hang in there just a while longer, please, Daniel,” I begged, knowing his condition was getting worse.
Chapter Twelve
Sloane
Thirteen Hours Earlier
I woke with a groggy brain and headed downstairs to look for coffee before I went to my cabin for a shower.
“Hey, Dell.” I caught him on the steps, but his mood seemed off. He wasn’t his normal chipper self. “Any chance we can go into town today?”
“Ah, I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
“Okay.” I watched as he rushed off. I wondered if he was worried about how I’d feel today.
My face did hurt like hell. I glanced at myself in the hall mirror and felt nauseated as I took in my bruised and swollen face. I found Sue and Abigail playing with Mike’s daughter, Gabriella, who just arrived today, while June was upstairs unpacking from their trip. Tabby, Mark’s newest addition, was sharing her toy.
“Oh, Sloane, you’re awake.” Sue smiled warmly at me. “Is there anything we can get you? How do you feel?” She was kind enough not to mention the obvious.
“A little sore, but I’m okay.” I noticed none of the boys were around. “Have you seen John?”
“They were shipped out with little notice around noon yesterday. They should be back sometime tonight,” Sue explained, scooping up Gabriella.
Damn, how long did I pass out for? My stomach growled, and I felt the urge to visit the kitchen. Eggs and toast sounded perfect.
A black SUV pulled up and an engine turned off. Sue looked at Abigail. “Are we expecting anyone?”
Abigail shook her head.
“Dell just raced up stairs, so it can’t be him,” I offered.
The door opened, and Frank walked in.
I’d known Frank for a long time, and I could tell something major had happened by the way he avoided eye contact with me.
“Hi, Sloane. Have you seen Sue?” His tone was all business.
“I’m in here, Frank,” Sue called from the living room.
He motioned for me to go first, and he followed. Savannah popped out of nowhere, and I joined her on the couch.
“I’m going to keep this as short as possible because I’ve had multiple phone calls and finally have pieced things together.”
He sat on the chair across from us as we all waited for the news, and we knew it couldn’t be good.
“I hate this part,” Savannah muttered under her breath, and Sue reached out to pat her shoulder.
“Sue,” Frank turned his attention to her, “it’s Daniel.” Abigail immediately removed Gabriella from Sue’s arms as her face drained of color.
“He’s injured, but alive,” Frank continued. “We are flying him to Redstone hospital for his safety. We had to change things up last minute to throw the cartel off our scent and didn’t want to send him to the North Dakota hospital.”
Sue had jumped to her feet, but Frank held up his hand, shaking his head.
“Not yet. The moment I get the call, we’ll all go together.”
Savannah leaned over and took Sue’s hand as she sank back into her chair. She looked over at Frank.
“Is anyone else injured?”
“If they are, they haven’t let me know.” He rubbed his forehead and glanced at his phone then stood as though he needed to move. “Sue, I suggest you pack a bag so you don’t have to worry about leaving the hospital and Daniel’s side.”
“Good idea,” June chimed in, picking up Tabby. “Savannah, let’s see if Davie is around to help watch the kids while Sue gets ready.”
“Frank?” I moved closer to him. “What can I do?” He walked me toward the dining room and sat me at the table then sat next to me.
“North Rock called in. They were stuck in a ravine and, since half their team is either missing or in hospital, they couldn’t hold back the cartel on their own. They called Blackstone for help.” He pulled out his phone to show me some drone photos. “We purposely checked the area before the team got to