pumped air into the cuff on Javy’s arm.
“Fifty-two over thirty,” she said, her voice flat but steady. Her background as a wildland firefighter paramedic made her cool under pressure.
Stefan looked up at Tasha. “Josh needs a safe perimeter.” Having Josh Campbell, an army combat veteran, as their pilot was a point in favor of Javy’s survival, but without help, Josh couldn’t shield the helo well enough to protect it from flying energy bolts.
“On it.” Tasha sprang toward the front. “Darren, Leslie, with me. Let’s put up a shield for Josh.”
Stefan heard them head out as though from a distance, his attention still focused on the pale, unconscious father of two. But he couldn’t think about Javy’s kids now. Better to focus on the vitals.
The ghouls fighting the mages around Stefan and his patient were the last of their nest. The dawn raid Javy led had destroyed the nest and most of the ghouls inside. The mages had seized a lot of documentation, but they didn’t yet know whether those records contained any useful information. Like whether the ghouls’ allies, demons from the Void between worlds, still meant to open a gateway to Earth. They’d tried last month and would’ve succeeded if Stefan’s friends Griffin Dare and Valeria Banning hadn’t intervened. That victory had cost Griff dearly.
“Chopper overhead,” Max Wilson reported.
“Stay with me,” Stefan said under his breath.
The mage raiding party had liberated nine humans, two mages, and assorted livestock. Because the use of dark magic left ghouls unable to eat anything other than freshly killed meat or to breed with each other, they kidnapped mages and Mundanes as breeders. And occasionally as snacks, though they usually kept animals for food. Stopping that was damn good work apart from anything the records yielded. Javy didn’t deserve to pay for it with his life.
“BP forty-six over twenty-three,” Edie said.
The sounds of battle were moving away. At least Javy wouldn’t die because a fight prevented the chopper that could save him from landing.
“Edie, you board first and get the defibrillator ready,” Stefan ordered. As she nodded, he looked into Max’s grave, blue eyes and added, “Radio ahead. Order a surgical team to assist me and have an OR prepped for open chest surgery. I want the elevator on the ground floor, doors open. When we land, this litter goes on a gurney, stat .”
Too bad they couldn’t translocate to the infirmary from the landing pad. Every building on the property was warded against such incursions. Or excursions, for that matter. Even if that weren’t so, the systemic shock of the maneuver would likely kill someone in Javy’s condition.
Max announced, “Josh is landing.”
“Forty over—no reading.”
“Come on, Javy,” Stefan ground out.
Suddenly, he realized the clash of energies had died. Finally, he heard the chukka, chukka of a descending helicopter. Yes!
Steeling himself for the worst, preparing to fight it, he watched the chopper descend. Javy’s heart faltered, then stopped.
Stefan managed not to flinch at the final gurgling wheeze and still silence of Javy’s chest.
The chopper touched down. Mages in bespelled camo yanked the rear door open. Edie dashed to it while others grabbed the litter and hurried toward the helo. Stefan ran alongside and leaped aboard as they slid his patient into the rear and began tying down the litter for flight.
Edie cut Javy’s shirt open, spreading it wide. Fingers flying, Stefan placed the adhesive electrodes on his patient’s chest. Even though his magical sense knew the heart had stopped, they had to wait for the machine to realize that.
* * *
“Ready,” Edie said.
Stefan checked the charge. “Clear,” he shouted over the noise of everyone embarking. Electricity plus shrapnel would cause burns, but those were easy to heal. He pressed the button to deliver the shock.
The jolt of electricity succeeded. Javy’s heart
“Fifty-two over thirty,” she said, her voice flat but steady. Her background as a wildland firefighter paramedic made her cool under pressure.
Stefan looked up at Tasha. “Josh needs a safe perimeter.” Having Josh Campbell, an army combat veteran, as their pilot was a point in favor of Javy’s survival, but without help, Josh couldn’t shield the helo well enough to protect it from flying energy bolts.
“On it.” Tasha sprang toward the front. “Darren, Leslie, with me. Let’s put up a shield for Josh.”
Stefan heard them head out as though from a distance, his attention still focused on the pale, unconscious father of two. But he couldn’t think about Javy’s kids now. Better to focus on the vitals.
The ghouls fighting the mages around Stefan and his patient were the last of their nest. The dawn raid Javy led had destroyed the nest and most of the ghouls inside. The mages had seized a lot of documentation, but they didn’t yet know whether those records contained any useful information. Like whether the ghouls’ allies, demons from the Void between worlds, still meant to open a gateway to Earth. They’d tried last month and would’ve succeeded if Stefan’s friends Griffin Dare and Valeria Banning hadn’t intervened. That victory had cost Griff dearly.
“Chopper overhead,” Max Wilson reported.
“Stay with me,” Stefan said under his breath.
The mage raiding party had liberated nine humans, two mages, and assorted livestock. Because the use of dark magic left ghouls unable to eat anything other than freshly killed meat or to breed with each other, they kidnapped mages and Mundanes as breeders. And occasionally as snacks, though they usually kept animals for food. Stopping that was damn good work apart from anything the records yielded. Javy didn’t deserve to pay for it with his life.
“BP forty-six over twenty-three,” Edie said.
The sounds of battle were moving away. At least Javy wouldn’t die because a fight prevented the chopper that could save him from landing.
“Edie, you board first and get the defibrillator ready,” Stefan ordered. As she nodded, he looked into Max’s grave, blue eyes and added, “Radio ahead. Order a surgical team to assist me and have an OR prepped for open chest surgery. I want the elevator on the ground floor, doors open. When we land, this litter goes on a gurney, stat .”
Too bad they couldn’t translocate to the infirmary from the landing pad. Every building on the property was warded against such incursions. Or excursions, for that matter. Even if that weren’t so, the systemic shock of the maneuver would likely kill someone in Javy’s condition.
Max announced, “Josh is landing.”
“Forty over—no reading.”
“Come on, Javy,” Stefan ground out.
Suddenly, he realized the clash of energies had died. Finally, he heard the chukka, chukka of a descending helicopter. Yes!
Steeling himself for the worst, preparing to fight it, he watched the chopper descend. Javy’s heart faltered, then stopped.
Stefan managed not to flinch at the final gurgling wheeze and still silence of Javy’s chest.
The chopper touched down. Mages in bespelled camo yanked the rear door open. Edie dashed to it while others grabbed the litter and hurried toward the helo. Stefan ran alongside and leaped aboard as they slid his patient into the rear and began tying down the litter for flight.
Edie cut Javy’s shirt open, spreading it wide. Fingers flying, Stefan placed the adhesive electrodes on his patient’s chest. Even though his magical sense knew the heart had stopped, they had to wait for the machine to realize that.
* * *
“Ready,” Edie said.
Stefan checked the charge. “Clear,” he shouted over the noise of everyone embarking. Electricity plus shrapnel would cause burns, but those were easy to heal. He pressed the button to deliver the shock.
The jolt of electricity succeeded. Javy’s heart
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