Half Moon Bay Read Free

in her throat.
    ‘Sit down, Ellie.’ He steered her to a rickety chair, and she heard him curse under his breath.
    His voice was disembodied. It came from down a very long and shadowy tunnel. Nina was gravely ill. He was so sorry. She’d been such a vibrant addition to them, imbedded for two weeks with their company. Guys, a long way from home, without loved ones, craved female company. She’d been a breath of fresh air, but she needed specialist medical treatment now and that was not going to be found in Kandahar.
    Ellie sensed an undercurrent in his voice. Had Nina got too close to one of them? Probably, because this was war and the rules were different. You didn’t know if you’d be around tomorrow so why not enjoy today? He stopped talking, his gaze resting on her face, his hand on her shoulder. She shut her eyes against reality.
    Nina. Her older sister, her protector. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Nina, who’d shepherded and guarded Ellie, who’d been the strength in their family when the foundations had crumbled. This should never have happened. Ellie should have been here, not chasing her own dream. It was her fault Nina was alone! Her fault her sister lay in this crowded hospital, her life in the balance. Accepting the blame didn’t stop the tears, but it forced her to act. This time it was up to Ellie to get Nina out, to stand up and take charge.
    ‘Can I see her?’ Ellie asked, taking tiny breaths to enable her to speak.
    ‘Come, we’ll see what the doctors say.’
    The walk through the maze of corridors, dodging stretchers, wheelchairs and people squatting on the floor, was surreal. The sounds, the odours, were background annoyances she barely registered as she followed the broad shoulders ahead of her.
    Dave stopped outside a pair of swing doors and looked through. His hand burned through the thin fabric of her shirt as he anchored her beside him. ‘We can’t go in. They’re still operating.’
    Ellie curled her fists tight against the urge to shove this man aside, burst through the doors and wrap her sister safely in her arms. Through the window she saw a stranger, bandages half covering her head. Nina’s trademark straight blond hair was gone. Her skin was pallid, as though the life had already drained away. Tubes from her mouth and her arm connected her to machines that were long past their warranty date. Ellie swayed towards the door as Dave’s fingers tightened on her arm.
    ‘No, Ellie, let them work.’
    ‘Nina . . . Nina . . .’ Ellie whispered, splaying her hand against the glass, the scene blurring as tears dripped from her chin. ‘Hang in there, Nina. I’ll get you home.’ Her voice broke on the last word. Home was so far away, the other side of the world in a place untouched by war. Home, where Ellie knew firsthand that time could heal.
    A tall man turned from the table, his hands raised and bloody. For an instant he locked gazes with Ellie. She saw the pity in his eyes and the resignation in his shoulders. Her anger was swift. He didn’t know Nina. He didn’t know Ellie. He had no idea how hard they would fight for something they loved. He had no right to believe the worst.
    The building shook as something solid found its mark. Dust and paint showered from the ceiling and Dave threw Ellie to the floor, covering her protectively.
    ‘Mortar fire. It’s been a difficult couple of days.’ She strained to hear him over the cacophony of alarms, raised voices and running feet. ‘Let’s hope it’s just a stray.’
    ‘At least the power’s still on.’ Ellie raised her head. The corridor had emptied. The doors behind them stayed resolutely closed.
    ‘Until the next strike.’
    ‘I need to make phone calls. I have to get Nina out of here.’
    ‘We’ve notified the consulate. They’ll do what they can.’
    ‘No!’ Ellie sat up now, leaning on the wall, palming her cheeks dry. ‘No way. They’ll take too long. I’ll handle it.’
    ‘We can help, Ellie. You