Chapter 32: They Stumble That Run Fast

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This chapter is brought to you by Icarus by Bastille. 

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The extraction point was a day's journey away from the Paudu compound. 

The five of them rode the carriage without stopping. 

There was a bump on the road that roughly jostled them. 

Nine grimaced and pressed his hand against the wound on his side. When he brought it away, it was slick with blood. 

Belwyn glanced at him from the corner of his eye. 

He paused, and then, slowly, he said, "You're injured." 

Nine shook his head. "I was careless." 

"What happened?"

"Five agents from Mantle and a dozen more personal guards."

"You fought them off?" 

Nine looked away. "I'll explain at the debrief." 

Belwyn pursed his lips and turned back to the road. 

"Put more pressure on it. We're almost to the extraction." 

Nine did as he was told. 

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A couple of hours later, they reached the extraction point. 

"You're injured?!" 

Jovette worriedly examined him, as if searching for a gaping somewhere. 

Tobus removed his coat and winced. 

While the injury couldn't be seen on his black shirt, blood had soaked a large portion of it was wet.

Bel supported him toward a case and made him sit down. 

There was blood on his hands the moment he let go. 

A pained expression grew on his face.

"Mercury, go get the medical kit. It should be behind one of the trees." 

They had no healers in their unit and no one knew a single thing about healing magic. The only thing they could do at the moment was pour disinfectant liquor on the wound and stitch it up. 

"Okay?" Belwyn asked.

His blue eyes were softened by worry.

Tobus wordlessly nodded and closed his eyes. 

Mercury came back with the medical kit and turned to Rowan. "Still got any more of that knock-out potion?" 

The young man froze. 

"Yes... Is Toby going to be okay?" 

Tobus was sitting on a case and leaning his head against a tree with his eyes closed. 

Bel was talking to him in a low voice, keeping him distracted, and every once in a while his lips would move to form single-syllable responses. 

It was... intimate. Like they were in their own world. 

And now Mercury was implying they should knock him out? 

Did his sleeping potion even work on Tobus?

His eyes met Jovette's, and he noticed her brows knitted with concern. 

Rowan silently conveyed his thoughts about using the sleeping potion on Tobus.

She bit her lips.

"He won't like it, but it's better." 

Bel helped Tobus take off his shirt. 

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