If You Fall

Twenty Two

My mouth was dry. She straightened up as they came back, and I had another shock at the three little boys they had with them, waifs covered in bruises, two of them maybe nine, the other eleven or twelve. 

I suddenly felt a roaring triumph over the part I'd played and looked down at the weapon in my hand with awe.

Dane had an armful of blankets and they began wrapping them around the silent, cowed children, who were blinking rapidly in the bright light, their eyes dull. 

"Drugged," Reed whispered in my ear, his own face expressionless, and I knew he was mentally struggling. He picked up one of the littler ones, blanket and all, and Dane did the same with the other one. Neither fought it. 

I took the hand of the older one and he obediently followed when I tugged, holding the blanket closed at his throat.

"Go," Arianna said, gesturing as she wiped the sweat  off her face, smearing the blood more. "I'm fine!" Dane went out first, then Reed, and I stepped out after them. 

It was even colder out after the heat of the house. I thought about shielding the boy's eyes from the dogs' bodies but how stupid was that, after what this kid had seen. None had a hat on and we gave them our beanies. It was a long way back down the snowed over trail we'd made on the way up. Probably only fifteen minutes but fuck. 

As we neared the car I glanced back at Arianna, who stumbled and fell to one knee. She got back up, her face about as white as the snow. She had her hand to her head, blood all over both from her cut forehead.

Reed noticed too and hesitated but she flipped us off. "I said I'm fucking fine! Leave me alone."

He nodded and looked at me and I gestured that he should go so he kept going. We got to the SUV and were tucking the boys inside when I saw Arianna several yards behind us, in a heap, not getting up. I slapped Reed's arm so that he turned too. Then he was running back to her and dropping in the snow, which I could see even from my position was red around her.

He was trying to lift her as her head lolled back. "Tell me you did not get fucking shot, Arianna!" His voice was hoarse.

All I could think was I had never heard him say fucking before.

"Dane!" he yelled, not trying to lift her anymore but feeling through the front of her clothes now. "Help me Addy," he implored, blood all over his hands now as I fell next to him, but there was nothing I could do. "Here, right here," he said, to himself, having found the bullet hole. He yanked off his coat and then his long sleeved shirt, balling it up and putting it against her side. He said something in French to himself, almost in tears, and I felt so fucking useless.

Dane got to us and was pulling his belt out of the loops, then they used it to secure the wad of clothing soaking up the blood. They rose with her and staggered through the snow and I opened the far back door so they could lay her on the rear seats. The boys in the second row didn't even turn around. One of the smaller ones was laying down across the other two, and the other younger one was sucking his thumb.

I got in the back with her, and so did Dane. My pants were soaked through from the snow.

"Hold her," Reed said to me, slamming the door and getting in the driver's seat. Dane and I blocked her from rolling off by sitting in the seats, gently pressed against her shoulders and knees. We got seat belts around ourselves but didn't dare wrap one around her injured midsection. I continued putting pressure on the sodden shirt.

"Call Don," Reed told Dane, but he was already dialing.

"It's Ari," Dane said into the phone. "Tell Clooney. Twenny minutes. No. Yes, we got 'em wif us. A bullet in the side. Not sure. Yeah, someone'll need to go back and clean up. Right." He ended the call with shaking fingers.