The repositioning was delicate work—one wrong move could injure both mother and baby. Lucia’s grandmother murmured prayers while I worked my hands carefully around the infant’s shoulders, feeling for the right angle.
“There,” I breathed as something shifted. “Lucia, when the next contraction comes, I need you to push.”
Her face contorted with effort, and I guided the baby’s head as it finally emerged. One more contraction, and the shoulders followed.
“Almost there,” I murmured, supporting the baby’s body. “One more push, Lucia.”
The baby slipped free with a rush of fluid, and for a terrifying moment, there was only silence. I quickly cleared the airway, then a lusty cry filled the small room—healthy, strong, furious at being disturbed. Relief flooded through me as I checked vital signs.
“She’s perfect,” I told Lucia as I placed the squirming newborn in her arms. The baby’s cries softened to whimpers as she found her mother’s warmth. “You did beautifully.”
Lucia’s tears mixed with exhaustion and joy as she gazed at her daughter. “She’s so small.”
“She’s exactly the right size,” I assured her, administering antibiotics and checking for continued bleeding. The flow had slowed significantly—a good sign.
“Dr. Valentino.” Logan’s voice carried new urgency from the doorway. “We need to leave. Now.”
I looked up to see tension radiating from every line of his body. He was checking his watch, calculating.
“Two minutes,” I said, finishing Lucia’s immediate care and turning to her grandmother. “She needs to rest, but the bleeding should stop completely within an hour. Elena, watch for fever or heavy bleeding. If either happens?—”
“Lauren.” Logan’s voice cut through my medical protocols, sharper now. “The van’s gone by now. We’re hoofing it. If we have any chance at all of making it, we have to leaveright now.”
The implication hit me—we’d missed our ride to the extraction point. Now, we’d have to make our way through the jungle on foot, hoping we could reach the helicopter before it left without us.
I could see Logan’s hand hovering near his radio, probably debating whether to contact his team. Time was up.
I kissed Lucia’s forehead and grabbed my bag. “Take care of that beautiful baby.”
I reached down and kissed the top of Elena’s head, wishing I had more time to say goodbye, to explain what was going on. To tell her to stay in school and work hard and try to go to college. But I didn’t. There was no time. And my final words would be of more use if they were practical.
“There’s a storm coming. A hurricane,” I said as Logan pulled me toward the door. “Get supplies. Get as prepared as you can. Tell the others in the village.”
Then Logan had me out the door, and soon, I was following him toward the path that would take us to the helicopter. He keyed his radio as we cleared the village.
“Citadel Two, this is Citadel One. We are Oscar Mike to your POS.”
“Copy that, One. Standing by.”
I shot him a questioning look as we hurried down the village path.
“On the move to your position,” he explained without breaking stride. “Military shorthand.”
“Are we going to make it?”
“We’re going to do our fucking best.”
And then we ran.
Chapter 10
Logan
The momentwe cleared Lucia’s house, I was calculating. Distance to extraction point: two and a half klicks along the dirt road. No vehicles to be had, so we would have to make it on foot. Time remaining: thirty-seven minutes. Weather conditions: deteriorating with wind gusts that would make helicopter operations increasingly dangerous.
“Stay close,” I told Lauren as we reached the dirt road that connected the village to the outside world. “We need to move fast.”
She nodded, adjusting her medical bag across her shoulder. Even after delivering a baby under pressure, she looked focused rather than rattled. The woman had steel in her spine.
