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Part XXI The warm, humid air was stifling. However, Wufei didn’t notice as he made his way through the lush forest undergrowth. He had found the site of Sally’s camp but realized that no one had been there for several hours.
With a sinking feeling, he has started toward the coordinates that Sally was suppose to investigate. ‘Stupid onna, you missed your check-in deadline a few hours ago,’ he fumed. That meant that something had gone incredibly wrong with her mission. ‘All you had to do was take a vacation, woman,’ he thought, continuing his silent tirade. ‘How difficult is that?! What possessed you to go on a mission with a rookie?’ However, he suddenly stopped when he heard a strange noise. Alert for any sign of attack, he slowly drew his gun and clicked the safety off. His eyes scanned the area around him and he noticed an alien spot of color some distance away. Keeping to the trees, he silently made his way to the spot. He heard a rustling movement and took a deep breath. With his gun raised, ready to fire, he stepped away from the tree. “Onna?” The voice was so gruff and strangled that Wufei didn’t realize it was his. Lowering his gun slightly, he walked slowly up to her. She was so pale and still that he feared she was dead. With his free hand, he searched for a pulse. He released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding when he felt the throb beneath his fingertips. It was fairly weak, but it was there. He reholstered his gun, forcing himself to look at Sally. Her right eye and jaw were black from bruises, while her nose and bottom lip were swollen and crusted with dried blood. The rents in her shirt showed that the bruises and cuts covered most of her body. He pulled out a pocket knife and began to work on the ropes. Whoever had attacked her had left her tied to a tree, leaving her to a slow death. What had they done with the rookie Preventer? Cutting the last rope, he caught her and gently lowered her to him. He noticed the dried blood caked around her ear. When he brushed his fingers over the spot, she moaned slightly. Her eyes fluttered under the lids and she weakly tried to pull away from his touch. “I will punish those who did this to you,” he vowed. With great tenderness, he swept her up, cradling her against his chest. Despite his efforts to be careful, he nearly tripped overly an unseen tree root. The jarring jolt caused Sally to moan once more as she tried to pull away from himself. “Be still, onna,” he admonished, tightening his grip on her. Her brow furrowed at his title for her. Yet, her body relaxed, offering no more resistance. With no further incidences, he managed to carry her back to his vehicle. He strapped her in before turning on the radio. “I’ve found Sally Po,” he stated, his eyes never leaving his partner. “I’m going back to search for signs of the rookie.” “Don’t bother, Wufei,” Une replied, clearly irritated. “It appears that Robert wasn’t who he said he was.” Wufei’s hold on the radio became a vise. “What do you mean, Une.” “We’ll discuss this one you return to base,” Une answered, her tone ordering no arguments. “Very well,” Wufei responded, swallowing several angry remarks. “Have a medical team standing by. Chang out.” He cut off the radio, not bothering to wait for anything else from Une. As he strapped himself in, Wufei glanced at his still unconscious partner. “What the hell did you get yourself into now, onna?” |
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