“It’s okay,” Magnolia said, crouching down to pet the dog.
Sloan spoke in hushed tones to the militia team on the right. She then jogged back over. In the glow of burning sconce torches, sweat trickled down her brow.
“How… how is he?” she asked.
“We don’t know,” Michael said. “He’s still in surgery.”
Sloan pulled out her radio and relayed a message.
“Sergeant Wynn, you got a sitrep?”
“Yes, Lieutenant. Everyone is in position. No one is getting past our defenses around the capitol rig. Don’t worry.”
“What about the warships? Any movement?”
“Negative,” said the sergeant. “Still in the same position, and they aren’t anchored.”
“Copy that.”
Still panting from the rush to get here, she put the radio away and unslung her submachine gun.
“Word about X has spread like fire,” she said, “and my scouts have reported movement of other Cazador forces. If King Xavier dies, I fully expect Colonel Moreto and / or Colonel Forge to make a play for the throne—maybe even before.”
“I told you,” Sofia said, looking at Magnolia.
“What can we do?” Ted asked. He swept his silver hair back from his green eyes. “There has to be something.”
“Keep your blasters at the ready,” Sloan said. “For now, we wait to see what happens.”
Miles got up and turned toward echoing footsteps. Rodger jogged down the passage with two laser rifles slung over his back. He gave one to Michael and handed the other to Magnolia as she shuddered from the implications.
Sofia’s theory wasn’t just correct; Lieutenant Sloan shared it. And it was exactly what Magnolia had feared before leaving for Rio de Janeiro—and exactly why she had told Rodger to stay here and help protect X.
She glared at him, but then, things would have gone badly if he hadn’t stowed away on the Sea Wolf and gone on the mission to Rio. If not for Rodger, she would have died at the Bloodline fuel outpost. No, this wasn’t Rodger’s fault.
Whatever madness had driven Rhino and X to try to kill Colonel Vargas was on them, and she had a feeling it was probably Rhino’s decision.
Footfalls echoed as more troops filtered into the passage. The group parted to allow a heavyset man through the group. Candlelight illuminated Samson’s sweaty features.
Miles got up to check out who was coming.
“Someone want to tell me what’s going on?” Samson called out.
Sloan explained to the chief engineer.
“Have you tried contacting Colonel Forge and Colonel Moreto?” he asked.
“Yes, Moreto claims that Renegade is having engine troubles and that they are mobilizing troops just in case the skinwalkers show up,” she said. “I don’t believe a damn word of it.”
“Me, either,” Magnolia said.
Samson took in the information, then looked to the medical ward’s doors. “How is X?”
“We still don’t know,” Les said.
“I don’t understand why you kept this from us for so long,” Michael said.
The captain sighed. “I didn’t know he was in this bad a shape, Commander. It shocked me when I came down to talk to him and found out he was being hauled off to surgery.”
Sloan cleared her throat. “We specifically didn’t want this information to be released widely. It was a risk to tell Captain Mitchells even over the encrypted channel, for fear it would lead to a coup. But we told him so he could at least be prepared when you all returned.”
Les changed the subject.
“How are the airship repairs coming along?” he asked Samson.
“Going to take a while.” He dabbed his eyes with his handkerchief and stifled a cough. “You used a lot of ammunition on the mission, too, and we’re almost out of rounds for the twenty-millimeter Miniguns.”
“I know, but I had no choice,” Les said. “How far are we from getting her in the air again? She’s a sitting duck on the tower right now.”
“I could get her in the air now, Captain, but we can’t fix the thrusters or turbofans while we’re in the sky.”
“I know. Damn it, I know.” Les looked up at the ceiling, then back to Samson. “Perhaps we should consider getting her into the cloud cover, just in case the Cazadores decide to try anything.”
“That I can do, sir.”
Les didn’t look at anyone else for consideration. He simply nodded and said, “Turn on the engines. I’ll be up shortly.”
“You got it, Captain.”
Samson took off, pulling up his pants as he hurried away.
“Lieutenant, you’re the only one that seems to know what’s going on with X,” Magnolia said. “We’d all like the full story.”
Sloan waved them into a room across the hall. The Hell Divers and support staff, including Layla, walked over while Miles remained at the doors.
“Come on,” Magnolia said in a soft voice.
The dog whined and turned back to the door. The sight broke her heart, but Magnolia had to go with the other divers. She was the last inside the room and shut the door behind her.
“This is classified,” said Sloan.
“Got it,” Michael said. “Now, tell us what happened.”
“Colonel Vargas was preparing to kill X, or so General Rhino believed,” she said. “They came up with a plan to kill him first but ended up getting their small team ambushed.”
“So that’s what he was trying to tell me over the radio,” Michael said.
“X was in bad shape after,” Sloan continued, “but we got him stabilized, and he even decided to hold a damn council meeting. Then the infection started and, finally, flesh-eating bacteria.”
“Flesh-eating what?” Rodger asked.
“Necrotizing fasciitis is what Dr. Huff called it,” Sloan said. “He’s been in and out of consciousness for the past two days while medical staff tried to treat the infection with antibiotics that didn’t work.”
“His body’s been through a lot over the years,” Les said. “All that time in the wastes. Maybe it’s resistant to antibiotics now.”
“That’s what Dr. Huff thinks, too,” Sloan said, “and unfortunately, there isn’t much we could do about the flesh-eating bacteria besides hack off his arm.”
Michael bowed his head, and Layla put a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said.
“X is the strongest man in the universe,” Rodger said. “He’s not going to die. He’s, like, a superhero.”
Normally, everyone would have agreed out loud, but the divers and support staff didn’t respond. They all knew how serious this was.
The door to the room swung open, and Dr. Huff stepped out with his white mask pulled down under his chin. Everyone got up from the table, boxing him in front of the doors.
“Is X out of surgery?” Les asked.
“How is he?” Michael said.
Magnolia held her breath.
The doctor looked at them in turn and then sighed. “He’s out of surgery and alive,” he said.
“When can we see him?” Michael asked.
“He needs rest, Commander. He’s got a long recovery ahead, and he isn’t out of the woods yet. These next twenty-four hours are vital to whether he survives or not.”
“Sur… vives?” Michael stammered.
“His body has been through extreme trauma, and this wasn’t just a normal infection.”
“I already told them,” Sloan said.
“Then you all know if we hadn’t cut off his arm, it would have spread and killed him.”
“Which arm?” Michael asked.
Huff checked the door to make sure it was closed. Then he seemed to relax, his shoulders slouching. “His right arm. He’s lucky to be alive, frankly.”
“Any other man wouldn’t have made it out of the Purple Pearl,” said Sloan. “He’s going to make it. I have no doubt.”