Page 4 of Shelter for Shay

He tried to move. Couldn’t. His body refused.

And then a figure crouched next to him, gloved hand pressing a knife to his throat just hard enough to sting.

“Told you they’d come,” the man said in heavily accented English. “Too easy.”

The last thing Moose saw was Kawan’s body slamming into the man—then everything went black.

U.S. Military Hospital – Landstuhl, Germany

Three Days Later…

Pain arrived before sound.

Moose opened his eyes and stared at the whitewashed ceiling of the hospital room, blinking against the buzz of fluorescent lights and the steady beeping of a heart monitor beside his bed. The ache in his ribs was sharp and unrelenting, every breath reminding him he was still alive. Barely.

At least he knew where he was and why.

That was always a good thing.

His left arm was in a sling, and his shoulder was immobilized. His right thigh felt like it was wrapped in fire and ice—burned, bandaged, and numb all at once.

Someone shifted in the corner.

“You’re awake,” Thor said, rising from a hard plastic chair with a familiar wince. “About time.”

Moose managed a grunt. “You look like shit.”

“I look better than you,” Thor said dryly.

Despite the pain, Moose huffed out a weak laugh.

Thor came closer, eyes scanning his face. “You with me?”

“Yeah.”

“You remember what happened?”

Moose closed his eyes, doing his best to conjure up the remnants of the last mission. The memory rushed back in fragments—gunfire, heat, the sharp sting of betrayal when the trap snapped shut. Kawan yelling. Sloan bleeding. The deafening silence when Jupiter’s voice vanished from his comms.

Moose nodded once. “We walked into it.”

“Hard.”

“How bad am I?”

“Cracked rib, dislocated shoulder, burns on your right leg. Skull’s intact, somehow. You were out for a couple days but Doc says you’re gonna be just fine.”

“The others?”

“Sloan’s got a torn-up leg, but he’ll walk. Lief’s concussed. Kawan’s stitched up but already arguing with the nurses. Jupiter’s fine—just pissed. Thinks he should’ve seen it coming.”

“He couldn’t have,” Moose murmured. “It was a clean setup. Better than most.”

Thor nodded slowly. “Command agrees. Debriefs as soon as we land Stateside.” There was a pause, and then Thor added, “We’re getting cleared for transport soon. You know where I’ve requested and have gotten permission for all of us to go.”

Moose didn’t need to ask. “The Refuge,” he said, grateful to be going back.

Thor nodded. “Flights are being arranged now. Henley’s expecting us. While this wasn’t the worst thing we’ve been through, since Brick has room for us, we might as well take advantage. We could all use a recharge after that shitshow.”