Page 36 of One Last Shot

“We’ll see.” Axel looped the harness overhimself, then hooked it to the winch clamp, checked the cable, and grabbed onto Oaken. “Hoist us up!”

They rose, andoh goody,they’d gotten it all on film, given Huxley’s hard-jawed gaze on him. Oh, that would make for spectacular footage. At least he hadn’t let out a scream.

They reached the skid and he grabbed it, then the deck, and stepped onto the skid.

Okay, maybe the ankle was broken. Axel climbed onto the deck and slid out of his loop. Boo hooked him into the chopper’s security via his harness.

Then she turned to Oaken.

Nowshewore the white face.

“I’m fine.”

“You could have broken your leg. Or worse, gotten a dislocated hip, or?—”

“I’m fine.” Sort of. But fine enough until the camera stopped rolling.

Her mouth made a grim line, but she pulled him onto the deck, unhooked him from the winch, then handed him the secure line.

He hooked in as she reached for his leg.

“Wait. They’ll want to film this.”

She looked up at him.

“Trust me.”

“Fine.”

Already the chopper was moving on its hydraulics to the deck and stairs. They docked, and of course, Huxley and Beto Gomez, the cameraman, were there. They’d caught the rest of the footage from Oaken’s helmet camera along with the chopper camera.

Now he nodded to Boo, who shook her head, then rolled up his pants leg.

The canvas pants had protected his skin from breaking, but a terrible bruise was already forming on his leg, his ankle swelling.

She untied his boot andeased it off.

“Can you move your ankle?”

He did, and managed not to make a sound.

“It probably needs X-rays,” Axel said.

Boo nodded as she broke out an ice pack. She put it on his ankle, then reached for a splint. This she affixed with an ACE bandage.

“C’mon, tough guy. Let’s get you to the ER.” Axel stood up and hooked his hand under Oaken’s arm.

Oaken wrangled his way up, then leaned on Axel as he exited the chopper onto the metal deck.

He used both handrails to get down, letting Huxley and Beto go down first. Axel followed him.

Boo did not.

Yeah, well, he’d agreed.

All he heard now were his words from the park earlier today, spoken with way too much hubris.“I promise, I can take care of myself.”

He looked like a fool.