“She’s not breathing!” he yelled out. “Bring her here. Lift her up.”
Winter called out as he and York swam quickly to the dock and used their height and muscles to reach up to the high post and pull them up. Then they made a body ramp to lift Aspen up so they could provide first aid to her on the dock.
The others climbed up, including Storm, with a helping hand from Weston.
Winter began chest compressions. Weston cleared her passageway and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
York, Zin, and Storm kept their guns drawn as they made sure no bad guys were coming. Storm communicated with Porter and his team as they headed toward them.
“Come on, baby, breathe damn you. Breathe.” Winter cursed at her.
“Come on, sis. Come on now,” Porter stated firmly as he fell to his knees and watched.
The sound of her coughing then choking up water as Winter and Weston rolled her to her side was the most amazing sound.
“Fuck yeah, she’s tough as nails,” Zin stated, sounding proud.
She moaned and held her head.
“Easy, baby. We’ve got you. But we need to haul ass before the law shows up.”
“Winter?” she whispered.
“Yup. Weston has you. We’re all here,” he said as Weston lifted her up into his arms.
“Let’s move now,” York said from down in the water. They eased her down and all surrounded her.
“You need to hold on to Weston’s neck. I’ll be right behind you. Then we’ll get to the boat,” York told her.
“I don’t know if I can. I think I’m going to pass out or puke,” she said.
Storm swam up behind her. They were already moving.
“Don’t you dare pass out, soldier. That’s a direct order. Suck it up and move damn it,” Storm ordered. She close her mouth and held on.
They all swam out of there and to the awaiting motorized blow up boats they had waiting in the distance.
They climbed in and pulled Aspen up and onto the boat.
“Now you can pass out,” Storm told her. She closed her eyes and he could see the bruising, the blood oozing from her head.
“We’re going to need an ambulance,” Weston said as he held Aspen between his legs.
“No need. There’ll be help waiting for us as soon as we get to the location again,” Storm told them.
“Who the hell have you been communicating with? Dmitri?” Zin asked.
“Nicolai,” Storm said and everyone became silent.
It was York who whistled. “Holy fuck, you do have friends in low places and high ones.”
After that no one said a word. Storm hoped Aspen would be okay now as they prepared for the next steps of taking over Andrei Renoke’s territory, too.
Chapter 9
Storm stood outside of the room where Aspen was being treated. It wasn’t a medical facility, more like an abandoned building with secret rooms set up for emergency medical situations needed by the Russian mob boss Nicolai.
He ran his hands over his face, feeling the stubble and the need for a shower and shave.