Checking his temperature and then his blood pressure, Arya listens intently before patting his arm.
"You can move around the base Al, just no exertion. That means no hikes, jogs, or blowing anything up. And I'm sure Ember is fine. She's tough. She probably found Kat and the two escaped."
She believed her words, but as the days past and the end of the week loomed closer, Arya even started to worry. How had they not come back yet, if something hadn't happened to them? What if Em had gone in after him? She'd asked Shrake to go on a search mission, but as it was two of them were still down for the count, Arya had to remain at base to do her duties, and the two newest men hadn't proven themselves or done anything to gain Shrake's trust yet. Like Katerina was when she arrived, Snowy and Red were in limbo until Shrake decided otherwise.
So they decided to wait till the end of the week, and if the girl's hadn't made contact by then, they would have to make due and go on a rescue op.
Two days later and Emberly just wants to faint, her feet shuffling along the gravel road. Katerina is doing no better, having fallen unconscious twice now. The only thing pushing them forward is in the horizon, peeking just over a hill is La Paz.
They could, of course, had been rescued by now if it wasn't for their lack of radios or any communicational device. In the rush of things, Kat had left her phone in the mansion, and her glock had been taken from her. The blonde was not only injured but useless, having no weapon or way to make contact with Casper.
Em wasn't faring much better. Because of the Katerina's advice, Ember had no other radio other than the broken ear piece she had tossed away, and hadn't carried a cell phone in years. At least she had her pistol, and a spare magazine on her hip.
"It's only half a day's walk left," Em croaks, her throat parched, "We can be there by sunset. Kat?"
Groaning, the blonde nods, dragging her stiff leg along with her as Ember helps her walk. At this point its only willpower carrying the blonde forward, that and a deep seeded hate for the government and cartels in Bolivia. She'd already sworn multiple times to put a bullet through Narco's head, loudly and angrily at the sky as they grew more thirsty and hungry. At some point Ember had started speaking to her again, helping her walk and putting aside her grief for Al. They both just wanted to make it back to base, to live another day so they could avenge him, and Katerina was not about to let death take her before Narcos was deep, deep in the ground.
"I can do it," she growled, pulling at her remaining strength, "Just promise me you can fly us home when we get to that copter."
~
Reaching La Paz, the women were so dehydrated and starved they barely made it to town, finding the first hotel and blowing the rest of the cash they had on room service and a warm bed. They showered, and Kat rinsed her wounds before ripping the sheets apart for makeshift bandages.
The next morning they were up and moving by dawn, stealing a car -thanks to Katerina- and driving out to the abandoned parking lot where the copter safely sat.
"Take us home," Kat sighed, pulling her aching body into the passenger seat as her head rocked, deliria starting to kick in, "Hurry up mom, I'm hungry."
"Hang on," turning the helicopter on, she strapped Katerina in, checking her forehead, "Boy do you ever have a fever. Just a couple more hours Kat. We can do it."
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