Time seemed to hang by a thread in the ‘verse as the three men searched for Freya.

Alex nearly had a heart attack when he saw a hand sticking out from beneath the collapsed wall, and dropped to his knees, narrowly avoiding the pool of dust-clogged blood that was spreading out from under the rocks. It only took a moment to ascertain it was a man, probably the young guard they’d tried to save, but it was the longest moment of Alex’s life.

As he climbed slowly back to his feet, a silent prayer on his lips, he heard Breed yell.

“Over here!”

He ran back down the corridor, reaching the other man at the same time as Dillon. “Freya?”

She was laying on her side, wedged against the wall, her body half-twisted towards them.

“Is she … alive?”

Breed was checking her pulse. “Yes.”

“Thank God.” He paused. “I must have passed her. And I didn’t even see.”

“Help me,” Breed requested. “We need to lay her out flat.”

“What if she’s got internal injuries?” Dillon nevertheless had gone down onto his heels, ready to assist.

“One way or the other we can’t leave her here. And I don’t think we’re going to be able to find a doctor, do you?”

“But if we aggravate something, make it worse -”

“Are you arguing?” Her faint voice seemed to be sent from heaven.

“Freya?” Alex was next to her head in a moment, brushing dust and tiny fragments of stone from her face. “Are you all right?”

Her eyes fluttered, finally opening. “No?” She shifted slightly, and a wave of pain crossed her features. “Oh, most definitely no.”

“Where does it hurt? Most, I mean?” Breed asked.

She was breathing shallowly, trying to control it. “My … my leg.”

Breed looked at the others. “Help me,” he said again.

Between them the three men tilted her hips back so she was lying flat, each supporting her as they did so. Breed straightened her leg, knowing he couldn’t begin to understand the agony biting deep into her face. She stifled a groan. “ Cao .”

“It’s okay, Frey,” Alex muttered, her hand see