Coveted (Completed) - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

We followed Emily's directions, the track getting narrower and more overgrown but there were signs another vehicle had been this was which gave us hope we were on the right track.
Ahead we could see a ruined building, its old whitewashed walls crumbling, the raw stone under showing, the windows boarded up, it was a falling down and I hoped we had found her but feared the state she would be in, if she had been left here.
"Stop it, we will find her" Angus said looking at me as we stopped and got out of the car.
"This is the location the watch tracked" Emily confirmed, setting the laptop on the seat and grabbing the radio.
A faint noise made me stop and listen. I waited tense, hearing nothing, then I heard it again, "Help!" it was faint but coming from the building. Angus surged forward trying the door and finding it locked.
"HELP!" We heard it again, a female calling for help, she was here, we just had to get in.
"HELP!"
"MAISIE!" I shouted back as Angus kicked at the door, again and again, the old wood finally giving under his kicks.
"HELP!" she screamed again, as the door opened and we rushed inside, our gaze immediately finding her, her body swaying to the side as she passed out.
We all rushed forward talking at once, Angus lifting her carefully only to find her hands cuffed and a chain running to the wall. "The car, see if there is anything in the boot" Angus tells me but Emily stops me, she's taking off her coat and kneeling down by Maisie , checking her over, as she talks.
"Check the glove box first, there maybe some keys, they may fit the cuffs, they look to be standard, grab any blankets too, she's freezing" I nod and rush back to the car, knowing Emily had start checking her over, but to save her we need to get her free.
There is a bunch of keys in the glove box and I grab them along with a tyre iron and two blankets from the rear of the car.
Emily reached for the blankets first, Angus carefully lifting her, laying her back down on it as we wrap the other one over her and the coats that already cover her. I hold up the keys and Emily smiles reaching for them. "That's them, hopefully one will fit" she tells us, swapping them for the radio, "Call it in" she instructs me "She's got a nasty head wound and there is some blood loss, as soon as she's free we will need to get her to a hospital but the Commander will know the best way" her gaze searching through the keys as she tries them, one at a time, Angus still holding Maisie and I know he is trying to help warm her.
"McDowell, come in McDowell" I say waiting for a response.
"McDowell receiving" come crackling through and I feel some relief.
"We've found her, can you let the Commander know" I tell him.
The response is almost immediate "This is Bishop, how is she?"
"She passed out when we got here, she's hurt and cold, she is cuffed to the wall, we are working on freeing her now, do we move her once she's free and to where?" I tell him.
"Get her free and I will have an answer for you then" he replies.
"This one" Emily mutters as the key works and she frees one wrist then the other.
"Thank you" I tell her as she moves back, letting me come close and together Angus and I lift her body carefully up, Emily guiding us out to the car.
"Come in Commander" Emily radios, moving round us to open the car door.
"Emily, go ahead, we can hear you" Jamison replies "Is she free?"
"Yes" she replies
"Good, you are closer to the base than the hospital and Bishop has alerted them you are on your way, we will be there waiting for you"
"What's the safest way to do this?" I ask her and she frowns looking at the car and back to Maisie.
"Her head wound is my main concern and I don't want to jiggle her about too much until we can get a better look at it. if we put down the back seats we can lay her down and support her without putting any pressure on her wound"
"Do it" I agree, carefully shifting Maisie in my arms to free the blankets and holding her so Angus can assist Emily.
"I can drive" she tells us but Angus shakes his head, "No, I will drive, you and Hector can monitor her" she nods crawling into the boot area as Angus helps me guide Maisie inside, turning her on her side in the recovery position, as there is no pressure on the wound area. Emily sitting to the back of her head area while I hold her body still.
Hector sets the sat nav to guide us to the base."Hold on" he instructs.
The 20 minute ride is tense, partly as Maisie is still unconscious, but Emily reassures me her pulse is good and the bleeding has stopped. As we approach the main gates, I can see Bishop pacing by the barrier, and Jamison watching from the side, both rushing to meet as we stop.
Bishop begins barking orders as soon as he see's Maisie condition and guides us towards the base hospital where a team are waiting.
They carefully take her out and onto a stretcher and rush into the building, leaving us at the doors. Bishop following them inside but shutting the rest of us out.
I turned my gaze back to Jamison "Did you find him?"
"Not yet but he will surface and we will be ready"
"And Strait?"
"She is cooperating with us in the belief we will go easy on her" Jamison tells us.
I look back at the hospital doors "What now?" I ask, feeling lost and angry that I can't do anything.
Bishop returns and we can see his anger and the underlying fear "Is she..." I cannot say the words.
"The team here are some of the best medics we have, I trust them to do everything they can to help her" he pauses, taking a deep breath "You were just in time, her body temperature was too low and with the blood loss she was... " he paused again, not able to say it. "As the wound is currently stable and has stopped bleeding, They are bringing her temperature back up and have started a transfusion first, then they will deal with that. She woke briefly before panicking, so they have sedated her to keep the stress on her body at a minimum. There is nothing we can do right now, so lets focus on what we can do"
"She's ours" I tell him bluntly, surprising myself at letting the words loose so soon, but I know I will move heaven and hell for her.
"I gathered that" Bishop gives a short laugh, "I may not like it, she's like my little sister but I'm not blind, I can see what was happening, I can also see how much you care, you could have walked away, you didn't and that is what I see. Two for one was not what I ever envisioned for her but I can see the benefits, but... If you ever hurt her" his eyes narrow and Angus steps up to my side.
"We won't but if we ever do, we will come to you. Hector is right, she is ours and we are hers. Thank you for understanding" Angus tells him.
Jamison's phone ringing breaks us apart and we listen as he gets updated. "Duncan has made contact with Strait by text" he tells us.
I look back at the hospital doors and Bishops eyes follow mine "We have at least 12 hours before they will stop the sedation, they will call me if anything changes, I promise and she is more secure here than anywhere else"
Angus puts his arm around my shoulder, helping ease my tension and his, "Okay, lets find the bastard" I agree.
"Back to Greystones?" Jamison asks and Bishop nods before moving away to talk to some of his staff.