Chapter 3

A few days later, Ethan announced a mandatory training retreat in the mountains. It was for his unit, but he insisted all attached personnel, including medical staff, were to attend. When Chloe arrived at the staging area, she saw Sarah standing next to him, looking radiant in new hiking gear.

"I thought you'd want some company," Sarah said to Chloe, her voice sweet, but her eyes held a mocking glint. "Ethan gets so stressed on these things. He needs me to keep him calm."

The implication was clear: Chloe was no longer needed.

As they prepared for the strenuous hike, Ethan, trying to play the part of a caring leader in front of his men, ordered everyone to participate. He approached Chloe.

"That pack looks heavy," he said, his voice low. "Let me carry it for you."

"I can handle it," Chloe said, shrugging her own pack on and cinching the straps tightly. It was a declaration of independence.

His face fell for a second. Then Sarah, with a delicate sigh, said, "Oh, Ethan, my pack is just so heavy."

He immediately turned to Sarah, hoisted her pack onto his own shoulders without a second thought, and smiled. "No problem at all."

The hike was brutal, a steep climb through rugged terrain. As they walked, Sarah stayed close to Ethan, peppering him with questions.

"So where exactly is the forward operating base from here?" she asked, pointing north. "And what's the response time for air support in this sector?"

Her questions were oddly specific, too tactical for a civilian. Chloe' s training as a therapist embedded with special forces had included briefings on operational security. Sarah's inquiries were setting off red flags.

"Sarah, that's classified information," Chloe said sharply.

Sarah looked at her, her eyes welling up with tears. "I was just curious! I worry about Ethan, that's all."

Ethan shot Chloe a dark look. "She's just trying to understand my work, Chloe. Stop being so paranoid."

They were nearing a narrow ridge with a steep drop-off. Sarah was walking just ahead of Chloe. Suddenly, Sarah's foot seemed to slip on a loose rock. She cried out and flailed, her arm catching Chloe's and pulling her off balance.

Chloe felt a horrifying weightlessness as she was dragged over the edge. She scrabbled for a handhold, but there was nothing but air. She and Sarah tumbled down the rocky cliffside together.

Pain exploded in Chloe' s leg as she hit the bottom. She lay there for a moment, dazed, the world spinning. When her vision cleared, she saw Sarah lying nearby, unconscious.

Despite the throbbing in her leg and the cuts and bruises covering her body, Chloe' s instincts took over. She checked Sarah' s pulse-it was steady. She splinted her own leg as best she could with a broken branch and strips of her shirt. Then, as the sun began to set and the mountain air grew cold, she gathered wood and started a fire, a small beacon for their rescuers.

Hours later, she heard shouts from above. Ethan was leading the rescue party. He rappelled down the cliff face, his movements frantic. When he reached the bottom, he didn't even look at Chloe. He ran straight to Sarah.

"Sarah! Sarah, wake up!" he cried, cradling her head in his lap.

His frantic movements disturbed the undergrowth near Chloe' s feet. There was a sudden, sharp hiss. Chloe felt a searing pain in her calf, just above her boot. She looked down and saw the diamond-patterned scales of a viper slithering away into the darkness.

"Ethan!" she gasped, the pain already spreading. "A snake..."

He didn't hear her. He was completely absorbed with Sarah, who was beginning to stir, moaning softly.

"It's okay, I'm here," Ethan murmured to Sarah, ignoring Chloe completely.

Chloe grit her teeth against the venom's fire, her vision starting to blur at the edges. She watched as he tenderly lifted Sarah into his arms, his focus absolute. He had forgotten she was even there.

Back at the camp, the medics worked frantically on Chloe's snakebite, administering antivenom. Ethan finally came into the medical tent, his face grim. He wasn't there to see how she was. He was there to accuse her.

"This is your fault," he said, his voice low and angry. "If you hadn't been questioning Sarah, making her nervous, she never would have slipped."

Chloe stared at him, disgusted. He was blind. Utterly, willfully blind. She was lying there, fighting off poison, and all he could see was a way to defend Sarah and blame her.

"Get out," she said, her voice weak but firm.

He stood there for a moment, his jaw tight, then turned and left, leaving her alone with the throbbing pain in her leg and the icy certainty in her heart.