Midnight Lips | Ghost

𝐂𝐇. 07

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀
༻❁༺

"Valen—," I heard on my radio, Alejandro's voice cutting through. "Valentina, do you—... tina, do you copy? Please respond."

My hands were trembling as I pressed the button to talk. "Copy."

"Are you hurt?"

"Negative." I looked over the edge, the team's faces filled with concern as they looked up at me. "I'm fine, but I'm trapped. There's no way for me to get down." I glanced behind me. "And there's no way to go back either."

"Mierda..."

The sound of the helicopter was coming closer again, and I was the only one exposed, meaning the helicopter couldn't see the rest. In other words, they were safe and I was fucked up, more like dead.

I didn't care.
They were safe.

"Are you sure you can't go back?"

I looked behind me, at the wall that we just climbed down from. "Very."

"Find a way to get out of there, sergeant."

I sighed and looked around.

Think think think.
Don't give up yet.

I could jump into the river.
The shore is too in.
I could climb the wall.
It's too high.
I could try to reach the team.
It's too far, I wouldn't make it.

"Well?"

"No way out." I looked up at the sky, the helix's sounds coming closer. "The heli is coming back, Ale... You have to go."

"No."

"You have to."

"The fuck I will!"

"Leave!"

"De ninguna puta manera, Valentina. No te voy a dejar atrás como un pinche mamón." No fucking way, Valentina. I'm not leaving you behind like a fucking stupid.

I looked down and stared at Alejandro. What else could I do? The place they were standing was too far from me if I ever dared to jump. I brought the radio to my lips and said, "Ale, no lo voy a lograr." Ale, I'm not making it.

Alejandro took a step back, but it might as well have been my words a slap to his face.

I watched the way Riley came from behind and snatched Alejandro's radio. He looked up at me and brought the radio up. "You're gonna listen to me very carefully, Herrera," came his raspy voice, "You'll jump to me and I will catch you, d'you understand?"

What? "Repeat that, Lieutenant."

"Jump, I'll catch you."

"Are you crazy?"

"Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Goddamn it, I told you to go first, Herrera."

I laughed hysterically. This wasn't what I was expecting when I accepted the job, I was supposed to find the traitor. What will I tell Kate? I laughed again. Nothing. I'll be dead soon.