"Are you sure?" Thalia confirmed.
"I heard from the soldiers there that Dr. Carter died from the virus."
"I see."
Her voice had no emotion. She didn't cry either.
If he hadn't seen her shoulders shaking, he would have thought that Doc Thalia felt like ice.
But after he hesitated to touch her, he managed to squeeze her shoulder gently. "I'm sorry about your friend, Doc."
She flinched from his touch, just for a second, before she leaned against his chest again.
Silence prevailed between them for a moment until he spoke again. "We'll approach the clinic from the hills. That will give us a bird's-eye view, and if we see anything amiss, we'll get the hell out of here. Deal?"
He was not surprised when she protested what he said. "I'm going inside the clinic."
"Not unless I first make sure it's safe to enter." His tone brooked no argument. "Just follow what I say, Thalia. If I tell you to go, then we go."
He turned to her as if irritated. "I'm not afraid of your threat, Dean. If that's really your real name."
His lips twitched. "That's it."
"Fine, good then, I guess I'll just go ahead and believe you, just as I believe you that you are a journalist writing an article about our organization." There seemed to be an emphasis on what she said to him. "My colleagues at the clinic are like real family to me, and I don't want to see them hurt. Whatever happened in the village of Esmeralda, the soldiers there just wanted to cover up something. Maybe that's why their General kept asking me if I told any other colleagues at the clinic. Cover-ups require shutting people up, so that means my colleagues at the clinic are also at risk."
"I know."
"Oh, you know? And you're fine with me leaving them in this situation, huh?" She said in a loud voice.
He was stunned. "First of all, lower your voice. It's like you're announcing your location to those who are looking for you right now. And second, I won't ask for forgiveness if I save myself from this mess. I have given my life to save you. I can't save the whole damn world, Doc."
Without letting her respond, he dug the heel of his boot into the horse's flank and urged him into a gallop. He grabbed hold of the silky plait and tucked it underneath the collar of Thalia's shirt, then focused on leading the horse through the darkened foothills. There was a rise in elevation, the slope curving and climbing, and they followed the rocky trail to the outskirts of town.
As the Doctors International building approached his vision, the spirit seemed to fly from his body at what he saw.
"Oh my God," said Thalia.
There was no way to sugarcoat what was happening down below. No way to console the suddenly shivering woman in front of him. No way to reassure her that everything would be okay.
The clinic was engulfed in flames. It burst into flames and engulfed the entire Doctors International building. In front of it, he saw two military jeeps parked.
Soldiers in blue-and-gold San Jose uniforms surrounded the burning building. Some simply stood by and watched the conflagration as if it were a fireworks display. The other soldiers were just standing guard at the front door and they were holding their rifles. Dean suspected that the soldiers might be scattered around there, guarding all possible exits. To ensure that no one actually gets out alive from inside the clinic.
Thalia's slim frame shook even harder. Her soft sobs sent an arrow of pain to his heart. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her tight. "I'm sorry, Doc."
She sobbed and her whole body trembled. "You think...do you think...Oh, my god," she said and her eyes filled with tears. "They are merciless."
It was as if Dean's heart was split into two. It is very complicated if he thinks that doctors and nurses were burned alive inside the clinic. The memory of the teenage girl he'd met this morning embedded itself in his head, and agony sliced into his chest like a sword. Nadine. Poor Nadine.
He said a silent prayer to the victims inside. He just hope the soldiers shoot them first rather than those inside experience their bodies being slowly consumed by fire.
He and Thalia just silently watched the building continue to burn. They sat astride the horse, shrouded in the darkness, Dean wishing he could take away the pain rolling off Thalia's body.
"What are they doing?" Thalia asked suddenly.
He saw some of the soldiers taking spray cans to the vehicles littered in the courtyard. Dean followed the movements of their hands for a moment. He had to squint to make sense of what he was seeing. Once it registered to his brain, he clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw hurt.
"They're tagging the area," he hissed out, his vision becoming a red haze of fury. "That's the UFF's symbol. They want to make it appear that the UFF is responsible for the fire."
He really wanted to shoot the bastards at that time. They probably burned alive the innocent people inside the clinic, and now they will pass the blame to the rebel group. Once the U.S. caught wind of this...no, once the whole world knows this, the UFF will surely pay for the sin they did not commit.
But he couldn't dwell on the implications for long, not when he realized that Thalia was now shaking like a leaf in a tropical storm. Her breathing came out in unsteady pants, her slender torso rocking so hard he feared she'd topple right off the horse.
"Breathe, Doc," he murmured, gently stroking the sides of her arms. "Breathe before you pass out."
He felt her deep breathing, he also heard her soft exhalation. She did the breathing exercise over and over again, until she was able to speak again. "Get me out of here," she choked out. "Please, Dean, get me out of here."
*****
