Bane panted. His muscles burned from the strain. Though Ipo didn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, she was hard to carry as a deadweight. He labored to pull air into his lungs as he rested a few minutes while Leia dug his cell phone out of his shirt pocket. At least she wasn’t refusing to use it. “Still no signal.” Leia snapped it closed. She pressed her fingers against her grandmother’s neck. “Her pulse is still weak, and she has dyspnea. Shortness of breath,” she amended when he raised his eye-brows. “Classic signs of a myocardial infarction.” At least he knew that meant heart attack. “Let’s get going again.” Bane picked up Ipo and followed Leia along the path with renewed urgency. “How much farther?” “Not far. Just through the trees. I’m going to run and call the clinic.” She put on a burst of speed and disappeared through the monkeypod trees. Ajax ran after her. A few moments later, he heard the slam of the front door. The sound encouraged him. His arms and back aching, he hurried through the last of the trees and broke through the jungle into Ipo’s backyard.
