Jesus. At least half of the buildings were caved in. He thought about the rural areas he had seen when the plane had flown him from Panama. What kind of devastation would they have been through?

He turned from the window toward Carmen's cries.

Ortiz had been right; this was a clusterfuck.

"Carmen said you have to take a break." David looked at the child who was quivering in front of him.

"What?" he wiped the constant stream of sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his undershirt.

"Here." The kid thrust out a hot can of orange soda. Even though it was liquid, he still gagged as he popped the top and the pungent scent of carbonated orange chemicals assaulted his nostrils. The kid's eyes were avid.

"Do you want some?"

"Carmen said it's for you. She said you should go to the hotel and sleep. I'm supposed to make you." It was clear the thought of him telling the large man to do anything was preposterous.

David thrust the open can at the kid.

"Really, mister?"

"Really. Help yourself." The kid sucked down half the can in one long gulp. When he tried to hand it back, David waved his hand. "Finish it. I like grape soda." The kid nodded and grinned. When he was done, he fished around in the same brown bag that had housed the soda. He pulled out one half eaten candy bar and two unopened nutrition bars.

"Here."

"Thanks, kid." David took the wadded up treats and put them in his pocket. "How is Carmen?"

"Grandma Carmen told us how you saved her. She's supposed to be resting at Mama's house, but she went to work instead."

"Where?" Hell, the police station was in shambles. Where could the old lady be working?

"City Hall." Suddenly David heard a man swear behind him. Turning, he saw three men grabbing a pillar that was too heavy for them.

"Gotta go, kid." He ran towards the men.

2.

Almost two days without sleep and he was delirious. It was the only thing that made any sense.

"I can't be put in charge, Governor. I'm a member of the United States Army. I can't be your chief of police." David gave up trying to stand, and dropped into the chair in front of the lieutenant governor's desk.

"I'm commanding you."

The man had lost his ever-loving mind. The 'I'm commanding you' line cinched it.

His island was literally a disaster area. The relief workers were due to land in two hours. Las Flores didn't have an army, they barely had fire and rescue, one hospital, two clinics, and their corrupt police force. The cherry on top was that the prison had suffered major damage, and fifty-three prisoners had escaped.

"Sir"

"Call me Bernardo," the man interrupted.

David looked at the older man. He was in his early sixties and was clearly exhausted.

"Bernardo, I can't be in charge of your police force."

"You can be in charge of capturing the escaped prisoners. I don't trust that goddamned warden any farther than I can throw him. He probably gave each of the convicts a fucking parting gift."

David choked out a laugh. It felt good and bad. In the last two days, he had found more bodies than he could count. Thank God there had been people in the rubble that he had been able to save.

"Governor," David began.

"Bernardo," the governor corrected.

David gave a weak wave of his hand. "Bernardo, I will help in whatever way I can, but why me?"

"Ortiz is dead. I trusted him. I don't want some military man from Panama coming in and running things. I want you. I've had at least fifteen people tell me about you, including Carmen. She hates everyone, and she thinks you are Superman. I need you."

"He's wrong, I don't think you're superman. I think you're Ironman," the woman called from the reception area.

"Quit eavesdropping, old woman," Bernardo yelled out.

"I wouldn't have to eavesdrop if you would talk louder."

David laughed tiredly. "Look, I can't officially report to you. I can't take orders from you. But I can be here, and you can make a request to my superior for my assistance. I cannot be officially in charge of your men."

Bernardo was easy to read. "But there is nothing stopping me from telling my people to do anything you tell them to do, right?"

"I can't stop you from doing or saying anything, Sir."

And the clusterfuck continues.

So much for capturing prisoners. It looked like he was going to be everybody's bitch. His commander wanted him to go and meet the Aid Workers before doing anything else. Personally, he thought getting started on the prison break seemed like a much higher priority. The doctors and nurses could surely figure out what needed to be done. Hell, there were more than enough bleeding bodies to go around.

David took a deep breath as the plane began to taxi. His leg was killing him, and he'd only gotten three hours sleep in the last forty-two. Logically, he knew he needed to only meet these people, then he should find someplace to get some shut eye before going to the prison. The fact that he was so pissed off was a sure sign that he was getting close to the end of his rope.

Carlos, one of the few good cops left, had accompanied him and was driving the bus. He was going to take everybody to the hotel where they would have a chance to dump their gear and probably rest before heading to either the hospital or one of the clinics. From what David had been told, a lot of the folks had come from Nigeria.

The door to the airplane opened, and the stairs were pushed up so they could walk down. David took off the miracle sunglasses that had somehow survived the earthquake and watched as the doctors and nurses deplaned. His commander had told him there were going to be thirteen in all. Not nearly enough.

Holy God. He squinted. The hair. The way she was shielding her eyes from the sun. He couldn't get a good look at her because the guy in front of her was tall. David waited until she stepped on the tarmac. He'd recognize the way she walked until the day he died.

Sarah Kyle.

Sarah Marie Kyle.

Captain Sarah Marie Kyle. Only she wasn't in the Army anymore. She wasn't a lot of things anymore. Cut it out, Sloane.

"David?" The group was arranged in front of him in a semi-circle, and Sarah walked toward him. He couldn't very well stand there with his figurative dick in his hand.

"Hi, Sarah." He gave a faint smile. "Hello, everyone. Welcome to Las Flores. Lieutenant Governor Bernardo Oliveras offers his sincere appreciation for your help. He'll be meeting you at the hotel. In the meantime, he sent me. I'm Captain David Sloane, United States Army. I'm going to take you to the hotel where you will be staying. It is a five-star resort built last year on the beach, and it sustained little damage. It has its own sewer system and electrical generators. As a matter of fact, some injured were brought to the hotel because it was in better shape than the hospital."

"I'm Doctor Carys Adams." A petite woman with strawberry blonde hair stepped forward. "Me and most of the others have just come from Nigeria. We got a little bit of sleep on the plane, but I think it would be best if everyone could get about four hours of rest before heading to the hospital. I don't want mistakes made while we're providing care."

"I got plenty of rest," a man with a nasal voice said. His eyes were bloodshot, and if David had to guess, he had also been drinking on the plane. More than one set of eyes rolled.

"Arnie, everyone will go to the hotel and rest. Then we will all go to the hospital as a unit and go over the information and protocols at the same time. Have I made myself clear?"

"Carys, they need us. I don't think people should needlessly suffer because some people need sleep." Carys opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, Sarah stepped forward.

"Doctor," she said addressing the belligerent man. "I believe I saw you downing quite a few vodka tonics on the flight over. I think you, more than anyone, require extra rest," Sarah said as she stepped into the doctor's personal space. He flushed a deep red.

"Now that everything is settled, if you will all get on the bus, we can head over to the hotel," David said.

They filed onto the bus, but Sarah held back so that she could get onto the bus last.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, Sarah."

"Are you staying at the same place we are?"

Did she finally want to see him?

"Yes. I'm staying at the same hotel that they're putting all of you."

"Can I see you?" Solemn gray eyes. They still had the power to take his breath away.

David nodded. She got on the bus, and he followed. He sat up front next to Carlos and watched as she sat on the seat next to Dr. Adams.

Bernardo was waiting for them at the hotel. He welcomed the men and women from Doctors Without Borders.

"Let me explain the situation," Bernardo began. "The hotel you are staying in has sustained the least amount of damage. It has its own generators and water supply because it was built last year. The city of San Marcos is a disaster. We never had a good land line system, so we depend on cellular phones. We already have our cell towers back up. The city doesn't have electricity, and water is at a premium."

David looked around and saw the aid workers nod. This didn't seem to come as a surprise. Bernardo continued. "On the bright side, our hospital and certain government buildings have generators. The rural areas are in better shape because they never depended on electricity or sewer systems, but many houses have collapsed, and we have many people injured in our countryside. We are burying people as quickly as we're able, but we have over five hundred bodies that still need to be buried."

David watched Sarah take in that last piece of information, even though her face remained impassive, her fists clenched, a sure sign she was upset.

Carys stepped forward.

"Governor, we've dealt with situations like this in the past. We should be able to help you with your crisis. If there are specific things you want us to focus on first, please let us know. Otherwise, we will focus on the injured in the hospital."

"There are two clinics as well. Those will need coverage."

"I will ensure that my personnel provides coverage there as well," she assured him.

Bernardo nodded his head to David, indicating they needed to leave. David took one last look at Sarah, wishing they had a chance to talk, but knowing he had to go.

They went to the prison together for the first time. It was a mess. He'd bet his bottom dollar, his savings account, and his newly restored 1974 Cougar that the warden was corrupt. Only seven prisoners had been caught, and they had nothing to do with the drug trade. Since David was at the prison, he demanded to meet with Riggs and Harrison.

"Why?" Warden Nunez asked. "We're in the middle of an epic crisis. Are only American lives important to you?"

"From what you've told me, Riggs was instrumental in saving four men in the infirmary after it collapsed. I would think you would be grateful to him. As for Harrison, he was in the same cellblock as most of the men who escaped, and he stayed. He chose not to escape. This tells me a lot about the men's character. These are good men who have proven themselves. They are members of the United States Army, and I demand to talk to them. Have I made myself clear?" David was too tired to play any phony diplomatic games. Bernardo was standing beside him. He knew the governor would weigh in if necessary, but it wouldn't be. The warden would cave.

"Follow me," the warden said woodenly.

Bernardo started to follow.

"Governor, I would like to speak to my men in private."

Bernardo looked startled, but then he smiled. "Of course."

The warden led him to a small sour smelling room with a table surrounded by four chairs. Riggs and Harrison were brought in by two guards, they were handcuffed but not shackled.