The Sergeant lowered his weapon, and unshouldering his pack he produced from it a small grey case. Joshua took it, knelt down before Ashidi, and opened it on the floor. He tore open a pre-packaged disinfecting wipe and hesitated, to allow Annyka to object. She gave him a nod, and he dabbed the wipe against Ashidi’s injury. Her eyes flew open and she gasped.

“Hold still,” Joshua said.

Ashidi looked around in confusion, saw Annyka bound beside her, and looked up at the old man standing over her holding a blood-soaked wipe in his hand. Her right eye twitched as the antiseptic stung her skin, but she held her head forwards again to allow him to continue.

“It’s just a small cut,” he said to her. “You&rsquo...

Please subscribe to keep reading.