Page 57

I’m in love with a woman who’s walked into a den of vipers to protect me. Marisol may have wanted to seek out her father’s security, but it wasn’t until I was threatened that she actually left. She sacrificed herself for me because I was determined to fight for her, an objective Marisol claimed was a suicide mission.
The pain that struck when I found out she was gone was worse than the grenade shrapnel. Marisol knew the shit she would be stepping back into, but she did it for me. I cannot apologize for protecting you, her letter said.
“Neither can I,” I whisper.
The pictures of Marisol on the arm of that man while she stands terrified make me want to scorch the earth. He’ll kill her. He’ll break her first, but he’ll kill her. I can’t let her do this. I won’t let her do it.
As soon as this damned plane touches down, I’m calling Marisol again and telling her to come home, and I’ll keep calling until she agrees.
If she stops answering, I’ll go to Puerto Rico and say it to her face. If she won’t see me, I’ll keep showing up until she can’t ignore me.
Marisol’s decision to leave was one she wished had been made for her years ago. Well, I think it’s time someone fought for her the way no one has before, whether she wants me to or not. With my mind made up, I close my eyes to get some sleep and bury my hand in Piper’s fur.
The sun is just beginning to lighten the sky when the pilot announces we’re on final approach to Norfolk. I scrub a calloused hand over a two-day-old beard, and Piper lifts her head. Absently scratching between her ears, I stretch, flinching when the stitches tug in my right calf. The rest of the crew begin to stir, still little more than strangers to each other.
That’s what’s been missing from the group. No embarrassing nicknames are used, no one teases anyone about the state of their love life, and no one tries one-upping anyone in training or on the range. That’ll come with time.
Knot meets the plane at the company’s hangar. After disembarking, we gather around him in a half-circle to hear whatever news he’s come to deliver. Instead of giving us an update or demanding a debrief, Knot aims his laser focus my way. “Well, what’s your assessment of their performance?”
I meet the stare of each man and woman with me. Not only did they do their jobs well, but they also worked as a unified team, even respecting Piper’s role in the mission. I return my attention to the boss and answer, “They’ll do.”
Knot uncrosses his arms, a show of relief. As far as he’s concerned, those two words are a ringing endorsement. “Get back to base and stow your gear.”
He turns for his Escalade and indicates for me to follow. After a second thought, he pauses and turns back to the group. “Welcome aboard.”
I settle Piper in the Escalade’s cargo area on her blanket and climb in the front beside Knot. He doesn’t even wait for the engine to turn over before grilling me. “Though I was patched in for everything, I want to hear how the mission went from your perspective.”
I don’t even have to think about it. “They were fluid. Some stood out but for none of the wrong reasons. I think your three-step team evaluation process was effective. These men and women worked together, not once exhibiting inter-branch rivalry. No one batted an eye at my orders, and no one had to be told twice. I don’t think it would be a mistake to keep them together. I know you need to spread out the new medics to our current teams that are missing one, but that’s how strongly I feel about this group.”
Knot huffs. Another sign of relief. “I don’t suppose you have someone in mind for a team leader.”
I shrug. “It’ll be up to Sadie to install one of our current people in the top spot, but I don’t think making McCann second would be a mistake.”
“I’ll pass along your recommendation to Sadie.”
Knot parks in his spot at the compound, and we walk in together to find Birdie pacing in the lobby. “What’s she doing here?” Knot mumbles.
The room is charged with a strange kind of tension. Instead of looking at her boss, Birdie’s eyes lock onto mine. The air and my uniform suddenly feel heavy. My bag hits the floor, and I take a worried step in Birdie’s direction, steadying myself for whatever she’s about to say. “What is it?”
“I… you need to see something.” Her eyes shift to Knot, and she adds, “In private.”
I shake my head, refusing to wait. “He knows. Spit it out.”
“There was an attack two hours ago. I received a news alert that Cirilo Borrero was gunned down this morning. Police found him on the ground beside a car registered to one of his men. It appears he had been driving. He’s currently in a hospital in San Juan, condition unknown.”
He wouldn’t leave his daughter. She must have been with him. “Marisol?”
Birdie shakes her head. “There are no reports that she was with him, but I think she was.”
When Birdie doesn’t continue, I take a deep breath, holding in my frustration. Everyone knows Birdie’s skills at finding out things are incredible, but she doubts herself when it comes to translating the facts into a working theory. “Tell me why.”
“I accessed the hospital’s security cameras. Marisol hasn’t been spotted anywhere in the hospital since her father’s arrival.”
That’s proof enough for me. “Marisol and her father are close. If she could, she’d be with him. Someone took her.”
“That’s what I think, too,” Birdie affirms.
She pulls out a large tablet, activates the screen, and points to a location on a map. “They live here.” Her finger moves across the screen. “The car and Mr. Borrero were found here. Its turn signal was still on when the police arrived, indicating they were taking the ramp going west. I think they were sneaking off to a secondary airport, but Borrero’s was the only luggage found.”