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Nearby, I saw Jess smiling.

It was a happy ending. We didn’t always get them, so we had to savor them when we did.

“North?” Hudson called out. “This is for you.”

He was holding out his small robot.

“That’s yours, buddy.”

“I want you to have it. Echo will help protect you when you fight the monsters.”

I smiled and took the toy. “Thanks, Hudson.”

With a nod, the mother and Garth walked away with the boy. He was already telling them all about his adventure. I shook my head. Kids were so resilient.

“Thank you.” The town leader, Danielle, stepped forward. “I cannot thank you all enough for bringing the boys home safely.”

“Danielle, we did find a body,” Jameson said quietly.

Her brows drew together.

“A woman,” I said. “My guess is mid-twenties to late-thirties. Long, blonde hair. I found a tattoo on her wrist. It looks like a butterfly.”

The town leader’s eyes went wide. “No. Melanie.”

“She’s been missing a few weeks?”

The older woman pressed a shaky hand to her mouth. “Melanie Wakefield. She was unhappy here. Chaffing at life behind the walls. She’d saved up and purchased a vehicle. Sheleft for New Sydney three and a half weeks ago. We hadn’t heard from her, but we weren’t worried.” Danielle closed her eyes. “She never made it.”

“No,” Jameson said. “She didn’t.”

“That poor young woman.” The town leader’s eyes opened. “It was the same monster that took the boys?”

“It looks that way.”

She nodded. “So, its dead. You saved Hudson and Joe, and got justice for Melanie.”

“We’ll take her body with us for an autopsy,” I said.

“Fine.” Danielle glanced at the surrounding hills. “Don’t bring her back. Bury her somewhere pretty.”

It was a quiet flight home. Most of the guys were dozing, and Jess had her eyes closed, too.

I sighed. I felt…edgy. I should be elated that we’d found the two boys alive and gotten them home.

But my thoughts had turned to Drew. The boy I hadn’t been able to save.

My hand curled into a fist, and I tried to relax. I knew I’d have nightmares tonight. Drew screaming in pain, me unable to help him.

The teenager dying in my arms.

I tapped a boot on the floor and that’s when I felt a gaze on me. I looked up and saw Jess watching me.

She slid across the seats, then touched my hand. She must have sensed that I didn’t want to talk. We just sat there, and she was a quiet, supportive presence beside me.

Before long, we came in to land at Squad Command.

“I like it when a mission ends like this,” Marc said, leaping out of the Talon. “Kids alive, and us not covered in monster crud.”