Page 4

Keaton sighed. “Getting there. Which reminds me… You should all come down for a visit. See the town. Get a feel for what we do. There’s always room for guys like you.”
Kash chuckled. “Are you suggesting we consider retiring to Florida?”
Keaton grinned. “Sunshine. Beaches.”
“Gators. Mosquitos.”
Zain swatted Kash across the chest. “And don’t forget the pythons. I hear those fuckers grow really big.”
Keaton rolled his eyes. “You’ve all been hanging around Foster for too long. The Everglades are fine.”
“Sure, if you’re looking to disappear.” Chase pointed a finger at Keaton. “Permanently.”
“Just, keep it in mind. Though, I suppose my dumbass cousin is trying to talk you all in to heading to Oregon, where there’s nothing but gray clouds and rain.”
“I’m not trying to talk them into anything.” Foster shifted on the bed, not that it helped eliminate the pain throbbing through his shoulder. “But my parents did leave me that turn-of-the-century manor house they’d been renovating. Sounds like a good place to start.”
Keaton laughed, nearly falling off the bed before he straightened. “You’re going to fix up that old dusty inn? Are you all nuts?”
“Beats swimming with gators.”
“You keep telling yourself that. Besides, Raven’s Cliff is so small, you have to run to the next town to change your mind.”
“And Calusa Cove is your idea of big time? I hate to break it to you, cuz, but it’s just as small.” Foster smiled. “And there’re gators.”
Keaton shook his head. “Still as stubborn as a damn mule. Though, I guess some things never change. Like us. Whether you’re ready to face it or not, sooner or later you’ll have to admit that we’re all just hardwired differently. No way you’ll be able to stay out of the fray for long.”
Foster pursed his lips, Sean’s gurgling rasp sounding in his head. Foster glanced over at the windows, hating the eerie apparition standing in the graying light. Blood still dripping from its neck and ribs as the ghostly image tapped its chest pocket.
It wasn’t real. He understood that much. Just a by-product of the pain and anger and loss. Too bad that knowledge didn’t make it disappear.
Keaton sighed at Foster’s silence, looking over at the window then focusing on him, again. “Hey, didn’t you mention something about an old JSOC commander of yours starting up a search and rescue organization there?”
Foster snorted. “Colonel Atticus Parker. Bastard’s already called me twice. Wants to know when we’re all signing up.”
“And?”
“I told him I wasn’t interested, but no isn’t in the old man’s vocabulary.”
“Is this where we start a pool on how long it’ll be before you’ve all been recruited?”
“About as long as it would for me to move down to the Everglades.” Foster shifted again, but it only shot pain down through his ribs. “I don’t suppose you’d do us a solid?”
Keaton laughed. “I already ordered a few pizzas. Just thought I’d stop in and visit while they were being made. I’ll go grab them. Keep my seat warm.”
His cousin headed for the door, pausing at the threshold. “Whatever you jerks decide, do yourselves a favor — stick together. Civilians really are crazy and knowing I still have my team watching my six is the only reason I’ve stayed sane.” He made a finger gun at Foster. “That, and you, cuz.”
“Just grab the pizzas before we all start puking.”
“Your wish.” Keaton headed out, leaving a strange void in the air. As if he’d taken most of the oxygen with him. Left nothing but uncertainty behind.
Foster cleared his throat, looking each of his buddies in the eyes. “I know we talked about calling it quits. Going to Oregon and seeing if a change in venue somehow fixes the broken parts the doctors can’t splint. And there’ll always be a place waiting there for you jackasses to hang your hat. But there’s no pressure. Given some time and enough rehab, you all might?—”
“Might what, Beck?” Kash shuffled in his seat. “Get the urge to jump back in the saddle? Put our lives in the hands of some traitorous agents, again? Because I don’t know about Zain and Chase, but there’s not a chance in hell I could go down that road, again.”
Some of the color drained from Kash’s face and Foster suspected he wasn’t the only one reliving that night. Though, Kash had nearly lost his four-legged partner, Nyx, on the gauntlet run back to the chopper. Realizing she’d almost died in order to protect two traitors who’d then killed Sean and put Rhett in what might be a permanent coma had obviously affected Kash on a whole other level.
Kash sighed. “I’m not saying that staying on the sidelines is in the cards. But I’m ready to try something new. While I’m still alive enough to enjoy it.”