Page 227 of Chaos has a Name

“All because you don’t want to try and save yourself from cancer. All because you couldn’t just tell us that you were sick again. We had to play this game, and now, the stakes are damn high, Wyler. Back in DC, you might have been the only one who died. Now, Elizabeth and your grandchildren are in danger.”

Wyler’s heart hurt.

So, he came clean.

He stared into the man’s eyes.

“It’s spread throughout my body,” Wyler admitted, saying the words out loud since telling Caryn.

“Oh, we all know. We saw the medical records. We know the prognosis. Only, to a bunch of Marines, there’s only one way to handle this. You charge it head-on, and let your backup have you. If it takes you down, you fought honorably. You didn’t chicken out, and bail. Retreat is never a good policy—especially if you never stepped foot on the battlefield.”

Honestly, Wyler knew he’d bailed.

Caryn had told him as much, and he felt bad about it. When he saw his whole family here, he knew he’d screwed up.

They were more honorable than him.

That was for sure.

“Then, because we had to chase, the woman we all call our mother is gone. She could be dead, Wyler. For all we know, she could have been killed by whatever this Hollow is.”

He was horrified.

“It’s only a legend. A story,” Wyler said. “My father told me it only takes an offering once a year so that the Natives here are safe. The Wendigo watches over us andThe Hollowpicks the sacrifice. It’s just a tale…”

Well, yeah, they were aware of that, but this tale had taken someone else.

“Last night, it took a victim, and this morning, the chief of the reservation police went to Elizabeth. Now, she’s gone. They found her gun, badge, and phone where she’d been, but only after it lured her out of the campsite to chase it.”

Oh, this was bad.

Even if it was just a story, it was clear someone had taken that way too far.

“Let me help find her. I can track her. I can get to her and…”

“NO. You’re to stay. Let’s just say you’re in a timeout so you can think about what you’ve done. I’m so sorry you’re battling cancer. We all are, but you could have let us help you. We’re family, Wyler. You didn’t have to bail. In the house, your great-grandchild is here, and you have more than most of us do to fight to live for, Wyler. Still, you bailed on your family. That seems to be a habit for you.”

That hit him hard.

Because he was right.

He bailed on Catherine.

He bailed on Ethan.

He bailed on Callen.

“You ran, and now, you get treated like this. We’re all pissed and you’re lucky you’re stuck here with me. Raphael and Saint wanted to punch you in the face, lock you in a trunk, and drive you back to DC.”

Yeah, he could see that.

Instead of arguing, he said nothing.

Only, Uriel was pissed enough to go there.

“Who is going to make us cookies?” Uriel asked. “Who is going to talk to us over sandwiches in a kitchen? Who is going to tell us we’re part of the family? You made us feel like we never were a part of your circle. By excluding all of us, you abandoned us. We would have fought for you, Wyler. All you had to do was come to us.”

Yeah, he could see that now.