Page 2

Aries

“I said no, Taylor. This will just be a simple in and out ordeal. If you came with me, it would only draw attention, but also take ten times longer to get there since you can’t ride on back roads like I can.”

Taylor huffs. “Fuck off, Ari. Yes, I can.”

My eyes roll and I lean against my all black Harley, my leather jacket covered arms crossing over my chest. “Tay. I’m fucking tired. You and I both know you are not the strongest on dirt roads on your bike. It will slow me down and I need to be gone one day, max.”

Taylor throws her tattooed arms in the air, her newly dyed black hair flying in the summer wind. “Come on, Ari. When are you going to stop treating me with kid gloves and actually allow me to do more than sit behind a computer or only go on missions that are with the entire team?”

Her annoyance is clear, but I stand my ground. “You have been on countless missions, just you and I. I’m not sure what bug crawled up your ass and why you are being so damn persistent, but you need to drop it. You are not going.”

Taylor’s arms fold across her chest, leaving her newly tattooed blue butterflies to shine in the sunlight. “Whatever, Ari. But I hope you know that I’m about at my limit for people not believing I can do more than just stand in the background and provide emotional support or sit behind a damn computer screen.”

Fucking hell.

I scrub my hand down my face and stand, my arm moving to pull her into a hug. Her freckled nose scrunches as she looks up at me with disdain written all over face, her arms still folded. “Quit with the theatrics, Hellhound. I have told you time and time again that you are a key member of this team. You just aren’t needed on this particular trip.”

Taylor’s response comes in the form of her signature eye roll I’ve grown accustomed to over the past two years. Usually I want to tell her to knock it the fuck off because her defiance annoys the ever living hell out of me, but I don’t.

Like I told Taylor a few minutes ago, I’m fucking tired and just want to get this day over with.

With one last squeeze just to piss her off, I release her and turn to face my bike, throwing my leg over and sitting on the leather-bound seat.

Taylor stands at my side as I release my hair from its knot to put my helmet on. My eyes close briefly as I mentally prepare myself for this ridiculously long drive to inspect what looks to be a dead end. But in this line of work, you can never trust a dead end until proven that it is, in fact, dead. Hence, me going on an eight-hour drive after only getting home from a trip to Seattle six hours prior.

The engine rumbles to life and I steal one last glance at Taylor and flip the visor on my helmet.

“Be careful. Check in.” Taylor’s farewell sounds much more annoyed and less like a worried sentiment.

“Be good. Listen to Boone or Indy.” A smile spreads across my face at her clear annoyance, firing on all cylinders. And because I love fucking with this hellhound, I toss her a wink and drive out of the gated compound, waving to the guards as I pass them.

I don’t need to look back to see that she is glaring daggers into my skull.

Taylor Sloane Morgan. Reckless with a heart of gold.

The thorn in my side that’s kept me on my toes every day since she stole my money and tried to hit me with a car. She is hell on wheels and never hesitates to dive head first into the unknown. And to my dismay, it is always me who is stopping her from doing something that could end with her in a damn body bag.

The sound of my tires crunching on loose gravel is like gunshots in this desolate area.

Where the hell am I?

What was supposed to be an eight-hour trip has turned into ten because of the maps app on my phone glitching and sending me down multiple dead ends just to have me turn around and make a big loop.

I pull off to the side of the road and kick the kickstand down, desperate to stretch my legs.

Everything in my body aches as I walk a few feet down the road and stretch my arms over my head, glancing out at the large house atop the hill.

It’s now pitch black, making this recon mission harder yet easier to maneuver amongst the shadows.

“Stupid fucking piece of shit technology,” I mutter under my breath as I pull up my phone to look at the property map that Taylor sent over after a check-in a few hours ago.

If it wasn’t for the map and the need to check in with my team back home, I would have smashed it against the pavement hours ago.

After studying the map for a few minutes, I pull up Resilience and read the case notes.

Missing Persons Priority Level 2:

Mission ID #: 25632

Naomi Morrison, Tinley Morrison, Lindy Morrison

Age 36, 18. 18

Last Known Location: Alberta, Canada

Date Reported Missing: 08/23/2024

Threat Level: Yellow

Team Activated: Braveheart

Team Lead: Aries

Team Assist: Savior

Team Lead: Lachlan

Team Alternate: Valiant

Team Lead: Carter

Need for Team Blackbird: Not at this time.

Team Lead: Wesley; Landon unavailable until further notice.

Notes: Mother and twin daughters suspected kidnapping. Suspect is an ex-boyfriend. Reported by Naomi’s husband. Suspect has no criminal history. Recon is needed.

End Report.

Exiting out of the case file, I type in the chat with all the team leads.

Aries: Made it to recon location. Scoping out property. Will give full report in 48-72 hours.

Landon: Understood.

Lachlan: Landon leave. Aries understood.

Landon: I will not leave. This is my damn company.

Carter: Leave Landon. Aries, let us know if you need assistance.

Aries: Will report back if assistance is needed. Landon leave.

Wesley: Landon leave, Allie is calling you.

Landon: Fuck off Wes. Aries, be careful.

The rest of the group chat echoes Landon’s warning, and I exit from the chat and begin walking up the hill. I can’t help but picture the pissed-off look on our leader’s face.

Landon Hayes, the creator of Resilience and the man who changed my life. He took a life that was meaningless after I lost Rayne and redirected my anger and hatred into a place where it could be used for good.

As the thoughts of the one true love of my life enter my mind, I pat my chest and close my eyes for a brief second. Allowing myself five seconds to let the grief and sorrow overtake me.

The buzzing of my phone brings me out of my head, and I open my eyes to see Boone’s name on my screen.

I’m about to slide to answer his call when something hard slams against the back of my head.

The world instantly goes black.