Page 66 of Duty Compromised

“You just…carry all this?” Her voice sounded hollow, like she was asking just to fill the silence.

“Always. Old habits.” I didn’t mention the knife in my boot, the spare magazine in my jacket, the cash sewn into the lining of the bag. Some things civilians didn’t need to know, even brilliant ones who’d just become targets.

She sank onto the edge of the nearest bed, the ancient springs groaning under even her slight weight. Her hands folded in her lap, but I could see the fine tremor running through them.

“You should take a shower,” I suggested, trying for casual. “Hot water might help. Then get some sleep.”

She looked at the bathroom door, then down at her hands. “I should keep working. The countermeasure?—”

“You need some rest.”

“People could die while I’m?—”

“People could die if you collapse from exhaustion and can’t finish it at all.” I crouched in front of her, resisting the urge to take those shaking hands in mine. “Charlotte, you’ve been up for nearly two days straight. You’ve been in a car accident, attacked, and nearly—” I cut myself off before mentioning how close those bullets had come. “You need rest.”

She stared past me at the water-stained wall. “If I stop, I’ll start thinking.”

“About?”

“Everything. The break-in at my house. Us almost getting killed at Vertex. How someone knew exactly where to find us, exactly what we were doing.” Her voice cracked slightly. “You getting hurt protecting me.”

“Hey.” This time, I did take her hands, her fingers like ice between my palms. “None of this is on you.”

She laughed, but it was sharp, bitter. “Isn’t it?”

“No. You’re trying to save lives. Other people chose violence. That’s on them, not you.”

Silence stretched between us, broken only by the rattle of the ancient air conditioner and the distant sound of eighteen-wheelers on the highway.

Finally, she stood, swaying slightly. “Okay. Shower.”

While the water ran, I unwrapped the burner phone, plugging it in so it could charge while I talked. I called Ben.

“This is Garrison.” He picked up after one ring, despite the late hour and unknown number.

“Ben, it’s Ty.”

“Ty? What’s going on? It’s past midnight.”

“I need help. The situation went completely sideways.”

“Fuck. What happened?”

“Charlotte’s house got broken in to earlier tonight before we got there. They ransacked the place, destroyed everything looking for the countermeasure drive. I ran into someone while securing the scene and almost got my ass handed to me.”

“Shit. That’s not random.”

“Gets worse. We had to go back to Vertex to get Charlotte’s equipment, and the place got hit while we were inside. They came in hard and fast. We barely made it out.”

“Jesus, Ty. Are you both okay?”

“We made it out in one piece. But it was close.” I kept my voice low, glancing at the bathroom door where the shower was still running. “Right now, we’re holed up in a motel off I-44, but we can’t stay here long.”

“What do you need?”

“Depends. Where are you? Still on assignment?”

“No, that wrapped up. Jolly and I are hanging out with your favorite grumpy-ass brother.”