Page 54 of Faron (The Golden Team #8)

Blue

“ I don’t care what the risk is, River. I’m going.”

River dragged a hand down his jaw, his eyes flicking between me, Tag, and the floor like he was weighing all the ways this could go sideways.

“Blue, you haven’t been on a mission in two years.”

“Exactly. That’s two years too long.” I stepped forward. “You think I forgot how to move through a hot zone just because I run a clinic now? Hell, my clinic is a hot zone most days.”

He didn’t answer. Which was good—because we both knew nothing he said was going to stop me.

I stepped even closer. “Don’t tell me to stay behind. Faron’s in trouble—I feel it. And if you were in that cell, he wouldn’t be sitting here trying to talk Kat out of it.”

River exhaled through his nose. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “And I hate it.”

“Then say yes.”

He looked at Tag, then over his shoulder as Gage stepped into the hallway, a protein bar halfway to his mouth.

“What’d I miss?” Gage asked, sensing the tension.

“She’s coming with us,” River muttered.

Gage looked me over, then shrugged. “Good. We’ll need the backup. Might even need a doctor. Especially if Lightfoot got himself shot again.”

“Wait,” came a deep voice from behind. Gideon—quiet, solid, built like a freight train—stood in the doorway. “If Blue’s going, I’m going too.”

“No,” I said. “Too many bodies draw too much heat.”

“I’m the tracker,” he said flatly. “You’ll need me. Especially if they’ve been moved.”

River gave a single nod. “Fine. Just the four of us. No more.”

My pulse kicked up. This was happening. We were going. And Faron—my stubborn, beautiful, reckless Faron—wasn’t going to be left behind.

River spread a worn map across the table. “We got a GPS ping. Only lasted twelve seconds. Came from thirty clicks out from the Pakistan border.”

“Could be a glitch,” Tag muttered. “Could be everything.”

“What’s the terrain?” I asked.

“Dust. Rocks. Hills. A couple of abandoned villages. No good cover.”

“Sounds like home,” I said.

River looked at me, his voice lower now. “You sure you’re ready?”

I didn’t blink. “I was born ready.”