Page 52 of Holding the Line

Eli swallowed hard.“He promised me.Said he’d get me back to Marsh and send the Colonel to hell.And he did it wounded.I saw him get shot before he leaped out of the truck.”

Hogan’s jaw ticked.He looked ready to explode.“And then he disappeared.Went into this whole thing alone.Didn’t even give us a chance to help him.What the hell was he thinking?”

The mood shifted slightly, the laughter fading.Marsh’s jaw tightened.“I think we should find Kai.Drag his ass back here and get answers.”

Hogan growled.“Damn right.He played all of us.We trusted him.I trusted him.”

Eli sat up straighter, tone firm.“He wasn’t trying to hurt us.The Colonel had his sister.He told me he had no choice.”

Bateman leaned forward.“We’ve looked into it.There’s no record of a sister.No birth certificate, no photos, no digital footprint.Either she doesn’t exist, or she’s so far off grid even Kai couldn’t find her again.Not in any system we could access.Either he went deep undercover, or ...he’s gone.”

Dev nodded.“Black site you reckon?”

“If they have him?”Bateman asked, his tone clearly saying that he would be bad if they did.“Then, yeah.”

“He didn’t fake that fear,” Eli said quietly.“I saw it.Felt it.You can’t fake that kind of desperation.Not when it’s about someone you love.”

Hogan stood abruptly, jaw clenched.“Doesn’t change the fact that he betrayed us.”

He walked away into the darkness, leaving silence in his wake.

Conversations floated over the fire—talk of rebuilding the therapy wing, upgrading surveillance, and what came next for the Ridge.Eli caught snippets about rotating security protocols, reinforced safe rooms, and new fencing being installed.

“I think we should add a new gym wing,” Ezra offered.“Bigger weight room.Sauna.”

“Hot tub,” Ricky said, smirking.

“Massage therapist on call,” Dale chimed in.

Ricky raised his drink.“Only if it’s a guy named Sven.”

Laughter echoed.And for a moment, it felt normal.

Marsh was talking about incorporating some smart tech he’d been experimenting with into the Ridge’s perimeter defense.Something about seismic sensors and AI-driven recognition software.Bateman looked half-interested, half-exasperated.“If it doesn’t come with a big red button I can smash, I don’t want it,” he grumbled.

“What about a big red button that triggers countermeasures and sets off a perimeter lockdown?”Dev suggested.

“Now that,” Marsh said with a sharp grin, “is more my style.”

Eli laughed softly and leaned closer, whispering in Maori,“Kei a au etahi mahere mo te anamata.”

Marsh grinned.“Plans for the future, huh?”

“Take me upstairs and I’ll tell you in explicit detail,” Eli murmured, lips brushing his ear.

Marsh groaned.“Jesus, I missed you.”

“You never lost me,” Eli said, standing and tugging Marsh’s hand.“But it’s time I remind you what you were fighting for.”

Marsh followed him without a second thought, his beer abandoned, his eyes never leaving Eli’s face.

The night around them was full of laughter, clinking bottles, and quiet hope.

But as Eli led Marsh toward the house, his heart beat just a little faster, full of gratitude, love, and the kind of clarity that came only after surviving hell.

****

Marsh didn’t let goof Eli’s hand as they walked through the quiet Ridge House corridors, laughter and soft conversation fading behind them like the last notes of a song.