Page 28

QUINN

O ne month later…

A s Quinn and the rest of the Red Falcon team took their seats around the conference table, their commander, Tony Knox, waited at the front of the room.

The ever-present folder sitting in front of him.

The screen already showed a map of somewhere Quinn didn’t recognize, an unlikely occurrence for him.

“Gentlemen, as you’ve probably guessed, we have an assignment.”

“Of course we do,” Doc mumbled. “I knew it was too good to last.”

Quinn elbowed him in the side. Neither he nor Tony would tolerate that kind of behavior on base.

Doc knew better. Something had been eating at the man, and Quinn had a pretty good idea of who and not what it was.

Still, Doc needed to pull his head together for whatever they were about to face. For that matter, so did he.

“Where are we headed? I can’t say I recognize that country,” Lucky asked.

“I’m not surprised. You usually work in Europe, but this is central Africa.” Tony zoomed the image in and pointed to the country, closer to the east than the center of the continent.

As soon as he heard the words, Quinn’s heart almost beat out of his chest. He didn’t need to hear another word, to know Patience was in trouble, or at the very least, the Doctors Without Borders group she was with there.

Quinn hissed out the word, “Swuyji?”

Tony’s gaze swung to him as he nodded. “You’ve heard of it? I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. His girl is there,” Doc replied.

“Excuse me?” Tony asked.

“She’s not my girl, but we all know her. At least, if I’m guessing right. Did something happen to a Doctors Without Borders group?”

Tony nodded again. “It did. Or their headquarters so. There’s been no communication from their camp for the last week. They check in like clockwork every Tuesday.”

“Do they have another group who can check on them?” Quinn asked.

“They don’t. But we flew some drones over, and this is what we found.” Tony clicked on the computer to change the view from the map to overhead shots of the camp.

It was obvious something was wrong. They’d expect to see visuals of people moving around, but it looked like a ghost town. Except there were several trucks parked at the edge of the location. If someone took them, how did they move them?

“Do we have subsequent surveillance images?” Josh asked.

“I’m afraid not. The asset is no longer in the area. That’s why you’re being sent in.”

“To do what? Scan for intel. A rescue mission? We don’t have any information other than there’s been no contact, and the place looks deserted,” Quinn said.

Not that he was objecting to going. He was ready to hop on the transport immediately and burn the country to the ground until he found Patience.

But he had his team to worry about, and the others involved.

“Yeah, it’s a clusterfuck as usual. Rick Kern has been trying to get what intel he can, but so far without success.”

Ry mumbled, “Big surprise there.”

Quinn had to agree with him. The man was mostly useless. He still hadn’t gotten his hands on him to tell him about Felicity and her baby. They’d been standing in as surrogate dads. Grace, Harmony, and Tempest had been helping, too.

“When are we leaving?” Lucky asked.

“Sixteen hundred, since it’ll take about twelve hours. We want you dropping in at night when it will be easier to hide your chutes.”

Quinn nodded. It’s what he would have asked for. Jumping in the daylight hours amped up the danger one thousand percent.

“I sent all the intel to your devices. Details about the camp, how many doctors and nurses, terrain, anything deemed useful. If anything else comes in before go time, I’ll send it your way. Questions or concerns?”

Tony met each of their gazes. As usual, he was the best commander Quinn had ever worked under. It was going to suck when he retired next year. They were still waiting to find out who would replace him.

“If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed. Quinn, stay behind please.”

Quinn nodded. “I’ll meet the rest of you in the office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Quinn watched as they filed out of the conference room. He had a good idea of what Tony wanted to talk to him about, and he didn’t have long to wait.

“What’s this I hear about a woman? I didn’t know you were involved with anyone.”

“I’m not, not really. She left without me talking to her, telling her how I feel.”

Tony ran his hand over his face. “Have you learned nothing from all the times we’ve barely made it back? You never leave unfinished business.”

“I know, trust me. It’s been eating me alive. But I never thought she’d be in danger. Her parents have been part of that group for most of her life. She’s been there before and had no issues.”

“Will you be able to handle what you find?” Concern shone in Tony’s gaze as it met Quinn’s.

“Yes, sir. I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“No.” Tony sighed. “Probably not. You need to keep it together. I can’t have a repeat of that mission in Marikistan. You are not to beat anyone to death, no matter what you find. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Implicitly.”

“Now, as your friend, not your CO, what do you need? Tell me and you’ve got it if it’s within my reach.”

“Thank you. I hate that we’re going in blind. If you can get us another drone flyover, it could change everything. The date stamp on those images is two days ago. We don’t know what the situation is like now.”

“Trust me. I’ve been trying every department I can. I’ll keep working on it. I would have anyway. You’ll get her back. I feel it in my gut. Just be ready to grovel hard when you do.”

Quinn felt the corner of his mouth tick up. Grovel. Yeah, he could do that. He’d been working on it for the last month.

After leaving the conference room, he did what he should have done a month ago, or longer. He texted Patience.

Quinn: How’s Africa?

He prayed she’d respond. But as he stared at his phone screen, willing the three blinking dots to show up, he struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat. No response. Not even a delivery confirmation.

He couldn’t lose her, not now, not ever. How could he have been such a fool? Did it take losing the only person who’d made him smile to wake him the fuck up? Apparently.

“Sorry, karma. You’re not winning today,” he muttered as he squeezed the phone in his hand.

Willing it to vibrate with her message. They had unfinished business, and he wouldn’t let her slip away from him.

She had to live. Quinn was ready to go scorched earth to ensure he found her, rescued her, and brought her home.

She just needed to hold on until he could get to her.

All conversation ceased and four heads turned toward him as Quinn walked into their office.

“I know you all want to say I told you so. I get it, I do. But now’s not the time. We need to keep our heads straight and bring them all home safely. Understand me?”

“Yes, boss,” they responded in sync.

“Go home, kiss your women. Grab your bags and be back here at thirteen hundred hours. If I hear anything before then, I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll stay. Help you go through the intel,” Doc said.

“I’m staying too,” Lucky said.

“Us too,” Ry and Josh answered together. “Five heads are better than two.”

“Yeah, we’ll go home for dinner and kiss them then. We’re not leaving you now. You wouldn’t leave us.”

Quinn blinked the mist from his eyes. There must have been dust in the air. Then he nodded, and replied, “Appreciate all of you. I’m not sure what we can find, but anything will be helpful.”

The team studied the maps and terrain of Swuyji and the rest of Central Africa for the rest of the afternoon. Their missions were primarily in Europe and Eastern Europe; Africa was new for them. Unfortunately, their deep dive only revealed more questions and no answers.

Expecting the desert, instead, they discovered Swuyji butted up against the Karre Mountain Range to the northeast, and the Lobaye River to the south. It also meant they needed a lot more intel, and no time or opportunity to get it.

He sent the rest of the team home at thirteen hundred, but he and Doc pored over every map and video they could find of the area. They’d drop near the river, hoping it would help hide their location. Without more information about the mountain range, it was too dangerous for a night HALO.

They needed more intel before they left. Quinn prayed they’d get it.

“I’m heading home to grab my bag. Do you need anything?” Doc asked.

“No, I’m coming too. I’ll see you at thirteen hundred.”

“We’ll get her back, Quinn. She’s strong. She’ll know you’re coming for her.”

“I hope so.” He didn’t want to think about the alternative.