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Steve was silent in the back of the SUV, they’d switched back to, as they drove back to the Farm. It was one-thirty. What if Volkov had already left? In his career, he’d seen some terrible things, done some terrible things. At times it woke him up in the middle of the night. As SEALs, they were trained to turn off emotion to complete the mission. In the heat of the action, he could do that. But late at night when you’re lying in bed, it was harder to keep the emotion switched off. He was human. Certain missions were burned on his brain and in his heart. If they did not get Diane back, he would never get past it. He would never forgive himself or be able to block out how he had failed her. This was his wife. The love of his life. His life, as he knew it, would be over.
“They got a location on the Honda.” Dex’s voice broke through his thoughts. “It’s at a parking lot steps from the memorial. Nyx are already there, checking all vehicles for the weapon. They’re looking for it now.”
“Are we headed there?” Steve asked, praying there were no bodies in the car.
“Yes.”
Dex rattled off the address to Tyler and through coms to Ryan, who was in the second SUV behind them. They were about fifteen minutes away. It was a very long fifteen minutes.
The brass were still not willing to raise any alarms over the potential attack for fear of panic. If it was due to go off during the memorial, then they had until sixteen hundred to secure it safely. No pressure.
Dumping the SUVs on the street, Steve and Raven found Nyx surrounding the blue Honda. Jay was going over the car with his scanner for any levels of sarin. Logan was under the car, presumably checking for any explosive device, wires, or booby traps. A woman sat in the driver's seat. Steve wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved it wasn’t Diane.
“Liam, where we at?” Steve asked.
“Still checking the car. Ms. Costas is too scared to move.”
Steve felt for the woman. Dylan was talking to her through the window, keeping her calm.
“She told Dylan two of Volkov’s men drove her here, put her in the driver’s seat and told her the car was wired. If she moves, tries to open the door, it will blow,” Liam said.
“Jesus Christ,” Dex said from beside Steve.
“Jay, anything on the scanner?” Steve walked toward him, keeping his impatience in check. Ms. Costas may have seen Diane. Might know where she is.”
“Trace reading. It’s here somewhere, can’t rule out this car yet.”
“How do we know if the sarin is here, someone isn’t watching us right now and might detonate it?” Dex asked.
“We don’t,” Liam admitted. “However, they would need to transmit a signal. We’re jamming any signals in the area.”
Steve turned to Dex. “Fuck, I should have brought another scanner.”
“Donnie has it.”
Steve spun around to see Donnie going over the white Toyota, next to the Honda. Of course, if there was a trace reading on the Honda, it might be because it’s close by.
“If Volkov brought this car here, he did so for a reason,” Dex said.
“Close to the sarin.”
“That would be my guess. Let the sarin take care of Ms. Costas. No one would question her death.”
“They only won’t question it if Diane or Natasha don’t talk. Or can’t talk.” Steve rubbed a hand over his beard. Volkov was going to kill them.
“Guys, I got something.” Donnie waved a hand. “Jay, come take a look, see if you get the same.”
Donnie stood in the middle of the road between the Honda and the next row of cars.
The device in Jay’s hand buzzed and flashed. “I got it, too,”
“But if you move a few steps either way, the reading weakens.” Donnie moved away to prove his point and held up the now-silent scanner for everyone to see. “It has to be in there.” Donnie pointed to a manhole cover. Jay crouched down. His scanner practically screamed.
“I agree. It’s under here. We need to clear this area now and call the experts.”
Since signals had been jammed, Liam took out a satellite phone and made the call to Sam.
“If it’s not in the car, let's get Ms. Costas out and see what she knows about Diane.” Steve started walking back.
“Steve, let Logan finish clearing the car. Just because the sarin isn’t in there, doesn’t mean there’s not another bomb.”
Steve stopped and faced his boss. “Dex, we’re running out of time. It’s two o’clock. Fuck, Volkov might have already left, and he might have already...” He couldn’t say it. Diane had to be alive.
“The car’s clean. Door isn’t locked,” Logan said, interrupting them.
“OK, let’s do it.” Dex stepped up since Liam was still on the phone with Sam. “Dylan, you good?”
Dylan, Liam’s second in command, had been keeping Ms. Costas calm. He nodded. “Yeah, we’re good.”
Dylan continued to speak to Ms. Costas as Logan gripped the door handle. Dex lay on the ground, so he could see the underside of the door. Steve would cover the top of the door, while Logan and Dylan would keep eyes on the sides.
“Here goes.” Logan pulled the handle, and the door clicked open. Opening it just a fraction, everyone scanned for any sign of a wire.
When all four men reported clear, Logan opened it a fraction more. Once again, all reported clear. Steve let a sigh of relief once the door was fully open. Several more minutes passed while Logan checked it was safe for Ms. Costas to get out. Finally, Dylan helped her from the car just as hazmat and bomb disposal arrived.
Steve had every faith those guys would take care of the sarin. It was time to find his wife.
“Ms. Costas, did you see Diane Williams? Do you know where she is?”
“Steve. Give her a minute,” Dex said.
“No. It’s OK.” Ms. Costas’s voice was shaky. “I’m OK. I know time is running out. They were heading to an airport. He didn’t say which one. Volkov was in a black Range Rover with Anya. Diane and Natasha were in a silver minivan with blacked out windows.”
“Alive?” Steve asked.
Melanie nodded. “Yes. You’re Steve?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Diane said you would come and find her,” Melanie said with a small smile.
“The minivan was going to the airport, too?”
“Yes. They are all getting on the plane. He plans to take Natasha and Anya to Russia. Diane is being dropped off somewhere, but he didn’t say where.”
Dropped off? What the fuck? “Do you know why she’s being dropped off?”
“Diane said she overheard him say he was getting a plane out of here in exchange for her.”
The blood drained from Steve’s face and his mouth went dry. His wife was being used as payment. He turned his back on the woman, fighting to control his thoughts.
“Did Diane mention a name?” Dex asked from behind him.
“Yes. She didn’t know who it was, said she didn't recognize the name from anything in Volkov’s file. Aziz. That was the name.”
Steve froze. Reborn.
Voices around him became vague, distant. Dex was now on the satellite phone. The manhole cover had been removed, and men in hazmat suits were issuing orders. Donnie was at Steve’s side, trying to talk to him.
None of it registered. None of it mattered.
Volkov had traded his wife to the terrorist organization that had waged a war with Onyx.
***
TRACER HATED THIS FUCKING country. What the hell was he thinking coming to Pakistan when he could be swimming in the aqua blue waters he called his backyard in the Maldives. Damn Onyx and his conscience. He mentally rolled his eyes, he was getting soft.
He, Dex, and Ryan went way back, but after Tracer’s leg got torn up by an IED, he was out of SEALs and on his own. He’d cut ties with the guys, more for his own sanity. Seeing them living the life he was meant to had been too damn hard. Eventually, getting over his victim mentality, he’d started his own private security firm. The guys that worked for him were all much like him. Discarded from various military divisions, but not ready to retire the skills they’d spent years perfecting.
Fuck, it was hot. Sweat run down his face and he sat and waited with one of his team for the right moment to move in.
He’d not been back in the game long. Needing to keep his head down and stay away from the US, he’d taken time in the Maldives to recharge, until he was confident the dust had settled. Maldives had never signed an extradition treaty with the US. While that did not protect him from Onyx, since those guys operated anywhere, he didn’t think Captain Sam Harrison was interested in looking for him.
Tracer had taken down one of the biggest cartel leaders in Mexico. The man had been responsible for murdering his sister and her boyfriend. He crossed more than a few lines doing it, but he didn’t regret his actions. The only people he’d killed were scum, but the law didn’t see it that way. When his agenda crossed paths with Raven team’s mission and innocent lives became involved, things got messy. The oath of a SEAL had never left him, and he’d risked his own freedom to help out Raven, and ensure no innocents was killed. Raven knew what he’d done, the people he killed, but he’d not heard from them since.
Captain Sam Harrison could have found him easily, but clearly had looked the other way. Tracer had been monitoring chatter, keeping his ear to the ground, but it seemed no one was actively looking for him; the captain likely had something to do with that.
After a few months of relaxation and finally being able to think about moving on from his sister’s murder, it was time to do something. He had plenty of money stashed away, but he wasn’t a man who could sit on his ass the rest of his life. He missed the action. It was like an addiction. So here he was back with his team, only now they had to work under the radar. Despite no one looking for him, his name was damn well on several wanted lists.
Tracer had contacts all over the world, on both sides of the law. Before getting in deep in the cartel world, CIA had been trying to recruit him. MI6, too. A lot of mercenaries out there didn’t give a fuck who they hurt to get a job done and collect a paycheck. Tracer didn’t work that way. Yes, he wanted to be paid, but he would never go through innocent people to do that. It had earned him a reputation and despite his wanted status, CIA had come knocking at his door once more. He continued to decline. He preferred to work for himself, choosing his jobs. Like this one. Although this one he wasn’t getting paid for. This one was going to be a favor for old friends. He didn’t expect his team to work for free and would pay them out of his own pocket. He could afford it.
Tracer had been keeping a close eye on what was going on in the world of terror. He spent hours on the dark web, checking in with contacts. Subconsciously, he was also looking for anything to do with Reborn. Reborn had made it personal with Raven; he’d witnessed that for himself. It made him sick that so many innocent people were getting caught up in the feud.
Reborn didn’t give a shit about the rules of war. The terrorists had murdered a SEAL team, captured Dex’s woman, kidnapped Ryan’s girlfriend, blew up an FBI building, and almost killed Tyler. Now it seemed they were helping a Russian escape the US with Steve’s wife. When he stumbled on the intel, Tracer knew he needed to get his ass to Pakistan and help out the boys.
“Looks like they’re almost ready.” Levi said from beside him bringing him back to the present. Levi was former Marine Corps, forced out of active duty after a traumatic brain injury. That was five years ago. These days, Levi suffered from occasional migraines, but with treatment he was able to pay for because he worked for Tracer, he had the TBI under control.
“Good. I forgot how fucking hot this country is.”
“Maldives is kind of hot, too.”
“Yeah, except there’s a fucking ocean to cool off in, instead of sitting in this tin can of a car frying.”
Levi chuckled. “A little grumpy today, aren’t we?”
“Haven’t had my coffee.”
“So, why are we doing this favor? You ever going to tell us?” They were wearing coms, connected to the rest of the team in a van down the street.
“I told you. A couple of the guys on Raven are old friends.” His team knew who Onyx were, all of them. Tracer had made it his business when he got to the Maldives to get that information. It had taken some doing. Onyx were need to know. He would never out them, but their paths were likely to cross, and he wanted to be sure he or his team didn’t inadvertently shoot one of them.
“Nothing like being vague.” Levi’s voice dripped sarcasm and laughter rang in their ears from the rest of the team.
“You know I’m the boss here, right? I tell you the job, we do it, you get paid. What the fuck does it matter the reason.” Tracer’s voice held a hint of humor.
“Because this was a rush job,” Levi said more seriously, “and it seems personal.”
Tracer sighed. “It’s not that it’s personal. It’s because I hate when these fuckers use people, we care about to get what they want. They got a beef with Raven, those guys will go toe to toe with them every single damn time. But Reborn, they go after their families. It’s not the first time, not even the second. They’ve done it time and time again. Now that Russian bastard is about to hand-deliver Steve’s wife to them. So yeah, if there is any chance, we can help stop that from happening I intend to do it.”
His thoughts wandered briefly to Chloe. Chloe was the sister of Ryan’s girlfriend. She’d gotten taken by the cartel he’d embedded himself in. He managed to get her out, but she had been shot in the process. It still made him sick even thinking about it. Chloe was a sweet, innocent young woman who had unfortunately danced with the wrong guy. She was doing well now. He’d been checking up on her, too.
“That’s seriously fucked up, using family,” Levi said. “We’re on board no matter what, you know that.”
Done talking, Tracer nodded towards the small plane. “Showtime.”
***
ALL THREE SARIN CANISTERS were secure. The threat was almost over. The experts had deactivated the timer attached to a small charge designed to blow the case, containing the three canisters, apart and release the poisonous gas. It had come down to the wire, but Onyx had gotten the job done. No one was going to be dying in a sarin attack today. Nyx had remained on scene to ensure no one got near the men working to remove it. Raven were walking back to the SUVs they’d left on the street. The team were quiet, all desperate to get a lead on where Volkov was as the clock ticked down. Cellphones began to beep as the local cellphone towers came back online.
Reaching the SUV, Steve leaned against the hood. Diane was going to end up in the hands of Reborn. He’d failed to protect his wife. Donnie stood next to him.
“Don’t,” Steve hissed. He didn’t want to hear there was still time, or they wouldn’t rest until they got her back. Not now. Every minute that passed made the chances of getting her back alive less likely.
A phone rang, and he heard Dex answer.
“Tracer? What the fuck—” Dex stopped talking. A couple of seconds later, he put the phone on speaker. Steve straightened and joined the rest of Raven crowding around to listen.
“We’re all here,” Dex said.
“About fucking time, I’ve been trying to reach you for the past hour.”
“No cell signal, long story. What the fuck do you know about our op?”
“No time to explain, but if we’re going to stop Volkov I need you to trust me and do as I ask. I’m going to need your help.”
“You know where that bastard is? Is Diane with him?” Steve blurted.
“Yes, and yes. I’m sending you coordinates to a small private airstrip where Aziz’s plane is about to land to pick up Volkov and his guests. It will take no more than forty-five minutes to refuel, and then the plane will be ready to take off. We have to take them before that happens.”
The coordinates came through and the team were already loading into the SUVs as Dex kept the call open.
“We?” Dex asked. “Where are you?”
“On the plane.”
“Tracer, how the fuck are you involved in this?” Steve demanded from the back seat. Dex and Ryan might have known this man for years, but Steve had only met him a couple of times.
“I’m not involved, and I will explain, but right now there is no time. You’re either going to trust me and we get your wife back, or you don’t and well, I don't think I need to explain.”
Steve looked at his team leader. He trusted Dex but it was Ryan that spoke in his ear, where he was listening through coms from the other SUV.
“Steve, Tracer saved Sophie’s life. Without him, I would have lost the woman I love. He took the SEAL oath, and he proved to me that day that it still meant something. He might have done some questionable shit, but his intentions are always aligned with what’s right. I trust him.”
Steve was still looking at Dex, who said. “So do I.”
“Dawson, we need to go over the plan now, before this bird touches down. Are we good?”
Dex didn’t answer immediately, and Steve realized he was waiting for him to confirm he was on board. Steve nodded.
“Yeah Tracer, we’re good. Let’s do this.”
The airstrip was forty-five minutes away and they used that time to plan. Pushing any doubts from his mind, Steve channeled his focus on making sure they left no detail to chance. The last thing any of them wanted was Diane, Natasha or Anya getting caught in a crossfire.
Tracer remained on the call as long as he could but had to leave when the plane touched down. It was long enough. The plan was set. From the other SUV, Mackie had been on his laptop and sent the layout of the airstrip to their phones, together with screenshots of aerial views. Steve heard Dex briefing Sam but tuned out.
I’m coming Angel. Hang in there a little while longer for me.
Raven had done hostage rescue on a plane before, but not a private jet. It was imperative they secured the hostages before they got on the plane. With no time to train, or run a drill, they were going in partially blind. It was risky, the stakes were high, but they were Onyx. If anyone could pull this off, it was them. Steve wouldn't want anyone else attempting the rescue of his wife.
“Steve, you with us?”
Dex’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. He nodded.
“OK, team, Melanie Costas confirmed there were seven men at the house including Volkov and Oleg. Two took her in the Honda. The rest went in the Range Rover and minivan. I think we can assume the two that went with Ms. Costas rejoined Volkov. So, we have a minimum of seven hostiles.”
Sam’s voice came through coms. “FBI and medics are on standby. We have the plane’s tail number should it take off and Tracer is compromised. What’s your ETA?”
“Five minutes,” Tyler said from the driver’s seat where he was making all kinds of traffic violations to get to the airstrip as quickly as possible.
“Alright. Volkov alive, boys,” Sam reminded them. Steve’s gaze locked with Dex. If the rest of the team could take him alive, that was fine by him. His priority was Diane. If Volkov got in his way, Steve would not hesitate to take him out.
“We’ll do our best, Sam, but the hostages come first.” Dex said.
“Understood. Good luck. Let's go bring those ladies home.”
“Two minutes,” Tyler said.
The SUV picked up speed. Steve pushed all emotion aside as the hangar came into view. This was the most important mission of his life. The woman he loved was just a few feet away. He would do anything to save her.
“Here we go.” Tyler wasn’t slowing down. Ryan was right behind them and as they got closer, pulled alongside. They were going in hot.
***
“IT’S TIME TO GO. LET’S move.” Volkov picked up his daughter and Oleg motioned them forward with his gun.
The plane was still being refueled, but as soon as it was done, they would be taking off. Diane stood and at once felt sick. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and Volkov had only given them water. As she went to step forward, the nausea intensified and suddenly everything spun. When she stumbled and retched, Natasha rushed to her side just as she threw up. Pain coursed through her body, and she cried out.
“Move. Now!” Oleg said.
“For God’s sake,” Natasha said, “you can see she is unwell.”
“Mrs. Williams, get on the plane now. I won’t ask again.” Volkov had turned back toward them. Diane raised her head and found frustration on his face. Did he think she was faking this? She straightened slowly and took a deep breath.
“Are you OK?” Natasha asked.
She nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
She heard an engine. So did Volkov. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he started to turn toward the sound, but before anyone could say anything, the rear doors of the hangar flew open.
Diane recognized the Onyx black SUVs immediately and almost collapsed in relief. But thankfully, instinct took over.
“Get down. Now!” She pushed Natasha to the floor, ignoring the pain spreading to every nerve ending in her body. “Keep your head down.”
The sound of screeching tires and gunfire simultaneously echoed in the large space, but Diane stayed flat against the floor. Shouts and commands in both Russian and English flooded her ears and poor little Anya cries filtered through it all.
“Anya! I have to get to Anya.” Natasha went to get up but was flattened back to the floor when a large body forced both of them down. Diane bit her lip as the pain burned.
“Stay down.” Gruff, low. Deadly.
“Steve? Is that you?” She barely recognized her husband’s voice.
“Yeah, Angel. It’s me. Stay down a little longer.” His voice gentled and Diane’s eyes filled with tears. He was here.
“Anya! He has Anya.” Natasha was struggling to get up beside her.
“Natasha. Stay. Still.” Steve’s voice was stern.
Diane reached for Natasha’s hand, squeezing it. “They’ll get her.”
Agonizing seconds later, the gunfire stopped. Diane heard shouts of “clear” and then Steve released his grip on them. Natasha scrambled to her feet, but Diane couldn’t move, the pain too much. She turned her head to see Natasha looking around frantically.
“Where’s Anya?” Natasha shrieked. She ran toward the plane. Steve cursed.
“Mackie!” he shouted from above her.
A second later Mackie had restrained Natasha.
“Angel? Can you move? Can you get up?” Concern filled Steve’s voice. His hand was light, careful on her cheek, but her lips wouldn't move. Her eyelids were heavy. She couldn’t keep them open. She glanced toward Natasha, still screaming in Mackie’s arms. Steve’s voice was muffled. A man walked down the steps of the plane, carrying Anya in his arms. Was that Volkov?
“Anya!” Natasha’s scream was the last thing she heard before her eyes closed.
***
“TYLER!” STEVE SHOUTED. “Get over here.”
He leaned over his wife. She was breathing but unconscious and deathly pale.
“Is she hit?” Tyler asked dropping to his knees beside them.
“No. She was talking and then she just passed out.”
“Let’s turn her over gently.”
They rolled her over and Steve winced at the blood-stained sweatshirt, her arm in the makeshift sling, which he must have crushed into the floor when he held them down.
“Looks like Diane was the one that tried to get out the window.” Tyler took the wrist that wasn’t in a sling and checked her pulse.
Steve gently ran his hand over her hair, not wanting to touch anywhere else for fear of hurting her more.
“How is she?” Dex asked, joining them.
Tyler put her hand down. “Pulse is strong. The shoulder is dislocated.” He lifted up her sweatshirt and Steve swallowed hard at the red slashes, bandages and bruising covering her stomach. Tyler pressed gently on her stomach and ribs.
“It doesn’t look like there are internal injuries. ETA on paramedics?” Tyler asked.
“Two minutes,” Dex said.
“I could put her shoulder back in, but I suggest we let the paramedics get her to the hospital and do it there. Her pulse is good, she’s breathing well. Probably passed out with the pain which, right now, isn't such a bad thing.” Tyler placed a hand on Steve’s arm. “She’s going to be fine.”
Steve couldn’t stop the tears. His Angel had been through hell, but she’d made it. She was so damn strong. Sirens blazed, growing closer. He took hold of Diane’s hand and brought it to his lips.
“I love you, Angel.”
The paramedics appeared with the gurney and Steve reluctantly stepped back, letting them do their job. When they had her strapped and ready to move, the paramedic in charge turned to him.
“Are you family?”
“Husband.”
“We’re taking her to General—”
“No, you’re not.” Dex interrupted. “You’re taking her to Westside and her husband is riding with you.”
“That’s not—”
“It’s been cleared. We’re military. She’s going to Westside. Dr. Sophie Summers is expecting you. We need to clean up here, so Steve goes with you. If you need to check the clearance, I can call my captain right now.”
The paramedic in charge took in the scene around him and shook his head. “Not necessary. Let’s go.”
Steve could have kissed his team leader. He had no idea if Dex actually had gotten clearance, but Ryan had most likely called Sophie. As head of the naval base ER on Coronado, there was no one he trusted more to take care of his angel.
As Diane was loaded into the ambulance Steve looked at Dex.
“Volkov?”
“Alive.”
Surprisingly, Steve wasn’t disappointed. Death would have been the easy way out.
“And the child?”
“Reunited with her mother.”
Steve nodded. Tracer had come through. “Tell Tracer I said thank you. I owe him a beer.”
Dex smiled. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
“I take it he’s gone?”
“Wouldn’t be good for him to be here when the FBI arrive. He’s still a wanted man.”
“Wanted or not. I’d have his back any day.” As far as Steve was concerned, Tracer had saved Diane’s life. He would never forget it.
“Go. We'll join you as soon as we’re done here.” Dex held out his hand for a bro shake, which Steve gladly gave.
He stepped up into the ambulance, shutting the doors behind him. The paramedic made room so he could sit near Diane’s head. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. A lump formed in his throat at how close he’d come to losing her.
“You’re going to be OK. We’re going to be OK, Angel.”
***
DEX WATCHED THE AMBULANCE disappear as Ryan came and stood beside him.
“Diane OK?”
“She will be.”
“And Steve?”
“He will be, too.” His phone rang and he answered it.
“Dawson. Everybody good?” Tracer asked.
Dex put the phone on speaker. “I’m here with Ryan and yeah, everyone’s good. Diane has some injuries but doesn’t look too serious.”
“Glad to hear it. That was kind of crazy. Just like old times, huh?”
Dex shook his head, looking at Ryan. “Yeah, it was. I take it you got out OK?”
“We’re clear.”
“You going to tell us how you came to be on that plane?” Ryan asked.
“Does it matter?”
“It does. You took a big risk coming here. Why?”
“Risk is what we live for, isn’t it?” Tracer said.
“You back doing private work?” Dex asked.
“Something like that.”
All three were silent for a beat, then Dex said. “Tracer. Reborn’s beef is with us. Don’t get yourself embedded with them like you did with that cartel. We can take care of Reborn. This is what we do.”
“I’m not in bed with them. Look, I am doing a little work, and that means moving in circles where you hear and see a few things. I might have asked a couple of people to let me know if they heard anything about Reborn. I got word that Aziz’s plane was about to leave for the US. Aziz never flies to the US. I did a little digging, connected the dots.” His tone of voice was casual, like it was no big deal.
“How did you dig and connect the dots?” Dex asked. The op was a need to know only, and access to anything pertaining to it was restricted.
“Come on, Dawson, I can’t tell you all my secrets. I take it you secured the sarin?”
“Jesus Christ, you know about that, too?” Ryan said.
“Why do it, though? You could have just called me and gave us the info, and we could have taken the plane.” Dex wasn’t letting it go.
“Where’s the fun in that? I got on that plane because you damn well know that Volkov would try and get on it with his daughter no matter what bullets were flying. He would run, and someone needed to be on board to stop him. And that’s exactly what happened. If I hadn’t had been on that plane, he might have got away with that little girl.”
“You risked being caught. This could have ended differently.”
Tracer sighed on the other end. “Can you guys not just say thank you?’
“Thank you,” Dex said. “But I still want to know why.”
“You’re not going to give it up, are you?” Tracer cursed but didn’t wait for a response. “Look. You guys could have tracked me down and brought me in anytime. You haven’t. Consider this my way of saying thanks.”
“You saved Sophie’s life and her sister, Chloe’s,” Ryan said firmly. “You don’t owe us.”
“I did that because it was the right thing to do. And while it was going down, Dawson, you made sure my mother was protected from the cartel without me even asking. I will never forget that. Onyx is going against protocol by not bringing me in. No one is actively looking for me, and I’m guessing Harrison has something to do with that. So, when a chance to help you appeared, I wasn’t going to ignore it.”
Dex looked at Ryan. This was the Tracer they remembered from BUDs. The oath they took, the bond they had, was all still there.
“Steve won’t forget this, nor will we.”
“Got the feeling Steve wasn’t too sure about me.”
“He doesn’t know you as well as we do,” Ryan said. “But he trusts us, and we trusted you.”
“Good. Can I go home now?” Tracer said with humor.
“Where is home now?”
Tracer chuckled. “You know I’m not going to tell you that voluntarily.”
“Don’t trust us?” Dex said lightheartedly.
“I’d like to think we’re past that. I don’t want to put you in the position of knowing. You are all still military boys.” Tracer replied seriously.
“No chance we’re going to see you to buy you a beer, then?”
“Who knows. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”