Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
She has one arm folded around a file folder against her chest and the other braced on the doorframe. Her eyes are tired, but the way she stands tall and strong does something to me. Every damn time.
“They’re holding up so far.”
Her mouth curves into a faint smile. “The maps, or you?”
“Ask me tomorrow.”
As she comes closer, her eyes drop to the desk, taking in my notes on ingress points and evacuation routes. Overwatch positions outside the school grounds are marked with Xs, and fallback points are noted by color.
“This is for the science fair,” she says quietly.
“Yeah.”
“You think he’ll hit then?”
“There’ll be crowds and distraction. It’s the perfect opportunity.” I tap the map near the gym. “Maximum damage with minimum effort.”
Her face goes pale for half a second, then she pulls it back under control. “I’ll cancel it.”
“I already thought that through.” I scratch my chin. “If we cancel, he’ll adjust. Maybe he hits somewhere less controlled, like the pickup line or morning drop-off.”
“And at the fair, you can prepare.”
“Yeah.” I turn back to the map and point things out, because it’s easier than letting her look too hard at me. “Weston’ll be inside, working the gym and cafeteria. Calder will be outside on comms and exterior surveillance covering the lots, side road, and tree line.” I tap the map as I talk. “The sheriff will have men there. Federal backup will be on standby two towns over.”
“Standby,” she repeats.
“We don’t know for certain if or when Kozlov will attack,” I say. “If he does, they’ll move the second we call, but even running lights and sirens, it could still take too long.”
There it is. The truth out in the open, bare and ugly. If Kozlov comes, it’ll be us.
Not just us, not technically. Moon Ridge PD will be involved, along with a couple of county deputies, but it’ll still come down to us.
No platoon. No air support. No cavalry sweeping in at the last second.
Small-town responders, a school full of families, and the woman I love standing close enough to touch.
“I know how to plan for the men beside me,” I tell her. “I know how to account for risk, casualties, and contingencies. But this—” I look at the map, hating how tired my voice sounds. “This isn’t a mission where the people I’m protecting are names on a list. It’s you and T.J. It’s kids and teachers. People who trust me because I told them it was safe to keep going.”
Elena sets her folder down and rests her hand on my arm with a solid touch. “Buck.”
I look at her.
“I trust you because you tell the truth,” she says. “Even when it’s hard, and even when it scares me.” Her fingers tighten. “I have faith in you because I’ve seen you. Not just what you can do when things go bad, but who you are when they do.”
Something squeezes painfully in my chest. “I can’t promise perfect.”
“I would never ask for perfect.”
Her eyes hold mine. Warm, tired, and brave. Mine, if I let myself think such a selfish thought.
“You’re not carrying this alone,” she says. “Weston and Calder are with you. The sheriff’s department and federal agents are, too, and so am I. Whether Kozlov knows it or not, he picked a fight with people who love each other enough to become very inconvenient.”
I stare at her, and a laugh slips out of me before I can stop it.
“There he is,” she says with a smile.
“You make it sound so simple.” I cover her hand with mine and squeeze.
She shakes her head. “You make it sound survivable.”
I lift her knuckles to my mouth and press a kiss there. It’s a quick kiss, because this is the station, and if I let myself take more, I’ll be done for. “Thank you,” I say.
She brushes her thumb against my wrist. “You don’t have to thank me for believing in you.”
CHAPTER 41
BUCK
When I walk Elena out to the bay, T.J.’s sitting cross-legged on an old blanket. There’s a plate of cookies on one side of him and a container of LEGO bricks on the other. Weston and Calder are both kneeling beside him.
“Hey, Mom. Look what I made.” The boy holds up a multi-colored creation that might be a spaceship or part of a fire engine.
“What’ve you got there?” I ask.
He glances up at me with a serious expression. “Mobile rescue unit.”
“Looks fast.”
“It is.” After he takes a bite of a cookie, he snaps on another piece. “And it has armor.”
I lean against the engine’s bumper and fold my arms. “Useful feature.”
T.J. nods, like I confirmed something important.
“What’s with all the cookies?” Elena asks him.
Before he can answer, Calder says, “We gave him some pizza before the cookies.”
Elena lifts a brow at Calder, then looks back at her son. “I guess this is your dinner?”