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“Thank you.” She sighed, rubbing the skin between her gritty eyes. “All those men went down on that submarine thinking they were doing good, that they were helping veterans find peace after war instead of elevating the standard of weaponization.”
Ty reached over and squeezed her hand, his expression solemn. “This ends here. Finding the truth at last—it must give you some peace, for Luke’s sake.”
Jo swallowed hard. Peace still eluded her. She hadn’t been able to visit the memorial stone; the pain was still too raw.
“You got what you wanted?” Ty watched her closely. “Mission accomplished?”
Bringing Raptor down was all she’d lived for since Luke died. Why then did she not feel more relief, a sense of completion? Had she been looking for the wrong thing all along? She’d thought knowing she could stop the manufacture of the chips would heal the hurt in her heart, but it hadn’t.
“I...” She faltered, the admission surprising her. “No, not really.” She swallowed. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me?”
Ty’s brow furrowed. “No.”
Jo looked down at her tea, words spilling out in a rush. “I have the proof I wanted all along. But it hasn’t made me feel any better. I thought justice would heal this… emptiness inside, but it hasn’t.”
Understanding lit Ty’s eyes. “Maybe you were seeking the wrong remedy.”
Her head twitched. “Wrong? Revenge is all I’ve lived for since Luke died. Raptor will pay.”
Ty turned his wedding ring thoughtfully. “We cling to pain because it’s familiar, even as it destroys us.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “But accepting the agony, walking through it—that’s the only way forward.” He met her gaze. “It takes courage to embrace change and move in a new direction. But trust me, motion is always better than standing still.”
He glanced up at the wall clock. “It’ll be dawn soon.” He pushed back from the table, kindness brightening his face despite the trauma it bore. “I think you know your new direction. Don’t let him get away from you.”
40
Wisps of noise carried on the frigid wind. Griff froze, straining to identify the sounds. Had he imagined it? Exhaustion was playing tricks with his mind. He held his breath, willing his pounding heart to stillness.
There.
He hadn’t been mistaken.
The unmistakable growl of engines churning through the snow.Griff’s gut twisted as he raised the binoculars, spotting multiple plumes powdering the horizon. He raised the clunky radio Wyatt had given him to his mouth. “Contact, multiple unknown approaching from the southeast.”
He broke into a sprint, half-sliding down the steep incline toward the cabin. Fresh snow had continued to fall throughout the night, concealing vicious drop-offs. Griff’s heel shot out, and he went down hard, shoulder exploding in white-hot agony as he slammed into the iron ground. For several seconds, the world grayed and he fought for breath.
The radio buzzed in his hand. “Copy that. Where are you? Over?”
Clenching his jaw, Griff locked down the pain response as he had done so many times before on missions, and forced air into his resistant lungs. “Approaching your position now,” he rasped in reply, pulling himself upright through sheer force of will. He wouldn’t let Jo down. He wouldn’t let any of them down.
Staggering the last distance, he burst in through the cabin’s back door, snow billowing around him. Across the room, he met Jo’s frightened eyes. She was helping Sophie hurriedly finish packing. Seeing her only fueled his determination—he would obliterate anything or anyone who threatened her.
Adrenaline flooded Griff’s veins, muting his pain. “I counted six snow mobiles.”
Wyatt tipped his head forward. “Perimeter alarm’s triggered. They have no idea of the hell storm they’re about to unleash.” He continued concealing a small armory from the table to various points on his body. “How close?”
“About three clicks,” Griff answered. “I estimate a five-to-seven-minute head start.”
“The fresh snowfall will slow them and the cabin access is challenging for snowmobiles.”
Ty crashed through the door, stamping his snow dusted boots on the mat. “How ready are we?”
“Almost done.” Sophie called from the kitchen. She’d tied her hair back with a navy scarf. Her hands moved with practiced assurance as she stowed supplies. Just how many times had they prepped for this eventuality? Had they always known it would come to this? Griff couldn’t imagine what would it be like to live like that—always looking over your shoulder.
His stiff hands fisted. This was where it stopped. This was where Pharmasyn stopped. So good people like Ty and Sophie could live their lives in peace.
Wyatt squinted through the frosted window into the dawning day, his gaze resolute as he turned back to face the room. “Griff, you’ll take Jo and my mom through the escape route. My Dad and I will delay them at this end.”
“What?” Jo stalled, zipping up her jacket. “No. We stick together.”
