Page 85 of Wraith: Lethal Impact

"Because the Thai police requested us." She drops off the tailgate, tucking the tablet under her arm. "Most people only know the fugitive side of what we do. We also run international operations. When the money crosses a border, or the men do, or the girls do, we're allowed to follow. Trafficking crosses every border there is, so we go where it goes, with permission and an obscene amount of paperwork."

"Is that why Dax was on a roof in Bangkok?"

"That's why any of us are here." She looks toward the wall where the women sit wrapped in silver blankets. "Fifteen saved today. Without us..."

"There were twenty-one." The number burns in my throat, cold and sharp. The math offers no comfort when six names are missing.

Okafor meets my gaze as her jaw sets. No platitudes come. The Deputy Marshal knows the grim arithmetic as well as I do.

"Six of them went north in a black SUV." My fist tightens in the crinkling silver blanket. "I watched the taillights clear the ridge."

"We're looking for that vehicle." Okafor's voice drops lower, stripped of official polish. "Every unit along the border has the description."

"That doesn't get them back." The words taste like ash. Searching isn't saving.

"No." Okafor holds my gaze as the brutal truth settles between us. "It doesn't."

"Thank you." My voice feels a little firmer. "For listening. And for what you said—about my father's compass. And the rest of it."

"Take care of yourself." Okafor offers a warm nod before stepping down off the tailgate and stowing her tablet. "You did good today."

She turns and heads back toward the triage line to direct the evacuation.

Across the tarmac, the operational tempo shifts. Medics and Marshals guide the surviving women toward the transport Black Hawks and split them between the aircraft as the turbine whine builds.

An operator escorts Andrea out of the queue toward me before loading her onto the bird.

A gray oversized sweatshirt hangs from her frame. Paper slippers cover her feet. They've washed the soot from her face, making the dark purple bruising on her cheek look sharper.

I grab Dax's SIG and step down off the tailgate. Cold concrete bites into my bare soles. For a long second, neither of us moves.

"I thought you were dead." Andrea's voice cracks, tears brimming in her eyes. "One of those guards threw me over his shoulder, and when I looked back, you were on the floor. Then the metal doors shut."

A cold shock hits my chest as I realize she spent three days believing I was dead.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you." I step forward and pull her into my arms, holding her tight against me. "All I could think about was saving you."

"You crazy girl." A breathy laugh escapes Andrea's throat as tears spill down her cheek. She wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing me until neither of us can breathe. "You actually came for me."

We hold each other for a long moment, the terror of the past three days finally washing out of us in the quiet rain.

"They're taking us to Chiang Mai." Andrea steps back, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve. "Consulate first. Then a doctor, then a diplomatic flight home." She looks at me, her eyes searching mine. "You're coming with me, right?"

I turn and look back across the dock at Dax. He stands beside the lead Black Hawk, his shoulder freshly bandaged, his dark gaze locked onto me across the tarmac.

"No." I turn back to Andrea, my voice quiet but steady. "I'm gonna stay with him."

Andrea follows my gaze to Dax, taking a moment to study the sniper. Her brows knit together, protective instinct sharpening her eyes.

"Is something going on between you two?" Andrea's voice drops low as she turns back to me. "It's only been three days. You barely know him. This feels so fast."

"Yes." My chest tightens, but I meet her eyes. "There's something between us. I know three days sounds crazy, but I've spent every hour with him. I have to stay and see what we could be."

"He's a killer." Andrea reaches out, her cold fingers gripping my forearm. "I'm scared for you."

"He kept me alive." My voice stays firm. "He's a protector. He protected me, and he protected you."

Andrea holds my gaze for a long beat. The tension slowly drains from her posture, replaced by quiet acceptance.