Page 123 of No Fear

Donnie shook his head. “Not yet. Long distance is still not as good.” He wanted to feel the rifle in his hands, but not until he knew he could shoot it with the accuracy and respect it deserved.

The door opened and Sam stepped in.

“How did it go?”

Dex gestured at the latest target. “I’d say it went great.”

“How did it feel?” Sam asked him.

“It felt good. It’s not perfect, but it will be.”

“Looks pretty good to me.” Sam turned to Dex. “We need to talk.”

Dex followed Sam out, leaving Donnie alone. That worked for him. Shooting was a good distraction right now.

***

SAM CLOSED THE DOOR of his office and sat down. Dex made himself comfortable opposite.

“I know that look. What’s wrong?” Dex asked.

Sam pushed a folder across the desk. “The list of embassy staff. Look at the last name.”

Dex opened the folder, then looked up. “Charlotte Weston. You know her?”

“Miss Charlotte Weston also goes by Charlie,” Sam said.

“Oh, shit! She’s in Daram? I’m guessing Donnie doesn't know, or we would have heard about it already.”

“Agreed. What exactly is their relationship?”

Dex put the folder back on the desk. “They’ve known each other since they were kids. Kelly mentioned they’d had a disagreement, and from what I gather he cares about her a lot. She was considering moving here.”

Sam leaned back in his chair, folding his arms.

“We tell him, he’s going to want to deploy with the team.”

“Yeah, he will.”

“We both know he’s not ready. He’s eyes are still healing.”

“I know.” Dex got up and paced. Sam instinctively knew what was coming.

“He’s not going to be my lead sniper right now, but he can handle close range. You saw his shooting. He was on target. We could get him cleared.”

Sam ran a hand over his face. Yep, that was what he expected Dex to say.

“He suffered a severe concussion. You really want him with you? He is not a hundred percent.”

“Sophie cleared him. His sight meets the minimum requirements and no lingering effects from the concussion.”

“Charlie being there is going to make this very personal to him.”

“Sam, this is going to be personal for all of us, whether Charlie was there or not. It’s Reborn.”

He had a point. But sending Donnie there would be a huge risk.

“This op is dangerous enough. He should stay here. He can be on coms, be in real time. I can’t have him slowing you down, or missing a vital shot.”