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“I’ll be asking questions,” I finished.
“What can we bring?” Reese asked. “Our sleeping bags?”
“I don’t know, can you?” I cocked my head at him. “Will that fit your cover story? Are you going to Venezuela as American hikers? I’m not saying that would be wrong—but you bring only what will go along with your character profiles.”
This would be a great test for the brothers, on more than one level. I hoped River would remember the SAS rule to keep shit simple. Don’t run if you can walk, rest when you can, eat when you can, take the easy route.
That was one of the reasons I didn’t want Danny in the private sector. He was wired to go the extra mile and show off. If I sent his detachment out on a ten-mile hike, he brought heavier gear to stand out. He always had to perform better than his peers.
I stopped with my fork in midair as something dawned on me. Danny wasn’t necessarily looking for the next compliment as much as he wanted constant approval. The boy wanted to be seen.
My chest tightened uncomfortably at the thought of him exhausting himself just to get noticed.
I had to do something.
Chapter 3
After dinner, I stood on the porch steps and watched River and Reese trail off into the night. They’d brought a few things from their duffels and stashed them in a plastic bag.
It was gonna be interesting to see what they came up with. Their options were limited, to say the least. No stores would be open before they were due back tomorrow morning, not counting the convenience store at the gas station half a mile outside town.
Hearing shuffling and clanking behind me, I glanced over my shoulder to see Danny coming toward me with our dishes.
“I’ll wash these up in the lake,” he said.
Now I had to figure out what to do about him. I scratched the side of my head as he headed down to the water’s edge.
He was staying; that much was clear. I had to ask him his intentions, and then I was gonna have to accept his response. If he wanted to go private…fuck, so be it. His choice. My hands would be kinda tied, though. I wasn’t sure I could trust anybody else to give him the right training.
I knew his background better. I’d seen him in action.
After everything I’d learned today, I wasn’t positive the Army was the right route for him either. It may have been his home for nearly a decade now, but he’d missed out on a lot, and the brotherhood and camaraderie between soldiers could never replace having someone to come home to.
Say I spent a year preparing Danny for a position at Hillcroft—God knew they would want to hire him—perhaps I could carefully nudge him toward creating a social life for himself in the meantime. While I doubted he’d ever been the outcast eating alone in the school cafeteria, nothing about his profile convinced me he had actual friends he spent time with.
Befriending the twins would be a good start. The three could learn a lot from one another. And I wasn’t always around. In the five months I’d been working with the twins, I’d been gone for a handful of week-long stints. Two weeks at the most. Simpler gigs.
“Join me in the cabin when you’re done, kid,” I said.
He side-eyed me briefly over his shoulder—not all the way to make eye contact in the dark. “Okay.”
Since I hadn’t been inside yet, I grabbed my duffel from the truck first. Then I headed indoors and surveyed the surroundings. I was curious to find out if Danny had slept here one night already.
A lantern was lit on the kitchen counter. “Kitchen” being used liberally. It was a counter with two cabinets and a basin of water. I pulled back the curtain below and spotted my six two-gallon jugs had been filled with fresh water. As Danny had said.
My utility dresser by the window that faced the porch had become the twins’ loading zone. Their duffel bags were on the floor, some clothes spilling out after their hasty exit.
The living room area was spotless. Fire blazing, coffee table empty, two sofas forming a sectional. I saw no outward signs of Danny having spent the night, except for maybe one thing. His backpack sat on the floor by the end of one couch, with his sleeping bag resting on top.
Having no plans to leave the property anymore tonight, I went into my bedroom and dropped my bag on the bed. First things first, unpack the kerosene and get some light in here. I had a kerosene lamp sitting on two stacks of books that functioned as a nightstand. With that out of the way, I changed into a pair of sweatpants and a new tee.
Then I grabbed the catalogue I’d packed with me and returned to the living room.
Danny joined me just as I sat down on the couch, and he stowed away the dishes before he opted for the other sofa.
“What’s that?” He nodded at the catalogue.
“My next shopping venture, I hope,” I replied. “The boys have been working their asses off for five months now, so I thought I’d give them something.”
