Chapter 14
Sabrina
Sabrina paced the main room of the safe house, anxiety tightening her chest with each passing minute. They should have called by now. Even accounting for extraction time and transport, they should have checked in again.
"Something's wrong," she said to Henry, who was monitoring communications at the desk.
"Could be radio silence protocol," he replied, though his expression betrayed his own concern. "Or they're out of range."
"Or something went wrong." Sabrina couldn't shake the sense of dread that had settled over her since Walker and Reed had departed hours earlier.
The kiss they'd shared in the kitchen played repeatedly in her mind—the heat of his mouth on hers, the solid strength of his arms around her, the promise of a future together that had shimmered between them. She couldn't lose him now.
Henry's phone rang, breaking the tense silence. He answered immediately, his expression shifting from hope to concern as he listened.
"What is it?" Sabrina demanded when he hung up.
"There's a situation," Henry said carefully. "Reed's team secured Kraslov and Thomas. They were en route back to the rendezvous point when contact was lost."
Sabrina's heart seemed to stop. "Lost how?"
"Their helicopter isn't responding to communications. Last known coordinates put them over forested terrain about fifteen miles south of the border."
The room spun around her. Sabrina gripped the back of a chair to steady herself. "A crash?"
"We don't know yet," Henry said, already moving toward the door. "Reed's backup team is mobilizing for search and rescue. We need to move."
"I'm coming with you," Sabrina stated, leaving no room for argument.
Henry looked like he might object, then nodded. "Grab a coat. It's cold out there."
The drive to the coordination point was the longest of Sabrina's life. Every minute that passed without news felt like an eternity. She tried to focus on what Walker would do in this situation—stay calm, think methodically, believe in training and preparation.
Reed's secondary team had established a command post at a remote ranger station. Multiple vehicles were already parked outside, and people moved with purposeful efficiency as Henry and Sabrina arrived.
A stern-faced woman approached them. "Henry. Ms. Clark. I'm Jenna, Reed's chief of operations."
"Have you found them?" Sabrina asked immediately.
"We have a probable crash site," Jenna confirmed. "Satellite imagery shows debris consistent with a helicopter. Search teams are en route now."
"Survivors?" Henry pressed.
"Unknown. We lost all electronic signatures, including tracking devices on Kraslov and Thomas."
Sabrina felt sick. "How long until the search team reaches them?"
"Terrain is challenging. At least two hours on foot from the nearest access point."
"Too long," Sabrina whispered.
Jenna's expression softened slightly. "We have the best people out there. If there are survivors, they'll find them."
If. The word echoed in Sabrina's mind, filling her with dread.
"I need to be out there," she said.
Henry placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sabrina, the search teams are professionals. We'd only slow them down."
"I don't care," she insisted. "Walker is out there. I need to be there when they find him."
Jenna studied her for a moment, then nodded. "I can get you to the staging point. From there, you'll need to wait until the ground teams clear a path."
"Thank you," Sabrina said sincerely.
As they prepared to depart, gathering emergency supplies and suitable clothing, Henry pulled Sabrina aside.
"You need to prepare yourself," he said gently. "For whatever we might find."
Sabrina met his gaze steadily. "I know. But Walker's a survivor. He made it through war zones and missions gone wrong. He survived Ray's death. He'll survive this too."
The conviction in her voice surprised even her.
Somehow, in the midst of terror and uncertainty, she had found an unshakable faith in Walker's ability to come back to her. She bowed her head and prayed, asking God to help Walker and Reed and all of the teams looking for them. What had Walker said? Sometimes you just had to have faith.
They got to the staging point, which was a small clearing accessible by four-wheel drive, where a second search team was preparing to deploy.
Sabrina and Henry joined them, listening to the search coordinator's briefing.
"Satellite imagery shows the crash site approximately three miles northeast of our position," the coordinator explained. "First team is approaching from the south. We'll come in from the west, creating a crosshatch search pattern."
As the team prepared to move out, Sabrina's attention was drawn to the communications officer, who was suddenly alert, pressing his headset closer to his ear.
"Repeat that, Team One," he said urgently.
The entire staging area fell silent, waiting.
"Confirmed," the comms officer finally said, his face breaking into a relieved smile. "We have survivors. Multiple survivors."
A cheer went up from the search team.
Sabrina felt her knees weaken with relief as Henry's supportive arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Walker?" she asked the comms officer. "Reed?"
He nodded. "Both alive. Reed has a leg injury. Walker is mobile, assisting with extraction of the others."
Of course he was, Sabrina thought. Even injured, even after a helicopter crash, Walker would be taking care of everyone else first. Relief filled her. “Thank God,” she muttered.
"Kraslov and Thomas?" Henry asked.
"Secured. Both survived with minor injuries."
The next hour passed in a blur as the rescue operation shifted into high gear. Medical teams were dispatched, extraction routes finalized. Sabrina refused to leave the staging area, determined to be there the moment Walker emerged from the forest.
When word came that the survivors were approaching, Sabrina moved to the edge of the clearing, her heart pounding as she scanned the treeline. The search team appeared first, followed by medics supporting Reed, whose leg was splinted.
And then Walker—his face scratched, uniform torn and dirty, moving with the stiffness of someone fighting through pain—but alive. Wonderfully, amazingly alive.
Their eyes met across the clearing.
Without hesitation, Sabrina ran toward him.
Walker dropped the pack he was carrying and opened his arms just as she reached him.
She threw herself against his chest, feeling his arms close around her with crushing strength.
"You're okay," she whispered, tears flowing freely now. "You're really okay."
"I promised I'd come back," he murmured against her hair, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I always keep my promises."
She pulled back just far enough to look at him, taking in every scratch, every bruise, reassuring herself that he was truly here. "Don't ever do that to me again."
A weary smile touched his lips. "Crash a helicopter? Not on my to-do list, believe me."
Sabrina laughed despite her tears. Then, she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him with all the fear and relief and love that had built up during those terrible hours of uncertainty.
Walker responded with equal fervor, his arms tightening around her as if he never intended to let go. When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, he brushed a strand of hair from her face with gentle fingers.
"I thought of you," he said quietly. "When we were going down. All I could think about was getting back to you."
"And here you are," she whispered.
"Here I am."
A throat clearing nearby reminded them they weren't alone. They turned to find Reed, supported by a medic, watching them with an expression that mingled pain and amusement.
"If you two are finished," he said, "we have prisoners to secure and a mountain of paperwork to complete."
Walker kept his arm around Sabrina's waist as they rejoined the others. "What happened?" he asked Reed. "Engine failure doesn't explain what we experienced."
Reed's expression darkened. "Sabotage. Preliminary examination shows signs of tampering with the fuel line."
"Thomas?" Sabrina asked.
"Unlikely," Walker replied. "He was secured the entire time. This had to be pre-planned."
Henry joined them, his face grim. "Which means Kraslov anticipated his capture. Had a failsafe in place."
"His contingency," Walker realized. "Thomas tried to warn me right before the crash. Said Kraslov had contingencies we hadn't imagined."
Reed grimaced. “Well, we’ll take this one day at a time, but it looks like the data from Kraslov’s computer confirms the financial connections. Combined with what Sabrina found, we have enough to bury him. And Thomas.”
Walker nodded. “That’s good, I guess we’ll have to take it for now.”
Reed nodded, then gave them both a lazy smile. “And you two can thank me for your … thing here.” He wagged a finger between them.
Walker grunted. “Sure, you mean for almost getting us both killed?”
“You’re welcome,” Reed said, walking away.
“Your time is coming, bro.”
Reed shook his head. “No, I’m a confirmed bachelor.”
They both laughed.
Walker pulled Sabrina closer. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes searching hers. "Really okay?"
Sabrina nodded. "I am now." She reached up to touch his face, tracing a scratch along his cheekbone. "I was so scared, Walker. When Henry said your helicopter had gone down..."
"I know," he said softly. "But it'll take more than a crash to keep me from coming back to you. We have been apart for too long.”
She sniffed. "Way too long," she agreed, leaning into him, drawing strength from his solid presence.
Walker's arms encircled her, one hand cradling the back of her head. "When this is over," he promised, "when Kraslov is locked away and the danger has passed, we're going to figure this out—you and me. No more wasted time."
“No more wasted time.”