Chapter 7 #2
“She’s an information broker and ally of sorts.”
“Of sorts?”
I feel the corners of my mouth lift up. “Victoria Cross is an entity unto herself. She sells information to the highest bidder and doesn’t really involve herself.
You can trust her to honor her word and she seems to have a soft spot for us.
If she’s said she’ll keep them safe or vetted those who will, then your sister is in good hands. ”
I can see relief wash over her. "Stryker, thank you for bringing us somewhere safe."
Words stick in my throat. "Get some rest. We'll figure out next steps after Kane and I talk."
I leave before she can see the fear I'm trying to hide.
Kane looks up when I enter operations. "How are they settling in?"
"As well as can be expected." I move to stand across from him. "Rachel's tough. She'll adapt. Lucas is scared but holding together."
"Good. Tommy briefed me on the tracker." Kane pulls up additional intelligence. Committee movement patterns. Kessler's known associates. Financial transfers indicating a major operation. "Military-grade tech, planted before you left Tucson. They've been watching Rachel longer than we realized."
"Weeks, at minimum." I move closer to the display. "Maybe since Lucas witnessed the murder."
"Which means they've had time to map her entire network.
Friends, coworkers, family." Kane zooms in on thermal imaging from the safe house assault.
"Multiple operatives, professional coordination, military-grade equipment.
Webb's making an example. Show that witnessing Committee operations gets you killed no matter who tries to protect you. "
"Then we make sure Lucas survives long enough to testify."
"Agreed. But short-term, we need to address the immediate threat." Kane zooms in on thermal imaging from the safe house assault. "This wasn't a cleanup crew. This was a statement."
The replay shows thermal signatures moving through the building. Me holding position while Rachel and Lucas huddled in the panic room. Committee operatives retreating when Kane's reinforcements arrived.
"I should have swept the vehicle before we left Tucson."
"You were focused on immediate extraction. That's prioritization, not failure." Kane's voice stays level. "But from now on, every vehicle gets swept. Every location gets checked."
"Understood."
Kane closes the tactical display and looks at me directly. "How are you handling this? Having Rachel and Lucas here?"
The question catches me off guard. "I'm fine."
"Stryker." His voice carries that tone that means he's not asking casually. "I sent you to Tucson knowing your history with her. Knowing it would be complicated. That was tactical. You're the one who cares enough to die protecting her, which is what this situation requires."
My jaw tightens. "Then why are you asking?"
"Because caring enough to die for someone and caring so much it clouds your judgment are different things." Kane's expression doesn't change. "I need to know which one I'm working with."
"I'll keep them safe."
"That's not what I asked." He waits, and when I don't answer immediately, continues.
"You left her eight years ago because you thought you couldn't be both an operator and someone she could count on.
Now you're trying to be both. I need to know if you can actually pull that off, or if I need to adjust the protection detail. "
"I can handle it."
"Good. Because she trusts you, and Lucas is starting to. Don't prove them wrong." Kane's voice softens slightly. "And Stryker? Whatever reasons you had for walking away from her eight years ago don't apply anymore. You're not the same operator you were then."
I nod because there's nothing else to say.
"I'm taking first watch," I say. "Someone should monitor the entrance feeds."
"Tommy's already on it. You should rest."
"Can't. Not yet." I turn to leave. "I'll be in the observation room if you need me."
Walking away feels like retreating. I make my way through corridors I know by heart, past doors that lead to rooms where my team sleeps and plans and prepares.
Past Rachel's door.
I stop without meaning to. Stand in the corridor listening for sounds of movement inside. Nothing. Either she's resting or she's too quiet to hear through reinforced walls built to withstand explosive breaches.
She's here now. In Echo Base. The two parts of my life I kept separate for eight years, finally in the same place. Kane's right—I can do this. I can be the operator who keeps them safe and the man who stays this time.
I force myself to keep walking. Into the observation room where monitors show every approach vector to Echo Base. Empty forest. Mountain passes. The hidden entrance.
I settle into the chair and pull up the feeds, scanning for threats.
Behind me, the door opens quietly.
Rachel.
"Can't sleep either?" she asks.
"Someone needs to keep watch." I gesture at the monitors without looking at her. "Committee could have followed the convoy."
"Or you're avoiding being alone with your thoughts."
The words land hard. I finally turn to face her. She's still wearing the same clothes from the flight. Hair pulled back in a ponytail. No makeup, just exhaustion written in the lines around her eyes.
"Lucas asleep?"
"Out cold. Poor kid's been running on adrenaline for the past couple of days." She moves to stand beside me. "This is really your home. Your team's base of operations."
"Yeah."
"And you brought us here. Into the heart of everything you do." She turns to face me fully. "Why?"
"Because it's the most secure location we have."
"That's not what I'm asking." Her voice drops. "You could have handed us off and walked away. But you didn't. You're here, watching monitors instead of sleeping. Why?"
I should maintain professional distance. Should do anything except admit the truth.
"Because I failed you once," I say quietly. "By walking away. I won't make that mistake again."
Rachel's eyes search mine. "You think you failed me?"
"I left you alone. Mateo took advantage of that. You spent over a year in that compound because I wasn't there."
"Colton." She says my first name and it hits like a gut punch. "What happened with Mateo wasn't your fault. I made choices. I trusted the wrong person. I paid the price for that."
"You shouldn't have had to."
"But I did. And I survived. And I built a life for Lucas." Her hand finds mine in the darkness. "You don't get to take responsibility for choices I made."
Her palm is warm against mine. I should pull away, maintain professional boundaries.
Instead, I hold on.
"Kane sent me to Tucson because he knew I'd do whatever it takes to keep you safe," I admit. "He was right. I would have walked through fire to get to you. Still would."
"Then we're on the same page." Rachel squeezes my hand. "But right now, Lucas is safe. I'm safe. And you need to rest because you can't protect us if you're running on fumes."
"Tommy's monitoring the feeds from ops. I'm just being paranoid."
"Then stop being paranoid and go sleep." Her voice is firm. "You're no good to us exhausted."
I want to argue. Want to maintain the watch schedule and the discipline and all the structures that keep me operational. But exhaustion pulls at me with weight I can't ignore anymore. The flight after a firefight that nearly killed us all. The adrenaline crash finally catching up.
"Four hours," I say. "Then I'm back on rotation."
"Four hours minimum or I'm telling Kane you're compromising your own operational effectiveness."
Despite everything, I almost smile. "You'd really do that."
"Try me."
I stand, suddenly aware of how close we're standing. Her shampoo smells floral, something that survived the chaos of the past few days. Close enough to see the pulse beating in her throat. Close enough that all I'd have to do is lean forward and—
I step back before I do something stupid.
"Four hours," I agree. "Then back on rotation."
I head for the door but stop before leaving. "Rachel?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're here. Even though it's dangerous and complicated and probably a terrible idea." The words come out rough and honest. "I'm glad you're here."
Something soft moves underneath all that hard-earned survival instinct. "I'm glad I'm here too. Even though you drive me crazy and you're too careful and you think you have to carry everything alone."
I should say something. Should acknowledge the truth hanging between us.
Instead, I just nod and leave before I say something that makes this even more complicated.
She follows me out, heading back toward her quarters while I turn toward mine.
My quarters are down the corridor. Small room with a bunk and a footlocker and weapons storage built into the walls. Everything I own fits in this space because operators travel light and attachments get you killed.
Except I'm attached now whether I want to be or not. To Rachel and her fierce protectiveness and the way she refuses to let fear control her despite everything she's survived. To Lucas and his quiet bravery and the way he looks at me like I might actually be worth trusting.
I strip off the body armor and secure my weapons in proper storage. The room is exactly how I left it before Kane sent me to Tucson.
But I'm not the same person who left here.
I lie down on the bunk and stare at the ceiling. Rachel is three doors down. Close enough that if something goes wrong, I can reach her in seconds. Far enough that I might actually get some sleep.
Except sleep won't come. Not with her voice still in my head. You don't get to take responsibility for choices I made.
Kane's words echo too. You're not the same operator you were then.
Maybe I'm not. Maybe this is what it looks like to actually stay instead of running when things get complicated. To be both the operator Kane needs and the man Rachel and Lucas deserve.
I close my eyes and see her hand in mine. Feel the warmth of her palm. The calluses she earned learning to protect herself after I left.
This time I'm not leaving. This time I'm staying until the job is done and beyond. Kane trusts me to do this. Now I need to trust myself.
Four hours until I take watch again.
Long enough to rest. Not long enough to forget the weight of her hand in mine or the way she looked at me when she said she was glad to be here too.