3. Chapter 3
Lorenz
“You’re back!” Alex exclaimed. “Did you bring us back a medal? A cup?”
“Nope,” Lorenz replied, dropping himself gingerly into his chair. His legs were still screaming—louder than he wanted to admit. “Not even close.”
“Looks like you survived the desert, at least,” Tristan said.
“Without even a sunburn,” Ry added.
“It was fun,” Lorenz said. “You guys should have joined me.”
“Four marathons in four days?” Ry shook his head. “Yeah, no way. But glad to see you back in one piece.”
“Where’s Beau?” Lorenz asked. “What did I miss?”
“Upstairs with the colonel,” Hugo said, dropping into the chair beside him. “And not much.”
Lorenz eyed him. “You look like shit, man.”
“Rébé doesn’t sleep,” Hugo replied flatly. “At least not at night. Apparently, she power-naps during the day. Wish I could do that.”
Ry smirked. “You don’t look so hot yourself, Lorenz. Is it possible you’re getting old?”
Was he? Just a couple of years earlier, he could have gone straight from a race to a shift without blinking. Now it’d been over twenty-four hours, and every movement still came with a sharp reminder.
He swallowed his wince as Beau walked into the room. Everyone stood.
“It’s good to have you back, Lorenz.” In true Beau fashion, the commandant went straight to business. “All right, listen up. The sun’s out, which means we can expect a record number of people all over Mont Blanc over the next few days.”
“Everything’s still covered in snow,” Hugo said. “You’d think that’d be a clue that spring is just starting.”
“People don’t check the weather,” Ry said. “They just assume.”
“Ry, Hugo, Alex, Tristan—you’re with Damien’s team today.”
Lorenz waited for a beat. “How about me?”
“You weren’t here,” Beau said. “So you’re coming with me and Kat.”
“What does that mean? Where are we going?”
“We’re going to Les Bois.”
“Les Bois?” A knot formed in Lorenz’s stomach.
“Open Day starts at ten. We’ve got a large group of second graders.”
Open Day? “No. Absolutely not.” There were few things Lorenz dreaded more than spending a full day with children. “I’m not a babysitter.”
“Face it, Lorenz, you drew the short straw,” Alex laughed.
“This isn’t up for debate,” Beau said. “Grab your gear. I’ll get the car and meet you outside.”
“Why me?” Lorenz asked as soon as the door shut behind their boss.
Ry shrugged. “Could be worse. Might even be fun.”
“This is wrong,” Lorenz muttered.
Alex laughed. “Hey, you’re the one who went on vacation!”
Lorenz yanked on his jacket. “Just wait until you and Yvette disappear for a few days.” He headed for the door. “See what kind of welcome-back assignment you get.”