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  Because he didn’t want to be here; he had gone to great pains to avoid it.

  But here he was, anyway.

  So much for best laid plans.

  By the time the chopper slowed, then began hovering for a landing, he had glimpsed a wide-open Gulf of Mexico out the right-side hatch of the Sikorsky UH-60. The left side revealed the rooftops of a small port city. Later, Lara would tell him they were in Darby Bay, a town near East Matagorda Bay, about a hundred or so miles from Houston. The chopper had skirted over the city before touching down on an LZ along the east side, where men and women in similar blue BDUs went to work.

  Afterward, Lara had taken him to a room in one of the big brick buildings near all the hustle and bustle of military activity. The noise instantly died as soon as he closed the thick metal door into his quarters and laid down on a cot and went to sleep, all the fatigue and running for his life of the last few days hitting him like a freight train.

  He woke up the next morning feeling as good as he ever had, to the sight of Lara already in his room armed with warm food. Real, honest to goodness food. Fish and bread and rice. He wolfed them down while she looked on, the two of them sitting across from each other with sunlight filtering in from a high window to his right. Keo knew he looked like shit but didn’t think it was anything she hadn’t seen before.

  When he was done eating, he chugged down a bottle of ice-cold water. “Ice?” he asked when he was done.

  “Ice,” she nodded.

  “Nice, nice, baby.” When she gave him a confused look, he said, “It’s an old song.”

  “‘Nice, nice, baby?’”

  “Actually, ‘Ice Ice Baby,’ but I was making a pun.”

  “Oh.”

  He grinned and tossed the empty bottle into a nearby bin. “So, what’ve you been up to since I’ve been gone?” Before she could answer, “That’s another old song, by the way.”

  “I don’t know that one, either.”

  “Of course you don’t. You’re just a kid.”

  She pursed a smile. “I haven’t been a kid in a long time, Keo.”

  He nodded, but Keo couldn’t help but remember the first time he saw her six years ago, leading a bunch of survivors on an island as they prepared for an assault from overwhelming forces. He’d seen the steely resolve she could muster then, and he saw it again this morning. She was still the same Lara. But, like him, just older.

  “So what’s going on?” he asked.

  “Where should I start?”

  “How about from the beginning. What did Peters and Gaby find out about Fenton, and what do you plan on doing about it?”

  She told him, and he listened.

  When she was done, Lara said, “You said you wanted Buck for yourself.”

  “I made him a promise. And I always keep my promises. Well, I try to, anyway.”

  “What about your friend Emma?”

  “I promised her daughter I’d get her out of there, too.”

  “You should probably stop making promises to too many people. You’re bound to disappoint a few of them.”

  “That goes without saying. But I did it, and there’s no going back now.” He leaned slightly forward. “So what are we going to do about Fenton?”

  “It’s…tricky.”

  “Of course it is. Who wants easy?”

  “I do. I always choose easy when it’s an option.”

  She sat back in her chair, and morning sunlight fell over a part of her. She looked odd in the pseudo-BDU that all the Black Tiders wore. Even now, after everything he’d seen her do and everything he’d heard of her doing since Houston, it was still difficult to picture her leading a group of heavily-armed men into battle.

  They stared at each other for a moment, neither one saying anything. Keo spent most of that time resisting the urge to lean in closer.

  He wanted to. Badly.

  “You shouldn’t have left,” Lara finally said.

  “I had to.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  “We could have worked it out.”

  “No, we couldn’t have. You couldn’t have.”

  “You’re underestimating what I’m capable of.”

  “No, I’m not. But you had other things to worry about. People were counting on you. A lot of people. If I’d stayed, I would have just been a distraction. You didn’t need me around.”

  “I could have used you.”

  “I’m expendable. Useful in spurts, sure, but when it comes to long term, not so much.”

  “You’re not giving yourself enough credit.”

  “We both know that’s not true.” This time it was his turn to purse a forced smile. “I’m a guy with a gun. That’s all I’ve ever been, and all I’ll ever be. You didn’t need another guy with a gun five years ago. You had plenty of those, and none of them came with the baggage I was carrying.”

  “Just a guy with a gun, huh?”

  “That’s me.”

  “There were a lot of times when I could have really used a guy with a gun like you out there, Keo.”

  “Gaby told me.”

  “What did she tell you, exactly?”

  “A lot. And everything she said convinced me I did the right thing. It was better for us that I left. I think you know that, too.”

  She didn’t say anything right away. Then, finally, “And now?”

  “And now…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been good at these things. Like I said, I’m just a guy—”

  “—with a gun,” she finished.

  “That’s about it.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “It’s really not.”

  Lara stared at him in silence again.

  Five seconds.

  Ten…

  “I sent people to look for you, you know,” she finally said.

  “Did you?”

  “Every time I sent someone out there, I told them to keep an eye out for you. Someone matching your description showed up in Kansas, Oklahoma, and as far north as South Dakota.”

  “I’ve never been to South Dakota.”

  “No?”

  He shook his head. “At least, I don’t think I have.”

  “You’re not sure?”

  “There were a couple of months, about two years ago, where I wasn’t sure where I was. I mean, state-wise. I guess I was just meandering about and such.”

  “‘Meandering about and such,’” she repeated with a smile. “Good to see you’re finally starting to get the lingo. Pretty soon, you’ll be a regular good ol’ boy.”

  “Hey, you know what they say: You stay in Texas long enough, you’ll start speaking like a Texan. Just wait until I find that perfect belt buckle and complement it with a butt-kicking pair of boots and spurs.”

  “Ooh, now that’s something to look forward to.”

  They exchanged a smile, and Keo thought, God, she’s beautiful. How the hell did I stay away for five years?

  He thought she might have blushed, but that could have just been the abundance of sunlight casting over her face, making him see things.

  “When was the last time you showered?” Lara asked.

  Keo sniffed himself. “Do I smell?”

  “A little bit.”

  “It’s been a while. Thanks for reminding me.”

  He got up and walked over to the small sink at the back wall, where he washed his face from a bottle and wiped away some of the grime with a rough hand soap. There was a bathroom, but it was communal and down the hall. He made a mental note to take care of that later.

  “Let’s get down to the nitty gritty,” Keo said while scrubbing at his face. “What are we going to do about Buck and Fenton?”

  “I won’t make that decision until I find out what’s going on in there.”

  “You haven’t done that yet?”

  “I’ve been sending recon teams into the area since Peters and Gaby got back
. They’ve gathered intelligence about one side of Fenton to the other. Everything from manpower to armaments to civilian population.”

  “So what are you still missing?”

  “There’s a small island next to their main military compound. There is a large warehouse on it. Newly built, from the looks of it. It’s the only structure on the entire island. Gaby got as close to it as anyone I’ve sent over, but she couldn’t tell what was inside.”

  “What do you think’s inside?”

  “I don’t know. That’s the problem. It could be anything.”

  “Like what?”

  “Anything to everything, Keo. From the civilians they’ve captured from their raids on the surrounding towns to God knows what.”

  “You still don’t know where they’re keeping the captives?”

  “No. That’s the other big question mark.” Lara paused and looked as if she wanted to say something more, but didn’t.

  “What?” Keo pressed.

  “We have a spy inside Fenton.”

  “How’d you manage that?”

  “It’s a long story. But they’ve been sending out daily reports.”

  “Anything about the captured civilians?”

  “No, unfortunately. It’s like they were never taken to Fenton in the first place.”

  “That’s impossible. I know for a fact that’s where they were taken.”

  “And Gaby agrees with you,” Lara said. “But our spy hasn’t been able to find a single clue to their whereabouts. But…”

  “But what?”

  “They’ve been contained to the civilian section of Fenton. The spy. They haven’t been able to access the military half.”

  “So the captives could be there…”

  “They could be anywhere, Keo. That’s the problem. I have a good idea of what’s happening in one half of Fenton, but that’s not enough. The military compound, and that island…” She shook her head again. “I need more information before I can act.”

  “What else has your spy found out?”

  “Not nearly enough. But they’re limited by where they can go and what they can do without drawing suspicion. For now, the only person who has been inside that fence is Gaby, and she had some disturbing things to tell me about what’s going on in there.”

  He finished drying his face and knocking as much dirt out of his hair as possible with a small towel and walked over to a pile of clothes someone had brought in for him while he slept. A couple of the shirts were too big, some were too small, but eventually he found one that was just right. And best of all, it was cleaner than the one he previously had on.

  “Like what?” he asked.

  “People caged in shacks like animals, for one,” Lara said.

  “I wish I could say I’m surprised. Buck seemed like the type capable of something like that.”

  “You’ve met him? This Buck person?”

  “Not face to face. I’ve only talked to him over the radio.”

  “From the way you’ve talked about him, I would have thought you guys have known each other for a while.”

  “I’ve just talked to him, but I’ve also spoken to people with more inside knowledge of the man.”

  “What did they tell you?”

  “That the world would be a much better place without him around.”

  “After everything I’ve seen and heard, I can’t say I disagree.”

  “Great minds think alike.” He walked back over and sat down across from her again. “Which brings us all the way back around: What’s the plan to deal with Buckaroo?”

  “I can’t deal with him or Fenton until I know more.”

  “Exactly what ‘more’ do you need?”

  “Where are the captives? What’s inside that warehouse?”

  “How big is this warehouse, anyway?”

  “One of the recon teams measured it at two hundred meters long and fifty meters wide.”

  “Jesus Christ. That’s big enough for a Jumbo Jet or two.”

  “Exactly. It could be anything in there. I won’t commit lives to attacking Fenton until I know what’s in there, Keo. What if it’s the captives from the raids? What if it’s some kind of weapon Buck is saving to defend Fenton from an attack? God knows there is still military-grade firepower of every imaginable shape and size lying around out there for anyone to pick up. Tanks, planes, killing machines that could raze cities. And Buck’s had five years to build that army of his.”

  Keo thought about Cordine City and how they had essentially rigged the entire city to blow in case of an overwhelming attack. Because Lara was right; there were still a lot of weapons of unimaginable power unaccounted for.

  “A full-frontal assault will cost lives,” Lara continued. “That’s already a given. Ours, theirs…the people of Fenton who are just trying to get through the day. I’m worried about killing people who don’t know what’s going on. There are a lot of people who just want to be left alone and live in peace. Sometimes they make bad decisions.”

  “Like letting a former Mercerian into their midst?”

  “It’s happened before.”

  “Has it?”

  She nodded. “Unfortunately.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” Then, “What can you throw at Fenton, if you were so inclined?”

  “I can’t send in Peele and the tanks, if that’s what you’re asking. Fenton is surrounded by woods, and Buck’s people would hear them coming for miles. That’s the other problem…”

  “Gee, more problems? Who would have thunk?”

  She managed a smile. “Buck was one of Mercer’s true believers. The fact that he and his men are running around with that circled M on their vests speaks volumes about what the man is capable of.”

  “But you have a plan to deal with Fenton. You just need clarity. Is that it?”

  “That’s the long and short of it. Right now, Fenton isn’t going anywhere. Buck’s recalled most of his people back to the city. They haven’t committed another raid since the action with Peters’s team. They know we’re out here watching them now. As soon as they commit manpower beyond their limited area of control, I have units ready to take them out.”

  “Does he know that?”

  “He’d have to be dumb, blind, and deaf to miss the Thunderbolts buzzing Fenton for the last week or so.”

  “So he’s hunkering down.”

  “It would appear that way,” Lara said before she paused again.

  “What?” Keo said.

  “The aerial recons are showing a lot of activity around that warehouse. Vehicles and people coming and going along that one-lane road that connects the island to the compound. Trucks with tarps in the back.”

  “Maybe he knows you’re watching, and he’s playing mind games. Maybe there’s nothing in those trucks. One of his guys in Cordine City told me Buck has been planning this for years.”

  “Years?”

  Keo nodded. “A guy named Greengrass. Buck sent him after me.”

  “Damn. You really must have pissed him off, Keo.”

  “Just my natural charm, I guess.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Anyway. I think it’s smart that you’re approaching this in a cool and calculated manner instead of just rushing in. Me, I would have just gone in guns blazin’.”

  “And how did that work out for you before?”

  He grunted. “I won’t lie; it could have gone better.”

  “This time you won’t be alone.”

  “I guess that means you’ve already decided what you want me to do.”

  “Only if you say yes.”

  “I thought I already did.”

  “You don’t have to do it. But I’d be lying if I said there was someone better equipped for this mission.”

  “You want me to go into Fenton and get a better look at the compound.”

  “Yes.”

  “But that’s not all, though, right?”

  “No.”

  “The warehouse.”


  She nodded. “I need to know what’s inside that building, Keo.”

  “Hey, I don’t blame you. I’ve always been a sucker for mysteries myself.”

  “Danny and I had a team assembled and ready to go before we heard about what happened in Cordine City.”

  “Lucky me. I got in on the gig just in time. Where is the Boy Scout, by the way? I noticed he’s not around.”

  “He’s busy with something else at the moment.”

  “Something bigger than this?”

  “Unfortunately, there are a lot of fires that I need people I can trust to deal with. Some of them—like the one Danny is fighting at the moment—have the potential to become just as big of a headache as Fenton if they’re not dealt with.”

  “I always knew the Ranger had it in him to become a man one of these days.”

  “He’s all grown up, our Danny. Carly and I couldn’t be more proud.”

  “So the Ranger’s out. That leaves the idiot who’ll be leading this team I’m joining.”

  Lara didn’t answer him. Instead, she sat patiently looking at him.

  “No, don’t say it,” Keo said.

  “You have the most experience.”

  “There’s that word again.”

  “It’s a good word.”

  “You know I work better alone. It’s my thing.”

  “Not this time.”

  Keo sighed. “One question, if I’m going to do this.”

  “What is it?”

  “What kind of armory you got in this place?”

  She smiled. “I had the quartermaster look for something special while you were sleeping. He let me know he found it this morning.”

  “Is it German, and is it sexy?” Keo asked.

  “Yes to the first, and…I don’t know how to answer the second part.”

  Keo grinned. “That sounds like a yes to me.”

  Four

  “You don’t have to do it. You know that. After everything you’ve told me about what happened at Winding Creek, then Cordine City… It’s terrifying, Keo. And I didn’t have to live through it. You did. So when I tell you that you don’t have to do it, you need to understand that I mean it. But I’m asking you anyway, because I think you give us the best chance at success.”

  Right, Keo thought then, and did again now. As if I could have said no.