Page 34 of Sworn to Lead

Silver pounded a hand on his back. “Breathe. You’re no help to Brynn if you pass out.”

He blew out a series of quick breaths, trying to leash his emotions. “Where is my brother now?” He could barely whisper the words.

“He’s here. In my office. The school nurse sent home his medications, and one of the medics on base has already given him his evening doses. I tried to talk to him, but he hasn’t made any indication that he’s listening. Hasn’t made a sound, but there’s tears on his cheeks every time I go in.”

“Of course he hasn’t.” Joker was eating up the floor in quick, purposeful strides. “He’s probably scared out of his mind. Sitting alone in your fucking office.”

Joker swung open the conference room door, then turned to him. “I’ll go check on Jacob. Focus on finding Brynn.”

“Respect, sir, but if anyone could survive a catastrophic accident, it would be this woman. Been through hell. Tough as a SEAL.” Branch wore the hardened expression he reserved for battle. It was odd to see it on his face stateside. He was the most affable of the bunch.

“We’re gonna find her, Ransom.” Silver’s large hand came to rest on the back of his neck. “There’s no other option.”

The commander gave a curt nod. “Does Brynn have any enemies? Crossed my mind that if someone ran her off the road, maybe they snatched her when she climbed out of the vehicle.”

Neo swore as a thousand horrific scenarios bombarded him. “Is someone looking into the traffic cameras?”

“Yes, the nerds in tech are on it.” The commander pulled out a chair and sat at the conference table. “If there was a police station at the end of the road, she might’ve been trying to get help. She knew someone was following her.”

Neo’s blood ran cold. “Her brother is at Walpole in Massachusetts.”

The commander pushed up his sleeves, jaw set. “Got a contact up there in corrections that owes me a marker. Let’s reach out, see what I can dig up.”

“Thank you, sir.” He paced the end of the room, even when Branch and Silver sat at the conference table. He couldn’t sit, not when it felt as though worms were crawling and twisting under his skin.

The commander put his phone on speaker, leaned back in his chair, and steepled his hands. The other line rang once then twice. A gruff voice filled the conference room. “Chief Howard. It’s the middle of the night. Better be important.”

“Lt. Commander Richardson. We need information on Fergus Yarrow, an inmate in your facility. We need it now,” he said, voice steady but rigid.

“That sick bastard?” The chief’s tone was now alert. “Second time I’ve heard his name this week. A report came across my desk that he tried to choke one of the therapy dogs from the canine programs.”

“We believe he might’ve played a role in a woman’s accident today.” He hated not knowing what had happened. Hated that he was still in this room and not out searching for her. “We need answers now.”

“I’ll radio down and have one of the guards pull him into interrogation. Unfortunately, I can’t follow the old methods, but I’ll try to breathe some fear into him. We’ll search his cell and see if he’s contacted anyone recently.”

“Call us back when you have some information.” The commander hung up. “I just sent you the location of the crash site, Ransom. An officer is monitoring the crime scene. I’ll call the station and let them know to expect you at the scene.”

“Thank you, sir. I need to tell my brother what’s going on.” His team stood up, their footfalls behind him as he walked out of the room. He rushed down the hall, rage burning in his chest.

“She’s strong. Don’t forget that,” Silver said from behind him.

“You can only be so strong when you’re faced with bullets and a fucking explosion.” She couldn’t be dead. Not when he’d just found her. He’d rescued thousands of civilians throughout the years, yet he hadn’t been able to protect the one who mattered most.

They rounded the corner to the offices and spotted Joker huddled close to Jacob. He couldn’t cross the room fast enough and threw his arms around his brother’s shoulders. Jacob’s cheeks were wet, and his eyes red. He pressed his forehead against Jacob’s. Tears burned and clouded his eyes, before he leaned back and swiped them away. “I’m going to find her, Jacob. I will bring her home. Will you be okay with Joker?”

Jacob turned his head. The poor kid was exhausted and terrified but was being brave enough to stay with his teammate.

“Stay strong. We’re going to bring her back.” The words tasted sour in his mouth, and he wished he hadn’t made that promise. What if the worst had happened? How would he explain it to his brother?

Branch seemed to sense what he was thinking, because he came up behind him and clapped his back. “Let’s move out.”

*

The location of the crash was about twenty minutes from the base. Brynn might’ve been driving to the mall or maybe a grocery store, then took an exit when she realized someone was following her. The road was the perfect place for an ambush, lined with trees and a steep embankment on either side. The moment Brynn turned onto the street she would’ve known she was in trouble. She must’ve been so scared. He never should’ve left the States. If he’d listened to his gut and got Jacob and Brynn situated in the new home before going on a mission, they might still be safe. Silver pulled his SUV alongside the blue and white patrol car parked on the side of the road and rolled down the automatic window. From the passenger’s seat, he barely noticed the heavy rainfall blowing into the front seat of the vehicle.

“Your commander called ahead. You’re clear to search the area,” a clean-shaven patrolman yelled over the storm. They’d brought night-vision goggles and military-grade flashlights to search the area. The moment they were parked, he unbuckled his seat belt and slid to the ground. The stream from his flashlight caught the glint of steel. He stepped closer to the embankment and nearly dropped to his knees. There was nothing left of the car except for two stark tangles of metal.

“No one would’ve survived within twenty feet of a blast like that.” He hadn’t realized he said the words out loud until Branch growled beside him.

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