Page 81 of Duty Bound

“Blade!” Stitch’s voice barely registered.

He was losing the battle.

Thankfully, the pain started to diminish, and then there was nothing.

CHAPTER 29

Lily stared up at the Airbus A320 that was going to take her to Istanbul. The situation at the airport was still chaotic, but one of Pat’s local contacts, a former Afghani official still working undercover in Kabul, had managed to get her a ticket under an assumed name. She wore a full burqa, including the mesh screen over her eyes, and traveled with a man she did not know.

A local woman traveling alone would raise too many questions.

Once they landed in Turkey, she’d lose her chaperone, switch planes, and get on an American Airline flight to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

“Do I use the same passport?” she’d asked Pat. God only knew what had happened to hers. Probably stolen by now.

“Yeah. It’s not ideal but was the best we could come up with under the circumstances.”

Lily was incredibly grateful to the woman whose passport she was using.

“If someone else uses your original passport, it’ll confuse the hell out of them,” Pat had told her with a dry laugh. “We’ll reissue you a new one when you get home.”

Home.

How unfamiliar that word sounded. She’d been away almost eleven months now. The home she’d shared with Joe would be full of memories, and she didn’t want to go there.

Yet, she had no choice.

Except now, she’d be missing both of them, not just Joe. He’d always have a place in her heart, but it was Blade who consumed her thoughts.

Had Stitch found him?

Was he even alive?

How would they get out of there?

So many unanswered questions. She sighed and climbed onboard, feeling like she was leaving a huge part of herself on the shimmering tarmac behind.

Blade.

Her hero.

She still couldn’t believe he’d voluntarily sacrificed himself like that.

For her. For Stitch.

She found her seat and curled into it, wishing it would swallow her up. God, how she missed him.

Pat had moved fast. He hadn’t wanted to risk the Taliban locking down the airports. “We’re banking on them not having figured out who Blade is yet. Once they connect him to you, they’ll launch a major manhunt. You’ll be the talk of the town.”

“What about Blade?”

Pat had remained stoic. “He’s a big boy. He can look after himself.”

“What if they kill him, Pat?” She hadn’t been able to keep the fear from her voice.

He didn’t answer for a long while. “He’s trained for this, Lily. Stitch is going after him. Have a little faith.”

She wished she could, but it was so hard.

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