Page 34 of Peace Under Fire

Mandy flinched at the mention of the voicemail. No doubt she seriously regretted leaving that damn thing by now.

“Bingo,” Tex said. “And since the phone she left the message on was your squad cell and locked down tight, whoever accessed your voicemail almost had to come from within SEAL command.

Squish nodded. “What are you thinking?”

“Considering the message Mandy left you, I imagine our mole is eager to find her and put her ‘talents’ to work for himself.”

Squish’s lips twisted. No doubt. But then so were he and Tex and North.

“The bastard is probably concerned she can ID him too,” Squish added. “Which makes him extremely dangerous.”

“True,” Tex agreed. “Either way, we know our target has ties to the SEAL community. He’s probably tapped your teammates’ phones. Hell, he might even have eyes on their cars and houses. You can’t chance going to any of them for help.”

“Way ahead of you, brother.” Squish kept the phone plastered to his ear so Mandy wouldn’t overhear what Tex was saying. God knew the woman was squirrely enough as it was.

“Right.” Tex paused. “My point is—under the circumstances, we don’t have many highly trained operatives to pull for backup. Grabbing anyone from Virginia Beach could catch our mole’s attention and possibly give your location away.”

Which was exactly why Squish had called Tex rather than approaching one of his buddies. But he could see where Tex was taking this conversation.

“You’re saying Brick’s a safe bet.” Squish thought that over.

“I am. He’s not some FNG. He’s got skills, training, and experience, but he’s been out of the community long enough that he’s been mostly forgotten,” Tex said. “Best of all. Nobody knows he’s in town.”

“What about this woman he came to see?” Squish asked slowly, running scenarios through his mind.

“Brick says she didn’t know he was coming, so she never told anyone he was flying in. He took her to the airport immediately after they were done talking. There was no time for her to contact anyone. Since he was planning on heading straight back to the Refuge, he never reached out to anyone. We lucked out though, his return flight hadn’t boarded when I called.”

The Refuge? Oh, right. That was the name of the retreat Brick owned with those other guys.

“Nobody knows he’s in town,” Tex continued. “Which makes him the perfect backup and escort. He'll take you and Mandy back to the Refuge.”

“Isn’t that in New Mexico?” Squish snuck a peek at Mandy. She looked horrified at the mention of the state.

“That’s the point. Nobody will look for you there. We can keep in touch digitally and debrief Mandy from a distance.”

Squish thought it over. He’d have to get hold of his doctor to find out the results of the MRI. But the same could be said no matter where he ended up.

There was plenty to like about this plan. Brick had the background and experience. Squish could lean on him if things went south. Plus, this would put him on guard duty rather than Gray. Mandy would be safe from those sad puppy eyes and grabby hands. A double thumbs up as far as he was concerned.

But then he thought of a potential problem. “The Refuge is a working resort, right? What if someone sneaks in under the guise of a guest?”

“The guests have all been booked for months. Way before that clusterfuck at the cult compound. And everyone who works at the Refuge has been checked out. I ran the security on them myself. The place is isolated, so strangers will stand out. Plus, you’ll have everything you need on the property, including a chef. You won’t have to leave your cabin. It’s the perfect solution. You can keep her safe there and you’ll have qualified backup if you need it.” He paused and his voice lightened. “Hell, spending some time in the fresh air will do you good, help your recovery.”

Squish frowned as unease prickled. The place did sound perfect. Almost too perfect.

“Is Brick okay with this?” From what Squish remembered, the retreat catered to people who’d experienced some kind of trauma—both mental and physical. Maybe the owners wouldn’t be too keen on bringing a potentially explosive situation to their haven.

“He’s the one who suggested it,” Tex said. “But you can ask him yourself. He’s waiting for you behind the mall.”

CHAPTER 8

“What’s happening.” Mandy asked as soon as Jacob set the phone on the bench seat next to his coat-shrouded guns. From his side of the conversation, it sounded like he and his friend had come up with a plan.

“Tex hooked us up with a ride and a safehouse,” he said, without looking in her direction. “You’ll be safe there.”

Safe? That sounded heavenly. She hadn’t felt safe since Giulia’s voice had screamed through her mind two days ago. Except, how long was it going to take to get to this safehouse? He’d mentioned New Mexico on the phone.

“Where are we going?” Her stomach knotted because she suspected she already knew.

---