Page 65 of Knot Guilty

Morning brings with it the anticipated text update from Birdie. The location scouting report lists three places. I hacked the guy’s phone and turned on location services. I’ve got him near one of the places listed. Sending you the coordinates now.

Maxen is pulling on his pants when I look up. “We’ve got a location.”

He glances over and grins. “Then let’s ride.”

We dress and gather our stuff in a hurry, anxious to find the next piece of the puzzle. There’s no guarantee, but I’m convinced that we’ll eventually get a lead on the American asshole involved through this guy.

Birdie’s coordinates point to a town about ninety minutes north. “With this new target being in logistics, the new location probably isn’t ready yet, and we’ve only one guy to deal with.”

Maxen agrees. “I like our chances then.”

Near the end of the trip, Maxen says, “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

I snicker. “What could be more personal than your face between my legs?”

Seeing that he isn’t laughing, I dry up and answer, “I guess it’s ok.”

“Why have you and Aaron never…?”

Maxen’s question catches me off guard. First of all, because of why he might be asking. Second of all, because I’ve never thought about it. Well, I never thought about it past the moment I noticed his wedding band. “Um. Aaron was married when we met in basic training. Not that any recruit has the time or energy, but he was unavailable.

“By the time Aaron’s wife divorced him, all our focus was on the Corps, making it to the Raiders. We depended on each other to stay alive for years after. There just wasn’t room for anything else.”

“But you weren’t celibate.”

Voice a little tight, I explain, “I’m not talking about sex, Maxen. When I wanted sex, I went out and found it. No complications. Nothing I had to make room for.”

Maxen’s next question is asked quietly. “Did you ever have sex with Aaron?”

“No,” I answer, louder than necessary. “Aaron wasn’t disposable. And in my mind, I guess I still saw him as a married man. What’s this all about, anyway?”

“I’m just curious. Honestly, I don’t see how a man could spend any length of time with you and not fall head over heels in love.”

My throat seems to squeeze shut at his words. He’s not saying…

Fucking Maxen and dating Maxen are one thing, but love is something else. It’s too soon, but could I see myself loving this man? The truth is… I don’t know.

“Sadie?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Maxen. I’m me, not a man. I do know that now is not the time for this. I need my head on straight for more reasons than just to keep my ass alive.”

Annoyed with the timing of his questions, if not the subject of them, I turn my eyes forward again and set up radio communications with Birdie. Is this me running and hiding? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no. “Talk me through what we’re walking into, Birdie.”

She describes a town located at the base of another tall, narrow rock face. Another damned cave. This one can’t be too big as the rock containing it is a small one at the end of a mountain chain. “The entrance is about three hundred yards from the busiest part of town. And trees. There must be a spring in the cave, as a copse of trees shields most of the space between the buildings and the small mountain. There’s a second grouping of trees on the eastern side along a small creek. The creek indicates a rear access, but I have no line of sight to confirm this. I can report zero activity on that side. Fortunately, I have about a fifty-foot clearing in front of the cave to monitor activity on the city side. Only one person has shown up during my time monitoring the area. He was only in there for a short time before he came back out and left.”

“I’m guessing it was recon. He’ll be back to set up shop.”

“Or we could be wrong, and our guy will move on,” Maxen says.

“Whether he does or he doesn’t, we’ll be one step closer to him.”

Before long, Maxen is pulling up beside the building closest to the tree line. We’re hidden from foot traffic on the street but would probably be noticed if we stayed here for too long. For a while at least, we’ll watch the path through the trees and the area closest to it since it’s the only place on this side of the rock that Birdie can’t monitor.

Two hours pass, and our guy hasn’t returned yet. I call Birdie for an update. “Birdie, tell me we haven’t wasted four hours on this shithole town.”

“You haven’t. I’m watching the guy’s phone. He’s in town gathering supplies. You’re in the right place.”

Maxen leans in and asks, “Birdie, have you seen anyone meeting up with our guy? Maybe someone going to some of the same places he is?”

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