Page 9 of Tactical Revival

“Jaxson, you don’t need to do that.”

“I don’t mind. Seriously. Will Felix know what color you need?”

“He will. It’ll be waiting at the front counter. Thank you so much. Seriously, Jaxson. You are a lifesaver.”

“It is my job. See you later, Margot.”

“Bye.”

The call ends, and I shove the phone back into my pocket. I’m just about to start walking again when I glance to my right and note a path of slightly bent tall grass. It’s still standing, but not nearly as high as the surrounding area.

All the distractions melt away and my hand goes to the firearm at my hip. I inch closer to the path, stepping carefully so I don’t disturb any possible evidence if there is something here.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as a prickling awareness that I’m being watched settles over me. I glance around, trying to see if there’s anyone there, but I only spot houses.

No one’s on the street. No one’s looking out the windows.

Still, I can’t beat back the feeling as I return my attention to the tall grass. Everything in my gut screams danger, but I press forward, not wanting to spare the moments I would need to make a phone call until I know exactly why it is I’m making one.

A few feet into the tall grass, hidden away just out of sight, a young woman is lying on the ground, wearing shorts, a tank top, and running shoes. Her blonde hair is streaked with sweat and matted with grass. But I see no blood. I rush forward and kneel at her side.

“Kleo, can you hear me?” I ask, checking to feel her pulse.

Her gray eyes flutter open. “I don’t—” Her eyes roll back into her head.

I monitor her pulse, noting that it’s far slower than it should be, then use the tactical flashlight I always carry to check the reaction of her pupils. She appears drugged, though uninjured. I pull out my phone and call 9-1-1. “This is Jaxson Payne. I found a barely conscious twenty-one-year-old female and need an ambulance.” After rattling off my location, I end the call and tap Lance’s contact. “You’re going to be okay,” I tell her as I wait for him to answer.

“Knight.”

“I’ve got her. About two miles up the road from her house. Ambulance has been called.”

“We’re on our way.”

After ending the call, I shove my phone back into my pocket. Kleo tries to sit up, but she falls right back down, so I offer her assistance while monitoring the way she reacts to movement.

“Do you know what happened?” I ask her, propping her up with my bent leg at her back, the other knee down to hold us both upright.

“No. I—” She rests her chin to her chest and takes a deep breath. “I was running and—I’m so dizzy. Why am I dizzy?”

Sirens wail in the distance. “Can you remember anything?”

“No. I’m so tired.” She starts to fall back, so I steady her as the ambulance pulls up right at the same time Lance’s truck and her parents’ small SUV stop at the curb.

“You’re going to be just fine,” I tell her, so thankful that it’s the truth. Thank you, God. Thank you for guiding me to this girl so she can get home to her family.

“Hypoglycemia?”

“That’s the one,” Michael says over my Bluetooth speaker. Since Margot needed me back at the B&B, I cut out as soon as I knew Kleo was going to be okay.

Once they got her stabilized, she was able to tell them everything she remembered, which wasn’t much. Apparently, she’d stopped to tie her shoe, and as she was kneeling, got dizzy. Sherrif Vick believes she must have wandered into the brush and fallen over. It’s lucky I found her when I did.

While it’s the more likely version of the story, especially given that there were no signs of assault, there’s something about it that’s still bugging me. Then again, it could just be my own case history sneaking into the recesses of my mind.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many cases in LA where the pretty missing girl was found unscathed.

“Is that something that happens to her often?” I ask.

“They were all surprised,” Michael replies. “So I’d say no. Doctor said it’s not uncommon, though. Especially for runners. And Kleo has apparently been preparing for a full marathon and has been really careful of what she’s eating. Her mom thinks she wasn’t eating enough.”

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