Page 44 of Mayflower

He motions to one of the IT guys, and the ringing transfers onto another screen on the wall. The ringing is now on speaker when Archer answers. “Yes! Speak!”

“Archer, we have five women and four children with us.”

The voice is panting. Shouts and shooting are in the background, but the voice is unmistakable. It’s Raven.

I think I’m about to pass out. I release a shaky exhale. My knees go weak.

“They need a way out of here,” Raven says fast. “Ali is with me. We have a number of weapons. Shepherd and his men are helping, but dozens of Butcher’s men are on us.” A loud rustling sound interrupts his speech, but he comes back on, panting. “We need to get protection for the women and children!”

Right away, the cyber ops guy pulls a map on a screen, a green dotted line showing a trajectory through the east part of Port Mrei and toward Ayana.

Bishop motions to the Commander.

“We are on it!” the Commander replies.

“We are on it!” Archer repeats into the phone. “I’m passing you on to Bishop and the IT guys.”

My dad intercepts the Commander. “My extraction team is going in with yours.”

“With all due respect, sir, it’s not about your daughter,” the Commander argues. “It’s about Ayana.”

Dad motions to his guards. “It seems that Mr. Levi is Ayana’s business and my daughter’s. That means he is mine.”

The Commander shakes his head, irritated, but several of Dad’s guards are already barking orders into their radios. “We are on! Ready to take off!”

They stomp out of the building, the Commander scurrying behind them.

And I stare at the green dot on the main screen, my Raven.

Kat is here. “What’s happening?”

I fill her in, and she wraps her arm around my shoulders as we both watch the blinking green dot on the screen getting closer to the Port Mrei edge.

Our ears are taking in every phrase and word that comes through the speaker that is now a succession of beeping and noises and orders, mostly from the teams on the ground.

“Make sure you protect the children and women.”

“They are okay.”

“We see them.”

“Ready to intercept.”

“Do not approach. I repeat, do not approach.”

“The extraction team went in.”

“Dammit. Stay away?—”

“Sir, we are going after them!”

An explosion rocks the screens, and one of them goes dead.

“No,” I whimper, covering my mouth with my hand as Kat hugs me tighter.

My knees are so weak that I feel like sinking onto the floor. Kat is biting her nails as her eyes are on the screen.

I've never believed in God, per se. But there must be forces that rule this world. So, despite how stupid it sounds, I swallow a sob, close my eyes, and whisper on repeat, "Come back, come back, come back."

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