Page 12 of Operation: Return

“I don’t say what I don’t mean.” He tried to keep his tone emotionless but failed.

Her narrowed eyes told him everything without a word passing her lips. She believed everything he’d said up to this point was a lie. She seemed to think he was some government spy trying to figure out something about her.

She yawned and he bit back all the things he wanted to say. “You should get some sleep. We’ll be up early and try to get out of here unnoticed.”

“Right. Because if they’re sitting out there in their car, they couldn’t possibly be staying awake like you are?” She rolled her eyes and headed for bed, then reached for her back and stalled. “I . . .”

He’d known she had that gun and couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable she had to have been riding in the car with it shoved into her waistband like that. Then again, if she felt safe with it, he hadn’t wanted to mention it.

“You can use the safe. It’s in the closet. You create the password, and they delete it when we check out. I won’t ask you for it.” He motioned for her to go ahead.

“That’s not my concern. I don’t know you and I don’t know him. If I put away the only thing I have to protect Pete and I, then I’m putting us at risk. But I also don’t want to have it in the bed with him.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but if my intent was to kidnap you or hurt you, I’d have done it by now. I knew you had that gun with you. I knew exactly where it was and I could’ve subdued you without any trouble at all. I’m not going to.”

She stood at the end of the bed, biting the insides of her cheeks. She made him feel powerless. To give her enough comfort in the situation to rest, he went over by the door, as far from her and her son as possible and took out his phone.

A text from Edwyn waited for him.

Where are you? I expected you back here hours ago.

He was glad Edwyn had initiated the text, making a phone call unnecessary. He typed in a reply explaining briefly what had happened and turned off the sound on his phone. Since no one would get much sleep that night, there was no sense keeping them up with needless noise.

Edwyn quickly replied.

I checked with the security detail. They’ve seen nothing on our cameras and we have a low risk assessment. Nothing even remotely strange here. You’re safe here if you can get home. Need backup in the morning?

The team at Wayside was already short with missing Connor and now he was gone overnight unexpectedly, meaning more of the guys would have to do extra chores in the morning to get everything done. Healing was only part of what they did, it was still a horse ranch and the horses had to be taken care of too along with the dogs and managing a massive property that had to be safe.

He typed in: No. I’ll manage. Just pray we make it out of here without incident and we aren’t followed.

Part of him still hoped the blue car was a coincidence. There had to be at least some chance that the same blue car followed him off the highway to a strange out-of-the-way gas station, then drove by him when he finally reached his destination. Then, completely by chance, managed to be leaving at the same time and went to the same hotel. He was no mathematician, but he was sure the chance wasn’t zero. It might be close, but not zero.

You know I will. I’ll be watching for you in the morning. If you change your mind, I’ll send Junior. Scarlet has been worried sick since you didn’t get back when she expected you.

Scarlet knew the dangers and carried the scars. Different from Trace, but in some ways the same. Trace was mute, either medically, emotionally, or by choice, no one knew. He’d been through so much that no doctor had been able to rule out any one possibility. Edwyn had shared Trace’s medical file with Brendon, the resident therapist, but he’d talked through parts of it with Cole, since he’d be the one working with Trace while he stayed at Wayside.

The ultimate goal was healing. Some people only saw minor wins in the entire time they lived at the ranch and moved on still dealing with the anxiety and pain daily. All learned different coping skills to help them navigate the fear that came with everyday life after captivity.

Cole went to the window, taking a moment to look at Erica now that she was relaxed and almost asleep—he wasn’t sure how he knew she wasn’t asleep yet, but she wasn’t. She hadn’t seemed to age much in seven years. Perhaps there were tiny lines by her eyes that hadn’t been there before and perhaps her face had changed slightly, but in so many ways she was the same.

In look, but not in action. She’d never been so suspicious before. Erica had been loving and accepting of everyone. Erica seven years ago might have accepted his story if he’d bothered to try to tell her, but she would’ve been utterly shocked by it.

He’d been in no mental state back then to do the right thing. He knew that now. He’d known that then. But that didn’t make looking back any easier. That’s what made regrets, regrets after all. He’d wanted to do his term, come home, marry the woman he loved, and keep working. He’d wanted to defend his country for the rest of his life, now he defended a very small but important part of his country.

And what he defended against was just as evil as anything he’d faced anywhere else.

Pete made a small sound in his sleep. Cole headed for the boy, hoping to keep him from waking Erica, in case she’d just fallen asleep. He stood next to the bed, holding his breath so he made no noise, and waited to see if Pete would continue to wake or fall back to sleep.

That’s when he noticed Bubbles had wedged himself under the side of the bed right beside Pete. In fact, if Pete wasn’t careful, he’d step on the dog in the morning. Bubbles was awake, with his nose resting on his paws. He’d taken to Pete and Erica almost immediately.

Maybe one thing he’d done on this trip would turn out well after all.

* * *

Erica tensedin the bed lying next to her son when she sensed Cole’s presence next to them. He waited and she wondered what he was up to. Just as the light went out, she opened her eyes. He stared down at her and again the resemblance to Taylor tore at her heart.

She wanted to sleep, to ignore everything she’d just heard from Cole, but that was impossible. Couple that with what she would face when she went home and she wasn’t sure which situation was worse.

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