Page 59 of Bravo

“I think she was hiding from them.” My thoughts run loose over the course of what she said earlier today. She’d said she was settled ‘for now’ and that she moved a lot. “When you’re on the run, the first thing you do is carve out an exit strategy.”

“You’re going to look for her, aren’t you?” Elliot asks.

“She’s in trouble, and I intend to find out why.” I take the photograph Tucker printed of Sammy and stick it into my pocket.

“Are you sure you should go? Don’t you do rotations so you have time to get your mind right?” my mother asks. “I don’t want you running out there so soon after you just got back. What if you’re not ready to be back in the field?”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. I promise.” I can’t tell her that I stay ready. That there’s never been a moment in my adult life that I wasn’t prepared for war. Because if I tell her that I can’t ever find rest, it’ll break her heart.

She just stares back at me.

“Even though we all knew her longer, Bradyn spent more time with her. He has the best chance of finding her,” Elliot offers.

My mom nods. “Just be careful. Something about this feels wrong.”

“I agree, but I need to know if she ran or was taken. Someone was in her cabin, and we don’t have footage of that either. It’s possible someone managed to dodge the cameras.”

“It’s possible.” Riley shakes his head. “Or she tossed the place to cover her tracks.”

“You want me to leave her out there?”

“No, of course not,” Elliot replies. “But rushing out without a plan isn’t smart either.”

“I’m not rushing out without a plan. Bravo and I will go after Sammy while you all make sure no one gets onto this property without you knowing about it. Whatever you have to do, fill those blind spots with something.”

“That would require cutting down trees,” Riley says.

“Then do it.”

My brothers fall silent a moment.

“What’s got you spooked?” Elliot questions. “There something you aren’t telling us?”

“Not spooked,” I reply. “Just cautious. Klive made a couple comments today that sounded an awful lot like threats, and I’ll take no chances. As soon as I catch up with Sammy, we’ll come back here with some answers. Until then, we need to make sure we have our bases covered.”

I get to my feet, and Bravo falls into step beside me.

“Are you sure you don’t want backup?” Elliot asks.

“No. Bravo and I can cover good ground. I want all hands on deck back here just in case something goes wrong.” I start toward the door.

“Wait!” my mother calls out. She rushes forward and wraps her arms around me in a hug. Pulling away, she cups my face just as she did when I was a child.

“I have to track her down and make sure she’s safe.”

Nodding, she releases my face. “I know that, honey. You be safe too. Okay? I don’t think Sammy is wrapped up in anything bad. At least, not that’s her fault, she’s far too sweet for that.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of it,” I promise her, careful not to add to that feeling. Truth be told, I think Sammy might just be the missing Olivia Brown. And I think she’s been on the run. The reason is still a mystery to me, but I intend to find out as soon as I get the chance.

I just have to get to her before they do.

Thirteen hoursand two states later, I’m pulling my truck into a rest stop. As I turn off the engine, I note the black sedan that pulls in right after me, parking a handful of spots to the right of me even though there were plenty right up near me.

At first, my tail was a black SUV. Then, once I hit Tulsa, it dropped off, and a white van took its place. This particular sedan caught up to me in Little Rock. But I intend to lose it here.

Climbing out of the truck, I step aside and call Bravo forward. After clipping his leash onto the vest that readsworking dog, I let him jump out, grab my bag, and make my way into the rest stop. The bus station in town told me that Sammy booked a one-way ticket to Springfield, Missouri, claiming she needed to see her sick aunt.

So, Springfield is where we’re headed. I’m just hoping we’re the first to track her down and that we get there before she makes her next move.

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