Page 46 of Skull

Kodiak and Breakneck quickly moved in, scanning for any further threats. Kodiak knelt beside Skull, assessing bruises, checking for broken bones.

“You okay, man?” Kodiak asked, gently probing Skull’s ribs.

Skull grimaced at the pain, then forced out a cough-laugh. “I’ve been better.” His gaze slid to Walker, unable to resist a wry grin even through split lips.

Bones nudged him again, tail wagging as though proud of his own part in the fight. With effort, Skull patted the dog’s flank. Walker slid an arm around his shoulders, steadying him as she glanced at Kodiak for a prognosis.

“We’ll get him fixed up,” Kodiak assured her. Then he paused, noticing the way Walker’s hand lingered on Skull’s arm. A small smile flickered across his face, but he said nothing more as he got to work patching him up quickly so they could move out of the danger zone.

GQ eyed Walker with a grin. “Stop hogging all the fun, or I’m telling the boss you’re stealing our thunder.”

Walker snorted softly. “Oh, boo hoo. You’re too slow on the draw.”

Despite the soreness in his body, Skull couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. Relief flooded him, mingling with fierce gratitude that left him momentarily speechless. Walker had come back for him, and she’d torn through a squad of killers like a force of nature to do it.

He turned to her, voice rough. “You saved my life.”

Walker’s gaze flicked over him, her lips pressed together as though she couldn’t quite form the right words. Finally, she said, “That’s what teammates do, right?” Yet her eyes held a deeper meaning, a promise that whatever lay between them was more than just a mission.

Skull swallowed, pain sparking in his ribs, but the warmth in his chest outweighed it. Reaching out, he took Walker’s hand, ignoring the blood staining her glove. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

Outside, the night still stretched black and dangerous, but in that moment, they were safe enough to share a look heavy with unspoken truths. Around them, the team secured the warehouse, voices barking out in short commands. Bones stayed close, his gaze never leaving Skull’s face, as if to confirm that his partner still lived and breathed.

Walker helped Skull to his feet, slipping an arm around his waist for support. As they began to move, her tone fell somewhere between an order and an entreaty. “Easy. Let’s get you out of here.”

Skull nodded, leaning on her more than he cared to admit. But if there was one person he trusted not to let him fall, it was this relentless woman who’d plunged into the shadows to save him. Their ragtag group headed for the exit, a battered formation of warriors, dog, and him. Tomorrow would bring new dangers, new battles. But tonight, they had each other and the promise of survival.

Walker glanced over at Skull, meeting his gaze. In her eyes, he saw the same unyielding devotion he felt deep in his own bruised heart. With Bones trotting faithfully behind them, they slipped into the darkness that had momentarily become their ally, knowing that somehow, through blood and shadow, they’d found a bond impossible to break.

Walker stoodin the doorway of the sterile interrogation room, arms folded as she observed the tense reunion unfolding before her. Lupe, Musica, and Romano clung to Blade, relief and fear shimmering in their tearful eyes. The overhead light glinted off the silver handcuffs binding his wrists to a ring bolted in the table. A bead of sweat traced down the side of Walker’s temple as she inhaled the lingering odor of disinfectant that always seemed to permeate the compound’s makeshift holding cells.

“Daddy, can we go home now?” Musica asked in a shaky whisper.

“Soon,” Blade assured softly, gazing from his wife to his children with evident guilt. “I promise.”

Walker stepped forward, footsteps echoing on the concrete floor. Her voice cut through the quiet sobs. “Time’s up. Everyone out. He needs to talk to me.” She cast a pointed glance at the Marine guard, who gently guided Blade’s family away from the table. Their expressions pleaded for more time, but Walker shook her head and steeled herself. There was no room for sympathy here, not with Pincho’s vicious hired gun in front of her.

Once Blade’s family was ushered into the hallway, Walker leaned over the table. “So,” she said, fingers tightening around the folder in her hand, “we had a deal. You’d give me something actionable. Something real.”

He swallowed hard, glancing toward the closed door. “I’ve got a name,” he began, voice low. “Diego Canto, Pincho’s second in command. He’s…he’s going to be at a function tonight, some fancy Shakespearean play.A Midsummer Night’s Dream.Word is he’s obsessed with the actress playing Titania.”

“Diego Canto?” Walker repeated, the scathing disbelief in her voice making Blade flinch. “You held that back until now?”

“I—” Blade hesitated. “I wanted to protect my family. If I told you sooner, you wouldn’t have done what you did to get them safe. And I didn’t know for sure you’d?—”

Walker slammed the folder onto the table, swallowing her anger. “So, you played me? Made sure I’d bust my ass to keep your wife and kids from the crossfire. All you had was a name? I expected something more and you knew it. Well, guess what, Blade? We don’t have time to cull intel from another source. You put us in a tight spot and ramped up the danger for her hostages.”

He lowered his gaze. “Security’s going to be heavy,” he said, his jaw clenching. “And there’ll be civilians at that theater. Storming the place is too risky even for you.”

A snort of anger escaped Walker. “Yeah, thanks for reminding me how complicated you’ve made this.” She took a moment, pressing her lips together as she thought of Iceman and Anna. They were going to be furious. She couldn’t blame them. “This better work, or your family will pay the price.”

Blade’s voice trembled slightly. “They’re innocent in all this?—”

“We’re all guilty of something,” she interrupted, keeping her tone cold. She straightened, flicking a glance at the door. “You were Pincho’s trigger man for too long, and now the only reason you’re breathing is because I stuck my neck out. Don’t ever forget that.”

A tense silence filled the room. Blade looked away, his breath uneven. Walker took a last calculating stare at him before heading toward the exit.

She paused in the doorway and spoke over her shoulder. “We’re not done with you. Stay put until I get back. And pray to whatever God you still believe in that your intel is legit because I’ve got no patience left.”

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