Page 58 of In Darkness Transformed
“What were your orders?”
He briefly turned his gaze in Eli’s direction. “We were told Sergeant Yates here might not be as dead as everyone thought he was. We were to verify that. If we did find him, we were to ascertain how he walked away from a crash that killed everyone on board.”
Eli’s answering smile had nothing at all to do with good humor. “I didn’t walk away. I died just like everyone else.”
Their prisoner’s response came flying in from left field, leaving them all speechless. He smiled up at Eli and calmly said, “Huh, so I’m not the only one.”
LONZO FROWNED ANDleaned back against the porch railing. “Well, hell, I never saw that coming. People with that particular ability are pretty damned rare, and it seems we’ve found two in one day.”
Eli used his pocketknife to cut through the zip ties before offering it to their prisoner. “I’d like to see some proof.”
The man immediately slashed his palm and held it out so they could all watch the wound disappear.
Okay, then, back to the questions. Eli started with the basics. “What’s your name?”
“As of today, Tyson Dahl.”
Evidently Eli wasn’t the only one whose identity was fluid right now. “What unit are you with?”
Tyson shrugged. “Recon marines. My current assignment is classified.”
Mike crowded closer. “Do I have a target on my back?”
Good question. Depending on how Tyson answered it, he might just get to keep on breathing. While he didn’t seem all that concerned about being their prisoner, he was clearly pissed off about what had happened to Mike.
“We were only told to keep an eye on people known to be friendly with Sergeant Yates, but then you started asking questions about us. One of my former associates decided to give you a friendly warning to stay the hell out of our business.”
He flexed his hands, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “He’s not like us, Sergeant Yates. It will be a while before he can grip a steering wheel again.”
Okay, so this guy could live a while longer. “So I’m guessing I’m not the only one who is AWOL right now.”
Tyson actually laughed. “Yeah, although I’m not sure you can go missing from an organization that doesn’t officially exist.”
Mike snorted. “They exist all right. They operate out of a remote corner of Fort Bragg.”
Tyson’s eyes hardened to the color of cold steel. “Not anymore. They bugged out. And before you ask, I have no idea where they’ve landed.”
Lonzo gave both Eli and Tyson a considering look. “Have either of you given any thought to what comes next?”
Safara clutched Eli’s hand, her pretty eyes so damned sad. Yeah, he’d given the matter a lot of thought but hadn’t come up with a single idea that wouldn’t rip his heart right out of his chest.
He brushed the pad of his thumb across the back of Safara’s hand, not sure which of them needed that small connection more. “Why? Do you have any suggestions?”
“I do, but this discussion isn’t for everybody, and I need approval from above before I can say more. I’m going to make a quick phone call to put a few things in motion.”
Eli hated the delay, but as a soldier, he understood about chain of command. Meanwhile, he needed to come to an understanding with their prisoner. He reluctantly released his death grip on Safara’s hand. “You and Mike go on inside and get something to eat. The rest of us will be along eventually.”
She glanced at Tyson and then back at Eli. “Don’t be too long.”
“We won’t.”
Lonzo had already disappeared into the trees, obviously trying to put enough distance between them to prevent any chance of his conversation being overheard. That was fine. Eli had a few things to say to Tyson that should be private.
He jerked the man to his feet and gave him a shove to send him stumbling down the porch steps. He made no attempt to fight back, which didn’t exactly endear him to Eli. Right now, he could use a convenient target for his temper.
He jerked his head in the opposite direction than Lonzo had gone and waited for Tyson to go ahead of him. They stopped just inside the tree line. “Two questions. Who were you going to shoot earlier? And what’s your endgame?”
Tyson sat on a nearby boulder before answering. “I was going to take out the bastard with the sword threatening that couple and their kids. I don’t hold with hurting women and children.”
