Page 42 of Beckett
My phone buzzed, making me jump—another sign that my system was running too hot. Lark’s name lit up the screen.
“Hey,” I answered, wedging the phone between ear and shoulder while I twisted wire around the fence post.
“Beck! How’s everything going?” Her voice carried that forced cheer people used when they wanted good news but expected complications.
“Fine. Animals are fed and healthy. No disasters whatsoever.”
“And Audra? How’s she doing?”
I watched her across the property, now throwing a tennis ball for Jet, who bounded after it with pure joy. “She’s shown up every day. Works hard. Animals like her.”
“That’s great. I was worried she might disappear. She seemed pretty skittish when I hired her.”
“She needed a place to stay,” I said carefully, working to keep my voice steady. I didn’t mention the shed. “So I moved her in to the cabin. I hope that’s okay.”
Silence. Then, “Yeah, no problem, although it’s a mess. I should have thought of that myself. Driving back and forth from town every day would have been expensive on what I’m paying her.”
“Seemed practical.” I kept my tone neutral, professional. Like I hadn’t installed a new dead bolt. Like I hadn’t stocked her kitchen with enough food for two weeks. Like I hadn’t kissed Audra back with everything I had before walking away.
“Listen, Beck, I hate to ask, but would you be able to stay a few extra days? There’s this new facility that just opened—similar concept to Pawsitive Connections, but focused more on therapy animals for kids. The owner wants to pick my brain about setup and operations. It would be an amazing networking opportunity.”
“How many days?”
“Maybe three or four more? I’ll pay overtime, of course.”
“No need for overtime. I’ll clear it with Hunter.” Not that it would be a problem. Things were quiet at Warrior Security right now, and the guys could handle anything that came up. “Should be fine.”
“You’re a lifesaver. And Audra’s really doing okay? I know you weren’t thrilled about her being there.”
The tremor in my hands got worse. I clenched my fist around the pliers, willing it to stop. “Yeah, she’s doing fine. I’ll let you know if the extra days are a problem once I talk to Hunter.”
“Thanks, Beck. I really appreciate this.”
We hung up, and I pocketed my phone, turning back to the barn door. The sun climbed higher, warming my shoulders through my flannel shirt, but I felt cold. That crawling sensation under my skin that meant my body was gearing up for a threat that didn’t exist.
Not today,I told myself.Keep it together.
My mind wandered as I got back to work, trying to focus on anything except the growing pressure in my chest. What was Audra running from? The fear in her eyes wasn’t normal. It was abject terror, the kind that changed you permanently. The kind I recognized because I carried my own version.
Rodriguez would have liked her. Would have made some joke about me finally finding someone as stubborn as I was. Would have?—
A loud crash exploded from the barn. Metal hitting concrete, the sharp clang reverberating across the property.
The world tilted.
Metal grinding against metal.
The convoy’s lead vehicle disappearing in smoke and flame.
The sound that meant everything was about to go wrong.
The barn door dissolved. Montana vanished. The morning sun became the brutal Afghan glare that hid threats in every shadow. My nostrils filled with the stench of burning fuel and copper—blood, so much blood. The taste of dust and death coated my tongue.
“Contact left! Contact left!”
Rodriguez’s voice, clear as if he stood beside me. But Rodriguez was dead. Had been dead for three years, two months, sixteen days. I could still feel the weight of his body in my arms, hot blood soaking through my gear, his eyes going glassy as he tried to speak through the gurgle in his throat.
“Beck, where’s my covering fire?”
