The screen showed security camera images from the highway, our faces clearly visible despite caps and sunglasses. Finnish authorities had released our photos to every border checkpoint in Europe. The headline from a Helsinki newspaper screamed about armed American terrorists. Another called it a kidnapping. Innovixus had already released a statement claiming we’d stolen proprietary technology and endangered a child who’d been receiving “specialized treatment” at their facility.
“Leo?” I asked as I scrolled through the alerts.
“Bruised to hell but alive. Vest caught the rounds that would’ve killed him.” Flynn rubbed a hand across his stubbled jaw. “He’s sleeping it off in the back room.”
“Rafe?”
“Cleaning his wound again. Says it’s just a graze, but it bled like a son of a bitch. Kate sent instructions for a field dressing that should hold until we reach proper medical.”
“Lyric?”
“In the kitchen with Nolan, checking our remaining supplies.” Flynn’s expression softened slightly. “She wants to run a perimeter check, but I told her to wait until the storm passes.”
“Gage?”
“Not good. Alistair’s with him now.”
“Jesus. Alistair should be resting.” He never should’ve come with us to begin with, but nobody could talk him into staying behind.
Flynn exhaled and dragged a hand through his hair. “Yeah, he looks like he’s going to collapse, but Gage is running a fever, and you know how Preacher gets when one of his flock is sick. He says we need to get Gage to a proper lab within forty-eight hours or...”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.
I nodded and handed the tablet back. Flynn’s hands were steady, but the skin around his eyes had tightened. The reality of our situation was sinking in. We were all wanted criminals now, our faces known, our biometrics logged.
There would be no going back to our old lives.
In the corner, Ethan paced in a tight circle, his satellite phone pressed to his ear. His voice stayed low, but his posture told me everything I needed to know. Back straight, jaw set, eyes tracking the room even as he spoke. The conversation wasn’t going well.
“I understand the political implications,” he said, the words clipped. “But these were American citizens in danger... Yes, I’m aware of the diplomatic... No, sir, I cannot provide that information at this time.”
He caught my eye across the room and gave a short, sharp shake of his head. The message was clear: the US government was cutting ties. Officially denying any knowledge of our operation. We were on our own.
I’d known this would happen. Had accepted it before we boarded the flight to Helsinki. My military record would be flagged, my security clearances revoked. I’d spend years looking over my shoulder, waiting for extradition requests. We all would.
Flynn leaned against the wall beside me, his gaze drifting to the sleeping pair on the narrow bed. “Worth it?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Yeah, love always is.” A small smile tipped up the corner of his mouth as he looked over at his wife. Lyric moved past the kitchen doorway, her platinum hair slicked back into a stubby ponytail. Their eyes met across the room, and something unspoken passed between them—a reassurance, a promise.
A crash from the kitchen made us both tense, and Lyric spun toward the sound, hand moving to her weapon before Nolan’s voice called out a surprisingly quiet apology.
Flynn relaxed marginally, but his eyes stayed alert, scanning the room one more time before he pushed off the wall.
“I’ll take next watch,” he said. “Get some sleep if you can.”
I nodded but didn’t move from my position. Sleep wasn’t going to happen, not with the adrenaline still coursing through my system.
Ethan ended his call and crossed to us, his face grim. “It’s official. We’re all being terminated, effective immediately.”
The words landed exactly as I’d expected. Not a surprise, but still a blow.
“All of us?” Flynn asked.
“Every operator involved in the Helsinki operation.” Ethan’s voice stayed neutral, but a muscle jumped in his jaw. “Officially,we went rogue. Unofficially, we embarrassed people who don’t like being embarrassed.”
“They knew the risks when they sent us in,” I said.
