The weight of that settled across the room. Who we are. Not just what we do.
“I’m in,” Leo said without hesitation.
“Same,” Rafe nodded, grimacing as the movement pulled at his wound.
Flynn looked around at each of us, then shrugged. “We already crossed the line. Might as well keep walking.”
From the tablet, Kate’s voice came clear: “Ozzy and I are in. He’s already started setting up the secure networks.”
Gage shifted in his chair, the movement catching everyone’s attention. His jaw clenched as another tremor ran through him. “Count me in. For whatever time I’ve got left.”
The room went quiet. Alistair’s hand moved to Gage’s shoulder, steadying.
“We’ll find a cure,” Ethan said firmly. “Quentin has access to research facilities. Private labs. We’ll figure this out.”
Gage’s bitter laugh was barely audible. “Sure.”
I wasn’t surprised by their immediate acceptance. We’d formed the kind of bonds that only came from shared risk and mutual trust. We’d chosen each other over rules and regulations. Over careers and safety nets. The decision had already been made on that highway in Finland.
“What about you, Bricks?” Ethan asked.
All eyes turned to me. I felt Evelyn tense beside me, her arm tightening around Sophia.
“You know my answer,” I said simply.
Ethan nodded, then turned his attention to Evelyn. “Which brings me to you.”
She straightened, wariness crossing her face. “Me?”
“I’d like you to join the unit as an intelligence analyst.”
The request clearly blindsided her. “I don’t have any training. I’m a bookstore clerk.”
“You’re a survivor,” Ethan countered. “You’ve lived through situations that would break most people. An abusive marriage to an arms dealer. A dangerous cult. Being hunted across multiple states.” His gaze was direct, unflinching. “You have skills we need. The ability to read people, understand manipulation, recognize patterns of control.”
“I’m not a soldier,” she protested, though I caught the flicker of something in her eyes. Interest, maybe. Or purpose.
“We don’t need another soldier,” Ethan said. “We need someone who sees what others miss. Someone who’s been on the receiving end of the kind of control we’re fighting against.”
Sophia stirred against Evelyn’s shoulder, small fingers clutching at her mother’s shirt even in sleep. Evelyn stroked her back automatically, soothing her without waking her.
“And what about Sophia?” she asked, voice low. “I won’t put her in danger. Not again.”
“That’s part of the offer,” Ethan said. “Staying with the team means protection for her. Resources to keep her safe from thenext Innovixus, the next threat. We’d be looking out for her together.”
Evelyn’s eyes sought mine, questioning. I kept my expression neutral. This had to be her choice, not influenced by what I wanted.
“You’ve thought this through?” she asked Ethan. “The practicalities?”
He nodded. “Seattle safehouse with secure identities. Homeschooling supplemented by carefully vetted tutors. Medical care through private channels. The team as extended family providing support and protection.”
“It wouldn’t be normal,” Flynn added. “But normal ended in Garnett.”
Evelyn’s gaze drifted to the window, where rain streaked the glass like tears. “And if I say no? If I want to take Sophia and try for something... quieter?”
“Then we set you up with new identities, financial support, security protocols,” Ethan said without hesitation. “We protect our own, whether they stay or go.”
The offer hung in the air between us. I watched Evelyn’s face, saw her weighing options, calculating risks, putting Sophia first as she always did.
