Lincoln’s voice came through the comms, calm and precise as always. “The two figures have stopped moving. Roughly two hundred meters ahead, just past the eastern perimeter. Still no visible weapons. Thermal shows them close together. Huddled, possibly.”
“Movement pattern?”
“Erratic. Not methodical. They’ve changed direction twice in the last ten minutes.” A brief pause. “More consistent with uncertainty than evasion.”
That tracked with Theo’s read. These weren’t operators.
But he didn’t stand down.
Scarlett’s voice cut in. “I’ve got eyes on targets. Confirming Lincoln’s assessment—two figures, close together, not much awareness of their surroundings. One of them just stumbled. The other helped them up.” A beat. “The shorter one’s shivering so hard I can see it from here.”
Real threats didn’t shiver. Real threats didn’t stumble and help each other up. Real threats moved like his mother moved—like shadows with purpose.
These two moved like lost civilians.
But Theo had been trained by a man who’d survived weeks of torture and a woman who could kill from two hundred yards with a crossbow. He didn’t assume. He confirmed.
The team continued to close the distance. Snow crunched under boots despite their best efforts. Wyoming winter didn’t care about operations or stealth or the stakes riding on Theo’s shoulders.
“If this is an ambush,” Scarlett said, her voice low on comms, “it’s the worst one I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen Tucker try to plan a surprise party.”
Bear’s quiet snort carried through the channel. “Could be an act.”
“If it is, they deserve an Oscar.”
They reached optimal position. Theo, Bear, and Derek in a loose triangle. Scarlett to the south, ready to provide cover or cut off escape. Lincoln feeding real-time updates from the security feed.
Theo made the call. “Scarlett, get closer. Flank tighter, get a better look before we commit.”
“Copy.”
Silence while she moved. The seconds stretched. Theo’s fingers rested near his weapon, steady despite the tension coiling in his gut.
Then Scarlett’s voice again: “Visual confirmed. Two people, young, terrified, absolutely not professionals. I don’t think they even know which direction they’re facing.”
Young. Terrified. Lost.
Not his father’s enemies. Not anyone’s enemies, from the sound of it.
But they were still unknowns on his family’s property, and unknowns got handled properly.
He signaled ready to move.
And then Bear went still.
Not the controlled stillness of an operator assessing a threat. Something different. His whole body had locked up, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to make sense of something that didn’t fit the situation.
“Hold.” Bear’s voice had changed. Sharp. Surprised.
“What is it?”
Bear didn’t answer. He was moving forward, breaking formation—loss of discipline that was completely unlike him.
“Bear—” Derek started.
“I know them. We all do.”
Theo’s mind recalculated. Bear’s posture had shifted entirely. The tension had drained out of his shoulders. His weapon hand had dropped to his side. Everything about him readsafein a way that was either accurate or catastrophically wrong.
