The gate opens when I approach, and I pull through without looking back. I drive several blocks away from Barone's territory before pulling over because my hands are trembling too badly to maintain control of the vehicle. It's over for now, and as long as I get out of this city and lie low for a while, I believe it's over for good. I'm free.
I don’t have to live under Barone's shadow or the dark deeds of my past anymore, and I’m free to start over, maybe build a new life.
My phone sits in the cupholder and I stare at it, willing it to ring with news about Sabine. And as if summoned by my thoughts, it buzzes with an incoming call. Hannah's name appears on the screen.
"Hannah," I answer before the second ring. "What's happening? Is Sabine alright?"
"She's more than alright." She sounds excited and relieved. "The investigators believed her story, Jace. Ham-dog and I turned in the evidence and sat for a deposition. Bryan's been arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault, rape, murder conspiracy, and conduct unbecoming an officer. He's going to prison for the rest of his life."
I struggle to process her words through the fog of adrenaline. "What about Sabine? What are they doing with her?"
"She is being released on Christmas Eve… They're only keeping her because she needs more medical attention." Hannah has no clue what her words are doing to my heart right now. "She won’t be prosecuted for the database breach or for anything else. The military reviewed the evidence and determined she was acting to expose criminal conduct within the chain of command. She may even be awarded a medal…"
I can't even process what's happening right now. It's an information download so overwhelming, I have to close my eyes to avoid being overstimulated.
"Where is she?"
My mind is already spinning… running through exactly what I'll say to Sabine when I see her. I have a million questions and another million emotions to sort through, but it feels like it's really over. Sabine and I survived this and we really get a shot to find out whether we can make something of this connection.
I've never been one to believe that good things come out of evil, but if this isn’t a silver lining, I don’t know what is.
30
SABINE
The gates of Naval Station Great Lakes feel different walking through them as a free woman instead of a prisoner under guard. The air bites through my dress uniform and I pull my jacket tighter while scanning the parking lot, looking for Jace. My discharge papers in the bag on my shoulder say I'm officially released from medical hold and cleared to complete my remaining service obligations at SOCOM before my honorable discharge becomes final.
The past week blurred together in a series of interviews and medical evaluations and meetings with attorneys who reviewed every aspect of my case before determining I'd face no prosecution. The relief still feels unreal, and part of me keeps waiting for someone to change their mind and drag me back into custody.
But today's Christmas Eve and I'm walking out of here on my own two feet with no handcuffs and no guards trailing behind me. Captain Bryan sits in a military prison awaiting trial on charges that will keep him locked up for the rest of his life, andthe investigation continues to uncover more victims and more evidence of his systematic abuse.
My mother has called three times already today to confirm I am actually being released, though she knows I still can't make it to her house for Christmas dinner. Even if I'd had a non-eventful winter, my leave request would've had to have been submitted weeks ago. I'll go into work the day after tomorrow and everything will be the same, just without my top-secret clearance.
I spot Jace's truck at the far end of the parking lot and my heart stops for a full second before resuming at double speed. Jace leans against the driver's side door with his arms crossed over his chest and a small package wrapped in red paper clutched in one hand. When our eyes meet across the distance, he straightens and a smile transforms his face into longing that makes my chest ache.
The bag on my shoulder bounces painfully and my boots are not designed for sprinting, but I don't care. I cover the distance in seconds and throw myself into his arms with enough force to make him stagger backward against the truck. His arms wrap around me immediately and I bury my face in his neck, breathing in the scent of him and letting myself believe this is real.
"You're here." My voice is muffled against his chest. "You're actually here."
"Where else would I be?" His voice rumbles through his chest into mine, and I feel his hand cradle the back of my head. "I told you I'd never leave your side again."
I pull back just far enough to look at his face and feel tears of joy pricking at my eyes. "I really thought for a while that I was never going to see you again. When they arrested me and took me into custody, I kept thinking that Bryan would find a way to kill me before I could tell my story. And even after I told them everything, I was afraid that you might not have survived your confrontation with your boss."
"Well, I survived." He wipes the tears from my face with his thumbs and kisses my forehead. "And so did you."
I kiss him instead of trying to find words adequate to express what I feel, and he pours himself into the kiss with heat. It's long overdue, this celebratory embrace, and I don't want it to end even though I'm shivering hard and fighting to keep my teeth from chattering.
When I pull back, Jace keeps one arm around my waist as though afraid I might disappear if he lets go. "I have something for you." He holds up the package wrapped in red paper with a slightly crooked bow on top. "I know it's not much, but I wanted to give you something to mark this day."
"You didn't have to get me anything." I take the package and turn it over in my hands, noticing the wrapping is a little crooked and the bow is off center. It's sweet that Jace wrapped this himself. "Being here is gift enough."
"Just open it." He sounds nervous now, and I realize this matters to him more than I understand right now. I tear through the paper and find a small box inside. When I open it, a single key rests on tissue paper. The metal is new and shiny, obviously recently cut, and I stare at it with confusion then chuckle as I look up at him.
"I don't get it." Smiling, I say, "What's this for?" It's not a car key, so he didn't buy me a car. And if this is some sort of invitation to move into his house, I'll have to pass. His neighborhood is a little rough and too far from SOCOM for me to commute.
"I'm leaving Chicago." When he says it, I feel more confused and a bit hurt. The connection between his moving and this key doesn't line up in my brain until he continues. "I'm moving to Savannah, Georgia. I bought a house there, nothing fancy but enough space for two people. That key is for the front door, and I'm hoping you'll want to use it."
"What?" I mutter, still not following his train of thought. Jace is moving to Savannah. That's an hour from my mother's place in Tybee and very far from here. I shake my head and his smile widens.
