"Rachel—"
I head for the door before Colton can say anything else that makes this more complicated than it already is.
I make it three steps down the corridor before I have to stop and lean against the wall, forcing myself to breathe. My heart hammers against my ribs. My hands shake slightly.
That was too close. Too much. Too dangerous when my son's life depends on staying focused and clearheaded.
Not when I remember exactly how much it hurt the last time he walked away.
Footsteps echo behind me. I straighten and start walking before Colton can catch up, before he can say something that cracks the careful walls I've built around my heart.
But his voice follows me anyway. "Rachel, wait."
I stop but don't turn around.
"I meant what I said last night." His voice carries down the corridor. "I'm glad you're here. And I'm not walking away this time."
I close my eyes and try to remember all the reasons why believing him is a terrible idea. All the reasons why letting him back in will only lead to more pain when this is over and he returns to being an operator while I disappear into witness protection with Lucas.
All the reasons that made perfect sense five minutes ago and now feel flimsy as tissue paper.
"I need to check on Lucas," I say without turning around.
Then I walk away before he can see that his words landed exactly where he meant them to. Before he can see that I want to believe him so badly it terrifies me.
Before he can see that I never stopped caring either, no matter how hard I tried.
I make it back to the communal area. Lucas is teaching Khalid a game involving Ghost and Odin, both of them laughing. Normal and safe and exactly what my son deserves.
Sarah emerges from operations and approaches me with a gentle smile. "Dylan just called in again. Wanted me to tell you that your sister and her family are doing well. Shaken up but safe. The protection team is solid, all people Victoria Cross personally vetted."
"Thank you." The relief is physical, loosening the knot in my chest slightly.
"He also said to tell you..." Sarah pauses, choosing her words carefully. "That he understands what it's like to protect a kid from people who want them dead. And that you're stronger than you think."
Tears burn behind my eyes but I blink them back. "He doesn't even know me."
"He knows Khalid. And he knows what it takes to keep a child safe when the entire world feels dangerous." Sarah touches my arm briefly. "You're not alone in this. The whole team is invested in keeping Lucas safe now. That's how we work."
I watch Lucas play with Khalid and Odin. Watch him laugh and be a normal kid despite everything he's been through. Despite the nightmares and the fear and the knowledge that bad people are hunting him.
Maybe Sarah's right. Maybe I'm not alone anymore.
Maybe that's the most dangerous thought of all.
Because letting myself lean on Colton and his team means trusting them to catch me if I fall. And trust is the one thing I'm not sure I can afford.
My phone pulses in my pocket. I pull it out, confused because there's no signal this deep in the mountain.
A message displays on the screen. Not from a contact. From the facility's internal network.
Committee encrypted communications intercepted. Kessler expanding search radius. Additional assets deployed. Timeline accelerating. War room briefing ASAP. All hands. - Tommy
I stare at the message as ice floods my veins.
Kessler. Expanding his search. More Committee operatives hunting for us.
Lucas's laughter echoes through the communal area, bright and innocent and completely unaware that the man who wants him dead is getting closer.
