Adam
The motel room had turned into a war room. Boone’s laptop glowed on the table, Russ’s notes were spread like battle plans, and the rest of the team leaned in close, waiting for me to set the course.
“Shipment’s scheduled to roll out of Dallas in less than twelve hours,” I said, voice low, controlled. “That gives us one chance to intercept before it disappears into the system.”
Hawk rubbed a hand over his jaw, eyes sharp. “What are we looking at? Convoy? Single transport?”
“Boone?” I asked.
Boone tapped a key, pulling up grainy records. “Paperwork lists one refrigerated box truck. But if they’re smart, they’ll have escort vehicles. Two, maybe three. Nondescript. Nothing flashy.”
Russ leaned forward. “Routes?”
“Standard highway through I-35,” Boone said. “But there are plenty of off-ramps to lose a tail if they smell heat. And if they’ve been watching us, they’ll be expecting company.”
I nodded. “So we don’t tail. We cut them off.”
Logan crossed his arms, skeptical. “You’ve got six men and a woman with busted ribs. You think you’re gonna stop a rolling convoy without backup?”
“Backup?” I snapped, my voice sharp. “We saw what backup does—shows up late and scrubs the scene clean. We do this ourselves.”
Silence.
Hawk’s grin was humorless. “About damn time.”
Blade leaned against the wall, twirling his knife like he was already picturing the kill. “Simple. Direct. My kind of op.”
I let the team settle before I laid it out. “We split into two vehicles. Russ and Boone run support—eyes on comms, tracking the truck’s route from a distance. Hawk, Blade, Logan—you’re with me. We stage ahead of the convoy, force a block at the choke point near Hillsboro. One lane bridge, no easy detour. Once they’re stopped, we neutralize drivers, sweep cargo, and extract evidence.”
Raine’s eyes burned into me, steady and unflinching. She didn’t speak, but I could feel the vow in her silence:I’m coming too.
My chest tightened, but I pushed through it. “We move in four hours. Rest, rearm, and get your heads straight. Once we hit Dallas, it’s no turning back.”
The room fell into a heavy silence. Each man nodded in turn—Russ calm, Hawk steady, Blade cold, Boone grim, Logan reluctant but resolved.
This wasn’t just a mission anymore. It was the opening strike in a war.
And I’d be damned if we lost.
73
Raine
The room buzzed with tension after Adam laid out the plan. Russ’s steady voice, Boone’s keys clicking, Hawk’s dark laugh—it all blurred together. The only thing sharp, the only thing clear, was the unspoken weight in Adam’s gaze every time it landed on me.
Stay behind.
I could see the thought flicker there. He hadn’t said it out loud, but I knew it.
I’d been silent long enough.
I pushed off the chair, straightened my shoulders, and looked at the men around me. “I’m in.”
Logan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Raine—”
“No,” I snapped, cutting him off. “I wore the uniform, same as you. I earned my rank. I know how to move, how to lead, how to fight. And I’m not sitting in a motel room while you all risk your lives.”
Hawk smirked like I’d just told the best joke of the night. “Well, hell. Captain Carter speaks.”
