I walk her to her office, Duke at alert beside me. "I'll be nearby. Text me when you're done with Cain."
"I will." She squeezes my hand once before disappearing into her office.
I position myself where I can maintain line of sight to her door, Duke settling beside me. The morning passes in routine security work. Andi emerges twice—once for a meeting with Cain, once to grab coffee from the break room. Each time, Duke and I shadow her movements.
Around midday, an assist call comes through—medical situation, another operative, I’m the closest person, I have no choice but to leave. I remind myself Hutchins is being watched so everything should be fine. I shoot Andi a quick text:
Need to answer a call. We’ve got eyes on Hutchins. You should be fine. Don’t leave your office.
I take off with Duke at my side.
My phone buzzes as I’m responding. Nelson:
Hutchins' surveillance lost him twenty minutes ago. Last seen leaving maintenance building. Location unknown. Be alert.
Ice hits my gut. I try and untangle myself from the medical emergency, but those kinds of things can’t be rushed. I remind myself that Andi should be safe.
I text Andi:
Stay in your office. Lock the door. Hutchins' location unknown.
Her immediate response:
Sorry. I was running late. I needed to do a final survey check near eastern retention pond. Back in 30.
Every instinct I have screams wrong. The retention pond is isolated, far from help, exactly where Hutchins would know to find her if he's been watching her routine. And he's off the surveillance grid.
I'm already moving, Duke at my heels.
Wait for me. Don't get out of your vehicle.
There is no response, and I know Andi. I know her dedication, her need to complete her work, her refusal to let fear control her schedule.
I break into a run, Duke matching my pace. The retention pond is a quarter mile from the operations building. Too far ifHutchins is already there. Too far if he's making his move right now.
Duke's body language shifts as we clear the maintenance buildings, his nose working the air. He's caught something. His head snaps toward the wetlands, ears forward, every line screaming alert.
"Track," I command, giving him full lead. "Find Andi."
He launches forward at speed, and I follow, weapon drawn, praying we're not too late.
9
ANDI
The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the wetlands as I wade through marsh grass checking the habitat modification barriers near the eastern runway. Devlin followed me to the operations building earlier for what was supposed to be quick paperwork. Lieutenant Colonel Cain wanted an update on the investigation, and then Captain Nelson needed my statement about the explosive device, and suddenly it's late afternoon and I still need to complete today's field survey.
Just as I’m getting out of my vehicle, my phone buzzes.
Devlin: Stay in your office. Lock the door. Hutchins' location unknown.
I’m torn between getting back in my truck or completing my task. I didn’t receive the text till I was gone. I respond immediately:
Sorry. I was running late. I needed to do a final survey check near eastern retention pond. Back in 30.
I don’t like that Hutchins has managed to slip away, but the light's fading fast, and this survey can't wait until tomorrow. Bird activity patterns change with weather systems, and the front moving in tonight means I need current data to adjust deterrent protocols. Besides, I'm on base. Security patrols run every hour. Hutchins has been in interrogation all day. I'm safe enough for thirty minutes of field work.
The retention pond sits at the edge of the active runway area, surrounded by marsh grass and the habitat barriers I installed six months ago. Solar-powered speakers emit raptor calls at irregular intervals. Reflective tape flutters in the breeze. Physical barriers block access to preferred nesting areas. All the equipment I designed to keep birds away from aircraft, isolated at the far edge of base property where nobody has reason to be after duty hours.
