"The Castellanos hired outside help." Mace stands and turns to Cade. "Wake everyone. Full tactical deployment. I want a rescue plan in thirty minutes."
"On it." Cade disappears through a doorway.
Mace turns back to me. "You did good. Getting here. Staying ahead of them. Deck trained you well."
"I left him." The guilt that's been burning in my chest finally erupts. "I ran away and left him there to die."
"You followed orders. You survived. That's exactly what he would have wanted."
"I don't care what he wanted. I care about getting him back."
Mace studies me for a long moment. Whatever he sees in my face makes him nod slowly.
"We'll get him back. I promise." He moves toward a table covered in maps and equipment. "But I need you to stay here. Stay safe. You're no good to Deck if you get captured trying to rescue him."
"I can help. I know the terrain now. I know where they were operating?—"
"You've been running for four hours. You're exhausted, dehydrated, and in shock. The best thing you can do right now is rest and let us handle this."
He's right. I hate that he's right.
I slump in the chair, the adrenaline that's been keeping me upright finally draining away. My hands are shaking. My legs feel like jelly. I couldn't run another mile if my life depended on it.
But Deck's life depends on something. And I can't just sit here and do nothing.
"At least let me help with the planning. I was there. I saw their positions, their movements. I can?—"
"Fine." Mace pulls a chair up to the map table. "Get over here. Show me everything."
I force myself to stand on trembling legs and cross to the table. The map spread across its surface shows Deck's cabin and the surrounding terrain. I trace the path we took, mark the positions where we encountered hostiles, indicate the cave system and the western slope where I last saw Deck.
"They were pushing us south initially. Herding us toward something. Maybe a vehicle extraction point."
"Or a larger force." Mace studies the map, his finger tracing possible routes. "If they have Deck, they'll want to move him before full daylight. Probably have vehicles staged on the fire roads here and here." He taps two points on the map.
"How long do we have?"
"Maybe an hour. Maybe less." He looks up as more men enter the lodge—a lean man with long dark hair tied back, wolf-gray eyes scanning the room, a younger guy with an easy smile that doesn't match the hard set of his jaw, others I don't recognize. They're armed, armored, ready for war.
"Listen up." Mace raises his voice. "Deck's been captured. At least six hostiles, military contractors, somewhere on the western slope. We have maybe sixty minutes before they extract him. I want two teams?—"
I tune out the tactical details. The planning. The coordination. All I can think about is Deck, wounded and alone, waiting for help that might not come in time.
I promised I'd come back for him.
I intend to keep that promise.
Even if it kills me.
The radio on Mace's belt crackles. "Command, this is Wolfe. I have visual on Target One. Western slope, two hundred yards from the cave system. Three hostiles guarding. He's alive."
Alive.
The relief hits me so hard my knees buckle. Cade catches me before I hit the floor.
"Easy." His voice is gentle. "He's alive. That's what matters."
"I need to be there. When you get him out. I need to?—"
