But he’d been in enough therapy sessions to know healing took time. And she would see what others saw in her when she was ready.
They settled into the drive, a country tune projecting at low volume through the speakers and the breeze washing through the truck from the open windows.
Fern pointed things out along the road—someone’s new fence, a stretch of wildflowers she wanted to harvest seeds from later—and he listened, half to her voice and half to the way it felt to have her beside him, relaxed enough to notice small things again. When they pulled up in front of the big garage, Felicity came outside to meet Fern.
Fern unbuckled and smiled at him. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
“Have fun,” he replied, meaning it.
She slid out of the truck and was immediately drawn deep in conversation with Felicity, their laughter carrying on the breeze. Crew climbed out, watching her for a second longer than necessary, then turned when a familiar hand clamped onto his shoulder.
“Got a minute?” Gray asked.
His first thought was the team had new intel on Fern’s stalker. Gut tensing, he nodded and followed Gray to a truck parked a few vehicles down.
“Get in.”
Crew did, and he wasn’t surprised when Gray drove to the training facility.
When Crew saw the progress they’d made, he shook his head in awe. “Wow. A lot of the projects are taking shape since I was here a few days back.”
Gray grunted. “We’re nearing the finish line.” He arched a brow at Crew. “Walk with me?”
He nodded, following him into the building. As they entered a room that was almost an exact replica of the war room in the Black Heart Security office, Crew drifted to a stop.
Theo and Denver were already there, standing over a table littered with site plans and printouts.
Gray jerked his chin toward the chair. “We want your eyes on this.” He paused for a beat. “If you’re willing.”
They weren’t giving him commands—they were asking for his advice, same as the ladies were asking Fern’s.
Curiosity pulling him forward, Crew leaned over the table instead of sitting. He scanned the layouts quickly and immediately understood what he was looking at.
Topographical maps of the terrain surrounding the facility, as well as approach angles, terrain markings and even extraction points.
At that moment, Gabe and Upchurch joined them, sliding into seats around the big table.
“Talk to us,” Theo said. “Give us a pilot’s perspective of the land. We’re working on finalizing some of the trainings.”
Crew exhaled slowly, then tapped the map. “Your ingress is too exposed. You come in low here, you’re silhouetted against the ridgeline. Any half-awake shooter is going to spot you.”
Denver frowned. “Alternate?”
“Come in from the west,” Crew said without hesitation. “Terrain masks you longer. You lose ten seconds on approach but gain survivability.”
Gray nodded. “Extraction?”
“You’re planning it like a textbook op,” Crew said. “Real world? You’re going to be late, someone’s going to be bleeding, and comms will be shit inside these mountains. That’s what you need to train for.”
Theo cracked a grin. “I knew you were the right man.”
Crew shifted the map, chest tightening at the praise. “You need a drop-and-go. The aircraft hits the ground just long enough to load bodies, then it’s gone.”
Denver crossed his arms. “Risky.”
“Everything is,” Crew shot back. “You mitigate risk. You don’t eliminate.”
They traded looks. The good kind. The ones that saidthis is why we asked him here.
