I went over to the disposable iPhone Ryder had given me and opened it to the app he’d programmed in there. “I’ll always be able to see where you are, and you’ll be able to track me. The blinking dots represent us.”
Chase took hold of it with his free hand, keeping the other curved around the back of his dad’s neck. “The dots are together right now. Why can’t they stay that way?”
My hand went to my heart on autopilot at the squeeze of pressure there.Breathe, dang it.
“Those blinking dots will be back together soon enough.” Trevor let Chase slide down his side until the little black combat boots he’d laced up for him a few minutes ago hit the floor. Like father, like son. They were dressed alike. In camo, for the snowmobile ride they’d soon be taking while I served as the decoy to hide their escape in the other direction.
“Eden?” Trevor called out, tipping his head toward the hallway.
She appeared a moment later, so I had to assume he’d asked her to wait for us out there.
“Can you take Chase to Ryder for me?” he asked her. “We’ll be right out.”
“It’s okay,” I promised, and he hesitantly let go and went with his aunt while clutching the phone like a lifeline.
Once we were alone, Trevor tore both hands through his hair, eyes shooting to the ceiling. “This has to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And this is coming from someone held captive by the Taliban for six weeks.”
A story he’d never been able to fully tell me about. One he’d kept locked up deep, deep inside that had eventually destroyed our marriage.
“I know Chase is in good hands. You won’t let anything happen to him. That’s the only way I can do this.” My hand raced across my lips, both my mouth and fingers trembling.
He pulled me into his big arms like a blanket of comfort, and like Chase had done to me, I nestled my face at the side of his neck and held on for dear life. “Love you, Trev. Like family, you know? And I just ... I need to hear you say this will all work out. Because if you say it, I’ll really believe it.”
“Love you, too.” Emotion squeezed around his words, and they came out raspy. “As family, of course,” he emphasized, the way I had. “And you have to have faith. Believe. And then it will be.” He added in a gruff voice, “And I trust your brother and his friends. They’re good people. All of them. Even, uh, Alex.”
There was something in the way he’d said Alex’s name that gave me pause. Like he was telling me to trust Alex with more than my safety, and I wasn’t sure what to make of that or why he felt compelled to tell me, but I didn’t have time to psychoanalyze it because—
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
I shifted away from Trevor to see Alex hanging in the doorway.
“We’re ready to move out,” he let us know. “The storm is giving us enough cover to go now instead of waiting for nightfall.”
A true blessing that would literally disguise us.
Alex leaned his shoulder against the interior doorframe, keeping his arms at his sides, his gaze drifting between Trevor and me.
“Let’s do this, then.” Trevor glanced at me. “Meet you downstairs.” He picked up my bag that he’d packed for me on Friday night, not knowing Alex also had one waiting downstairs. “I’ll give you two a minute.”
“That’s not necessary,” Alex said, brows drawing together.
Trevor patted his shoulder, and Alex moved out of his way. “Take that minute anyway.”
When it was just the two of us, Alex went back to being a fixture of steel in the doorway.
“How’s the wound? You take antibiotics yet?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did. And the wound is fine.”
“Tell me that during all your escape planning, you managed to get fluids, too. At least that juice box.” I crossed my arms, trying to chase away the chills that wouldn’t relent.
This man always gave me butterflies despite the situation. Not the bad, anxious ones, though. More like the excited and eager fluttery ones.
“I did. Drank two, in fact.” He gave me a hard, practiced nod, the kind I’d seen Trevor give his commanding officers in the past. “I’ll be fine.”
Satisfied by his response, I let my gaze wander down his body, taking in the fact he’d changed. Upgraded his civilian clothes to military-ish-looking ones. Since I knew I’d be sporting a bulletproof vest soon, I had a feeling he had a chest plate beneath his vest that was also packed with ammo.
I couldn’t believe my son would soon be sporting armor while riding a snowmobile to escape.
