But my life doesn't matter. Naomi will be safe. I know that like I know the sun will rise tomorrow.
Camp Titan sits nestled in a forgotten corner of government ranch land. As I get closer, the road narrows. It turns to gravel, then dirt. From the looks of it, no one's been out here in years.
The sun is setting as I pull up to the abandoned base. Camp Titan’s concrete buildings cast long shadows across the dry earth, like tombstones. Weeds push through the cracks in the parade ground, nature slowly reclaiming what man had infringed on. Windows are shattered, doors hang by hinges, and desert dust has painted everything in a colorless hue.
The gate is open in a clear invitation. As I drive through, memories flash unbidden. But as has been true ever since I met Naomi, it ain't what happened in the past that drives me. It’s what I need to make sure happens in these next few minutes.
I park and step out, scanning the base.
Logan isn’t hiding. He’s been waiting for me.
He stands in the center of what used to be our training yard. Naomi’s on her knees and he's holding a gun to her head. My rage flares in my blood again. Like when I first met her, she's back in a prison uniform. Her hands are cuffed behind her back, and her legs are shackled, restricting any chance of escape.
I was hoping she could run when given the chance, but I'm going to have to figure out how to get her the keys if I can't beat Logan.
"Welcome home, team leader," Logan calls out, his voice carrying across the empty space. "Nice of you to join us."
I step closer, my eyes locked on Naomi. Despite everything, her gaze is steady, her chin lifted. God, I love her strength.
I love everything about her.
"Let her go," I say, keeping my voice level. "I’m here now. This is between you and me."
Logan laughs by way of answer— the one that’s haunted my dreams for years, the sound echoing off concrete walls. Logan presses the gun harder against Naomi's temple. She flinches. "Lose the armor and strip your weapons. All of them."
I hesitate, calculating angles, distances, probabilities. If I'm unarmed, my chances of lasting long enough to let her escape drop significantly. But the gun barrel is digging into Naomi's skin, Logan's finger hovering over the trigger.
"This can be a whole lot shorter if you want," Logan says.
I grit my teeth and comply, removing my tactical vest first, then my sidearm, the knife at my ankle. I place each item carefully on the ground, never taking my eyes off Naomi.
When I'm done, Logan lifts Naomi and steps forward, keeping her between us like a shield. His eyes glitter with anticipation.
"That's better," he says. The sun dips lower. Logan's face twists into something inhuman in the fading light. Or maybe it’s just revealing his true form beneath the surface.
"I was going to kill her first. In front of you. But I think it would be better to squeeze the life out of you in front of her. I want her to witness your failure."
My eyes flick to Naomi briefly. She looks afraid. For the first time she lets the brave mask slip and she looks truly terrified.
"We can settle things just like the old days. Remember how they used to pit us against each other?" He gestures toward a circular depression in the concrete nearby. "Let's see if you're still as good as you thought you were."
"Let's get this over with," I growl.
Logan shoves Naomi roughly to the ground, where shefalls awkwardly with her hands still cuffed behind her. He tosses the gun aside.
We approach each other with deliberate steps, circling like wolves. Logan stands slightly taller than me, his frame carrying even more muscle than mine. I remember our training sessions here. I made him submit plenty of times.
But he also did the same to me.
I was the better strategic thinker.
He had raw, animal brutality.
And of course, I’m not thinking clearly. I’m worried about Naomi. And still weakened by injury.
For a moment, there’s a vicious, dark stillness, thin as gossamer. It’s torn when he and I rush forward at the same time, colliding.
Our bodies crash together with inhuman force, the impact echoing across the empty compound. His first strike nearly takes my head off. I counter, but he slips past my defense, driving a knee into my ribs that would shatter a normal man's bones.
