“Hi, Tina.” The man in desert fatigues waved.
“I told him about what you wanted to do and he agreed that it was an awesome idea. So, he’s all set up, ready to catch the sunrise while we’re watching the sunset. Can’t tell you exactly where though, that’s classified.”
Tina’s mouth became a perfect O. “Thanks, Mr. Hatch.”
Hatch grinned at the little girl. “My pleasure, miss. Here we go.” He turned the camera away to face the brightening horizon. Elena stood behind Camden, her hands on his shoulders as he sat in the sand next to Tina. He held the laptop in one hand and reached for hers with the other.
Together, her family watched the sunset over the Pacific at the end of one day even as they watched it rise to begin the next.
Twenty-Nine
Two months later, December
Kyle McGuire
“No! No no nono!” Kyle slammed his fists on his office desk hard enough to make the cell phone jump. “This can’t be possible.”
“Sorry, man,” Kyle’s old teammate said over the phone’s speaker. “Just found out today. He’s been out of the service for a month and Stateside three weeks now. They moved him to Colorado.”
“I was supposed to get a call.Fuck!They promised.” Kyle rubbed his temples to keep himself from throwing the phone at the wall.Deep breaths. In, hold, and out.
“It’s all there in the email I sent. I’m sorry, man.”
“No, man, it’s cool. Thanks for telling me. You’re taking a risk, and I appreciate you having my six.”
“You always had mine, brother. That’s the truth.”
That stung, but it was an old pain, familiar, and he didn’t have time to think about it now. “I’m gonna figure this out. They can’t do this to him.”Or me. “They promised.”
“Here’s hoping for the best, McGuire.”
“Thanks. You stay safe, Flint.”
Kyle hung up. He looked around his office at Watchdog. The building was quiet, he’d gotten in extra-early. With the holidays coming up, all he wanted was to keep busy. He’d work straight through them, even take other people’s shifts if they wanted. He had nothing better to do, and no intention of spending the holidays with his parents. It was hard enough to be a failure on his own, let alone in front of them.
He would’ve felt differently about Christmas, wouldn’t have to spend it alone, if things had gone as they were supposed to. As he’d been promised they’d go.
But that was the military for you. They promised you the world, then used you until you broke, then tossed you aside. Like they did to him. Like they’d just done to Camo.
Deep breaths. In, hold, out.
He opened the email Flint sent him. Sure enough, there was the order. Camo had been decommissioned, brought Stateside, and then adopted out to a woman living on a ranch in Colorado. Who the fuck was she? Camo didn’t even know her, and she’d had him for three whole goddamned weeks.
Goddammit.Camo washispartner. The dog was supposed to go to him, not some stranger. He’d put in the paperwork. He’d called and emailed until they told him that if he contacted them one more time, they’d lose his paperwork.
Looks like it didn’t take one more time.Fucking bastards.
He had to get to Colorado, ASAP.
Kyle put his head in his hands. He was still the FNG at Watchdog, didn’t have vacation hours saved up. And it was Christmas. He’d already told people he’d work for them. And, there was the ongoing case with the Bennetts. Jesus, what a shitshowthatturned out to be. The one enemy combatant who didn’t get a chance to off himself wouldn’t talk, no surprise there. But they’d traced his identity along with the others, and that’s where things got weird. Gina wasn’t at liberty to tell them who any of them were, but she could tell the team their nationalities. One Russian.TwoAmericans, Christ.
And a Kiwi. Freekin’ New Zealand? What the hell?
None of it made sense to Kyle, though it sure put Gina on edge. Lachlan, too. Well, the bennies that went along with being the FNG meant it was above his paygrade to figure that part out. He’d done his job that night, he kept Toby from getting hurt and from killing the combatant. Even patched the guy up. It paid to know how to keep a dog alive and well in the field—sometimes humans weren’t all that far from dogs.
Just nowhere near as loyal and compassionate.
But Kyle was loyal. To a fault, his buddies told him. And maybe he’d lost some of his compassion along the way, but he’d find it again with Camo, if only for the dog’s sake.
The ranch’s address was right there in the email. Kyle already had it committed to memory.
Fuck it.He’d just have to tell Lachlan he needed the time off. Family emergency. It wasn’t a lie, not really. Sometimes, you had family by blood, sometimes you found your family. And Camo was family. So, he’d wait until Lachlan got in, then ask—no, demand—time off, or else he’d quit. Simple as that.Importantas that.
He prayed to God Lachlan would understand and give him the time off. He needed this job. It was the only thing that gave him a purpose, the only place where he’d found any semblance of brotherhood since the service. So, he’d ask for the time off and hope.
Then he’d fly to Colorado, find the ranch, find Camo. Bring him home.
And whoever this woman, this Arden Volker was, she didn’t stand a chance.
* * *
