"I stay. Fight. End this."
"No." Her grip on my arm tightens. "No, Boone. You're not staying here without me."
"Mara—"
"I said no." Her eyes are fierce, her jaw set in that stubborn line I've come to know so well. "You want me to trust you? Then trust me back. We do this together or not at all."
There's no time to argue. Through the window, I can see movement in the trees. Shadows that shouldn't be there.
"Fine." I grab a tactical vest from the hook by the door, strapping it around her torso. "But you stay behind me, you follow my orders, and if I tell you to run, you run. Understood?"
"Understood."
I press my radio. "Deck, I've got Mara. Hostiles approaching her cabin from the northeast. We're moving to secondary extraction point."
"Copy. Wolfe is moving to intercept. Ryder and Hayes are en route to your position."
"Negative. Have them hold at the extraction point. I'll bring her to them."
"Boone—"
"This is my detail, Deck. My responsibility. Let me do my job."
Silence. Then: "Copy. Good luck."
I take Mara's hand. "Stay close. Move fast. Don't stop for anything."
We slip out the back of the cabin, into the darkness between the buildings. The compound is designed for defense, with multiple routes between structures and natural cover points. I know every inch of this terrain. Trained on it for three years.
But so, apparently, do they.
The first shot comes from the left, splintering the wood of a storage shed as we pass. I shove Mara down, covering her body with mine, and return fire at the muzzle flash.
"Move!" I haul her up, and we're running again.
More shots. More muzzle flashes. I count at least three shooters, spread across our escape route. They're herding us, I realize. Pushing us toward the tree line where they have the advantage.
"This way." I pull Mara toward the training grounds instead. Open terrain, but better sightlines. "Head for the obstacle course."
We sprint across the open ground. My lungs burn, my legs pump, and all I can think about is the woman whose hand is locked in mine.
Keep her alive. Whatever it takes. Keep her alive.
We reach the obstacle course, ducking behind a concrete barrier. Mara is breathing hard, but her eyes are clear. Focused.
"How many?" she asks.
"At least three. Maybe more."
"The FBI?"
"Twenty minutes out, minimum." I check my weapon, counting rounds. "We need to hold until backup arrives."
"Then we hold." She meets my eyes. "I'm not helpless, Boone. You trained me."
"Two hours of self defense doesn't make you combat ready."
"No. But it makes me not useless." She squares her shoulders. "Tell me what to do."
