Her knees buckled slightly. He didn’t let her fall.
“Just stand,” Hunt said. “Ten seconds. No step. Just feel the floor.”
Ten seconds passed.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
She slumped backward onto the bed before her legs could fold. But her feet had touched the floor. She had stood. And no one else had done it for her.
Dante helped her lie back. “You did it.”
She looked up at him. “It hurt.”
“I know.”
She paused. “But it’s not the same.”
He nodded. “It won’t ever be.”
She didn’t cry then either, but her fingers curled into his as they settled her back in bed. And when she closed her eyes, she didn’t feel powerless anymore. She felt like she’d won something small. And still had something worth fighting for.
PENTHOUSE LEVEL BALCONY – 2200 HOURS
Dante stood alone for a while, hands on the railing, hoodie sleeves pushed up to the elbows, eyes unfocused. He didn’t turn when he heard the door slide open, but he knew who it was.
Mike Johnson stepped out silently. He offered him a steaming mug.
Dante took it. “Thanks.”
“We got word from the Sahel. Bravo made contact.”
Dante’s head turned.
Mike’s face was carved in restraint. “First op, scouts ambushed. They took fire in open desert. Sand cover was weak. Two injured: Lobo and Beach.”
Dante’s grip on the railing tightened. “How bad?”
“Lobo’s critical. They’re keeping him alive for evac. Beach has a traumatic brain injury. He might be alright, maybe.” Mike sipped his coffee. “The rest held it together. Paulsen and Ganz pulled them through.”
Dante’s jaw worked silently.
Mike added, “This war’s already here. Krueger knew where to look. We just didn’t listen fast enough.”
Dante exhaled through his nose, then looked at the man beside him. “You wish I was there?”
Mike shook his head. “No. You’re where she needs you.” He leaned back slightly, his posture looser but his voice more pointed. “She asked for you after the surgery. Not me. Not her brother. You.”
Dante looked down at the steam rising from his mug.
Mike continued, “She’s never let anyone that close. Even when she was small, she kept her walls high. It used to scare me. But with you… she lets herself fall.”
When Dante answered, it was with no bravado, no armor. “I’d take her pain if I could.”
Mike nodded. “That’s how I know you’re not just here to keep her warm.”
Dante glanced sideways. “Was that your test?”
