"We coordinate with Mara's team. They know the operation. They know the players. They might have insights into who would have taken her and why." Hawk pulled up communication logs. "Sloane said they're analyzing the evidence they collected. Running it through their databases. Looking for any connections that might give us a location."
"Nazari," Logan said. "It has to be Nazari. He's the only player in that region with the capability and the motivation."
"Maybe. But we can't assume." Ghost pulled up a file. "Nazari went dark after we pulled you. He's been operating from the shadows. We have no confirmed sightings in months. That doesn't mean he's not involved, but it means we need more than assumptions."
Logan stared at the map. At the red circle where Mara had vanished. Somewhere in that circle was the woman he loved. Somewhere in that region was the person who'd taken her. And he was standing in a room in North Carolina when he should be there.
"I'm going after her." Logan turned to face Hawk. "I don't care if we have authorization or not. I don't care if command approves. Mara is in Iraq and I'm going to get her back."
"Logan—" Hawk started.
"No. Listen to me. Mara came for me when I was in enemy hands. She risked everything. Risked her team, her organization, her life. She didn't ask for permission. She didn't wait for authorization. She saw that I needed help and she helped." Logan's voice was steady now. Cold and focused. "I'm doingthe same thing. With or without the team. With or without clearance. I'm going."
The room was quiet. Risk and Joker exchanged glances. Bulldog nodded slowly. Ghost just watched, his expression unreadable.
Finally, Hawk spoke. "If you go, we all go. That's not negotiable. You're not running a solo rescue operation in Iraq."
"Command won't authorize it," Logan said.
"Then we don't ask for authorization. We take leave. We coordinate with Mara's team who are already in the region. We use our own resources and our own time." Hawk looked at each member of the team. "But we do this together. All of us or none of us."
"Hawk, if we do this without authorization—" Joker started.
"We'll probably get court-martialed. Yeah. I know." Hawk's expression was grim. "But we don't leave people behind. That's not who we are. Mara came for Steele when she didn't have to. Now we return the favor."
Logan felt something loosen in his chest. The cold rage was still there. The fear for Mara was still there. But he wasn't alone. His team was with him. They'd do what needed to be done.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"Don't thank me yet. We still have to find her. And then we have to get her out alive. And then we have to deal with whatever fallout comes from going off the books." Hawk turned back to the screens. "But first things first. We make contact with Sloane. We pool our intelligence. We figure out where Mara is."
"And then?" Bulldog asked.
"And then we go get her," Logan said. "Whatever it takes."
The team moved into action. Ghost started coordinating with Sloane's team. Risk began pulling together medical supplies for a potential rescue. Joker worked on logistics and transportation.Bulldog coordinated with Beth to maintain the communication link with Quinn.
Logan stood at the screens looking at the map of Iraq. At the region where Mara was being held. At the distance between where he was and where she needed him to be.
Thirty-six hours. She'd been missing for thirty-six hours.
But he was coming for her now. And he wouldn't stop until she was safe.
Whatever it took.
However long it took.
He was coming.
MISSION ORDERS
Fort Liberty, North Carolina - 36 Hours After Mara's Disappearance
Logan was in the gym at 0500 running through combatives drills with a heavy bag when Hawk found him. He'd been there since 0400, unable to sleep, unable to sit still, unable to do anything but try to burn off the restless energy that came from knowing Mara was in enemy hands while he was stuck stateside waiting for intelligence that seemed to never come.
"Got something," Hawk said from the doorway.
Logan stopped mid-punch. "What?"
