Except he knew it was real. Had known it the moment she'd admitted she couldn't stop seeing his face. The moment she'd said they'd figure it out. Together.
"Even if I wanted to find her," Logan said, though they both knew he did, "I don't know where in Louisiana. No city. No address. Just 'ask Bulldog about Beth.'"
Ghost looked at his tablet thoughtfully. "I might have a way. Beth, Bulldog's friend's girlfriend. She's the one who connectedus in the first place. She knows someone in that organization. Someone named Quinn."
"And?"
"And if anyone could get a message through, it'd be her." Ghost met Logan's eyes. "Question is, what message do you want to send?"
Logan was quiet for a long moment. He thought about Mara. About the way his chest had tightened when she'd said his name. About the way her hand had felt in his, warm and real and solid. About the promise he'd made at the rally point. About Louisiana. About the fact that he was alive right now because she'd taken a risk she didn't have to take.
He thought about four months of recovery. Four months of physical therapy and desk work and trying to figure out what his life looked like outside of constant operations. Four months that could be spent doing something besides just healing. Four months that could include finding a woman who'd saved his life and maybe, just maybe, seeing if that look they'd shared meant what he thought it meant.
Four months to keep a promise. To find Mara. To see if dark eyes and capable hands and a voice that had told him to lean on her could become something more than just a memory from a cell in Mosul.
"Tell her," Logan said slowly, "that Logan Reed doesn't forget promises. That I said I'd find her and I meant it. That Louisiana's a big state but I've got four months to narrow it down. And that I still owe her for coming back when nobody else would."
Hawk raised an eyebrow. "You're serious about this."
"Yeah. I am." Logan met his team leader's eyes. "She could've left me in that cell. Could've prioritized her own team's safety. Could've decided one Delta operator wasn't worth the risk. Butshe didn't. She came back. And I'm not the kind of person who forgets that."
"She could be anywhere. Could want nothing to do with you. Could be a dead end."
"Could be," Logan agreed. "But she gave me Louisiana. Gave me a way to find her through Beth and Quinn. That's not something you do if you want someone to forget you. That's something you do when you're hoping they'll actually look."
Bulldog grinned. "Now we're talking. Operation Find Mara is officially a go."
"Her name's Mara," Logan said. "And I'm going to find her."
"Or," Ghost said, "she finds you first. Quinn knows who you are. Knows where you're recovering. If Mara wanted to make contact, she could."
Logan thought about that. About the possibility that she was sitting in Louisiana right now thinking about him the same way he was thinking about her. About whether she'd actually reach out or wait for him to keep his promise. About the fact that they'd both been careful not to give away too much. Protecting their respective organizations even while making it clear they wanted to see each other again.
"Then I guess we'll see who's more stubborn," Logan said. "Me trying to find her, or her waiting for me to prove I meant what I said."
Hawk looked at his team. At the men who'd disobeyed orders and risked their careers to coordinate his rescue. At the people who knew him better than anyone and were now encouraging him to chase after a woman he'd spent maybe twenty minutes with total.
"This is insane," Hawk said.
"Probably," Logan agreed. "But I'm doing it anyway."
Bulldog stood up. "Then let's get started. Ghost, reach out to Beth. See if Quinn will take a message. Risk, Joker, help mesmuggle some decent food into this place because hospital food is going to kill him faster than Nazari's men did."
They moved with purpose, the team falling into coordination mode like they always did. Planning. Strategizing. Turning an impossible task into a series of actionable steps.
Logan leaned back against the pillows and thought about Mara. About dark eyes and a voice that had told him he was worth saving. About Louisiana and the promise he'd made. About four months of recovery that suddenly felt like it might be worth more than just healing.
Because some promises were worth keeping. Some connections were worth exploring. And some women were worth finding, even if you had no idea where to start.
He closed his eyes and thought about Louisiana. And the woman he was going to find there.
Somewhere in that bayou, Mara was thinking about him too.
He was sure of it.
MOVING FORWARD
L'Abri Sûr, Louisiana
