He glanced at Tierney. She’d been quiet since they’d joined the rest of his team in their main office, contributing only when asked. She spent the rest of the time nursing the cup of coffee Wade had handed her before he’d headed home, constantly scanning the windows and doors as if she expected those men to come barging in. Not that Buck wasn’t looking, too, but she took it to a whole other level, her hand hovering over the Beretta she’d strapped onto her hip, her body positioned where it guaranteed the best sight lines.
Unease skittered down his spine, the remembered echo of her screaming churning his gut. He’d aged five years in the thirty seconds it had taken him to run down the hallway, bust into the guest room then into the bathroom, barreling through the door half-expecting to see her dead on the floor, some asshole dressed in black tactical gear looming over her. Finding her standing in the shower, obviously lost to her own demons…
It had given him a new perspective of what ghosts still haunted her. That the relentless pursuit tonight had obviously surfaced some unwanted baggage.
He sighed, watching her scan the room again, her gaze taking in every detail. He’d been moments away from shuffling her into the bathroom, stripping her down and jumping into the shower with her, maybe holding her against the wall, finally acting on all the love he’d been shoving down for far too long. And she’d been right there with him, fisting his hoodie, claiming his mouth whenever he paused for half a heartbeat to drag in some air. If Nick hadn’t shown up…
The evening would have gone differently. Not that she wouldn’t still be distant. She hadn’t quite made peace with being in a room with more than just him and letting her guard completely down. But she wouldn’t be standing several feet away, brow furrowed, deep circles beneath her eyes, every muscle strung so tight she looked as if she might crack.
“Buck.”
Buck snapped back, focusing on Nick. “Yeah?”
Nick glanced at Tierney, then over to him. “I asked if either of you noticed this etching on the back of the radio.”
“What etching?”
Nick flipped the unit over, then held it out. “On the clip. Looks like an axe or a scythe. It’s pretty weathered so it’s hard to tell.”
Buck took the radio, squinted a bit. “I hadn’t. Maybe…”
He paused when Tierney shouldered up to him, eyes wide, lips pursed tight. She didn’t speak, just stared at the engraving, her pulse thrashing wildly beneath her skin.
He offered it to her. “Does that mean something to you?”
She reached out, traced the delicate line with her fingertip before snatching her hand back as if touching the engraving had hurt. She swallowed, coughing a few times before shrugging. “Lots of mercenaries choose grim reaper symbols for their organization. It’s not proprietary.”
“Agreed, but it could help us narrow down the possible PMCs that might lean that way. Have you run across something like this before? Maybe with MI6?”
Her chin quivered, the color draining from her face before she placed the mug on the table and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s popular with cartels. I saw similar etchings in Colombia.”
Shit.
He looked at Nick, noted the man’s furrowed brows and narrowed eyes. “Did you see something like this on your last mission?”
Tierney inhaled, wrapping her arms tighter around her waist before stepping back. “I… It’s hard to say.” She turned to Sloane. “Any luck with the body cam footage?”
Sloane stopped typing, making eye contact with Nick before nodding. “I’ve recovered a partial video from tonight’s cache, but I’ll need a moment to clean it up.”
Nick walked closer. “Which will give you a chance to tell us where you’ve seen that mark because that was definitely a yes to Buck’s question.”
Tierney squared her shoulders, back rigid, looking ready to strike. “This thing’s barely visible. I can’t be sure if it’s the same.”
“But it reminds you of something.” He inched closer. “Or someone.”
“I—”
“Video’s ready.”
Tierney jumped when Sloane’s voice cut her off, her hands shaking to the point she shoved them into the pocket of her hoodie. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing still erratic when she nodded at Sloane, gestured to the screen. “Play it.”
Nick glanced at Buck, then back to Tierney before nodding at Sloane. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Sloane tapped on the keyboard as Bodie and Dalton gathered around the monitor. The video flickered a few times, shades of black and white playing across the screen before the view stabilized, a grainy image bleeding through. Ferns and salal moved past the camera, a hint of light brightening the distance.
Footsteps broke the silence, what sounded like a wild animal charging through the forest. Twigs snapped, branches rustled, a fleeting shadow moving off to the left. The merc turned, narrowing in on the figure racing ahead, a guy’s face caught for a split second in the eerie glow.
Buck clenched his teeth. He recognized the man’s jaw. The wild hair and bizarre clothing as the guy wearing the body cam darted ahead, tracking the runner as he crashed through the brush. A brilliant light exploded up ahead, an ear-piercing pop bouncing through the understory.
