Page 418 of Broken Oath

Wade turned away.

He stepped beneath the water.

Heat struck his shoulders.

For several seconds, he couldn’t breathe.

The prison showers had been cold, fast, and supervised. Another method of control. Another reminder that even privacy could be taken.

This was different.

No guards watched him.

No voice ordered him to hurry.

No one waited outside to drag him into an interrogation room.

Wade placed both hands against the wall.

The first tear fell before he could stop it.

Then another.

He let them come.

He cried for Price.

For Brooks.

For Walsh.

For five years stolen from every man on his team.

For the family that never stopped looking.

For the first sunrise he had seen through the aircraft window.

For hot water touching his skin.

He didn’t know how long he stood there.

Eventually, the water began to cool.

Wade shut it off.

Clean clothes waited outside the stall.

Soft sweatpants.

A T-shirt.

Thick socks.

Ordinary things.

Wonderful things.

When he returned to the cargo bay, Sarah looked up.