Page 3 of Fighting Salvation

“Mortimer.”

“Major, it’s Bás. I’m in big trouble and I need help.” He used the name he’d been given by his team. Bás meant death in Gaelic and came from the fact he’d looked like death after his first week of training. Although it would come to mean something very different after this day.

“Explain.”

Niall explained as the line remained silent.

“Don’t say a word. I’m sending someone to help you. We’ll get this sorted out, Sargent, and I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

Air left his lungs as he hung up, and the first smidgen of hope in the worst day of his life glimmered. Hours later it would be snuffed out for good and Niall O’Scanlan would cease to exist. In his stead, a cold killer with only one focus would be born. His only goal was revenge on the people who’d killed his family.

Chapter 1

“Bás, you have visitors.”

Pushing the papers aside, he sighed. He didn’t have the time or patience for visitors. “Send whoever they are in, Titan.”

Bás stood and shock registered on his face when he saw Jack and Rafe walk through the door of his office. “Jack, what are you doing here?” He shook both men’s hands and clocked the grim expression on Rafe’s face. He and Val were brother and sister and looked a lot alike. Thinking of Val made things worse. Only he’d be fool enough to fall in love with a woman he could never have, and worse, for her to feel the same.

“We have a problem and if you don’t fix it, I’m going to break every bone in your body.”

Bás cocked his head at the threat from Rafe.

“That’s enough, Rafe.”

“Will someone tell me that fuck is going on here?”

“Val is missing.”

His chest felt like it had closed up, the air in his lungs felt trapped, his belly dipped, and he thought he might puke. “What?”

“She usually checks in with me or Nix every day but for the past two, she’s been radio silent. I’ve tried to call her, even called the place she’s staying, and nobody has seen her.”

“Hang on.”

Bás rushed around his desk, his destination the tech room. He felt Rafe and Jack on his heels but his focus was exact. “Watchdog, tell me where Val is right this second.”

He was grateful Watchdog held back his usual desire to spout facts as if he’d sensed the seriousness of the situation. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and screens began to flash on the monitors.

“Shit.”

“Talk to me, Watchdog.”

Bás hands fisted, and he thought he might explode if he didn’t get the information he needed immediately. Panic was a useless emotion and one he’d learned to control years ago but now it was edging across his vision like a snake about to strike.

“It’s showing she’s still in Germany but when I checked the time stamps, she hasn’t moved for two days.”

“So the tracker is there but she isn’t?”

“Unless she’s sick or just staying inside the cabin.”

“Does it show her walking Monty or Scout?”

Watchdog pressed some buttons and shook his head. “No.”

“Fuck.”