Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“You wanna know what’s worse?” Darius drawled. “Most of the time, you won’t get to put the abusers in their place. If your job is to bring someone home or escort someone to safety, that’s your one and only task—and you don’t do anything to jeopardize it.”
Yeah, that needed to be said too.
“We had a saying in the SAS,” I said. “Don’t disturb the local flora and fauna. As in, don’t meddle with the local culture, no matter how twisted it is.”
Danny just closed his eyes and scrubbed his hands over his face again.
“If it’s any consolation, you’re unlikely to get sent to these places when you first start out,” Darius said. “With your fields of expertise, I’m pretty sure the handlers will give you combat-oriented contracts. You’re more of a pathfinder, security escort, and intel retriever.”
He wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t foresee Danny handling extractions anytime soon. He had skill sets much better used in other areas.
“But I’m still gonna see it at some point, right?” Danny grumbled. “Especially in the desert.”
Darius and I exchanged a pensive look, and I bet we were thinking the same thing.
I chose to answer. “There’s a difference between what some of those people grew up with, thinking it’s normal behavior—and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. You will definitely see animal abuse and children in harm’s way in the Middle East. But there’s something more sinister about the Western men who own property in South America to live out their sadistic fantasies in human trafficking.”
Darius nodded with a dip of his chin. “On the flip side, we usually get to act more freely with those fuckers. Or so I’ve heard. I’ve only had one gig down there.”
“You were in Belize this February, weren’t you?” I asked.
“Yeah. Fun times.”
“What happened there?” Danny wondered.
“Large-scale op to take down a trafficking ring outta Texas,” Darius said. “They called it a rape farm. Twenty young girls were freed—and I accidentally had my finger on the trigger once or twice when I came upon self-proclaimed slavers.”
Danny muttered a curse and shook his head. “You see a lot of shit in a war zone, but you don’t see that.”
“It’s worth it if we get to do some good,” Darius answered, finishing his food. “Not that it doesn’t leave scars. Good luck handling that.”
I cocked a brow at him. “It’s easier to deal with if you actually go to all the recommended sessions with a counselor, punk.”
“I go to a place in Seattle occasionally,” he defended. He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Now I’mma go upstairs and get my papers. Apparently, I’m flying commercial to Brussels and Cyprus, and then I’m hitching a ride with the Queen’s finest.”
“Is anyone meeting you at the border?” I asked.
He nodded and stood up with his tray. “Mossad. They’re investigating a mole problem in Shin Bet. But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Oof. He had his work cut out for him, then. And it explained why he’d avoid entering the country with his passport in hand.
“Good luck, kid.”
“Thanks.” He nodded at Danny. “Not that you need it, but good luck in Ecuador.”
“Thank you.” Danny straightened in his seat, and we watched Darius walk out after discarding his tray. “Was he allowed to tell you that?”
I shrugged and got back to my meatloaf. “I’m still his CO, so he can tell me anything.” I wagged my fork at him. “You just make sure to keep your cute mouth shut.”
He grinned. “Yessir.”
Good. I jerked my chin toward the buffet area. “Go grab something to eat.”
The following Monday, I was itching to sit in on every class Danny had. He’d only been gone for two and a half days, and it’d been too much. Too much without something greater tying us together.
I’d picked him and two large bags up at the airport, and I’d almost blurted out those three words right then and there.
The toughest part had been when he’d called me in the middle of the night on Saturday. He’d struggled to fall asleep, and he’d admitted he hated his apartment.
Give it up. Cancel your lease. Move in with me.
After grabbing a cup of coffee, I took the elevator down to the basement.
Pool and shooting range to the right. I veered left and walked through the break room, past the changing rooms and the gym, and then I reached the martial arts studio.
It was a good thing official trainers had taken over the boys’ sparring sessions, because I had nothing left to teach them. While my experience still scored high, their young age, speed, and strength made sure my win wasn’t guaranteed. Danny, in particular, was difficult to defeat.
I sat down in one of the cushy chairs that lined the studio, and I sipped my coffee while Danny and Reese went to town on each other. The walls and floor were padded, and the boys were allowed to tape their knuckles and wear cups, but that was about it. Sid’s goal with his classes was not just for the fighters to learn how to fight, but to learn how to swallow the pain.