dead, you and the others were out of touch. I didn’t even know the information

on the delivery system was still missing until the actual trial. I tried to reach out, but when no one answered I knew what was coming. Someone had to answer for

the op going sideways, and I was the only one standing before the panel. It wasn’t like I had options.”

“You wouldn’t have been answering alone if I could’ve been there,” Tag

offered.

Maybe, maybe not, but not wanting to ruffle the tenuous truce, I blew out a

harsh breath. “I still don’t know how they got Ellery into custody.”

“Liza warned us something was off,” Kayden said. “It took time to clear out

the two snipers nests. By then, all hell was breaking loose on your end.” His gaze flickered to my scars. “When we hit your position, Ellery was so focused on you, he didn’t get a chance to get away. We took out his partners and took him into custody. After turning him over, we were sent back out to retrieve the

missing information.”

“You never found it.” I could tell.

He shook his head.

“I didn’t leave you, Cyn. You left me.” Tag’s quiet comment wasn’t quite an

accusation, but it still felt like one.

“You left the team,” Kayden added. “When we got back, you were already

gone. Tag said you weren’t answering your calls. We figured you wanted nothing

to do with us, so we steered clear.”

“What a mess.” Lowering my head, I acknowledge the truth in what they

said. For the first time in six months, the resentful anger and hurt I lived with began to recede. My choices were clear. Either I continued to blame Tag and Kayden for a shitty situation, or I accepted my culpability and moved on.

Run, or stand and fight?

I was tired of running. Kelsey deserved justice, so did Liza, Mike, and Nate.

It was time to face the nightmares and fight back.

AT TAG and Kayden’s urging, I moved back inside to the larger, kitchen table where there was more space to spread out the gory details contained in the file.

During my years in the service, I witnessed things I wish I hadn’t, the images forever branded on my cerebral cortex. Those images took turns starring in some

of my more inventive nightmares. During those nights, sleep was a stranger, but

whiskey was my best friend. After wading through the most recent reports, the

photos only added to my certainty that human cruelty knew no bounds. The more deviant the imagination, the more brutal the outcome.

Working past the initial repulsive horror, I started comparing the coroner’s reports against the crime scene photos. As I laid out the phots in sequential order, the angles of the shots allowed me to follow the evidentiary collection of the crime scene techs. When I hit the last report, complete with photos, I sucked in a

breath.

Captain Eric “Flash” Fowler.

My stomach cramped, but I carefully set the items in place. Hard didn’t

begin to cover how it felt to see the familiar face spread across on the marred wooden surface. Absently, I rubbed the itchy sensation running along the scar lines on my neck. As difficult as it was, I spent a few minutes letting the chaotic

mix of anger, grief, rage, and pain storm rage before clearing my head to focus.

Counting Kelsey, we were looking at eight confirmed victims and one

missing person. Flash had been killed first. Then there were the two guards during Ellery’s escape mid-transport, before he focused on the joint team.

Sergeant Major Michael Layton was killed just over two months ago. Layton

was Flash’s friend. I remember Flash mentioning they had a fishing trip planned

once our last mission was in the box. Then, closing in on five weeks ago, Staff

Sergeant Nathan Visic was found. Three weeks later, the bodies of First Sergeant

Elizabeth Gaskey and Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeff Gomez, were discovered.

“What was Liza doing with Navy?” I asked.

“Dating,” Tag answered.

“Really? Wow, could’ve sworn hell would have frozen over before that

happened.” Elizabeth had completed basic with me and Tag before joining a different team. Since women tended to disappear the higher you moved in the marines, we stayed in sporadic touch until we reconnected on our last

assignment.

“Yeah, things were going really well, she was happy.”

Now she was dead, and, from what the pictures showed, it hadn’t come easy.

After the guards, the crime scenes turn progressively more vicious and brutal, a

sure sign Ellery was relishing the pain and agony of his victims. At least until Kelsey. As sickening as his actions were, at least he’d made it quick for her.