“Good. ’Cause you can ask any one of us how we felt when our women’s lives were on the line and we thought we might lose them forever…” He cleared the emotion from his throat. “That’s a special kind of hell you don’t ever want to experience. So if you think you and Scottie have what the rest of us have, don’t walk, brother. You fuckingrunto that woman the first chance you get. Like…today! You go to her, man the hell up, and tell her how you feel.”
His friend’s impassioned speech left Chase blinking. It also left one hell of an impression.
He’s right. You need to talk to her. Let her know she’s your end game.
“Thanks, Lucky. I really appreciate?—”
“Heads up!” Archer gave Chase’s shoulder a slap as he walked by in haste. “Webb’s on in the war room. Hayes said it’s urgent.”
The expression on Lucky’s face hardened. At the same time, Chase felt the muscles along his spine grow tense.
It was the second unscheduled meeting with SECNAV in as many weeks. And with each new call, it seemed as if his team was finally getting closer to uncovering the truth.
He and Lucky fell in line behind Archer, walking the length of the hallway to the last door on the right. They waited while the team’s demolitions expert entered his personal security code, and one by one, the three government-trained operatives made their way into the soundproofed room.
The heavy, fireproof door snicked shut behind them. Three small beeps letting them know the electronic locks were in place once more. Chase’s attention immediately went to the conference table to his right, where Logan and Van were already seated.
“What’s going on?” He made his way to his usual spot at the table.
Logan tipped his head toward the giant screen mounted high on the wall and said, “We’re about to find out.”
Right on cue, Webb’s oversized image appeared. The powerful man didn’t wait for Archer and Lucky to fully sit before diving right in with his reason for the call.
“I apologize for keeping you gentlemen late, but I thought you’d want to know…we found her.”
“Dawari?” Chase assumed. His gaze slid away from the screen for a quick scan of the others around him.
“Affirmative,” Webb confirmed. “Present intel shows Kaamisha Dawari, along with two of her most trusted lieutenants, has returned to Kandahar.”
Fucking Kandahar.
The city where it all began.
“How fitting.” Archer seemed to share Chase’s sentiment toward the second largest city in Afghanistan.
“Guess to finally reach the end of this thing”—he looked around the table—“we have to go back to the very beginning.”
“When?” All eyes turned to Logan.
It made sense that the man was worried about the timeline. His wife was due to have their first child in a couple more weeks.
“If this was a fully sanctioned job with government approval and support…two days. Sending you boys in off-book? It’s gonna take some time. Two, maybe three weeks.”
Van shot the man a deep scowl. “It’s going to take you three fucking weeks to drop us where youknowour target is sitting right now? She could be a fuckingghostin three weeks.”
“I’m well aware, Mr. Braddock.” Secretary Webb met Van’s disapproving gaze. “But this isn’t Hollywood. I can’t just make one phone call and get the resources needed for a mission such as this. I have contacts to reach. Ones I know I can trust to keep this whole thing under wraps. Then there’s the matter of transportation to get you and your team out of the country and into enemy territory without raising any red flags. Not to mention securing a safehouse, weapons, ammo, wheels for once you’re there. So while I can appreciate the desire to capture Ms. Dawari and get justice for your friend, you’re only going to have one shot at this. We need to make it count.”
Webb wasn’t wrong to want to dot every redacted I and cross every whited-out T. Chase knew that. Everyone in the room knew it.
Including Van.
Though it was clear the grumpy medic wasn’t happy about the realization, Van let the argument go. Chase slid a glimpse in Logan’s direction to see how he was handling the choice he’d most likely have to make…
Go after the woman who stole Hunt’s life and ended their Naval careers or risk letting her get away to avoid missing the birth of his first child.
Chase knew what he’d do if it washim. And he had a pretty good feeling he knew what Logan’s choice would be, as well.
Family first.