“Then I’m coming.” Bert’s decision was immediate and absolute. “Let me talk to Logan about logistics and timing. I’ll text you with flight information as soon as I have it. And Mary?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for asking me to come. For trusting me to be there for you.”
“Always,” she said, echoing his words from earlier. “Be safe getting here. And Bert? Bring your tactical gear. Just in case.”
“Already planning on it.” He smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mary.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
They disconnected, and Bert stood in the hallway for a long moment, staring at the phone in his hand. Mary had asked him to come. Had invited him to share her cabin, to be there with her, to help her handle this dangerous situation.
And somewhere in the midst of all the logistics and planning, she’d said she wished he was there. Not because she needed someone to protect her, but because she wanted him specifically.
“Bert?”
He turned to find Logan standing in the doorway of the operations center, clearly having overheard at least part of the conversation from his end.
“I need to go to Canada,” Bert said. “Mary asked me to come, and I’m going.”
“I heard.” Logan’s expression was understanding rather than disapproving. “Let’s figure out the mission. Cole can get you on a commercial flight out of Great Falls to Halifax. The ship docks in Saint John tomorrow morning, but you can meet them there or catch up at the next port.”
“Mary said the ship is at full capacity. No empty cabins.”
“So where will you stay?” Logan asked, though his slight smile suggested he already knew the answer.
“With Mary. In her cabin. She offered.” Bert felt heat creep up his neck. “It’s big enough for two people, and it makes sense logistically.”
“It makes sense in more ways than one.” Logan clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you packed and on a plane. The woman you love is in potential danger and needs backup. Everything else is just details.”
Bert didn’t even bother denying it. Logan was right. He loved Mary, had loved her for months, and the thought of her being in potential danger was tearing him apart. But now he could do something about it. He could be there to protect her and help her navigate this dangerous situation.
And maybe, when this was all over, and Diane was safe, and Colin was no longer considered a possible threat, Bert would finally find the courage to tell Mary everything. His feelings, his fears, his hope that they could be more than friends.
But first, they had to keep her safe and help Diane Sutherland. Bert followed Logan back into the operations center, where his team was working with focused intensity to do exactly that.
“Change of plans,” Logan announced to the room. “Bert’s flying to Canada to provide on-site support for Mary. Cole, I need flight options from Great Falls to Saint John, New Brunswick. Fastest route possible, leaving today.”
“On it.” Cole was already pulling up flight information. “There’s a connection through Toronto that gets you there by this afternoon. If we leave now, you can make the ship’s landing.”
“Sadie, brief Bert on everything we’ve found so far and give him copies of all documentation,” Logan continued. “Todd, put together a tactical kit. Small enough to get through TSA but effective if things go south. Cory, coordinate with ship security and make sure they know Bert’s coming.”
The team moved with practiced efficiency, and Bert felt gratitude wash over him. This was what LSI was about. Taking care of each other, backing each other up, doing whatever it took to keep their people safe.
“Bert,” Sadie called from her station. “I’m emailing you everything we have on Colin, plus background on Diane and the financial irregularities. You’ll have it all on your phone by the time you board the plane.”
“Thanks, Sadie.”
“And Bert?” She looked up from her screens, her expression serious. “Take care of Mary. With this situation… and with you.”
“That’s the plan.”
Thirty minutes later, Bert was in the small plane with his duffel and a tactical bag in the passenger seat, as Cole flew him toward the airport in Great Falls. His phone was loaded with documentation, his mind was running through scenarios, and his heart was focused on getting to Mary.
Whatever it took to keep her safe. Whatever it took to finally tell her the truth about how he felt. This time, he wasn’t going to let fear stop him. Life was too short, too uncertain, and Mary was too important to waste any more time dancing around his insecurities.
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