Page 53 of Scarred Sunrise

Nate quirked an eyebrow. “Wow, that was quick.”

“Not really, the image is amongst her files. She would’ve been holding it over him.”

“That’s the one thing I can’t figure out. Why would she leave all that stuff for us to find?”

“I think she got cocky. Those files were protected with layers and layers of encryption, and she probably doesn’t realise what a god I am in this arena, among others.” Will waggled his eyebrows at Aubrey who rolled her eyes. The joke lightened the tension in the room perfectly, causing a few groans and some laughter. It was what they needed to keep perspective.

“So, boss, what’s the plan?” Kanan looked to Zack, who in turn looked at Smithy.

“How sure are you that this is her plan because we don’t have time for second chances here?”

It was so much pressure on Ty, and Lizzie worried he’d feel the strain of it on his shoulders and buckle, but he seemed to grow in confidence. Maybe that was what he’d needed all along, someone to treat him as if he wasn’t broken, rather than tiptoeing around him.

“I’m confident that it’s her play. She’ll send her people to Norway, and she’ll head to Russia and put the plan in motion herself.”

“What makes you so sure?” Zack was really pushing him now, and Liz felt the words on the tip of her tongue to tell Zack to back off.

“Because it’s what I’d do.”

“I agree with Smithy. This is her play,” Meg said, causing everyone to look her way.

Zack looked between them and then nodded. “Good enough for me. We need to split the team. Some will go to Norway and a small team will head to Russia. Roz, can your girls guard the families or would you prefer Norway?”

“I’d prefer Russia since I speak the language and all.” Liz saw Kanan place a hand on her leg before they exchanged a look. “But seeing as my husbutt is going all alpha protective, we’ll stay here and protect the families.”

K leaned in close and whispered something in her ear, and she said something back in Russian, which Zin obviously heard by the smirk on his face.

“Fine, perfect. Zin, are you up for a trip to the homeland?”

Zin inclined his head. “If I must.”

“I need to go, so I’m close to the computer she’s using,” Will said as worry crossed Aubrey’s face.

“I’ll go. The chances are she’ll have guards, and I stand a better chance of getting past them.”

“What? No.” Liz turned to him as the cold hand of doom she’d been feeling for weeks squeezed all the oxygen from her body, making her light-headed.

He turned to face her, trapping her legs with his as he looked at her with so much love in his eyes she almost gave in and wept. “Liz, I have to go.”

“You promised no more sacrificing yourself for guilt.”

“I know and that isn’t what this is about. Dane, Daniel, Nate, Jace, Zack, K, they all have young kids who need them. How can I let them go and risk leaving their kids? Liz, I love you more than life, but I know what it is to grow up without a father. I wouldn’t wish it on any of those kids.”

“But Zin is going to be a father.” The tears were sliding down her cheeks now, and she knew it looked ridiculous, but she had the most awful feeling of foreboding in the pit of her belly.

He swiped a tear from her face with the pad of his thumb. “I know, baby, and I’m going to do my damndest to make sure the three of us come home.”

Liz hiccupped as she realised he was right. This wasn’t about him being a martyr, it was about him being a good man, the best and the man she fell in love with. She didn’t love him because he was easy or had a nine to five office job, she loved him because of who he was and what he was willing to do for those he cared about.

He wrapped her in his arms as she nodded, unable to get the words out to give her approval of this mission vocally, not that he needed it.

“That’s settled then. Zin, Will, Smithy, and I will go to Russia.”

Her eyes moved to Zack as he included himself.

“Zack, no,” Smithy objected, but Ava just bit her lip and sat stalwart beside him.

“My team, my call. I’m not letting you go without me, so get used to it. The rest of you will go to Norway with Eidolon now they have their situation handled.”