Page 222 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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“This is Havoc,” she says. “He’s… he’s helping us.”

Grandpa studies me.

Then nods slowly.

“Good,” he says. “You needed help.”

Yeah.

She did.

And I’m not going anywhere.

I meet Aspen’s eyes.

And I see it.

Relief.

Gratitude.

Something deeper.

Something that wasn’t there before.

Or maybe it was.

And now we just can’t ignore it anymore.

I stand.

Offer a hand.

“We need to move,” I say.

Because we’re not done.

Not even close.

But as I watch her help her grandfather to his feet—

As I watch the way she holds him, protects him—

I make one thing very clear in my head.

They tried to use him.

Tried to break her.

Tried to send a message.

They succeeded in one thing.

They made this personal.

And now?

Now I’m not just protecting them.

I’m hunting whoever thought this was a good idea.

And I won’t stop—

Until they’re all gone.

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