Page 75 of Twilight Tactics

“I—”

“No, I’m serious. You can’t. Not yet. Definitely not without backup.”

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Iris is out there somewhere, probably at the compound. She’s leaving and I need to find her before she disappears on me. Something’s happening with the preppers, something bad, and I need to know she—and my father—are safe from it.” Her jaw worked a moment and Sully waited. “I ran when I was young. I ran to the boarding school. I ran to the Army when I graduated and didn’t know what to do with myself. I ran from the Armyto school, then to Maya and the ranch because it was safe. It’s time for me to stop running. This is my chance to help my sister and maybe my dad. And I sure would like answers to questions that I’ve had for all these years. And new questions, like who tried to grab me off the horse, who was the woman you chased at the ranch, and who ran us off the road?” She paused. “And if I can’t get those answers, then I need to figure out a way to accept it and move on.”

“We can send agents to—”

“They don’t know these people like I do.” Elena shook her head. “These preppers won’t talk to your people. But they might talk to me.”

Sully stepped closer. “And if they try to kill you instead?”

“Then I’ll handle it.”

The certainty in her voice shouldn’t have surprised him.

She’d survived that life once before. But the thought of her walking back into danger made his stomach twist.

“I’m not letting you go alone.”

“Your job is to protect Ollie.”

It was. She was right. But getting to the bottom of everything and stopping the people perpetrating the attacks was one way he could protect Ollie. “Okay, I have an idea. Can you give me time to make a phone call and get someone else here to take care of Ollie and to back up Piper?” Someone he could trust, who’d been undercover and off the grid for longer than this had been going on.

“Yes. As long as he or she can get here fast.”

“He can.” If he answered.

She nodded. “Fine.”

Sully got on the phone and said a prayer of thanks when his buddy Chris Gowen answered. “You available for a little protection detail?”

“Um ... yeah, what’s up?”

In as few words as possible, Sully filled in his friend andfellow agent. “I know I can trust you—and you’re about the only one I can.”

“Give me the address. I’m on the way. You can explain everything else later.”

Sully did and hung up, taking a moment to give himself a pep talk. It was okay to relinquish the control. It was. Maybe if he said it enough in his head, he’d believe it. “Okay, he’s on the way. I trust two people with Ollie right now. Him and Piper. When he gets here, we can leave.”

She nodded. “Let’s tell Ollie.”

When Ollie came out of the restroom, she looked at them with a raised brow. “What?”

“I’ll let Elena explain.”

Ollie sat in the padded chair next to Elena. “Tell me.”

The tension in the air buzzed like a live wire. He had seen Ollie’s fear transform into something like determination, but it didn’t ease the knot in his chest.

Elena leaned in and brushed a strand of hair behind the girl’s ear and told her the plan. “You understand why I have to do this, right?”

Ollie’s lower lip trembled, and she clamped teeth on it, then sighed. “I just ... I’m scared.” She shot a glance toward the hallway. “And Piper is just ... something’s bothering her. She’s protecting me, but there’s something off.”

Elena blinked and Sully frowned. “I don’t know why you would think that,” Sully said.

Ollie shrugged. “Just a feeling.”

“Look,” Elena said, “I know this is hard, and if I could stay with you, I would. But I’ll just tell you straight up. I’m desperately worried about my sister and believe her life is in danger. I have to try and make sure she’s safe. And ... to be honest ... you’re probably safer without me around. Someone’s after me too, Ollie, and I’m afraid I’m putting you at risk by staying near you.”