Page 46 of Gentle Warrior
“Credible enough that I’m not comfortable sending her with just a US Marshal detail,” Bear interjected, his voice a low rumble. “That’s why we’re sending the team. Strength in numbers. We go with you.”
Moose felt the shift happen—the SEAL taking over the boyfriend. The peaceful morning, the pancakes—it all felt fragile suddenly. “She’s terrified of them, Hank. She hides it, but I see it.”
“We know,” Hank said softly. “That’s why we aren’t asking you to just drive her there. We’re asking you to be her Primary. Her shield. But we won’t let you do it alone.”
Moose ran a hand over his face, the weight of the decision settling onto his shoulders. It wasn’t just a job offer anymore. It was a protection detail.
“Where she goes, I go,” Moose said, his voice dropping an octave, deadly serious. “If the Counts want to get to her, they go through me.”
Hank nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Good. We’ll start the office build immediately. It needs to be secure.”
Moose paused, his tactical mind already assessing the layout. If they were staying, if they were hunkering down, Elena needed a safe zone inside the wire.
“If we build this office,” Moose said, pointing a finger at Hank, “I have a condition.”
Hank raised an eyebrow. “Name it.”
“Elena wants to finish her degree. Social justice program at USC. She’s brilliant, Hank, but she needs a perimeter. A space where she can focus without looking over her shoulder. I want a dedicated section of that office for her. Secure. Quiet.”
Hank’s face softened. “Done. We’ll section off a study area. Soundproofed.”
Bear grinned, breaking the tension. “We’ll make sure there’s a lock on the door, too. You know, for ‘studying.’”
Moose rolled his eyes, though he felt a flush of heat on his neck. “Keep it professional, Bear.”
“We’ll make it work,” Hank said, clapping Moose on the shoulder. “Go get Jim. We’ve got a lunch to get to.”
Moose checked his watch. He had to get to the hospital. But as he walked toward his truck, the weight of the conversation stayed with him. He wasn't just working a farm anymore. He was back in the fight.
31 - ELENA
While the men conferred outside, the kitchen had settled into a rhythmic hum.
Sadie, Nancy, and Elena moved in a synchronized dance. Outside, the colorful tablecloths were snapping in the breeze, ready for the homecoming crowd, but inside, the focus was on the food.
Nancy hummed as she worked, a soft, wandering melody that seemed to center her. The kitchen was chaotic—pots clanging, timers dinging—but Sadie had an almost supernatural ability to keep Nancy calm. She didn't push. When Nancy seemed overwhelmed, Sadie would gently touch her arm and wait, allowing Nancy to write down her thoughts rather than forcing her to speak.
Elena watched them, her knife pausing over a bundle of carrots. She thought of Aaron and the software he used for his dyslexia. If technology could help him read, couldn’t it help Nancy speak?
She wiped her hands on a towel and pulled out her phone, leaning against the counter while the others worked. She typed in text-to-speech devices for non-verbal adults.
The results populated quickly. Dedicated communication tablets. Custom interfaces. Hope flared in her chest—until she saw the prices. Thousands of dollars.
Elena let out a sharp sigh, her shoulders slumping.
Sadie looked up from the dough she was kneading. “Everything okay?”
“I had an idea for Nancy,” Elena whispered, angling the phone away so Nancy wouldn’t see. “A speech-generating device. But the cost... it’s astronomical.”
Sadie wiped the flour from her hands and walked over. “Let me see.”
She took the phone, scrolling through the list with a critical eye. She didn't flinch at the numbers. She stopped on a high-end model. “This one looks intuitive. I’ll have it shipped overnight.”
Elena blinked. “Sadie, that’s... that’s thousands of dollars. We can’t ask you to do that.”
Sadie smiled, a small, enigmatic curve of her lips. “You aren’t asking. I’m offering.”
“But—” Elena stammered. “I mean, I know Hank does well, but...”
