Gray raised a brow. “Weapons.”
I stared at him.
He shrugged. “You thought I packed yoga mats?”
Jack let out a tired laugh. It was the first authentic sound of relief I’d heard from him all day. I didn’t laugh, but I didn’t fight the tiny smile that tugged at my mouth either.
We drove for another hour, then two. The roads grew quieter, more rural. Trees arched above the gravel lanes, a canopy of branches giving way to soft summer dusk. It should’ve been beautiful. Calming. But my heart hadn’t stopped pounding.
Not since the raid.
Not since Remi was cuffed and taken away.
Not since we sent her away with people she didn't know and a culture she'd never respect.
The cabin came into view just before nightfall. A quiet, modest place tucked back in the woods. No neighbours, no lights, no noise except the sounds of tires crunching gravel and a breeze moving through the trees.
Jack cut the engine, and we climbed out.
“I’ll sweep the perimeter,” Gray said, already pulling his laptop and weapons bag with him. “Won’t take long.”
I walked slowly up the wooden steps, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside.
The cabin was dusty and felt like it hadn't seen life in a long while. The place smelled like cedar and gun oil. I dropped my bag by the couch and wandered to the window.
Still nothing.
Still no word.
Still no Remi.
My hands trembled as I sat on the edge of the couch, laptop in my lap. I plugged in my external drive and synced the backups I’d made to a cloud account that Kane’s people had helped me secure after the raid. I double-checked every file twice. Then again.
“What if she’s not okay?” I whispered to the dark room. “What if we were wrong?”
But there was no answer, only the wind in the trees and the creak of wood beneath the couch.
Gray came back inside first. “We’re clear, no signs of traffic in or out for a while. Harlan mentioned something about trail cams... we will have to see if we can get them online.”
Jack entered behind him, dropping a large cooler on the floor. “I brought some food. Should last a couple of days... maybe a week.”
I nodded, absently.
“You alright?” Jack asked.
No.“Yes.”
They didn’t push. They just let me sit there a little longer, silent, worried, and unsure how any of this would end.
And somewhere beyond the woods, in a clubhouse full of men we often stood against, my best friend was hiding in plain sight, surrounded by strangers, and not answering her goddamn phone.
I closed my laptop and hugged it to my chest, then leaned back into the silence and prayed this was all going to be worth it.
CHAPTER 61
HARLAN - WORTH THE COST
I didn’t look back as I walked out of the precinct.
