‘Eight bells,’Danya tells him, sounds normal.‘All good here.How is it there?’
‘Fucking awful.’Lachlan rubs over the love-bite Jules gave him earlier.‘It’s insanely exposed.I just want to bring him home.’
‘Tell me about the exposure.’
Lachlan reels off all the red flags and finally gets a little validation when Danya whistles low, and says ‘Fuck me,’with the same shock that Lachlan feels.
‘Exactly.’Lachlan kicks sand.‘How’s Mimi?’
‘Your little one misses you but she’s taking her mission very seriously.Already asked me for a gun.’
‘That’s my girl,’ he chuckles.‘Did you give her one?’
‘I might give her a Kel-Tec P-32.’
‘If you give my little girl a P-32, I’ll kick your ass, Danya.’Lachlan wipes his eyes.‘She can handle a 3-AT.’
Danya laughs softly.It’s reassuring.Feels likehome.
And when the fuck did that overgrown prison become home?
‘You’d better come back soon because she’s eyeing up the weapons cabinet.’
‘Why are you letting her near the weapons cabinet?’
‘When I train her to kill.’
‘Danya.’
‘Like I said, place is falling apart without you.Hurry your ass.’
Lachlan looks back at the gleaming, semi-transparent monstrosity.‘Believe me, I’m trying.How’s Blaire?’
‘She’s tough.’
‘I meant emotionally.’
‘Tough.’
‘You’re a big help.’
‘The biggest.’
‘I’ll call tomorrow.’
‘Your little girl will know Systema by then.’
‘It’s like that, huh?’
‘Beats CQC every time, big boy.’
‘Goodnight, Danya.’
‘Be safe, Lachlan.’
He ends the call, stares out at the water.
There are sharks out there, he knows that, isn’t afraid of them.
