Men I remembered from birthday parties…
cookouts…
Christmas dinners…
were now standing outside with assault rifles.
Shadow Division operators quietly spread through the farmhouse.
Weapons up.
Angles covered.
Rook’s voice turned ice cold. “Nobody fires unless I say so.”
Wolf checked his weapon. “You think they came peacefully?”
“No,” Rook answered immediately.
And somehow the certainty in his voice terrified me.
Frank stepped forward through the rain slowly.
Lightning flashed across his face.
Older now.
Harder.
But still recognizable.
Then he looked directly at the farmhouse window.
Like he knew I was standing there.
My pulse slammed violently.
And then?—
Frank raised both hands slowly into the air.
No weapon.
No threat posture.
Just rain pouring off him while the convoy idled behind him.
“He’s alone,” one of the Shadow Division operators murmured.
Rook narrowed his eyes.
“No,” he said quietly.
That chill hit me instantly.
Because I knew that tone.
Rook saw something dangerous.
