Page 368 of Broken Oath

Sarah and Jack Parker moved on either side of Wade.

The family was together.

That disturbed Madow more than he cared to admit.

He had spent years convincing himself that families eventually stopped searching.

Grief made people predictable.

It exhausted them.

Weakened them.

Turned hope into something painful enough to abandon.

The Parkers had refused.

And that refusal had destroyed him.

The second helicopter descended through the storm.

Shadow Division loaded the weakest survivors first.

Hale had to be carried aboard.

Dawson remained beside him.

Grant and Jackson climbed in next.

Wade refused assistance.

Of course he did.

Reeves emerged last with Sniper gripping his restraints.

Madow stared.

Reeves was alive.

Bloodied.

Beaten.

But alive.

That was unfortunate.

The colonel possessed enough information to expose decades of operations.

Reeves looked toward Madow.

For the first time, neither man held authority over the other.

They were simply prisoners.

Two men facing the consequences of choices they had once believed no one would uncover.

Madow turned away first.