Page 59 of Fighting for Family

“What the hell happened?” Cole hissed as he drew closer. Then he jumped back and let out a yelp.

“Fuck, Sparky, did it bite you?” he asked, noticing the large snake carcass near her.

“No. He got my boot,” she replied. “Apollo stumbled upon him, and I heard him hiss,” she said, pressing her comm.

“Sparky reporting,” she said, catching her breath.

“It’s a little late now since you disrupted the entire mission,” Saint snapped as he ran across the rocky terrain.

“Sorry, sir,” she said lamely.

“It’s a viper,” Cole said. “Sparky killed it.”

“Can you check Apollo?” she asked as Cole led her away to a large rock for her to lean against. “He found him. If I’m not mistaken, they cohabitate. We need to move. I don’t have the stamina to fight off another one.”

Saint approached her as Cole called back the K-9s. “You all right, Sparky?” he asked, his tone softening.

“Yes, sir,” she replied stiffly. “I didn’t want Apollo hurt. Hollywood entrusted him to me. I heard him bark and the warning hiss. I didn’t answer you because I fought it off.”

Saint took her arm and led them away. Cole brought the dogs. “How did you manage to kill it?”

“I knew it came close to Apollo. When I heard the hiss, I threw my KBAR. It hissed again, and Apollo jumped back. I stoned it to death by sheer luck. Sorry about the noise. I got caught up in grabbing my buddy’s collar. He still alerted me, and I tripped over a rock. Don’t worry, I stayed quiet and out of the way.”

“When we get home, I’m seriously changing your call sign back to Sassy P,” Saint said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Sparky. Let me check you over. Those snakes can be venomous.”

“I’m sure he got my boot,” she said, as Saint knelt and inspected her footwear.

“We’ll need to scrub this off. It appears your boot saved you,” he said. “Don’t touch it. Cole will keep the K-9s with him until we handle it. We’ll wait at checkpoint three. Hopefully, the dogs barking didn’t alert the unit.”

“It won’t,” Cole assured him. “We encounter wild dogs here all the time.”

“Get back to your post and see if they left,” Saint ordered. “I’ll take Sparky.”

“You all right?” Cole asked her.

“Yeah. You can’t handle both K-9s. Leave Apollo, and I’ll have him stay near Saint until I can wash off. You can move faster.”

Cole took off, determined to catch their suspects.

“I didn’t mean to yell at you,” Saint said softly. “I’m ready to get these assholes.”

“I understand, sir,” she said, her voice sounding tense.

Saint shook his head. The anger he felt upon Sparky’s return to the unit after he ordered her home seemed to dissipate. Yet, he kept sticking his foot in his mouth at every opportunity.

“You know, you’re the only person I know who has ever killed a snake blind. You’re a badass,” he said, complimenting her. “I think I might’ve peed myself if I encountered it. I hate snakes.”

Sparky remained silent as she gripped Apollo’s leash and stroked his head.

“I’m sorry,” Saint apologized. “I’ve taken my frustration out on you. Please don’t take it personally.”

Sparky’s chin went up in defiance. “I’m aware I increase the team’s risks. But my input has sent us on this trail while we’re on limited time. I do have value.”

Saint hung his head and then scanned the area. “I never thought you didn’t. I once made a stupid mistake. Right after we discovered Bryanna pregnant, I went on a mission close to home. In my hastiness, I forgot to put on my vest. I got shot in the stomach. I remember lying on the ground thinking about my daughter, Miya, and my unborn child. We’ve all done stupid shit, and I’m no exception. I value your contribution to the team, but sometimes, we must all stand down for the betterment of our brothers and sisters. It’s why I’m aggravated about the situation. I never wanted to lead this team. Leo has always seemed invincible. I don’t mind running an op but not taking it over. I wonder if Leo experienced any pain or if he went peacefully. Why didn’t I notice him gone sooner? If this mission fails, it’s on me.”

“We won’t fail,” Sparky said, sniffling. “Leo won’t let us. For the record, you make a damn good leader even if you’re yelling at me.”

“Then why are you crying? Shit, I’ll admit I’ve never worked with a woman on the team. I’ve hurt your feelings,” he swore.