Page 209 of Scars of Fate

I remembered.

Her ring had carried the first half.

Mine the second.

We had chosen the words before the team.

Before the war.

Before everything went wrong.

“Colonel Hayes selected it as our emergency duress phrase after you left.”

Wynn stared at me.

“Why?”

“Because I needed to remember the second half.”

Love runs deeper.

Her eyes filled.

The voice over the radio returned.

“Brave Actual, authentication confirmed. Report position.”

Hawk entered the coordinates.

“We have multiple wounded,” Adam said. “Hostile force in pursuit. Need immediate extraction.”

The operator hesitated.

“Negative.”

Adam’s expression hardened.

“Repeat.”

“No aircraft authorized in your sector.”

“Override authorization.”

“Unable.”

“By whose order?”

Another pause.

Then the voice became quieter.

“Commander, all rescue operations involving the Brave have been suspended.”

No one moved.

“Suspended by whom?”

“General command.”