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"Sorry about that." Jase started his truck. "Saturday afternoons are usually calmer. Actually, no they're not. But Bonnie wanted to make a good impression."

"She seems nice."

"She is. She's also probably stress-cleaning the entire house right now and planning a five-course dinner because that's what she does when she's nervous."

Downtown Jasper Creek passed in two blocks. Hardware store, diner, coffee shop, antique store. The courthouse in the middle of the square with its clock tower. Like a movie set for Small Town, America.

"How are you doing, really?" Jase kept his eyes on the road.

"Fine."

"Right. That's why you showed up three months earlier than planned with a beard that screams 'I've given up on civilization' and that thousand-yard stare I recognize from guys coming back from bad deployments."

"It wasn't a deployment."

"Russia or China?"

Silence seemed like the best answer. Twenty years of TS/SCI clearance meant some things stayed buried, even after retirement.

"Right. Classified. Got it."

Maverick's Bar and Grill occupied a corner brick building that had probably been there since the town was founded. Dark inside. Beer and fried food smell. Perfect simplicity. No chaos, no broken robots, no arguing children. Just low conversation and college football on TV.

"There's Renzo and Roan." Jase nodded toward a back table.

Renzo stood when he saw us, that easy smile from family gatherings spreading across his face. The years had treated him well. Still had that Peruvian complexion that made everyone assume he was younger than his thirty-five years.

"Code." He pulled me into a hug without hesitation. "Good to see you, man."

"You too."

Roan nodded a greeting when we sat. Former military, definitely special operations from his posture. Cataloging exits, checking faces, hand positioned for a concealed carry that might or might not be there.

"Roan, this is my cousin Code," Jase said. "Former Army cyber."

"How former?" Roan asked.

"Three months."

"Twenty years?"

I nodded.

"Hell of a time to get out. The world's going to shit with what Russia and China are pulling."

"World's been going to shit for a while." Jase observed.

The waitress appeared. Beer and burgers all around. Universal former military food orders.

"How's Millie?" Jase asked Renzo.

Pure happiness transformed my cousin's face. "Amazing. She just landed a fifty-thousand-dollar donation from some tech company for the burn victim fund. They kept it anonymous. She figured out the CEO's daughter was in a car fire. Millie spent three hours on the phone with them, explaining treatment options, connecting them with specialists."

"She still leaving the property more?"

"Twice this week. Drove herself to town yesterday." Pride colored every word. "A year ago, she couldn't leave the house. Now she's talking about flying to Nashville for a conference."

"That's great, man."