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“Cal? What’s wrong?” Wyatt asked, rushing over.
She stammered, taking a step back. “I remembered. I just remembered something.”
Wyatt distractedly looked at the retreating couple then back to Callie. His teammates were taking notice of her now, too, and hurrying over. “What’s going on?” Aaron asked. “Is she okay?”
“I remembered,” she whispered, looking slightly faint. Wyatt twisted the cap off her water bottle, handing it over as he gripped her arm to steady her. Callie took a sip, sputtering. “There was another person they were talking to in the cockpit. It wasn’t another hijacker on the airplane. A man called them on a video chat. I could see him on the screen of their phone.”
“Who was it?” Wyatt asked, trying not to grip her arm too tightly. His pulse was pounding, anger already coursing through him. Callie was frightened, almost in shock. He needed to rein in his fury and focus on her. How the hell could they not know there was another person involved in the plane’s hijacking?
“I—I don’t know. I don’t know his name; I just saw his face. He looked like he was Middle Eastern, although lighter skinned than the other men. He had dark hair and a long, dark beard. One half of his face was burned—scarred. It was bright red, shocking. It was like at some point, half of his face had gone up in flames.”
The men stilled around her. The ocean breeze blew across Wyatt’s skin, and he didn’t move a muscle, his hand still on Callie. The world felt like it was shifting, the pieces of the puzzle finally clicking into place, the long months of wondering finally over.
Sawyer’s gaze flicked to Wyatt’s, the men exchanging a look without words.
“It couldn’t be,” Ryan murmured.
“Fuck,” Hudson said, his voice low and deadly.
Callie looked tearfully at Wyatt. “What is it? Who is this guy?”
Sawyer answered before Wyatt could. “The Red Flame.”
Chapter 20
“ARE YOU OKAY?” CALLIE asked Alexa later that night. The men had dropped them back at their apartment complex after a hasty departure from the beach, rushing off to base for an urgent meeting. Wyatt had hastily explained that they needed to provide details about the scarred man on the video call to his commanding officer. She hated for him to leave her after that memory had resurfaced but understood. His team had stormed the airplane. Of course, they needed the missing connection to the mystery man. He was part of the entire thing, probably plotting further attacks. Wyatt had advised her to call the investigator she’d spoken with all those months ago. Callie hated recounting it yet again but also knew it was important to bring the fifth man involved in the hijacking to justice.
Alexa looked up from Callie’s sofa, where she was stretched out with a Gatorade in her hand. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’m not sure why I wasn’t feeling well earlier. It was probably just the sun or something.”
Callie raised her eyebrows. “You basically grew up in Hawaii. You’re used to the sun.”
Alexa shrugged. “I don’t know. It was almost like a cramp or something—just this twinge of pain. I promise I’m fine. I just twisted quickly and probably pulled a muscle. I mean, I don’t usually play volleyball.”
“True, but—”
“Enough about me,” Alexa said, shooting her a look. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost earlier when that couple walked by.”
Callie sank down into the chair across from Alexa. “It felt like that, in a way. Seeing that sunburned man triggered something in my mind. Wyatt thought bits and pieces of my memories about the hijacking would come back. He even told me that certain things might trigger one. Guess he was right. That guy’s face was bright red from his sunburn.”
“And then you remembered one of the hijackers because he had severe facial burns,” Alexa said, nodding.
“I’d blocked it out—completely forgotten about the video call I’d witnessed. They were threatening me, and I was in immense pain from my broken arm. I was terrified they were going to rape me or worse.”
“My God,” Alexa said, looking horrified. “I’m so sorry you went through any of that. Maybe this will help in a roundabout way, you know? You finally remembered it all, the missing details that were bothering you, so now you can start to move past it. You don’t have to keep wondering what your mind is keeping buried.”
“I hope so. God, I hope so,” Callie said, clutching her hands. “It’s been hard waking up with nightmares. Wyatt is amazing, but....” She trailed off, shaking her head.
“You deserve peace,” Alexa said. “None of it was your fault, but you deserve to move on, to be happy.”
“I need to officially tell the investigators what I remember, finalize my statement or whatnot. And after that? Yeah, I’d love to wipe my hands clean of this mess, so to speak. I’m keeping Wyatt, of course,” she joked.
Alexa grinned. “Of course. That man is crazy about you. And while I may have a thing for Austin, I saw Wyatt shirtless on the beach today. That man is gorgeous.”
Callie giggled. “You won’t get any arguments from me. We’re on the same page—not rushing to move in together or something, but happy. He’s here most nights, and I love that. Plus, I have my new blog to keep me busy. Did I show you the reel I made the other day?”
“No, I want to see! Did you post it yet?”
“Yep, just this morning, actually. I was in a really good mood after Wyatt—well, never mind. That’s neither here nor there.”
