Heart missing a beat at his touch, Annie sipped the water and then handed it back to him. “Only my pride. I was trying to get down so we could get away from this place.”
“Okay.” He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Remember what I told you. Obey my orders to the letter. Out here we’re alone. If you’d broken a leg falling from the building, or your back, it would’ve been game over. We had a ten percent chance of making it out alive, and since they damaged the sedan, our odds have dropped. Do you want to see your family again, Annie?”
Embarrassed, Annie nodded. “Yes, of course I do.”
“Then do as I tell you.”
Chapter Eight
Texas
The front door to Shane Wolfe’s house banged shut and his daughters Emily and Julie came hurtling down the passageway. He often wondered if his three, petite platinum-blonde daughters were related to elephants as they thundered through the house dropping bags and heading for the kitchen. He turned to the refrigerator and took out the milk. He looked at Anna, the baby of the family at two, sitting at the table with crayons spread all over, her little face screwed up with concentration. He sighed, wondering how he would cope raising three very strong-willed daughters alone. He pushed the thought aside and smiled as the girls tumbled into the kitchen, and headed to the sink to wash up. “How was school?”
“Well, I finish my work and sit staring at the wall most times.” Emily took a jar of cookies from the bench and sat at the table. “It’s boring. Can I be moved up a year? I know all this stuff.”
Wolfe poured three glasses of milk and handed them around. “They put you up a year already. I can ask, but are you sure you want to be in with the older kids? They might bully you.”
“Trust me, since the moment you walked into the science fair with me in uniform, no one would dare.” Emily dug into the cookie jar. “My brain needs stimulation, Dad. I’ll go crazy if I have to go through everything I already know for another entire year.”
“Maybe if you didn’t read all the books ahead of time, you might not get so bored.” Julie shrugged. “I finish early too but just get out my homework and do it when everyone else is working on whatever. You should do the same.”
“I do.” Emily pulled a tragic face. “Can you do something? Please, Dad.”
Wolfe blew out a sigh. “I’ll see what I can do.” He looked at Julie. “Watch Anna for a while for me. I have work to do.” He turned to Emily. “Maybe go sit with your mom and tell her about your day. She’s awake.”
“She’s not going to get better, is she?” Emily’s eyes shone with tears. “What will we do without her?”
Wolfe pushed a hand through his hair. This was his Emily, brutally honest, straight down the line and there was no sugarcoating the truth with her. He’d explained Angela’s illness in simple language a year earlier and just this morning had told his girls before they’d left for school that he’d be working from home from now on. Emily wasn’t stupid and she already knew the answer. He could see her sadness growing every day. “No, she won’t recover, and it’s going to be difficult enough for her without us moping around. She knows the prognosis and she’s worried we won’t be able to cope. We need to let her know we’ll all pitch in and get things done.”
“I feel guilty I’m okay and she’s so sick.” Emily stared up at him and her lip quivered. “How long?”
The kids deserved honesty, preparing them for the inevitability would make it less of a shock. He shrugged. “Only God knows the answer, but not long.”
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To be with her.” Emily had gone sheet white. “She is so sick and I never know what to say to her. I’m frightened of saying the wrong thing.”
Heart breaking, Wolfe sat down beside her and held her hand. “Tell her about your plans for the future. Ask her opinion. She’d like to be in your
future, so paint a picture for her. Tell her all your plans and dreams, through school and beyond, like how you’d like to be a doctor.”
“Okay, are you sure it won’t make her sad?” Emily gripped his hand like a life preserver. “Should I tell her I’ll take care of you?” She met his gaze. “I will. I’ll help look after the girls. I’ll cook and clean.”
“I don’t need looking after.” Julie frowned at her. “I’ll help as well. We all will, Dad. You know that, right?”
Wolfe cleared his throat. “What y’all need to do is finish school and go to college, but what you’re doing now to help is all I need.”
“What happens—after, when you have to go back to work. We’ll be alone?” Emily dropped her hand. “Will you be okay, Dad?”
Wolfe stood, his hands trembled and he’d need to be the strong one. “We’ll take it one day at a time. If needs be, I’ll get a nanny for Anna. Maybe one who lives in and can be a housekeeper as well. It will make life easier. I can’t expect your grandma to come by every day, even if she says she doesn’t mind. She’s not getting any younger.” He pushed his hands in his pockets. “I have to get back to work. I’ll be downstairs.”
He turned away, switching from family man to Ninety-eight H’s handler in a split second. While his children slept, he’d been working overnight organizing friendlies to assist in the extraction of Annie Parkes from a band of rogue militia. He hadn’t been surprised at Ninety-eight H’s ability to find cash and supplies, but the way he just up and walked into an enemy camp made him wonder if the man had the fear gene. Or maybe he had nothing to lose? He had no intel on his charge at all. He knew about his missions but his name, rank, and any other information were classified. After using the retinal scanner to enter his office, he sat down before the wall of screens and checked Ninety-eight H’s progress. His instructions to keep moving toward the next contact point had been met with an affirmative. He’d sent them on a hazardous journey but he’d trust his own daughters with Ninety-eight H in the same circumstances. If anyone could get through enemy territory without being seen, it would be him. The red bleep on the screen was moving slowly. That couldn’t be good. He rubbed his chin and checked the time. It was a little after four in Texas on Friday, which meant it was just after midnight in Syria on Sunday. Time for Ninety-eight H to check in. He pulled on his headset. “Ninety-eight H, do you copy?”
“Yeah. Man, I can tell time by you.” Ninety-eight H sounded calm as usual but then he was always calm.
Wolfe checked the maps and messages. “You’re a little off course. I’ll give you a new set of coordinates.”
“Negative. I know where I’m going.” Ninety-eight H cleared his throat. “Laying low to avoid hostiles. What’s on the radar?”
Wolfe checked the satellite feed. “The convoy on the highway west of your position is moving north. They won’t be a problem. There’s a single militia vehicle, military with a full load, heading in your direction. ETA twenty minutes. If you take cover behind the mound of rocks one hundred yards west, they’ll roll right past you as they move through the valley.”