and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Please be careful.”
“Remember, Sloane,” he brushed my hair off my shoulder and let his fingers skim along my collarbone, “I want to come home just as much as you want me to.” He kissed me one more time before he headed for the door. Just before he left, he turned back. “Hey?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He disappeared from my view, and I was left alone, feeling like the room was spinning.
By the time I dragged my zombie body from the shower and wiggled myself into something decent, I knew I had to hurry. I made it up to the house just in time to watch the chopper take off from the landing pad. The glare of the sun off the snow brought more tears to my eyes as I pressed my fingers to my lips and held it up to him. Maybe, just maybe, he could see or at least feel me.
“Please, someone watch over them,” I whispered before the whirling blades dipped behind a mountain peak.
No matter how many times I tried to force the dream from last night from my head, I just couldn’t. It was so persistent that I could feel a pain building in my head as though someone was constantly trying to get my attention.
“Morning,” Abigail greeted from the living room. “You okay, dear?”
I smiled at her sympathetic tone and gave a nod even though I was far from okay. I wasn’t about to bring up my fears about the team because we all felt it. What was more important for me to do was to concentrate on finding the truth about what was going on and not to burden the others with my mental state.
I forced my mind back to where it could be useful. I had never been so consumed by a dream before, and I decided I had to find a way to let it out. I went into the kitchen and poured my coffee then tossed the phone pad down in front of me and started to make a list of everything I could remember.
Location - Mexico
Time - Second to last mission
Pathway
Knew the words before they were said
Black rectangular blur
Invisible
Camouflaged video box on tree
Bird
Gods
I leaned over the table on one arm and studied the words in every different way.
“Morning.” Dell rubbed his messy hair as he and Davie both went for the coffee pot.
“Mm,” I muttered and tapped the pen on the marble countertop. The sound took me back to the sound of the boots on the pathway. Tap, tap, tap. My mind spun again, and I slipped back to the memory that wasn’t mine.
I shoved the camera they used in the other guy’s face, and the words “we are Gods” came out of my mouth like I was one of the men. Again, the black blur was raised, and my eyes locked on to it.
“We are Gods,” I whispered, and the still of the room suddenly dawned on me.
“What did you say?” Dell’s face was twisted.
“Huh?” I barely heard him.
“What did you say?”
“I…” I sat straighter and tried to recall my words. “I’m not sure.”
Dell glanced at Davie, confused, and leaned on the counter and sipped his coffee.
I was so close to what it was I was discovering I could taste it.
“I need to go.” I downed my coffee, ripped the piece of paper free, and rushed toward the door.
“Was it something I said?” Davie laughed behind me. “What’s wrong with her?”
With Tripper by my side, I rushed back to the Tin House and pulled the box of files out on the conference table. One by one I lined up each guys’ interview from the first day I arrived here. Using my teeth, I freed the highlighter and spat the cap on the floor. Every time the guys said the cartel were one step ahead of them, I crossed-refenced with the YouTube videos that came out just after.
I used the projector and kept the videos on a loop playing on the wall above the whiteboard. I numbered each cartel and started my own bio of each. Three and six were the camera operators, and eight was just ruthless. I didn’t try to use names. They were trying to kill my family, so I stuck with numbers. Numbers kept me disconnected from my anger.
Three hours later, I knew I looked insane, with papers stuck to the walls because the whiteboards were too small, and each was filled to every corner. I could recite the