Walker (In the Company of Snipers #21) - Irish Winters Page 0,164
a child’s soul that made him want to die. “You smuggle them out of the country?”
“Well, yeah. I’m sure as hell not going to leave them.”
Walker pursed his lips. Man, these guys were bigger than life. And they had guts.
“I’ll be honest, it’s damned tough work,” Alex said. “It’s heartbreaking. Won’t be easy.”
“Always feels like I’m walking into a concentration camp when I first get there,” Zack added.
“Is it legal? You going into China to do that?” Walker asked his boss.
“Hell, no. It’s black ops work, and it’s dangerous. But there are a lot of good people over there who can’t tolerate what goes on with their country’s unwanted girls.”
“And I’ve got a few sources who’ve put their lives on the line for me. They’ve been telling me I needed more help and” —a big toothy grin split Zack’s face— “here you are.”
Alex growled even as Zack replied, “But I can save some. Like Song. I saved her, didn’t I?”
Walker stared into this brash man’s dark brown eyes. This was a warrior made of different steel than most. He enjoyed what he did. “So it’s just you, me, and David Tao saving the world?”
“Beau Villanueva and Hunter Christian will also join this task force against human trafficking,” Alex said. “Smoke Montoya wants in. Cord Shepherd, Seth’s brother-in-law, too. Senator Sullivan’s offered up Pagan Sinclair. You know him?”
“I do. That’ll make seven. Seven against the world.”
“Well?” Alex bit out. “Are you in or out?”
“Count me in. I’ve seen worse odds,” Walker breathed without thinking more about challenges or risks. He already knew saving one child was worth everything, even dying for. Didn’t know why he’d asked. He’d saved Emily, hadn’t he?
“I knew you’d want in,” Zack purred. “Until we heard about your case, Alex was thinking of ending The TEAM, weren’t you, Boss?”
“My case?” Walker asked.
Alex’s gaze dropped to his intertwined fingers. “Yes, you, damn it. The more I dug into your trial, then found out you’d gone to Guatemala alone to rescue Emily Dooley, I knew you’d fit right in. And yes, I’ve considered changing our mission from working federal contracts to hunting down human-traffickers one hundred percent of the time. But not every agent can handle these situations, and there are plenty of other people who need our unique brand of help.” His head came up, his blue eyes lethal. “Like Mei, LiLi, and Song.”
“Like Quinn and Emily Dooley,” Walker added. “Quinn didn’t know who to turn to without getting the media involved.”
“What would those folks have done without guys like us to go into Hell and save their kids?” Zack asked quietly. “Their souls?”
“I only need a few good men.” Alex sounded like a damned USMC recruiting poster.
But Walker understood the import behind those words. Save the world. His line of work. “When do we start?”
“Soon as you get this tugboat back to Florida,” Alex groused. “That’s where you’re headed, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but that will take a couple months,” Walker answered. “I’ll have to take her back through the Canal, and I don’t sail alone.” Not anymore.
“Then get it done.”
Walker took that for permission to select his one-woman crew. “So what else is going on? Why are Lennox and Maher really here?”
“Because…” Alex scrubbed a hand over his face. “Like everyone else in this damned world, Zack and Connor just had to meet you.”
“And you paid for them to…? Come all this way just to meet… me?”
“Hell, yeah. You’re a fuckin’ star.” Zack leaned over his knees and grinned at Walker. “Welcome to The TEAM, Junior Agent Judge.”
He saw that meaty ham-sized set of knuckles coming dead center of his still-healing shoulder. Ouch. But did he flinch? Not. One. Bit.
Alex muttered. “You’ll do.”
“You’ll do, too, Boss,” Walker replied. “Yeah. You guys will do just fine.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Two months later
With a sigh, Walker settled on the blanket he’d spread under the trees beside Persia’s bungalow, the same trees she’d hidden beneath the night he’d come ashore to kiss America goodbye. The night he’d thought he was alone in the world. Everything had changed since then.
Stretching his legs, Walker crossed his ankles, leaned back on his elbows, and breathed. Just breathed. It was a lazy, late summer afternoon. Blue sky stretched forever overhead. A handsome green iguana ambled by, his magnificent tail dragging behind him.
This island was as close to heaven as Walker could get. Straight ahead, his second home, the sea,