Page 70 of Twilight Tactics

Javier worked in silence. Only a faint rustle came from him. His silhouette was barely visible. Seconds ticked past and Sully didn’t think he’d ever had so much tension running through him as he did in this moment.

Then Javier went still.

“Javier?” Sully’s question came out low, barely a whisper.

The man didn’t respond.

Maya held up a hand to Elena, and she nodded. They stepped closer in support of Javier, and Sully wanted to yell at both of them to get back. Instead, he bit his lip.

The two women crouched next to Sully. “You got this, Javier,” Maya whispered. “You’re here. You’re safe. Focus. Breathe. You’re safe.”

Um, not really, but at Maya’s words, Sully realized the man was having a PTSD moment, so he kept those thoughts to himself.

Javier sucked in an audible breath. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...” The words were barely a whisper, but they sucker punched Sully. This man was risking everything for people he’d met only a few weeks ago.

“Javier, let’s drop back,” Elena said. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do this.”

“Yeah,” the man croaked, “I do.” Another breath. “I’m good. God and I’ve got this.”

A few seconds later, a soft click reached Sully’s ears and he held his breath.

“Secondary trigger,” Javier murmured. “Remote receiver’s intact. If they’re watching...”

“They could set it off whenever.”

“Yep.”

“It’s not worth it, man,” Sully said. “Get away from it. We’ll figure something else out.”

“Nope. I’m not stopping now. I know what to do.”

Sully scanned the brush again. Every twisted branch and tree trunk looked like a crouched figure, just waiting to pounce. Or blow them all up.

“Javier?” Elena asked. “You sure?”

“Five minutes,” he said. “Maybe less if we all hold our breath. And pray.”

Sully’s jaw clenched. His knee ached from crouching, but he wouldn’t move until Javier was done. He tapped Elena’s shoulder and motioned for her and Maya to move back. They did, but not far enough for his peace of mind.

Every second ticked by slower than the last. He hated feeling utterly helpless while a man put his life on the line. A man who’d come to this place for healing, not war.

Javier let out a low breath. “They wired in a decoy to trigger a second blast.”

Sully’s gut clenched. Which meant the bomb was intended to kill if someone tried to disarm it.

His mind went to Ollie, hopefully asleep inside the cottage. To Piper pacing the floor, watching the windows and wondering what was going on, keeping her impatience in check, and yet...

Piper seemed to wind tighter by the hour. Her temper was short and her patience paper thin, her words occasionallycutting. And Maya, staying calm and holding it together when he knew she wanted to help. And Elena. Silent and watchful.

Javier clipped another wire.

No one moved.

No one breathed.

No one blew up.

“Disarmed,” Javier whispered, a note of pride mixed with relief in that soft word.