Page 22 of Landon

“The call came from an area east of Kellits. The signal came from a group of old houses on that road,” Todd reported.

“How long will it take me to get there?”

“About forty minutes,” Sadie confirmed. “Sending coordinates to you now.”

“I’ll go in alone,” Landon said, his voice firm, his gaze locked on the screen in front of him. “I’ll get the kids and come back here to pick up Mike and Noel.”

Logan’s voice crackled through the phone, heavy with tension. “Cole won’t make it down there in time for backup.”

“It won’t matter. If the storm has hit, we’ll be safe at the resort house. We’ll leave as soon as it’s safe.”

After finalizing a few more details with the Keepers, Landon ended the call but remained engrossed, scrolling through the maps and data Sadie sent him. His focus was so intense that he didn’t notice Noel until she was standing right beside him.

“You’re not going alone,” she said, her voice resolute.

Startled, Landon jerked his head around, his eyes narrowing as he took in her determined expression. “Noel, I can’t be responsible for?—”

“I’m not asking you to be responsible for me,” she interrupted, her tone unwavering. “But I was sent here to ensure the children’s well-being. I can’t do that sitting here on my ass.”

Landon shook his head, frustration lacing his words. “I’m not risking your life?—”

“And I’m not letting you go without me,” she shot back, her eyes blazing with defiance.

They stared at each other, the tension between them thick. Landon glared, hoping to intimidate her into backing down, but Noel stood her ground.

“Look, Noel,” he said tightly. “You’d be in my way. You don’t know what I might have to do to get the kids out safely.”

She lifted her chin. “If you think you’re scaring me, you aren’t. I’ve been inside prisons to talk to parents and pedophiles. I’ve stood next to child abusers in court, staring them down… wanting to put my fists through their faces, but had to rely on my words and wit to convince the judge or jury they needed to be put away. I might not know how to shoot a gun, but I can at least be close so that when you get the kids away from the kidnappers, I can be there for them.”

Her words hit him hard. Landon didn’t want her there, didn’t want to risk her safety, but he couldn’t deny she had a point. If the kids panicked, her calming presence could be invaluable. He took a long, deep breath, feeling the weight of her hand on his arm—a touch that somehow steadied him even as it seared through his skin like a brand.

Finally, he exhaled slowly, nodding. “Christ, I hope this isn’t the worst decision I’ve ever made.”

Noel’s lips quirked in a small, defiant smile. “If taking me along is the worst thing you’ve done, I might just be insulted.”

He squeezed her fingers gently, the contact grounding him. “If anything happens to you... that would be the worst.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but her resolve didn’t waver. She squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Then nothing will happen to me.”

“I won’t let it,” he vowed, his low voice filled with a promise he desperately hoped he could keep. He grabbed his phone, dialing quickly. “Noel’s coming with me. I’ll update you on our path.”

Before Logan could argue, Landon ended the call. He knew the risks, knew that taking a civilian on a mission like this was a gamble he wouldn’t normally take. But something about Noel—her strength, her determination—made him relent. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice steady but his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread.

They turned to head back inside the house when he stopped and looked down at her. “Say nothing about what Mike said. I’ll have my people check to see who he had been talking to.”

She nodded, then heaved a sigh before nodding again.

“You’re fuckin’ resilient, you know that?”

She huffed while shaking her head. “I’d better be if I want to make it through this assignment.”

“You’ve got that right. Let’s hope the crazy shit is over with.”

Once inside, they told the others that they would be making the exchange and bringing the kids back to the resort. “We’ll have to wait the storm out here, but we should be safe.”

“Pamela, can you show me where I can use the restroom while Landon gets everything ready,” Noel asked.

“I’ll show you, ma’am,” Horticia said. Pamela appeared to be in a stupor, and Noel followed the young Jamaican woman down the hall.

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