Page 5 of Blade and Arrow Origins

Maybe I will. But it’ll never be the same as it was, with my best friends together, spending weeks on end as a team, trying to make the world a better place.

Still. I have a vacation coming up soon. I should head out to California to see Nora, and maybe we can take a road trip from California to Colorado to visit Finn. We could take one of those long hikes he’s always talking about. I can make sure my two friends are really doing okay.

Or as okay as they can be, considering.

Just thinking about what they’ve been through makes me sad and angry all over again.

If only I’d seen a sign. If only I’d noticed something was off.

How did we miss it? Six skilled operators and somehow this piece of garbage tricked us all.

I know he’s dead. One of the guys on the other split team killed him. But I wish I could have done it myself. I wish I could have tracked down the man who tore my team apart and made him suffer for what he did.

“Hey, Leo, you alright?” My coworker, Ben, flashes a concerned glance at me.

Dragging myself back to the present, I force my mouth into something approximating a smile. “Yeah. I’m good. Why?”

“No reason,” he replies quickly. But his expression gives a different answer.

The train stops and the doors slide open, inviting a rush of people to exit the car. The controlled chaos gives me a moment to decide how to respond. Ben’s a friend, and he knows I was inthe Army, but I’ve never talked about why I left or the lingering memories I can’t seem to shake.

Once the doors shut again, and the rumble of noise subsides to a dull hum, I say, “Just remembering some things from my last weeks in the Army. They’re not very good memories.”

Ben turns towards me, sympathy softening his gaze. “Sorry, man. That sucks.” He pauses. “I know I never served, so I can’t fully understand, but if you ever want to talk…”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Amanda’s out of town for work, but my mom’s coming for the weekend to spend some time with Laila, so if you want to grab a beer or something…”

Damn. I’m reminded that I’m not the only one struggling. Ben has a little girl, Laila, who he’s basically trying to raise on his own. He’s with the mother, Amanda, but she’s a flight attendant who’s away more often than not. And from things Ben’s let slip, I get the feeling things between him and Amanda aren’t going well.

“How’s Laila doing?” I ask, and his face brightens.

“Oh, she’s great. I know I’m biased, but I she’s just the smartest kid. Talking in complete sentences, reading some of the words in her books…” He smiles affectionately. “She’s obsessed with books. Going to the library is her favorite thing.”

As I listen to Ben talk about his daughter, an unexpected chord twangs in my chest. The idea of having kids of my own was never something I gave much thought to—not with the danger my job brought. That’s why I never had serious relationships, sticking with casual dating instead. It wouldn’t have been fair to put a woman through that, never knowing when I’d have to go out on a mission or if I’d come back.

Now that everything’s different, a committed relationship wouldn’t be off the table. But I’m not sure I have the emotionalenergy to put into it. Not with all the other crap I’m still trying to work through.

The train jerks to a stop again, and this time I rise from my seat. As I wait for the doors to open, Ben says, “So. What about that beer? I could do Saturday.”

“Can I take a rain check? One of my old teammates is visiting for the weekend. I think we’re just going to hang at the apartment and catch up.”

Ben lifts his chin at me. “No problem. Maybe sometime next week, then.”

“Definitely.” I clap him on the shoulder and give a quick chin lift in return. “Enjoy your weekend. See you Monday.”

He smiles. “You too.”

As I make the trip from the subway to my apartment, optimism chases some of the clinging memories away. Ishouldhave a good weekend. Cole is coming to visit from Texas, and I’m really looking forward to seeing my friend for the first time in months. We’ll probably order a ton of takeout, drink some beer, watch some games on TV, and maybe we can convince Rylan to drive down for a day. Have at least half the team together again.

And I can hopefully hear about this mysterious idea Cole keeps alluding to. Since he told me about his domestic violence case last month, he’s made a few mentions about a plan he’s trying to make work. And how, if he does, he’d want the rest of the team to join him.

Honestly, if I could work with my teammates again, I think I’d agree to just about anything.

I’m a block from my apartment building when a woman plows right into me, her gaze locked on her phone, clearly not paying attention. She bounces off my chest, and I lightly touch her arm to steady her, letting go as soon as I’m sure she won’t fall.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

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