Page 99 of No Regrets

“You know what this is about?” Ryan asked, walking towards him. The rest of the team were close behind, having all received the same message.

“No, I don’t.”

The team were showered, dressed, and in the war room in under ten minutes. Sam joined them a couple of minutes later.

“Nyx took a hit and need help.” The boys glanced at each other, the words hitting home hard. Sam continued. “They were in Mexico to take down Miguel Marcos, head of the Marcos cartel. He’s been on a watchlist for a long time, but six weeks ago, he crossed a big line, torturing and killing three American tourists. The Mexican authorities are either too afraid to do anything about him or are being paid off, so that’s where we come in. Long story short, the op went south yesterday. Two of Nyx are wounded. Taylor is serious. Comms have been spotty, but Liam Jackson, team leader, said they are low on ammo. They cannot go in to finish the job, but they’ve also been unable to get out as they’re being hunted. You need to get to them before the Cartel does. I’ve lost contact with Jackson but have the last coordinates. They’d found cover and were sitting tight.”

“What happened, did they get ambushed?” Dex asked, tossing his baseball back and forth.

“We got disconnected before Jackson could tell me, but that would be my guess. The Cartel’s base is a fucking ghost town in the Chihuahua desert. Marcos has men out scouring the area looking for them. And boys”—he paused— “We still need to take out Marcos.”

“Jackson knows we’re on our way?”

“Yes. This was a black op as we cannot confirm what Mexican authorities are on Marcos’s payroll. If Mexican police get involved, they will treat you as hostile. You’re wheels up in ninety minutes. Flight time is two hours.”

“Copy that.” Dex put the baseball down, already running through scenarios in his head.

“I know you haven't worked with or even met Jackson and his team officially yet, but they are as good as you. They must have been taken by surprise, so make sure you cover your asses. The authorities cannot know you’re there and if you get caught, well, I don’t have another team to send in.”

“Understood.”

“Alright. Let’s go over the intel package Jackson had, then you can devise your plan in the air. They’re living on borrowed time right now.”

KELLY FINISHED LACING up her runners when her phone rang.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hey, handsome. You just caught me; I’m heading out for a light run.”

“Nice. Listen, I need to cancel our date tonight. About to board a plane.”

Her stomach sank. “Oh, OK. Do you know how long you’ll be gone?”

“Shouldn’t be more than a day or two but you won’t hear from me. I’ll reach out as soon as I can.”

“This is sudden, isn’t it?” Damn, she should be used to this. Him leaving for ops was nothing new.

“Yeah, it is.” He didn’t elaborate and she knew he couldn’t, especially not over an unsecure line.

“Alright, please be safe. All of you.”

“We will, babe. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Can’t wait. I love you.”

She sensed his smile in the lightness of his voice. “I love you too.”

Ending the call, she stretched and tried not to think of where he was going and what he was about to do. This is his job, Kelly. Nothing’s changed.

Exercise had not been a priority for the past six months; it was time to change that. A 5k run would be a good start and give her a chance to clear her head. Slipping the phone in her pocket and putting in her air pods, she jogged down the front steps. She put Dex out of her mind and turned up the music. Man, it felt good to run again. She forgot how great it was to burn off some energy, listen to loud music, and only think about your feet hitting the road. Pacing herself, she made her way along the beachfront, increased speed through the little park, and then fell into a moderate rhythm back along the side roads toward home. Thirty minutes later, she turned back onto her street. Her time was slower than normal. Her ribs, although healed, still gave her a little trouble. No point pushing it too hard. Slowing to a walk to cool down, she passed by Dex’s house. The mailbox at the end of the driveway was open, the mail sticking out. Without thinking, she walked over to take in the mail. It’s what she always used to do when he was away, rather than advertise the fact no one was home. A newspaper, some flyers, the usual junk stuff. A couple looked like bills, and a brown envelope with nothing on it. She glanced up at the house as she closed the mailbox, spotting the cameras. Had they been there before? Must be added protection because of his new job. Taking the mail with her, she walked the short distance to her own house.

Dumping the mail on her dining table, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed for a quick shower. Wrapping herself in a robe, her phone beep from where she’d left it on the dining room table. She walked downstairs to get it, reading the incoming text.

Sophie: Just checking in. Hope all is good, how about a coffee soon?

Kelly: Everything’s good with me. Would love a coffee, let me know when you have time.

She'd always liked Sophie, but now she felt blessed to call her a friend. Growing up she never really had close girlfriends. Her best friend was Dex and being a bit of a tomboy, that had suited her just fine. Having Sophie to call on, chat with, was a new experience. One she was enjoying.

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