Honor Reclaimed (HORNET #2)

Chapter 41

CHAPTER 41

Askar smiled when he stepped through the door and saw the three mercenaries already in position to take Siddiqui down.

Had to give them credit. They were good. He’d suspected as much when they raided the compound, but now he knew for sure.

Of course, he had all but laid out a welcome mat for them.

His gaze landed briefly on the first merc in the line, and his chest tightened with a shockingly painful jolt of…something. He hadn’t let himself feel emotions in so long, he couldn’t even come up with a name for the experience now.

The merc lowered his weapon slightly.

Askar blinked in acknowledgment and didn’t point them out as he strode past Siddiqui. Sick fuck held the three women captive around the open suitcase like girl scouts around a campfire.

Captive.

Suddenly that word had a whole new meaning, one he’d only recently realized still applied to him. Drawing a knife, he crouched and started cutting away the women’s bonds.

The look of blank confusion on Siddiqui’s face was priceless. He fumbled a gun out from under his tunic. “Stop!”

Once the women were free, Askar handed the redhead his knife. “Run.”

She didn’t have to be told twice. She grabbed the girl by the hand and bolted with the other woman right behind her. Siddiqui tried to catch them, but look at that. Between the gun and the dead man’s switch, he didn’t have any free hands.

“This isn’t the plan!” Sputtering with outrage, Siddiqui swung the pistol in his direction. “You follow orders, Askar. What the fuck is this?”

“My revenge.”

Siddiqui finally looked at his face—really looked—and his eyes bulged. The gun wobbled. “Askar. What happened to your beard?”

“I’m not your soldier,” he answered in English that felt rusty on his tongue. “I haven’t always remembered that.” Still crouching, he grabbed the roll of duct tape Siddiqui had used for the women’s gags and pulled out a strip. The sound it made was that of a life being torn apart. “But now that I do, I have something American to say. Fuck you.”

He lunged.

The gun bucked, and pain blazed through Askar’s chest, but he grabbed the detonator and wrapped the tape around Siddiqui’s hand.

The mercs burst into the room, weapons aimed. More than three of them now, but only one of them mattered. Askar searched for and locked eyes with Seth.

He remembered Seth Harlan now.

His strength began to leak out of his arms. He wasn’t going to be able to hold Siddiqui much longer, so he swung around, providing Seth with an easy target. “For fuck’s sake, Lieutenant. Shoot him!”

Seth took the shot. The bullet tore through Siddiqui’s heart, ending his life before he hit the floor.

Ian ran toward the detonator, but there was no need. The tape held. He crossed to the bomb and knelt down. Studied it for a moment, then released a slow breath and removed the trigger, a golf ball-sized piece of metal. “Disarmed.”

“Thank you,” Askar said and collapsed, blood erupting from his mouth. He wheezed, his lips turning blue as he gazed up at Seth. “I really thought I was one of them. Then I saw you at the compound and started remembering… what happened to us.”

Seth stared into the man’s bare face. Studied every line, every scar. Leaner, older, leathered by too much time in harsh climates… but he knew that face, and his knees gave out at the realization.

He sank to the floor. “Bowie?”

Blood stained Aaron Bowman’s teeth when he smiled. “Yo mama so fat…”

Jesus Christ. It was him.

Seth choked on a sob and clasped the guy’s outstretched hand. “Yeah, how fat is she, Bowie?”

“She so fat…she fell in love and broke it.”

“Aw, man. Not your best one.”

“I know. All…I…got.” His eyes went out of focus, and he started making an ominous rattling sound deep in his chest.

Seth sent a panicked look over his shoulder at Jesse. “Can’t you do something?”

Jesse stepped forward and took off his helmet. He didn’t have to say a word. His answer was written on his face.

“For fuck’s sake, at least give him something for the pain.”

Nodding, Jesse knelt and administered a morphine injection with the steady hands of a tested battlefield medic. Then he stood again and backed away. “We’ll be outside.”

“Lieutenant?” Bowie whispered.

“I’m here.” Seth tightened his grip as the hand in his went slack.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nah. Don’t do that.”

“They broke me. The things I did…” His voice trailed away, and his eyes took on the glazed, far-off look of a man already staring into the spirit world.

Seth’s vision blurred. “Hey, Bowman, it doesn’t matter. Aaron, can you hear me? I don’t care what you’ve done, okay? I don’t. No matter what, I’m here for you, buddy. I’ve got your six, okay? Semper Fi.”

His features smoothed out, and he smiled again. “Oorah, Lieutenant.”

A moment later, he drew in one last gasping breath. The rattling stopped, and his chest stilled.

Seth let go of his hand and sat back, numb to his core. Hollowed out. He didn’t think he could survive the grieving process a second time and waited for the anguish, the wrenching pain as if someone was ripping his heart from his chest.

Except it never came.

This man had Bowie’s face and voice, but he was still more Askar than Aaron. Seth had already said his goodbyes to the real Aaron Bowman, who was always quick with a joke and a smile and who had gone out of his way to keep from hurting anyone. Seth refused to remember him as this broken husk of a human.

Broken.

Yeah, this is what broken looks like. Evil so dark that it twisted a good man into someone unrecognizable.

And, Seth realized, that had never been him. He was damaged, maybe, but never broken. And he was healing.

Because of Phoebe.

And HORNET. His team. His friends.

He walked out of the dining room, leaving his past lying there on the floor with the man who had been one of his best friends. As the brisk night air stung his wet cheeks, relief filled his chest, and for the first time in four years, his lungs opened, and he could actually breathe.

Phoebe darted across the courtyard, her hair a streak of fire in the darkness. She slammed into him with enough force to shock all of that newfound air from his lungs. Her fingers clenched his shirt at his back, and she buried her face against his vest as trembles wracked her body.

Quinn broke away from the team and followed her at a slower pace, stopping several feet away. “I couldn’t keep her back without hurting her. And figured you’d kill me if I did.”

Seth rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Smart man.”

A fleeting smile touched Quinn’s mouth before his gaze shifted toward the shelter. “We’re going to make sure Bowman’s body gets back to the States. No matter what he’s done, he’s a POW. He’s one of ours, and he’s going home.”

Seth nodded, for a moment unable to articulate past the lump in his throat. “His mother will be glad to finally have him back. But she doesn’t need to know all the details.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Quinn agreed. “You holding up?”

“Yeah. I’m good.” And, he realized with a mild jolt, he was telling the truth. “Hey, Quinn? Thank you.”

His eyes narrowed in question. “For what?”

“Rescuing me from those mountains.” Against his chest, Phoebe released a shuddering sob, and he stroked a hand over her hair.

Quinn’s lips flattened, his Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice, when he spoke, held a note of strain. “I told you once before I’m not looking for thanks.”

“But I’m giving it. You pulled me out of there, then gave me a second chance when nobody else would. I can’t express my gratitude enough.”

With a stiff nod, Quinn retreated. It was such a classic Quinn response, Seth chuckled and shook his head. Someday, that guy would have to face his emotions, or he would end up like Askar—cold and unfeeling to the core.

And that was a disturbing thought.

Seth pushed it away, focusing instead on the woman in his arms. “Phoebe, are you okay?”

She drew back enough to gaze up at him. Tears spiked her lashes. “Yes. Scared shitless,” she admitted with a half laugh, “but okay. What about you? I was so afraid this would bring back memories and?—”

“It did,” he said. “I remember more now than I ever have, and I’m sure it’s going to haunt me when I try to sleep, but I’ll get through it.”

As if suddenly remembering things were still troubled between them, she dropped her arms from his waist and stepped back. “You don’t have to get through it alone.”

“I know I don’t. I have the team.”

She flinched as if he had slapped her. “So that’s it? I ruined us for good, haven’t I?”

Seth reached to brush away her tears but caught himself before touching her with his bloody hand. “Not for good,” he said, wishing like hell he could just forgive and forget. But the wound was still too raw, and that, coupled with Bowie…

It was too much.

“Give me some time, okay?”

“Okay,” she said and hugged herself.

“Okay,” he echoed stupidly because he couldn’t think of anything else.

They stared at each other for several heartbeats.

Finally, she drew a breath, let it out, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Goodbye, Seth.”

Shit , he thought as she walked away. That goodbye had sounded really fucking final.