Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
The moment I finally saw the white sky up ahead, I choked on a breath and lost my fight against the tears. No words could describe my exhaustion. The only green I wanted to see was the color of River’s and Reese’s eyes. When we got home, I had half a mind to throw out every plant in the house.
We might have three.
The lush green canopy over my head parted more and more, until I broke through the tree line at the top of the mountain and laid eyes on the training center. Two weeks of muddy hell were over. Oh my God. I couldn’t take another step. I spotted Finnian on the ground, panting, and he had Elliott and Danny checking his vitals. He must’ve just come back too.
I took a page from his book and collapsed in the mud.
Seconds later, I had River and Reese sprinting over to me.
They got down on their knees on either side of me, River immediately checking my watch and feeling my pulse, and Reese cupping my face.
“Just breathe, sweetheart,” he said. “You did so great. Now you relax. You did it.”
“Hnngh.” Yeah. I did it.
“Heart rate’s going down.” River unzipped my rain jacket and began checking my arms, my legs; he lifted my shirt and felt my stomach. “Do you have any strains or fractures, baby?”
I managed to shake my head.
“His skin is red here,” he murmured, seemingly to himself. “Any bites from venomous reptiles or spiders?”
Another shake of my head. “Almost got…” Fuck. I panted some more. “Mauled by a boar the other…night.”
“We need help over here!” I heard Elliott yell.
Worry shot through me, and I pushed myself up. Was it Finnian? It couldn’t be—he was just throwing up. But then I spotted Gray breaking through the trees; he was farther away from where I’d come through, and he wasn’t alone. He was supporting that Aaron guy.
Darius and Ryan were quick to run over.
“Lie back down,” Reese urged me.
Yeah, okay.
They weren’t satisfied until I was down to my base layer and they’d checked that I could bend my knees, my arms, my fingers, the whole shebang.
Only then did Reese relax enough to unleash his sense of humor. “So, did you have a nice vacation? Work starts in a week.”
I whimpered and laughed at the same time.
“Let’s get you to the showers,” River said.
“Where’s Crew?” I asked.
“Probably asleep by now. He returned a few hours ago.”
Jesus Christ, that guy was fast.
“Sleep sounds good,” I admitted and sniffled.
“As soon as we’ve fussed over you in the shower and in the infirmary,” Reese replied. “First things first, though—before Danny beats me to it.” He paused and touched my cheek, affection seeping into his eyes. “Welcome back, Operator Tenley. You passed Hillcroft’s selection with flying colors.”
Operator Tenley.
All right, I might cry some more now.
I threw my arm over my face and completely lost my composure, and it felt like a whole year’s worth of tension and emotions just burst out.
Operator Tenley.
I’d fucking made it.
EPILOGUE 4
That following December
Red-eye coming in for landing too early for Joel’s comfort
In DC
Joel Hayward-Jones
“Dad, wake up.”
I flinched and cracked my eyes open—fuck me, my neck hurt. I groaned under my breath and rubbed the sore spot, then turned in my seat. Mattie was right behind me in his own aisle seat.
“We’re about to land,” he informed me.
“Right.” I was gonna blame my exhaustion on Elliott. I didn’t sleep well without him next to me.
Asshole.
I let out a yawn and reached across a sleeping Julian to make sure Blake’s seat belt was fastened, and then I shook her leg gently. “Wake up, honey.” I wasn’t waking Julian until I had to.
“Noooo,” she complained.
“We’re landing soon,” I said.
“See if I care,” she huffed.
The pre-preteen attitude was fantastic.
Jack was in the middle of waking up Crew behind us, so we had that covered.
Forty-five minutes later, we were greeted by a snow-covered DC, and we aimed directly at the cabstand.
“I miss the West Coast already,” Crew yawned.
Eh. I kinda loved the East Coast in the winter. Christmas should have snow.
We found a big car that could take us all, and our luggage filled with presents, and Crew gave the driver the address of Hillcroft.
Blake wanted to sit next to Jack, and she fell asleep again in two seconds.
I had Julian in his car seat next to me, and he blinked sleepily at his surroundings. Even Mattie was on the cuddly side this morning. That happened too rarely these days. I put my arm around him and kissed the top of his head.
“Should we stop for breakfast on the way?” Jack wondered.
Crew shook his head. “No, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Adrien’s Instagram whenever he and Elliott are in DC, it’s that Hillcroft serves one hell of a breakfast spread.”
Seriously. A few times a year, they came here to host a couple seminars and to put a handful of security guards through rougher training, and every morning began with breakfast in their own cafeteria.