Page 44 of Heat Force
And he’d blown it.
Asking her to leave with him had been a desperate, selfish mistake. He knew her past, her sacrifices, her deep-rooted need to forge her own path. And yet, in his panic at losing her, he’d ignored all of it. He’d grasped at straws, hoping she’d abandon everything she’d fought for and follow him.
How could he have asked her to do that?
He was ashamed of himself, of his arrogance, of his inability to see that loving her meant letting her be who she was.
He should’ve stayed. The thought hit him like a punch to the gut. He could’ve stayed longer, worked something out. But no, duty had called. The board had demanded his return, and like the good soldier he used to be, he’d followed orders. He’d convinced himself he didn’t have a choice, but now he knew better. He could’ve made time.
He should’ve made time.
His thoughts drifted to Moyo. The boy’s tear-streaked face as the UN truck pulled away was seared into his memory. He’d wanted to say something to comfort him, to promise he’d come back, but the words had stuck in his throat. He’d abandoned them both—Lexi and Moyo—and the guilt weighed on him like lead.
“I’ve got to snap out of it,” he muttered, rubbing his temples as a knock on the door pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.
Grace entered, her no-nonsense demeanor as steady as ever. “I made you some tea,” she said, setting a tray down on his desk. “And a sandwich. You’ve been skipping lunch again.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Grace.” He forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She studied him for a moment, her sharp gaze missing nothing. “You’ve not been yourself since you came back. Africa’s still on your mind, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer, but the truth must’ve been written all over his face. Grace sighed and patted his shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything,” she said before leaving him to his brooding.
The afternoon dragged on. Hawk went through the motions of work, but his heart wasn’t in it. He checked his watch. Four-thirty. Close enough to quitting time. He began packing his laptop when the phone rang.
The line crackled, and his heart skipped a beat. The static was unmistakable—it was a long-distance call.
“Hello?” he said, his voice tight with anticipation.
“Hawk, it’s Robert.”
Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by a spike of anxiety. Robert rarely called unless it was serious.
“What’s going on?” Hawk blurted out.
Robert’s voice was strained, the words coming quickly. “It’s bad news, I’m afraid. There’s been another attack. The rebels hit the sanctuary.”
Hawk’s stomach dropped. His grip tightened on the phone. “What happened?”
“They came in force, over forty of them, armed to the teeth. We couldn’t hold them off. Estelle and I barely made it out alive. The UN picked us up five miles west of the park.”
Hawk’s heart pounded, but Robert’s next words hit him like a freight train.
“Hawk, Lexi’s missing.”
Time seemed to stop. The world narrowed to those three words, reverberating in his skull.
“What do you mean,missing?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
“She stayed behind with Patrick to move the injured animals. She didn’t make it to the evacuation point.” Robert’s voice cracked. “We had to leave without her. There was no choice.”
Hawk’s vision blurred with red-hot rage and icy fear. He could barely process what Robert was saying.
Lexi, alone in the jungle, with rebels closing in.
“What’s being done to find her?” he barked, his SEAL instincts kicking in.
“Nothing,” Robert admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. “The army’s spread too thin, and the UN can’t send anyone back. It’s chaos here, Hawk. The whole place is on the brink of a civil war.”