iling of my bedroom when my burn

me to a set of coordinates deep in

he Don's command. I turned o

en minutes later. It wa

met. Come to the coordinates. I

reen in the dark, the hars

ed moment to look him in the eye and formally

op-point just as the sun beg

van idled in the dirt lot, its ex

d passenger window. He gestured

ted on t

the window. He was a hardened Soldier wit

heavy steel door a

entarily deafening me to the van's rumbling engine. My kn

oulder-to-shoulder wi

in tactical gear, Kevla

ring civilian jeans and a thin

passenger seat. His face ha

tected for a Smuggler's Route Survival Drill?" he

2 AM encrypted briefin

ut my phon

g the secure network," I explaine

ow, but as I did, my chest tigh

o Rocco. Her head was resting intimately on his broad shou

round to f

ammed shut and aut

fe, vibrating violently

rning back to fac

anyway, Tessa. Find a seat in t

is sharp, mer

ery last row, sitting next to a

aten anyone who dared to take the safest s

to the most dangerous

it. I had no desire to run

e the third wheel to

ly extraction team the

eep into undisputed,

base of a heavily forested mount

ecruits filed out into

seat. I looke

back to t

ugh the rearview mir

move until the extractio

hought of spending hours in the

over the seats

e and wrapped a heav

h overly enthusiastic venom. "I am so glad you are

ged her arm of

ng in the a

doors. He was strapping a

owned

"I pulled strings for this drill as my ap

gloved fing

our spots in this elite training. Show h

my rage. I gripped

Rocco. I never asked

, Rocco let out a da

as if he had antic

stepped out i

shouted over t

ver rosary I took from you

touched the fine hairs on my neck, it felt like the scrap

grandfather's b

left of the man who raised m

lked to the edge

under a brewing storm. He fla

the other side of the mountain hours ago," he boasted, crossing

ed above us l

h my limbs. I jumped out of

onsigliere's relic as a pa

the severity of the storm breakin

oice hardening against the gale. "It is easily

n, adjusting h

. If you are too weak for the Enforcers, y

avy tactical jac

it the mud

re of desperation and rag

al wilderness, determined only t