Chapter 39.
The silence of the desert floor after the jump had been deceptive. It felt like a victory, but by the time they reached the small, sun-baked terminal of the regional airfield, the adrenaline was receding, leaving a hollow, terrifying exhaustion in its wake. Kane felt it before she even said a word. He felt it in the way Harper’s weight leaned more heavily against his side, her steps turning into a rhythmic shuffle. Her breathing had become a shallow, wet rattle that she tried to mask with a brave, tight-lipped smile, but her tremors were no longer just a flicker in her fingers. They were a violent vibration that hummed through her entire frame, shaking the very air between them. He stopped her near a row of plastic chairs, his hands gripping her shoulders. "Brooks. Look at me." She l
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