INVITING FIRE (A Sydney Rye Novel, #6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of a knife against glass, the opening of Ziplock bags, sounds of chopping. "She died fighting for what she believed in."
    Blue licked my hand. "It's okay," I said to him. The message more for myself than the canine at my feet but Blue acknowledged it with another lick.
    "Here," Merl said. I looked up to see a sandwich next to a glass of water. "You look dehydrated," he said. His eyes were still filmed but he smiled at me. "Sydney, Malina believed in this very strongly."
    "We're gonna get him, right?"
    Merl looked surprised. "The man who killed her is still alive?"
    "The guy who pulled the trigger? Yes. He is dead. You know I wouldn't have come back if he was still breathing." Merl nodded. "But the one who we are chasing. The man who is responsible for that bunker even being there. We are going to get him, right?"
    Merl pushed the sandwich toward me. "Eat, then we can talk."
    I pushed the sandwich aside, that old anger back again, cutting through the pain, overriding the guilt. "Promise me."
    "We will get justice," Merl said.
    "I want to kill him."
    Merl frowned, staring at me. "If you eat your sandwich we can—"
    I hit the sandwich plate, shooting it across the counter. It smashed onto the floor, pieces of meat, lettuce, and bread flying in different directions. All four dogs looked at their masters, hoping for the clean up command.
    "Don't do this, Sydney. Breathe."
    "Fuck this!" I screamed, picking up the glass of water. I was about to hurl it across the room when Merl grabbed my wrist and removed it from my hand. I slapped at him, and he caught that hand too. With a very small amount of pressure against the inside of my wrist I was on my knees in front of him.
    "Calm down," he said, his voice even.
    I was taking heaving breaths. They turned into sobs. "Fuck you," I managed to say. Merl dropped to his knees next to me and pulled me into an embrace. "I hate it," I said against his shoulder. "I hate all of this."
    "I know," he said, his breath uneven against my hair. "I hate it, too." Merl held me tight, rubbing soothing circles on my back. Both of us crying. Lamenting the loss of our good friend, our sister in arms, Malina.

CONSEQUENCES
    M erl was patient with me. It was dawn and the howler monkeys were making their morning roars by the time I'd finished telling him what happened. "I'm so sorry," I said.
    "You did everything you could," he said.
    We were still in the kitchen, light filtering through the trees outside. "I didn't save anyone," I said. "The other captives didn't even get away." I'd found their bodies in the field. As dead as anyone else there. Except me, of course, and Blue. We always survived.
    "You tried, Sydney. There is nothing else for it." He stood up and took our dishes to the sink. "I need to ask you one more thing," he said as he turned on the tap.
    "Go ahead."
    "Did you see anything?"
    "Yes, but it didn't affect anything. I mean, it was after everyone else was dead."
    Merl nodded, his long ponytail moving up and then back down his back as he did so. "What did you see?"
    "Lightning. And I heard thunder."
    He nodded again. I watched his shoulder blades move under his T-shirt while he finished the dishes. When he turned back to me I could see that he was tired. "We should go to bed," he said. I agreed. "Sydney?"
    "Yeah?"
    Merl was drying his hands on a towel. "I'm taking you off active duty." I opened my mouth to argue but he held up his palm. "It's not a punishment. I just want you to spend some time recovering. I'm worried about you."
    "Don't be, Merl," I said, my voice sounding cold. "I'm the one who always survives. If I were you I'd be worried about you and everyone else on this compound. My love is basically a death sentence."
    Merl frowned. "No. It's not."
    "Says the guy still alive."
    I saw a flash of anger cross Merl's face. "That's not fair."
    "Neither is you taking me off active duty. I need it."
    "You'll be on watch duty."
    "I'll offer you a deal."
    Merl raised his eyebrows. "Willingness to