In the process of re-editing the prequel to my Team Colt series, I wrote a different epilogue – one that I think fits the series better than the previous.
If you’ve read Out of Options already and don’t want to re-read it, here’s the new epilogue to bring you up to speed.
Enjoy!
AJ
The airplane touched down with a squeal from the tires. As the engines roared into reverse, Colt fingered the leather folder containing her brother’s photo. She had three days in which to find him before she needed to report for duty in Norfolk.
Three days to search the sprawling city of Berlin for one person.
She’d emailed Ben several times since escaping Iran with no response. The phone number he’d given her was disconnected. Her hand tightened on the leather sleeve. The longer Ben went without replying, the more her dread that something terrible had happened grew. It pressed against the familiar fear of losing him all those years ago.
The doors opened, and Colt joined the passengers filing off the plane, her backpack slung over her left shoulder. Her right arm was in a sling. She hated the restriction, but the doctors in Naples had insisted. Complying had been the only way to get them to agree to her leave.
A twinge of guilt hit as she maneuvered past other passengers up the bridge. By coming to Germany, she had left Hawk to endure the flight home from Italy to Bethesda Naval Hospital alone. His father and oldest sister would meet him there, but there was no way to make a flight in a C-130 comfortable.
He’d insisted on her going though, understood her need to look for Ben. Once stateside, he was slated for a slew of surgeries to put his leg back together. He would need her once he got through those.
For now though, she needed to focus on Ben. With only an email and a defunct phone number, she didn’t have a lot of resources. But she’d start at the embassy, and from there scour the city if she had to.
Three days would have to be enough.
Follow Colt’s adventures in Cross Winds, available at track.conundrumpub.com/ajcw!
