This was different. This time, he wasn’t just sacrificing himself for her. He was protecting the entire team.

Shame washed through her at her selfish hesitation. She moved silently upslope, tucking behind a tree before looking back. Below her, the scene played out again, Xavier moving left, another gunshot.

Another shout that indicated he was fine.

He was heading toward the hillside they’d avoided because it was too steep and likely to be unstable with the torrents of rain in the last two days.

She moved again, and this time when she peeked downslope, the mercenary had turned and was scanning the hillside for her.

He hadn’t forgotten her, and he’d clued in to Xavier’s ploy.

A pistol fired. This time, the shot was taken by Xavier, drawing the mercenary’s attention back to him, using one precious bullet.

She ran uphill. She couldn’t let that bullet be wasted. As she ran, she heard Xavier shout, this time the words aimed at her. “I love you. And Fig. Tell Fig.”

She ran without looking back. Her lungs burned, and her heavy pack felt like it could tip her backward and she’d tumble down the steep hillside.

She scrambled and climbed. There was forest between her and the mercenary now. Logs and trees and moss and branches that prevented her from being easily spotted as she clambered over and under.

She didn’t dare look back. She needed to disappear.

But her lungs burned, and she was getting dizzy.

She spotted a thick patch of ferns and branches and burrowed into it. She had to catch her breath, or she might pass out. A long interval passed before her heartbeat began to settle and her breathing was less ragged, vision less blurred.

She pulled out her binoculars and shifted in her fern hideaway, moving fronds to make a window to look downslope. It took a moment to spot the Russian, who was searching the lower slope where she’d been minutes ago.

Xavier’s voice was a distant shout. “You won’t find her. She’s long gone. It’s just you and me now.”

The merc’s gaze ran upslope, and she lowered the binocs lest he catch the shine of a lens—although that was unlikely given the gray weather and steady rain.

She looked again, and saw the man had turned. He must’ve accepted the truth of Xavier’s words and decided the bird in the hand was worth more than her in the bush.

And now it appeared he’d lost track of Xavier, who, she finally spotted, was now upslope of the mercenary. Only a tree between the two men prevented her SEAL from taking a shot.

He was okay. He had the high ground even.

This was going to work. He’d find her after he dealt with the merc and they’d finish the hike together.