Cobb looked over his shoulder at Special Agent Alan, who strode out of the office with the confident swagger of a man in true command. Despite the scowl on Cobb’s face, he ordered his men down, his deputies falling in line behind him as they scuttled back into their office. Alan approached Sam, offering him a hand up, which Sam gratefully accepted.

‘You look like shit for a dead man.’ Alan smirked.

‘Likewise.’

‘What the fuck happened?’ Alan asked, scanning the surrounding streets. ‘Where’s Alex?’

‘I don’t know. But right now, I need two things. One, I need your help.’

Alan nodded.

‘What else?’

‘I need a cup of tea.’

Alan chuckled and shook his head, offering Sam his arm as support as they headed into the station. Sam took it, his body aching under the duress of the car accident and punishment Edinson had happily doled out. Despite their rocky start, whatever play was in motion had brought Alan and Sam together, and with Alan’s vengeance and Sam’s desperation to rescue Alex at the forefront of their next move, they needed each other.

They needed to figure out what was going on.

And they needed to know fast.

* * *

“Fuck!”

The scream of fury was followed by the sound of a strike, the unmistakable crack of a punch being thrown. Alex tightened her body in fear as outside the room she was being held in, she could feel the Vasquez’s rage.

It had been an hour since she’d last seen Sam, watching in pained terror as she was hauled from the room where they’d held him.

Had beaten him.

But as she heard the raised voices, she couldn’t help but feel a small smirk fall across her lips.

Whatever they’d planned to do with Sam had failed.

She was sure of it.

She’d witnessed it first-hand all those months ago. First, in the underground bunker when Wallace had lured Sam into a trap. Sam had fought back; harder than any force she could imagine. During the scuffle she’d been shot, the scar still fresh across her thigh, but she’d watched as Sam engaged Blackridge’s top mercenary, Buck, in a fight to the death.

Then months later, when she’d been used as bait to lure Sam out in the streets of Naples, Sam had fought back again.

Four members of Blackridge were left dead.

Whoever or whatever they threw at Sam, Alex was sure he could handle it.

He was built to survive.

Made for war.