But maybe that was okay. First in the door meant he wasn’t afraid to see what waited on the other side.

In fact, the thought of it didn’t even freak him out. Not anymore.

All day, as they’d walked around the grounds, the air thick with the smell of popcorn and cheese curds and hamburgers, and as kids marveled at the planes—not unlike Dodge, really—the normalcy of it all had lodged inside Colt.

This could be his life. His tame, not-out-of-control, no-trouble life. He hadn’t given much thought to the idea of actually walking away from Jones, Inc. because, sorry, Dodge wasn’t right.

He wasn’t done operating.

But maybe . . . maybe it looked a little different. “What if you started doing things God’s way? You might be surprised at what he has waiting for you.”

For sure he needed a time-out. A chance for his body to heal. Mostly, he was tired of doing things Colt’s way. Tired of never getting it right.

Tired of acting like his heart, his life didn’t matter.

Tired of being a mercenary.

Not when he had someone to live for. He checked his watch.

Tae had been gone for twenty minutes. Weird. Maybe she was getting something to eat.

Still, it itched at him. He got up. “Watch my stuff,” he said to Dodge, who nodded.

Then he slid out of the row.

He walked past the burger joint, and then a cotton candy stand—shoot, he’d forgotten—and a pretty cool A-10 Thunderbolt with fangs. He made it all the way to the door of the closest ladies’ room without seeing Tae.

Huh.

A woman came out and he made himself stop her, ask if she’d seen a beautiful blond in a pair of shorts and an orange shirt in the bathroom.

Nope. Worse, it was empty.

Huh.

And that’s when his chest began to hurt. Not a lot, just a tharrump that he knew had nothing to do with a sudden swelling, or even a heart attack, but . . .

Something wasn’t right.

It was the same thump he’d felt the second before Vader kicked open that door.

Calm. Down.

She’d probably already returned to the stands, and he’d just missed her.

But just in case, he searched the area—a quick scan of the concession stands, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, and even the other set of stands, in case she’d gotten lost.

Nothing, and by the time he got back to his row—no Tae—his chest really burned.

“Tae’s missing,” he said to the group as he slid back into his seat and picked up his backpack.

“What do you mean, missing?” Noemi said.

“She’s been gone for thirty minutes,” he said. “Which is weird, right? For a bathroom run? And, according to someone I practically accosted, she’s not in the bathroom.”