Cygny's Six

VZZZT. VZZZT.

Leo’s brow furrowed as he heard more than felt a muffled vibration.

VZZZT. VZZZT.

Straightening his posture, he felt the vibration behind his ribs, just shy of his right shoulder blade.

VZZZT. VZZZT.

The SAT phone in his pack.

Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders and let the pack slide down his arm and set it on his thigh. Opening the zipper he fished out the phone and lifted a sardonic brow at the name on the screen.

ROMAN

Answering the call, he looked out at the view.

“Roman. The answer is still a hard no.”

He heard the other man laughing on his end. “You really can be a complete pain in my ass, man.”

“At least I haven’t lost my edge.”

Roman’s laugh was more of a sigh. “All you have are edges, Leo.”

The comment struck him like a brick. Likely how it was meant to be taken. “So why bother calling.”

“Well, you like to be in hard-to-reach places so I’m going to give you a chance to discover another one.”

Leo nodded to himself for a moment and watched as a pink jeep rocketed across the expanse below him. A tour vehicle full of visitors.

Great.

“Where?”

“I’m getting a bunch of the guys together in the Wind River Mountains. We’re going to do some training, see how sharp we’re keeping our skills.”

Leo’s brow furrowed as he tried to place the name. “Wind River Mountains. Where’s that? Montana?”

“Close. Wyoming.”

Just the sound of the name tugged at a memory he’d tried to bury in the back of his head.

He took a moment to shove it back down where it belonged and huffed out a breath.

“That’s not all there is to it.”

Maybe he’d caught Roman by surprise.

At least a little.

“Why do you say that?”

Leo shrugged. “You’re a little too happy for my peace of mind. What are you planning? Drag me out there and toss me off a cliff? I’d be okay with that.”

“Your humor is getting darker by the minute, man. I’m not okay with that.”

“Humor? Look, Roman. I’m happy out here. I’m alone. I’m good.”

“You’re a man used to working with a team, Leo. You may have needed to be alone after… Look, come to the training. There’s a possible job offer.”

“Ahh,” Leo nodded, smiling smugly to himself, “there’s the other shoe. What job offer?”

“Remember that news story about Hank Patterson and his security company, Brotherhood Protectors?”

“Sure, who hasn’t heard of them. Hank’s wife is on a thousand different billboards.”

“Well, he’s looking to expand his operation. He’s already got the start of a branch out of Fool’s Gold, Colorado.”

“Colorado.” Leo liked the sound of that. “A lot of wide-open spaces. You have my attention.”

“Good.” Roman’s tone lifted a bit, lightening. “He wants to see how we’d all work together as a team as well as individuals.”

Leo found his back teeth clenched together.

“He’s looking at small group stuff. Look, Leo. I know you said you left a team behind you, but this is different. These people are different.”

Leo could easily say no.

He’d been a part of a team before.

A SEAL team.

He’d been a part of it.

And then he’d been dropped.

And what a hard fall it had been.

Men who he had trusted with his life and saved theirs numerous times had suddenly turned their backs on him.

Even a hint that he might be a traitor had shown him exactly what ‘team’ had meant to the others.

They’d shut him out.

Gone completely radio silent even when he reached out to them directly.

It had killed him to go from one of a team to the outcast.