Page 52 of Maximus

“Hey, that’s my job,” Val said. “I told him I’d take care of her.”

“You have, but it’s all our responsibility to watch out for Max’s lady,” Val’s husband said. “Ladies, shall we?”

“Thank you,” Elena said.

Roman chuckled. “Elena, follow me. Grab my belt loops to help you get up the incline if needed. It’s straight up in some places. Max said you were a tough lady, so we’re going a route no one can track us.”

Elena looked way up at the guy. His beard and the moonlight made him look a bit like a bear. She nodded. “I’m not too proud to accept help.”

“Good girl,” Roman said. “Let’s go. Stay on my six.”

“What?” Elena asked.

“Stay right behind him,” Val translated.

“Is that an American saying?” Elena asked as they all started walking into the forest.

“Kind of. Military,” Roman said from in front of her.

“Were you in the military?” she asked him.

“We’ve all been trained in military tactics,” Val answered beside her. “We all have different backgrounds and circumstances that bring us to Guardian. They don’t recruit based on your past. They recruit based on your ability and what you bring to the team.”

“Like Max brings his ability to be anything.” She nodded, now understanding why he was with Guardian.

“His what?” Val said, slipping on a rock. “Shit.”

“Give me your hand,” Smith said to Val.

Elena grabbed her other hand and helped pull her up. “You know his ability to study anything and become it. He’s looking forward to getting back to his computer systems.”

“I bet he is,” Roman said, reaching back for her. “Give me your hand.”

She extended it, and he pulled her up about four feet to a small ledge. “Stay there until I get my next grip.”

Elena looked down, and the moon's light showed her just how sharp the ledge was they had just scaled. “You weren’t kidding when you said straight up.”

Roman reached back for her. “It gets better.”

She grabbed his hand with both of hers, using her legs to help lift her as he hauled her up. She wasn’t sure how long they scaled the face of the mountain, but when Roman pulled her up onto a plateau, all four fell onto the ground and panted.

Val groaned. “I’m going to need to hit the gym a bit more.”

Roman laughed. “I’m in the gym three hours a day, and that climb wiped my ass.”

“Because you had to pull me up the mountain,” Elena panted. “I’m sorry.”

Roman lifted his head and looked over at her. “Something you’ll learn, we’ll do whatever it takes for one of ours.”

“For as long as it takes,” both Val and Smith said.

Elena stared up at the multitude of stars in the sky. “Do you think Max is okay?”

There was a pause before Val answered, “He’s one of the best at what he does. Don’t worry about him. He’ll be here by tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow? Why not sooner?” Elena asked, sitting up.

“He has some loose ends to tie up,” Roman said as he stood up. “A drink, food, and a soft bed are about a mile away. Shall we?”