Page 14 of Ford

While one man slipped over the side and held the boat, the other two disembarked, scrambled onto shore and took positions behind cover.

One was big, dark skinned, and had the look of a Titan.

The other was dark haired, Italian breeding. “Marsh, are you here?”

Ford wanted to weep with relief. “Sonny.” He rose, and in a second Trini and Sonny scooted across the beach to him.

The world swayed, but Ford managed to stay on his feet. “It’s okay, Anastasia. It’s my team.”

“Knife down, Squid,” Sonny said, and Ford glanced at his weapon. He sheathed it. Took a step.

Stumbled and went down hard.

“Sonny, we need a medivac here—” Trini said, kneeling beside him. Trini’s big hands were probing his head injury.

“I’m fine. Just woozy.”

“You got a deep laceration here and no doubt a concussion.” Trini was removing his backpack, pulling out his med kit.

“Get Anastasia to the boat,” Ford said. “Before they figure out where we are.”

“They’re dead,” Sonny said.

Ford glanced at Anastasia.

“Sorry. I mean,no longer a problem.” Sonny stepped away, radioing in to the boat.

Trini applied a dressing on his head wound. “We weren’t sure you survived, but Berkowitz kept saying he saw a heat signature down here…”

Oh. Maybe he’d been too hard on the guy.

“He said you were shot too.” Trini rolled him over to his back.

“My vest caught them.”

“Them.” Trini let out a word and reached for his shirt. “Let me see.”

Ford glanced at Sonny, then Anastasia, who was standing back, her hand over her mouth, watching. “Get her out of here.”

Sonny nodded and led her to the shoreline, turning her away.

Trini hiked up Ford’s shirt. Made a face. “Pretty significant bruising.” He felt around the bruises while Ford failed to hold in a groan.

“I don’t think you broke any ribs, although you might have cracked one or two. Probably need X-rays. And maybe one for your head because who throws a live grenade in the same room he’s trapped in—”

“I went out the window.”

“Off a cliff.”

Point for Trini.

“My gun misfired, twice. And I lost the magazine. I had nothin’ else.”

“You left him in pieces.”

Ford left off a reply, something likeGood, but Anastasia’s question was still floating around his head.Are you sorry for killing them?

Fact was, no.