Kenn waited until the stocky, uniformed Eagle was out of earshot, noting the body language indicating the Mobster's displeasure, but even that didn't ease the thumping of his heart as he turned to Adrian. Angela was close. He had to leave.
"Mitch took a call. Thinks I missed someone in Cheyenne. A woman named Samantha."
Adrian looked at him, saw the edge of fear in his Marine's eyes. "Could you have?"
Kenn's face was miserable. "Yes."
Adrian knew instinctively there was more and waited unhappily when Kenn looked to the black hills that surrounded their camp, instead of maintaining eye contact.
"I need to leave for a while. Charlie's stayin' here. I'll recheck Cheyenne first and bring the woman back if she's still there."
His tone implied he doubted she would be, and Adrian hid his grimace as his heart skipped, sending pain into his arm. He couldn't keep it from his eyes, and Kenn mistook it.
"I'll be back. Soon."
Chest slowly easing, Adrian gave him a hard look, mind and body already dreading the Marine's absence. He had been more help than he knew. Fresh out of the quarantine zone, Kenn had only been back in camp for half a day as it was.
"When?"
Kenn didn't want to look at him. "Now."
Flat, devoid of emotion, and careful.
Adrian stopped, looked at him. "I told you once that everyone here is free to go anytime they please, and I meant that. If you have something to do, somewhere to go, come back when you're ready. Just don't forget about us. And watch your six. We need you."
Kenn, light beard covering his guilty flush in the windy darkness, responded, "I hear that."
Adrian frowned. It had been his experience that when someone said that, the opposite was true.
"I'm comin' back," Kenn repeated, addressing the uniformed shadow who had given himself away by his quick breath at the news. "Hold my place."
"You know it."
The Marine hadn't been sure how to bring up the subject, didn't want to give details, but in his heart, he was sure the lone female had been Angela, not Samantha, the radio static making Mitch misunderstand. She was close. He had to go now and set her straight before the camp (before Adrian) met her. They could never be allowed to know who she was or what she could do.
2
As dawn finally broke, Tonya and the reporter rolled into camp, flanked by Kyle's team, while Kenn waited nearby. He lingered in dawn's last shadows, waiting for the camp to get settled around the Mess for chow.