Nate groaned and rolled over, the dreamy haze in his head shuffling from one image to the next.

Vern Schnyder’s sobbing echoed in the back of his mind. His daughter’s skeleton danced in circles around images of Sally’s sweet smile. And then a gunshot rang out and Sally slumped to the ground, turning into a puddle of muddy snow that started to melt. Vern’s sobs became Nate’s as he dropped to his knees and tried to gather up Sally’s snow before it liquified.

His movements became frantic as he wept.

“No, no, please. No!”

Nate’s eyes flew open and he swallowed down his gasp. His heart was thundering and it took him a moment to register the sunlight, Dad’s guestroom, the soft pillow beneath his cheek.

He sat up, trying to swallow the boulder in his throat. His heart pounded, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

Snatching his water bottle, he guzzled it down then checked his phone.

No reply from Sally.

And oh shit, look at the time.

Throwing back the covers, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to motivate himself to stand. His body was heavy with exhaustion, his insides a restless torrent.

He didn’t know how he’d face the day.

For the first time since becoming a cop, he didn’t want to go in. He didn’t want to catch any bad guys.

He just wanted Sally.

His phone vibrated with a text.

He jumped at the sound and snatched it, hoping to see a message from Sally, but it was from Cam.

Where the hell are you? The raid starts in 15.

Nate frowned, trying to decipher the message.

“The raid?” he muttered under his breath, and then his eyebrows popped high. “Oh shit! The raid!”

She’d told him about it the night before, called him just before he fell asleep. They were busting into the warehouse she’d been surveying for the last few days. Her contact had come through and it was happening.

Nate said he’d be there.

“Fuck.” Grabbing a pair of jeans off the floor, he hopped around the room, shoving them on and grabbing a dirty T-shirt draped over the edge of the laundry basket. He smelled it, wrinkled his nose, but then threw it on anyway.

It was a raid. The smell would be hidden under his Kevlar jacket.

He yanked his leather jacket off the back of the chair and threw it on while he rushed down the stairs.

Checking the time, he muttered another curse while shoving the phone into his back pocket and jumping on the bike. His boots weren’t even on properly, but he’d do them up once he got there.

Cam would be pissed.

Screaming out of his driveway, he tore through town and arrived with five minutes to spare.

He parked the bike away from the scene and jogged two blocks down to the meeting point—a cruddy-looking warehouse with a rusted tin roof and cracks in the windows. It used to be a storage facility for some medical device manufacturer. They’d opened a new warehouse closer to the cities and this building had been abandoned ever since…until it had been turned into a drug lab. At least according to Cam. The raid would prove it.

Nate’s boots crunched on the loose gravel as he snuck down the driveway next door.

Everyone was already there, suited up and checking their weapons.

“About fucking time, Nate.” Cam threw him a Kevlar jacket.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, pulling off his jacket and putting on the Kevlar without any more explanation. He shoved his leather jacket back on and zipped it up.

“I’m sending Higgs and Jessica around to the northeast side of the building. Mick and the rookie will come in from the west, and I’ll take the front.” Cam pointed over her shoulder. “Holly and Stan are covering the south exit in case anyone tries to do a runner.”

“And where do you want me?”

“Keep yourself available to run backup where needed.”

He nodded as he pulled out his gun and checked the magazine. Thoughts of Sally rushed him. He was usually able to control that kind of thing at work, but after his dream she was all-consuming. Her sweet smile, her tears…the way she’d turned into a pile of dirty snow. The complete grief he felt at losing her.

Since breaking up, he hadn’t let it take him. But time had obviously run out and he couldn’t keep ignoring the pain radiating inside of him. It was hot and fierce.

He felt completely lost without her.

And doing this raid, catching these guys, wasn’t going to make him feel better. It wouldn’t satisfy. It wouldn’t bring his mother back. Nothing ever would.

But he could do something about Sally.

He could get her back.

“I’ve gotta go.” He clipped the magazine back in and shoved the gun into his holster.

“What?” Cam frowned at him.

“You don’t need me. The entire building is covered with competent police officers. You don’t need me for this raid.”

“But…” Cam shook her head. “You always want in.”

He cringed. “Yeah, I know. But I don’t always need to be in.”

Cam let out a confused scoff. “Have you got somewhere better to be?”

His lips twitched. “I gotta get Sally back.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Right now.”