Luke pulled into the parking garage next door to HERO Force’s Midtown offices. It was nine thirty in the morning, the streets stuffed with too many cars and the sidewalks riddled with pedestrians.

The whole drive back from Boston he’d been a man tormented, the craziness of New York City just the icing on what was turning out to be a shit-filled cake. He held no illusions. Summer wasn’t going to forgive him, and he wasn’t going to see her again. If she needed HERO Force’s help, she would get it from a different member of the team.

He jostled for position on the sidewalk, the air reeking of cologne, telling himself he should quit this job and never look back. But this time the words didn’t quite ring true. He was no longer sure if he should keep working here or not.

Before Summer arrived on the scene, he was halfway out the door with no intention of sticking around.

And now?

Looking back, he could see he’d been some sort of tragic character in his own mind, leaving HERO Force forever, sacrificing himself for a cause he could barely even name. Now he knew better. He was just an asshole, just another screwed-up guy. He wasn’t special, and going back to hide in his cabin in the woods wasn’t going to make the world a better place.

At least here he could do some good. Here among the relentless crush of people and the stench of corporate America. It was a battlefield of sorts. A different kind of battle he might actually be able to win.

Even if I couldn’t help Summer.

He took the elevator to the office, Mac standing in the lobby as if waiting for him. “Took you long enough to get here,” said Mac.

“Rush-hour traffic is a bitch. I need to get some shut-eye before I can drive back to my place.”

“I need you with me.”

Luke frowned. “What for?”

“Summer’s father has been kidnapped. They’re holding him hostage until they get the formula for Alloy 531.”

“By who? Walsh is in fucking jail.”

“I thought the same thing, so I put in a call to the local PD. Turns out there was some sort of misunderstanding involving a phone call from a prominent senator. They let him go.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” He kicked the wall. “How could they just let him go? Summer must be a wreck.”

“See for yourself. She’s in the situation room.”

“No.” Luke shook his head. “She doesn’t want to see me. I told her what really happened to Buckeye.”

“I figured you might. You never were any good at letting sleeping dogs lie. We need to head out in a minute. I’ve been watching your GPS, waiting for you to get here.”

“Where are we going?”

“An underground missile silo in Pennsylvania, about halfway to Philadelphia. Summer figured out the same manufacturer who built their equipment must have also made one for AGL Aerospace. We just got an address.”

“A fucking missile silo?”

“Yep.”

“What’s the plan to retrieve the father?”

“She gave them what they wanted, the formula for Alloy 531. They say they’ll release him when they manufacture the metal and see for themselves it’s the right one.”

“How long will that take?”

“Thirty to thirty-six hours.”

“You waiting?”

“And let her dad die? Hell no. Without his medicine, he’s a ticking time bomb of blood clots and a stroke waiting to happen. That’s why I need you.”

He held up his hands. “I’m out. She doesn’t want me there.”

“I don’t give a shit if she wants you there or not. She thinks they’re using this stuff to make bombs. You’re my go-to guy for bombs.”

“I froze up, Mac.”

“You’ll do better this time.” He turned to walk away.

“And what if I don’t? What if I freeze again, only this time it has worse fucking consequences?”

“You’re all I’ve got.” He shrugged. “At some point, you’ve got to realize you have special talents ain’t nobody else got. I can’t call somebody who isn’t fucked in the head to come help me. There isn’t another explosives expert on call for emergencies. It’s you or nobody, Wiseman. And I choose you.”

Luke dropped his head.

“I’m guessing she didn’t take the news very well,” said Mac.

“I killed her brother. How did you think she was going to take it?”

“You saved more than a hundred men that day. I would’ve made the same call in your shoes. Almost anyone would have.”

“Doesn’t change the bottom line, old man.”

“Maybe it ought to. Give her a chance to let it sink in, but don’t abandon her when she needs you most.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve spent the last three days telling me every time I turn around to stay away from that woman. Now you’re giving me shit because I’m taking that advice?”

Mac pointed at him, punctuating his words. “I told you to back off so you wouldn’t throw yourself under the bus like you did. But you didn’t listen to me. Now you’ve taken that poor girl’s world and you’ve shaken it all up, and you want to walk away? That ain’t right.”

“She doesn’t want me to stay. Don’t you get that?”

“Yeah, my wife didn’t want me to stay, either. So you know what I did?”

Luke shook his head. “This isn’t about your wife.”

“Of course it fucking is. All of it’s the same, or haven’t you figured that out yet? I left. I left again and again until one day she wasn’t there when I came back. All that ‘if you love something set it free’ crap is a bunch of horse hockey. If you love something, then stand your goddamn ground and fight for it.”

“I hardly even know Summer.”

“Who are you lying to? Me or yourself? I saw the way you two look at each other. And you were kissing her damn near the first time you got her alone. I ain’t saying you’re ready to walk down the aisle with the woman, but if you let her walk away instead, you won’t ever get her out of your mind. Now grab your shit so we can get the hell out of here. You can sleep on the bird.”