Nigel found some firewood piled underneath a tarp. His father taught him how to chop wood when he was a child.

“The key is to split the wood, not to hack at it with the axe. You want to hit the edge just right,” his father would say.

Nigel’s heart ached at the memory. He had thought he would have a different reaction when Rick was dead, but he felt nothing but guilt when he thought of his father.

Why am I so . . . weepy?

Nigel forced himself to think about something else. It had been two days since they’d cleared out the lodge, and it was getting colder.

“Nigel, it’s Milo on the radio,” Vedrana said.

He followed her into the lodge. His hormones got the better of him, and by the time he reached the radio room he wanted to spend some quality time with Vedrana alone.

What in the hell is the matter with me?

“What’s up, Milo?” Nigel said over the open channel.

“Hey, Nige, I found Mr. Tage’s phone number. He’s listed in the white pages, if you can believe it.”

Having a phone number is great if I have a working telephone. Does he have a radio at the mansion?

“Milo, do you know the radio call sign for Mr. Tage?”

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“I don’t know that a billionaire would have a call sign, but let me check the directory,” Milo said.

Nigel knew that Mr. Tage had served in the military. He had exploits with members of the foreign legion. Wouldn’t a man like that have an analog radio as well?

“You were right. Tage has a radio call sign, and you will never guess what it is.”

“Uh, I don’t know. ‘Filthy rich dude with a radio’?” Nigel said.

After a long moment, he heard something wonderful. Milo was laughing.

“That’s a good one, Nige. I needed to laugh, and you always bring out the best in me. No, his call sign is the governor.”

“Knowing what I do about the man, I’m not surprised,” Nigel said, chuckling.

Nigel hadn’t seen a telephone book in years. If anyone still had physical copies of such items, it was Milo. Nigel took down the information and was about to conclude the call when his friend gave him pause.

“Are you still with Jet?”

“Yes, well, not at the moment. But, yes, I’m still with her.”

“Who are you with, then?”

Nigel provided the basis of his relationship with Blanka, Eva, and Vedrana. He withheld his recent romantic interests with the female assassins.

“Well, then you will like what I have to say.”

Nigel hated how Milo would draw out conversations like he was leading to a great revelation. More often than not, it would annoy him.

“What is it, Milo?”

“Jet is alive and with an elite group called the Dark Angels.”

So that’s who took her!

Nigel realized he had thought less about Jet as he should have. Before his recent adventures with Dahlia’s assassins, he had thought about Jet daily. He couldn’t remember the last time he thought about her. A torrent of emotion welled up in his brain like a log jam that he didn’t feel the need to clear. His relationship with Blanka and her companions grew more complicated by the day. He no longer slept alone, and sometimes they all slept together.

“That’s wonderful, Milo. Thanks for the help. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Don’t you want Jet’s frequency? So you can talk with her?”

No, I don’t think I do.

“Yes, I’ve been worried about her. Please give it to me,” Nigel lied.

He wrote down the information that Milo provided and promised to keep in touch.