I took another minute in the bathroom to compose myself, just staring at my reflection in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself. The auburn hair, hard eyes, stern jaw...that wasn't who I was. But it was who I had become. I recognized myself in the way that I recognized seasoned agents—people who had been through too much but were still doing their job because what else were they supposed to do? No longer was I the schoolgirl who was merely training for this life.

Now, I was the operative who had begun living this life. It wasn't all that I'd thought it be. Maybe things would have been different, maybe I would have seen the world differently, if I'd started out like most other agents. If my family hadn't gotten dragged into this mess, maybe I would have looked and felt like I used to. It could have been bright and shiny and new. Like I was actually starting to make a difference in the world.

All it felt like right now was that I was getting ready for my death.

I stared at my reflection for another moment longer and then I took a breath and headed back out into front room. Max and Lia were arming themselves in the corner; Tasha was in a heated discussion with a small, wiry woman with gray hair who I assumed was the MI6 computer analyst; Mariano was pouring over the maps and blueprints with the other agents. Daniel and his parents were nowhere in sight.

I crossed the room until I was with Max and Lia. Lia handed me a few spare clips of ammunition and some sheathed knives. I tucked the ammo into my various pockets and secured one of the knives to my ankle and the other to the outside of my bicep on my left arm. Max passed me two nine millimeter glocks in holsters. I attached one to my hip and the second to underneath my left shoulder. Then, armed, I slid the dark jacket around my shoulders and was ready to go.

It was then that Malcolm called the room to order. He went over the mission, explaining where everyone was to go and how to get into the base—we would be blowing small entry holes in the side of the cell blocks that we would be entering. Max, agent Mariano and I would entering block B along with Lia's strike team and then diverging from them to go through Block D as they attempted to get into block C where other members of both MI6 and the CIA were being held captive. While my father was the main objective in this mission, the other agents were adamant about wanting to save as many of their fellow agents as was possible.

As Malcolm spoke, making sure that each team knew exactly who they were aiming to rescue, I couldn't help but notice that Daniel and his mother were surprisingly absent. I'd become accustomed to Daniel's presence and it was very strange not having him near me, like there was a hole in my chest that wasn't quite filled.

By the time Malcolm finished speaking and the communications units that would allow us to speak with one other during the operation had been passed out, night had fallen. We were getting ready to head out when Daniel and Grace emerged from the lone bedroom. He was scowling, brows drawn tightly together and jaw tight. His eyes darted around the room until they landed on me, at which point he came directly to my side, ignoring his mother's voice as she tried to call him back.

"Can we talk?" he asked me.

"Sure."

I followed Daniel outside, feeling eyes on my back. He stopped a few paces away from the cabin door and turned to look at me.

"I'm not coming with you."

Mild shock shot through me. It was undoubtedly the right choice for Daniel to stay behind, he knew nothing of espionage and this wasn't the average mission. It was dangerous. Even being near this base came with its own risk.

"You'll be safer here," I offered.

Daniel's frown deepened. "I know. But, I can't help but feel like I should be with you, Mel. I don't like the idea of staying behind."

"You're untrained. You learned how to shoot a gun two days ago. This isn't the sort of thing you should be involved with."

He nodded, accepting this, but the frown never left his face. "I'm just worried that something will happen to you when I'm not there."

Daniel's sea-green eyes bored into mine, clear, unclouded, and troubled with unspoken emotion. I reached out and placed my hand on his comfortingly. His gaze flickered down to our hands for a moment and then he was back to looking at my face.

"Just promise me something."

"Anything," I swore.

"I need to know that you're coming back. I can't, I won't, stay behind knowing that something will happen to you and thinking that I could've helped you. I can't bear the thought of losing you again, Melanie."

I shuffled my feet and felt regret flash through me. "I can't promise you that I'll be okay or even that I'll come back. But, I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to get back here to you. I will fight like hell."

"You better," he murmured and ran a hand through his hair.

I could hear everyone moving around inside now. We were getting ready to mobilize and move out.

"Look," Daniel added, recapturing my attention. "There's something I've wanted to say to you for a long while. From before you left, actually. I didn't know how to say it then and I thought the time apart would have changed it but if anything it's only made it stronger and, I guess what I'm trying to say, is that—"

"Just spit it out!"

He took a breath and then, in one swoop of air, so fast I almost didn't catch it, he said, "I'm in love with you," and kissed me, hard on the lips, before I had the chance to reply.

Daniel's lips were soft against mine and he held me tenderly. One of his hands was still held in mine but the other was in my hair, holding me against him. The kiss was fast, it was over before it had barely begun, but I felt a fire in my veins that had never been lit before. It raced throughout my body, exciting every single cell that I had.

And then it was over and the door to the cabin was opening and light was flooding out and over us and we were standing apart, just staring at each other, chests heaving.

"Melanie?" Lia asked from somewhere beyond. There was a ringing in my ears and everything sounded oddly distant. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," I heard myself reply as she and Max and the other agents walked out of the cabin and towards the cars. We would be taking them to a rendezvous part from where we would be walking the remaining distance. All in all, the journey to the prison would take approximately two hours.

"Yes, let's go," I said again, still staring at Daniel. I took a step back, went to walk with everyone else towards the cars but Daniel was still holding my hand and he called me back after I'd only taken a single step.

"Melanie."

I looked back into his eyes, feeling a lump rise in my throat. I normally wasn't emotional and I wasn't entirely sure why this was bringing out such a reaction in me. There had been a time that I loved Daniel but that had been years ago. I had grown up. I had moved on.

Hadn't I?

"We'll talk when I get back," I hissed under my breath. And because Daniel still looked unsure, I added, "I promise."

Daniel nodded once and then allowed me to pull my hand free. I followed the others to the cars and climbed into the back of one with Lia and Max as Mariano and another agent I didn't situated themselves up front. As Mariano started the engine and made to pull away, I found myself looking back at the cabin where Daniel was still standing with Tasha and the MI6 computer analyst.

I watched him until we rounded the corner and, him finally gone from sight, I turned around to face the front. There would be time for me to analyze this whole situation later. Right now, it was time for me to meet my father.