“I don’t understand...” I trailed off, as Jack and I walked down a scenic green pasture in our mountain retreat.

  “This thing goes deeper than I initially thought.” Jack said, after taking in a deep breath.

  “What could Natalya be after?” I asked, treading carefully down the now steeper mountainside ravine, through thicket after thicket of green brush and tall trees. It felt like we'd suddenly trekked through a jungle.

  Jack shook his head. “I—“ he started up and the stopped abruptly in thought. “I don’t think it’s her.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any suitable words and closed it again in restrained thought.

  Jack rolled his head back and forth, as if mulling over a slew of thoughts yet unable to come to terms with any of them. “We still haven’t seen the entire team,” Jack said. “Don’t even know if they’re all alive.”

  “Should we contact Beckman?” I pondered aloud.

  Jack sighed heavily. “He can’t even be reached at the moment.” His brow furrowed, as he scratched his head, unsure of what to even say to me.

  “Well, at least we know Angus is on our side,” I said, reassuringly, or what I hoped would be a reassuring statement.

  Jack’s lips contorted into a painfully slight smile. “Is that a win for us?”

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  “Jack!” I yelped playfully. “You have to squash this thing between you two.” Immediately my mind went to Jack and Natalya. Not the squashing I’d like to imagine. I shook my head aggressively. “Ya know?”

  Jack nodded. “I know....he’s just not the...agreeable type.”

  “And you are?” I laughed.

  “More than him,” he smirked, the wind whipping his hair, while a mist in the air glistened it in just the most alluring way. It made me picture things that I shouldn't be thinking of at the moment. However, that desire just continued to grow stronger within me. I knew that at some point, I would just break. Did someone turn up the heat in these mountains, or is it just me?

  “I was serious with what I said to him,” Jack continued. Though I don't think he'd be so quick to forgive me,” he gulped. “I didn't always handle things well during that whole situation, I admit.” He paused for a moment. “I'd like to make things right though.”

  I smiled. “I think you can...no...I know you can.”

  Jack let out an ever so slight grin himself.

  Suddenly, we crossed over to a path and the sound of rushing water elevated in the distance. A hissing almost. Then, a large waterfall came into view, my eyes enlarging to take it all in.

  “Man-made,” Jack said, admiring the peaceful tranquility delivered by the great falls, and the misty air that filled our lungs as we walked down and approached a viewing space from above. “Doesn't make it any less beautiful though.”

  “Majestic,” I said, in pure awe, breathing in every bit of the waters flowing down from multiple pools into smaller ones with graceful elegance. “Why did you want to take me here though?”

  Jack stood in thought, before leaning over the wooden balcony. “It’s been nonstop. Hit after hit, loss...after loss. I thought you could use it. A sense of solitude. A peaceful moment. We could both use it.”

  I had forgotten that Jack wasn’t without loss in this whole predicament. “It’s perfect,” I said, grabbing his face with both hands and kissing him. “Thank you.” I smiled warmly and leaned my head on his shoulder, clutching his arm as we watched the falls dissipate into the chilled mountain air.

  We needed moments like this, I thought to myself. Things were only getting more confusing by the day, but for once, I felt oddly at peace, despite my heart pounding for Jack in various ways. We could discuss plans later tonight, but for now, maybe a little moment of respite, wasn’t too much of a bad thing.

  “Yeah...” Jack said softly, his eyes drifting down to the dog tag that he removed from his pocket and held in his hand, with a grim expression. “Yeah.”