Free Killing Game (Veritas Book 2) by Chandler Steele Page A

age,” Cait said.
    It took some time, but eventually Patti was settled in Cait’s canoe, once again in a fetal position. Cait sent a quick text to Preston, letting him know the missing camper was safe. As she turned her canoe around, Brannon did the same.
    “If I were you, I’d just drop her off at headquarters, since she’s going to be a pain in the ass,” he said.
    “Ditching on the tour is what she wants. She needs to learn that she has a responsibility to others, not just to herself.”
    “I can hear you,” Patti groaned from the bottom of the canoe.
    Brannon rolled his eyes, trying to keep the laugh out of his voice. “Your call.”
    They set off at a strong pace, side by side.
    “Was that a lesson you had to learn as well? That you had a responsibility to others?” he asked, watching her closely now. When Cait nodded, he added, “Is that why you joined the Marines?”
    “No, I wanted to piss off my dad. He was regular Army, all the way. We had a gigantic argument, and The Major said he was going to send me off to some Christian college in Texas. I was so mad I signed up that afternoon. I was eighteen, so they were happy to do the honors.”
    “Did that piss him off?”
    Cait shook her head, frowning now. “No. When I told him what I’d done, I figured he would go ballistic. All he did was slap me on the back and say, ‘About damned time you grew up, Caitlyn.’”
    “Caitlyn, huh?” Though she thought he didn’t really look surprised by that.
    “Don’t go there.”
    “I’m cool,” he said innocently, but she could see the grin. They were pushing their pace again, Brannon’s canoe abreast of hers.
    Cait moved her oar to the other side while Patti dozed on. “I hated boot camp. It sucked, but I was used to higher-ranking males telling me what to do, and so I did fine. Once I was deployed, I found my home. My dad said he was real proud of me.”
    “And now?” Brannon asked. It seemed a very personal question.
    “He and my mother worry about me because I don’t come home very often. Too much noise. Too much fussing. I tend to . . . overreact.”
    Her companion grunted in sympathy, no doubt knowing exactly what that word might mean.
    “PTSD?” She nodded. “Ever considered getting one of those service dogs to help you with that?”
    She thought on that for a time. “No, there are other guys who need one more than I do. I’ll be okay.”
    “Most of them say that, Caitlyn.”
    She shot him a glance, realizing it was true. “Cait.”
    “I like Caitlyn better.”
    She took a few more strokes. “I might get a support animal someday, but not while I’m out here in the swamp. The gators think dog is a gourmet meal. I wouldn’t risk it.”
    “Someday you’ll have to come out of the wilderness.”
    Only if I know how .
    *~*~*
    Over an hour into the return trip, Patti raised her head, blinking. “Please tell me you’re taking me out of this hellhole.”
    “Sorry,” Brannon said. “You’re headed back to the group. They miss you.”
    “No!” she said, sitting up abruptly. “I don’t want to. I don’t like . . . ” She hesitated, then looked from Brannon back to Cait.
    “Is it your boyfriend?” Cait asked.
    “He’s not my boyfriend, okay?” Patti said. “You got any water?”
    Cait stopped paddling long enough to extract a full bottle and hand it over. Patti rinsed out her mouth first, spitting over the side, then took three big gulps.
    “So what’s bugging you about the tour?” Brannon asked. It was a smart question, coming at the situation from another angle rather than zeroing in on James first.
    “It’s not the tour, it’s him . James didn’t tell me we were going on this thing. He just said we’d take a tent out and camp for a couple days. Then I find out we’re going native in the middle of a damned swamp.”
    Cait opened her mouth to ask a question, then shut it. Her companion seemed to be able to get the girl talking better than she could.
    It’s the