He wasn’t proud of his history. He had destroyed the only good thing he ever had. Then, the unthinkable happened.
They were on a routine patrol near the north ridge when they stumbled upon a hidden camp. Three men were butchering a deer they had taken out of season. They were surrounded by empty beer cans and looked agitated.
When Mac and Kyle stepped into the clearing, the men reached for their rifles. A heated argument broke out. Mac tried to de-escalate, but these weren’t just locals looking for meat; they were looking for trouble.
A shot rang out, echoing through the canyon. It was meant to be a warning, but the shooter was shaky and drunk.
Mac saw the barrel swing toward Kyle. Without thinking, he threw himself in front of the boy. The bullet caught Mac in the chest, knocking him backward into the dirt.
The poachers, realizing they had just shot a state officer, panicked. They scrambled into their truck and tore off down the logging road. Mac lay on the ground, the world starting to go grey at the edges.
Kyle didn’t freeze. He used his shirt to apply pressure to the wound and called for an airlift on the radio. He stayed over Mac, talking to him, telling him he had to stay awake.
In the back of the helicopter, Mac gripped Kyle’s hand. He felt the end coming and knew he had to say it. He asked Kyle to find a woman named Annie Miller in the city. He wanted to send a message of apology.
He told Kyle that he had never stopped loving her or the son he had thrown away. He figured a kid with Kyle’s tech skills could find her in a database somewhere.
It was his dying wish. Mac had lost a lot of blood, and his heart was slowing down…
