Ben Mercer is an ex-cop, lamed, framed, and thrown off the force for a crime his partner committed. Now homeless, he has no expectations for a better life until he's recruited by Durand, head of Vanguard Security, to join a team that deals with problems the police can't or won't touch. All Ben needs is the approval of the team leader, Zach Turner.<br><br>To get it, Ben has to prove to Zach that he still retains his skills as a sniper, and that he can handle any job thrown at him, despite the still painful damage to his knee. He does, and is immediately pulled into a job with the team, rescuing a kidnap victim.<br><br>Ben had one big secret, or did have until Durand drew it out of him. Before his life was drastically changed he had denied, even to himself, that he was gay. Now that he's accepted it, and learned that Zach is as well, can the two men forge a bond beyond that of being teammates and friends? It will take several more jobs before Ben gets his answer.

A Second Chance

At that point, the trooper took charge of the unwounded hijacker while the EMTs prepared to take the other man to the ambulance.


“There was one more man,” Hayley was saying when Ez came over. “I think he’s still under the truck.”


“He was going to shoot me,” the semi driver said. “He would have if that man,” he jerked his head toward Ben, “hadn’t stopped him.”


“Is that true, sir?” the officer asked Ben.


“Yes. I wounded him, he rolled under the truck. He had a second gun. I shot him. I don’t think it killed him but he was bleeding badly.”


The EMT who had been bandaging Zach’s arm stopped and went to look under the semi. “We’ve got another one,” he hollered after training his flashlight on the third hijacker. “He’s breathing, but we’d better call for another ambulance.”


“Definitely should,” the trooper who had been interviewing Hayley said after taking a look.


Chapter 31