Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of torture and the death of a child.

At the request of her older brother, Ryan, 24-year-old Ella MacKenzie writes a letter to one of his “buddies” in the same special operations unit, Beckett Gentry. Ella addresses the letter to “Chaos,” Beckett’s call sign and the only thing she knows about him. She introduces herself as the mother of five-year-old twins, Margaret “Maisie” and Colton “Colt” MacKenzie. Ella was briefly married to their father, who left her when he discovered she was pregnant. When Ella was 20, her grandmother died, and she took over Solitude, the bed and breakfast the woman owned and ran. Ella continues to run it now.

Ryan tells Beckett about the letter as the latter plays with Havoc, the special operations dog he handles and who only listens to him. Beckett, who is upset that one of their unit members, Ramirez, has lost his arm, refuses to read it. A new boy is sent to replace Ramirez, but he dies within three days on Beckett’s birthday. This loss and a desire to connect with someone leads Beckett to impulsively read Ella’s letter. He is struck with instant admiration for her and yearns to know her more.