Christopher had agreed to wait.
That was what he kept coming back to.
Ryan had taken him aside before the rescue and asked him to think clearly if something went wrong. He had known Sydney would want to come after him. He had known Cindy and Rachel would struggle to leave him there, and that fear might drive all of them into a fight they could not win.
Christopher had understood.
Even now, he could follow the reasoning. Keeping calm gave them a chance to make decisions that served a purpose instead of merely answering whatever frightened them most. Rushing into Brigantine without knowing where Ryan was being held could get them captured before they came anywhere near him.
Ryan had not wanted his friends used against one another.
He had asked them to work with Marlon, prepare properly, and bring down the threat across the water. Getting him out was not supposed to come at the cost of everyone else.
Christopher had accepted that responsibility.
