ISN’T THERE A way to get there faster?” Micah’s agitation wore on Nick’s nerves. He had already come close to knocking Nick out over his seeming calmness toward the situation. Inside, Nick boiled. His strength in battle came from maintaining an outward calm. It allowed him to walk into deadly situations focused and prepared. The attitude had only intensified since he’d become a believer, but a blow this personal was about to break his discipline.
Their team had gathered in the living room during the course of the night. Senior Chief was assessing the resources being sent to Haiti and the possibility of temporarily allowing Nick and Micah to head down with the Marines to search for Kaylan. So far, the process was slow, hence Micah’s impatience.
“Working on it, Bulldog. Calm down.”
“It’s my sister, Hawk. Do you get that? My sister. And I can’t protect her.”
“I understand, but being angry with me won’t solve anything.”
“Do you understand? You don’t even have a family, and when you did, you didn’t appreciate them till they were gone.”
Nick resisted the urge to hit Micah. As quickly as his anger rose, Micah’s shoulders hunched in defeat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. It isn’t your fault, and I know you loved your parents.”
“Don’t worry about it, man.” Nick popped more chewing gum into his mouth and held the package out to Micah.
“Does chewing that actually help?”
“Menial task, minor motion, something familiar.” Nick shrugged. It was his vice.
Micah popped a piece in his mouth and resumed his pacing, his eyes on the news. Nick crossed his arms and allowed the wall to take his weight. If Kaylan was alive, she wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Neither would he. Coffee brewed in the kitchen, and the aroma stirred his senses, reminding him of the muddy coffee and long night watches in the Middle East. His senses were gearing up for battle, but it was a war he didn’t understand, with no enemy except the earth itself.
Where was she?
For the thousandth time, he tried her cell and heard the annoying tones of a busy signal. A few calls were coming into the news from Port-au-Prince. It didn’t look good. His team knew how to fight terrorists. How did one fight this? It was a mark of their closeness that the team had come to keep a silent vigil. Some of the guys kept Micah occupied by shooting darts. Micah’s aim was good, even in his panic. Dart after dart hit the bull’s-eye, and the other guys finally gave up.
In a few hours dawn would break over the West Coast, and for the first time since leaving Kaylan, Nick dreaded the new day. He had no idea if he was facing a sunrise that would find Kaylan dead an ocean away. His hand dove into his pocket as the phone rang. Every eye focused on him. Micah stood in front, making sure he heard as Senior Chief ’s voice blared through the phone.
“I made some calls. Just don’t ask to who. You leave tomorrow. You will rendezvous with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and arrive in Haiti on Friday the fifteenth. That’s as fast as I can get you there. The Marines will be in charge of getting critical supplies to the locals. As soon as you find that girl of yours, I need you back on the plane and here, you got that?”
Nick’s heart galloped, ready to board the plane. “Is there no way to get there today?”
“The government over there is in shambles and unresponsive. We are doing as much as we can to get men and supplies on the ground, but that takes coordination we weren’t planning on. The 621st Air Force Contingency Response Wing is taking over the airport in Port-au-Prince to direct traffic. You can transport supplies into the city. You’re on your own once in the city, though.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
“Carmichael, have you thought about what you and Richards will find over there?”
He gripped the phone tighter. “Yes, sir.”
“And you’re sure you want to go? If she’s alive, she’ll call when the lines are open. The embassy is identifying and locating all American citizens. If she’s not on a list yet, she soon will be. She won’t be one of the nameless.”
Micah shook his head hard, and Nick silently agreed.
“If you were in our place, what would you do?”
“I probably wouldn’t have asked for permission.”
“We won’t leave her there, sir. We have to know. No matter what.” Tears stung Nick’s eyes, but he rejected them.
“Then God be with ya. I hope you find her alive, son. Good luck.”
The line went dead. Nick closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle.