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GRAYSON CURSED THE following week as the commander gathered them in the briefing room on base. They of course could get called up for an op at a moment’s notice, but the timing of this wasn’t ideal. They never knew if they’d have days or hours to prepare for a mission, and right now, they were getting sent out immediately.
Blake crossed his arms as the others took their seats, looking at the terrain in Afghanistan on the massive TV screen. New intel on Sayed had come in, and their team was getting sent back to Bagram. This time they wouldn’t even meet with the general when they arrived. They’d land in country and move to a forward-operating base, out of sight of everyone at Bagram Airfield.
“And we’re certain he’s there?” Blake asked, nodding at the images.
Commander Slate Hutchinson frowned, glancing around the room. He was older than the other men, in his mid-forties, but he still had the build of a SEAL. He now commanded several of the teams here in Coronado and was well-respected by everyone on base. “Sat imagery and signals intelligence pinpoint him at this exact location. He’s thirty miles south of the village you searched, holed up near the mountains. Your team will be working entirely alone this time. It’s a small camp, and you’ll infiltrate and extract Sayed.”
“And the mole?” Grayson asked, frowning.
Jackson shifted beside him, his jaw tense. None of the men were happy that a likely traitor was still in Bagram somewhere.
“Undetected. Whoever it is appears to be lying low after that bombing. There have been no other incidents in or around Bagram Airfield, although there are two people still missing.”
“Shit,” Grayson muttered under his breath.
He’d talked with Hailey every night since she’d gotten her new cell phone, and he knew she was worried sick about her friend Kim. Some evenings they’d chatted for hours, some days he’d been stuck on base and only had time for a quick call because of the time difference. It was fast and crazy, but he felt more and more like he was talking to his girlfriend each night instead of a woman he’d never even taken on a real date.
He was falling for her. Hard. It was weird since he usually took the women he met to bed right away. They’d meet at a bar, go home together, have a fun night. This felt different and right though. More real than any of those past flings he’d had over the years. And damn if he didn’t hate hearing Hailey upset about her friend.
“Hailey’s friend is one of the people missing,” Ethan ascertained.
Grayson nodded. “Hailey saw her in the building right before the bombing, but after that, she disappeared.”
“Kimberly Turner doesn’t work in the general’s office,” Commander Hutchinson said. “As you’re aware, it’s believed someone assigned there was leaking information, working with someone in Sayed’s group.”
“And Kim was only there for reserve duty,” Grayson said. “She wasn’t assigned to Bagram and wouldn’t have access to all the information people stationed there might.”
“She’s a civilian?” Logan asked.
“Reservist,” Grayson said. “I think she’s a DOD contractor. That’s how she and Hailey met back in Arlington.”
“Well hell,” Blake said. “If she’s not even based in his office, she can’t be the mole. So why the hell is she missing?”
“No one thinks she’s involved,” their commander said dryly. “I was only mentioning it because neither of the missing are from the office where we believe the mole is. The destroyed section of the building has been searched completely. Dogs were brought in, specialized recovery teams. She’s gone.”
“Kidnapped?” Jackson asked with a frown. “It’s doesn’t sound like she’d go AWOL.”
“Can a reservist even go AWOL?” Logan asked, scrubbing his hand over his jaw.
“Technically, yes, while she’s on her assignment,” Blake said. “Who’s the second person?”
“Another woman assigned to a different area on base,” Commander Hutchinson informed the men.
“How the fuck would someone kidnap them? The front gate was heavily guarded by that point. How could anyone even leave?” Troy said, clenching his jaw. He pounded his fist on the table, looking agitated. As much as all the men on the team felt it was their duty to rescue civilians, Troy always seemed to have a soft spot for women. He had several younger sisters and was naturally the protective type.
“Shit,” Grayson muttered. “A terrorist attacking U.S. forces, a possible kidnapping.”
“Your team will move in and capture Sayed,” their commander said. “We need him alive to find out who he’s working with, who on base is involved. If it’s an American, they’ll be charged with treason. Americans have died because of his attacks, and now two American women are missing as well.”
“He’s a fucking monster,” Troy muttered.
“We don’t know that he was behind the kidnapping,” Blake said, his eyes blazing.
“Hell, we don’t even know for sure if there was a kidnapping,” Grayson muttered.
“Which makes it all the more imperative that he’s found. It may provide us with information on the two missing Americans, and it will prevent further attacks on U.S. and allied forces stationed there. Find Sayed so we can get our damn answers. You’ll be leaving within the hour,” Commander Hutchinson said. “He’s not going to slip through our fingers this time. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the men hastily said.
Their commander dismissed them, and Grayson muttered a curse as they went to gather their gear before getting onto the C-17 that would take them across the Atlantic. Blake glanced over at Grayson, raising his eyebrows.
“I can’t tell Hailey I’m leaving. She’s got her meeting at the Pentagon today and doesn’t have her phone with her. Not that I could say much anyway. I’m going to have to send her a damn text and let her know that she won’t hear from me for a while.”
“She’s DOD. She’ll understand that you have to get sent out.”
“Maybe. I was hoping to explain a little when she got out here though—that I can’t say where I’m going or how long I’ll be gone. She knows I’m a SEAL, but I don’t know that she fully understands how secretive everything is. I’ve talked to her every night this week but haven’t even taken her out on a date yet. It just fucking sucks that I can’t say goodbye to her. I don’t want her to think I’m blowing her off.”
Blake clenched his jaw, frowning. Grayson knew his friend had gotten in a quick call to Clarissa to let her know he was leaving. And the first op they’d left on had been the one where he’d met Hailey. Being a SEAL was rough on relationships, but Blake lived with his girl. He’d kissed her and made love to her. Saw her every damn day. Grayson was just getting to know Hailey—and it killed him to up and go without even the chance to say goodbye.
“She’ll understand,” Blake assured him. “She’s smart and an employee with DOD. She knows how the military works.”
Grayson shook his head as the men went to get their gear. “I hope so. It’s not like I have a damn choice.”
***
HAILEY GINGERLY SANK down onto the sofa in her parents’ living room later that afternoon. Her meeting at the Pentagon had gone well, but it had hurt like hell to walk through those long corridors when she was still recovering from her injuries. She should’ve asked for a wheelchair or something—not that she wanted to look weak and incompetent.
Much to her surprise, they’d asked her to head out to California a week early. The personnel office she’d met with had said the current employee in her new position wanted to train her. Since she was stateside and not still overseas in Bagram, Hailey had agreed. She’d stay in a hotel since her lease didn’t start for another week, but she was excited to get out there.
She’d have time to learn the area around San Diego and hopefully buy some new clothes and things. Her furniture was already being trucked across the country in order to be ready for her when she arrived. The moving company would hold it in storage there, and then she’d move into her apartment in a week.
Sipping a cup of tea, she checked her messages. Her parents had both gone into work today. They’d taken several days off to help her at home, but she was glad they were getting back to their own lives, and she had to admit, she was looking forward to a few hours alone.
Usually she didn’t hear from Grayson much during the day, but she wanted to let him know she’d be moving out there sooner rather than later and eagerly clicked the messages app on her phone. Frowning, she saw that she already had a brief message from him.
The guys and I have to head out. I’ll touch base as soon as we’re back. I hope your meeting today went well. -Grayson
Head out...where? On another mission? Back to Bagram?
She frowned, wishing she knew more and had a chance to talk to him. Usually his texts were somewhat flirty and he called her sweetheart. This just seemed all business, like he’d been in a rush.
Hi. The meeting went well, and I’m actually moving a week earlier than expected. Are you still there?
She didn’t expect him to reply immediately and turned on the TV while she finished her tea. Her ribs ached, and she tried to get comfortable on the sofa. Half an hour later, she still hadn’t heard back. She didn’t know exactly how things worked with Grayson’s team, but it had been several hours since he’d sent his text to her. Was he already gone?
She sent him one more text.
I’m guessing you left already. I wish we could’ve talked again. Be careful. -Hailey
Trying not to worry, she put her mug in the kitchen sink and went back to her bedroom. It was weird to have nothing to do in the middle of the afternoon. She was used to being at work every day, being around her coworkers and the women she’d befriended on base. Normally there weren’t enough hours in the day to get all her work done.
And now?
She couldn’t seem to find anything to fill her time.
Her friends here in Arlington were all at work, since it was a weekday. She didn’t really have things to pack or unpack since they were either already in storage or had been ruined in the explosion.
She was just...here. Restless. Worried about Grayson, if she admitted it to herself. She barely even knew him but felt like she was falling harder each day. And now she wouldn’t get to have their nightly talks for a while. She didn’t know a lot about being a SEAL, but she certainly understood the secrecy. And the danger. He put himself in risky situations all the time—that was probably why he hadn’t thought twice about rushing to her rescue. She didn’t like the idea of him in harm’s way, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. Clearly, he was good at his job. He and his teammates had been intimidating and scary back in Bagram. They’d rushed in to help when the suicide bomber blew themself up at the gate, and then they’d rushed to the explosion at her building.
And what had happened to Kim? No one was telling her anything about her friend.
Tears smarted her eyes as she laid down on her bed and shut them tightly. She was lonely and scared, she realized. Worried about Grayson. Upset about Kim. She’d been so focused on healing from her injuries for the past few days, that she hadn’t had much time to process everything that had happened.
She’d nearly been killed.
If Grayson hadn’t looked for her, would she have died there in her room?
Choking back a sob, a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t do any good, but at the moment? She just wanted to give in to her emotions and let herself feel. Maybe tomorrow she’d feel better and stronger, but right now, she was emotionally drained and exhausted.
