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NICK WALKED ACROSS the tarmac of Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, the cold wind biting into him. He braced against the weather, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder, his jacket zipped up tight. Jett had called in a favor, getting Nick on a military flight to Nebraska. It wasn’t conventional in the least, but it turned out Jett had a buddy that owed him a favor. He had contacts all over the world, an advantage that had served him well in forming Shadow Security. Nick could’ve easily ridden commercial, but given the timing, this had worked out better than he could’ve hoped. His gut had been telling him something was wrong, and now that he’d landed in his home state, he wished he’d come here sooner and found out why Kaylee had asked for help.
Nick’s credentials allowed him access on base, and he moved freely toward one of the buildings. He might not carry a military ID anymore, but Shadow Security had clearances to enter a multitude of government facilities and military installations. There were more than eight thousand military and civilian personnel employed by Offutt, but he was thankful he didn’t need an escort to move around. He’d already waited too damn long to come and was anxious to find out answers.
Kaylee hadn’t responded to his text earlier asking if she was okay. He’d even called her, and it had gone straight to voicemail. Nick didn’t even know her address aside from the fact that she still lived in Omaha. Her parents still lived in her childhood home. He’d go pound on their door if he had to. It wasn’t like her to blow him off, especially after she’d asked for his help. Something was wrong.
“Dowd!” a male voice shouted, and Nick’s head swiveled to the left as a man in fatigues moved toward him. Life in the military meant multiple TDYs, PCSs, and deployments. Nick knew service members stationed around the globe. That didn’t mean he expected to run into any of them the moment he landed at Offutt.
A smile broke out across his face as he saw Everett “Ace” Walker, the leader of the Alpha SEALs Coronado team. Nick didn’t know Ace too well but had met him on a joint op years ago during his Army days. Ace’s commanding officer was Jett’s brother, Commander Slate “Striker” Hutchinson. While Jett had left the military behind, Slate still very much remained faithful to his career in the Navy and led multiple SEAL teams on the West Coast.
Nick grinned at his old buddy. “What are you doing here, man? This isn’t exactly sunny Southern California.”
“Negative. I was here on TDY. And no, I didn’t join the Air Force,” Ace joked.
“I figured as much. So, what’s the deal? They needed some Navy guys to do their job? We all know Army is better,” Nick razzed.
Ace chuckled. “My CO asked me to brief some of the brass on base about a recent op. It’s a bit unusual given I’m not a briefer or analyst. They wanted intelligence from the boots on the ground, so to speak, so here I am. Normally, a secure video conference would work, but I happened to be flying cross country and made the stopover. We just finished up a little while ago. What are you doing here?”
“I came home to check up on some stuff, and Jett got me a ride other than commercial,” Nick explained.
“Oh yeah? Sounds like Jett—always the rulebreaker.”
Nick smirked. “Damn straight. He called in a favor from a friend. I saw your CO at Jett and Anna’s wedding not too long ago.”
Ace chuckled. “Yeah. Our commander couldn’t believe it when Jett first started dating her, but I guess it worked out. The CO said his brother seemed happy as hell.”
Nick shook his head, trying not to smile. “He is. And man, Jett and his brother couldn’t be more different.”
“A fact he’s mentioned more than once,” Ace said with a grin. “So, you’re from Nebraska?” he asked, glancing toward a plane that was loading in the distance. Nick followed his gaze, realizing Ace was readying to go wheel’s up.
“Guilty as charged. I’m from Omaha.”
“Your family’s here,” Ace assessed.
“They are, but this doesn’t involve them. I just need to check on an old...friend.”
Ace shot him a knowing look. “Gotcha. Well, I hope it works out for you, buddy.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll let you go. Looks like your ride is about ready,” he said, nodding toward the plane Ace was heading to.
“Yep. I gotta get back to Coronado. There’re several things on the horizon—as always, right? Tell me, do you miss the Army?”
Nick chuckled. “Not at all. We’re still running ops, however, as you know. It’s been good for our team. These are the same men I served with.”
“They’re damn good guys,” Ace said.
Nick clapped him on the back. “That they are. Have a good flight, man.”
“Thanks. Good luck with your situation,” he added. The men briefly shook hands, and then Ace was heading off to hop his flight back to the West Coast. Nick shook his head. When he was still in the Army, Nick and his teammates had been Delta Force. They’d handled counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and reconnaissance missions. Life on the Shadow Ops Team was similar, only without the government to back them up. If anything happened to any of them on foreign soil, they were on their own.
Nick continued toward the building, ready to catch a ride. He needed to stay focused on his goal here—find Kaylee, make sure she was okay, then get back to his real life. His gut churned with the idea that something was wrong.
Grabbing his phone once again, he shot her another text.
Nick: I’m in Omaha. Let’s meet up. Call me.
There was no response, not that he was surprised. It would be too much to hope that she’d suddenly reply now that he was here in Nebraska. Frowning, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. It felt like there were about a million things on his mind, but he’d start with the easiest—going straight to her parents.
***
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU haven’t heard from her?” Nick asked an hour later, frowning as he stared at an older version of Kaylee on her parents’ front porch.
Karen Thomas worried her lip, exactly in the same manner Kaylee always did. Karen once had dark hair like her daughter, but it was now salt and pepper gray. She was petite, with similar facial features to Kaylee. Staring at her was like looking into his future—seeing what Kaylee would look like in thirty years. The thought was a little jarring. What made him picture growing old with his ex-girlfriend? Memories washed over him, mixing with his concern.
“Exactly that, Nick. Kaylee told us something was going on about a month ago and said that she might have to leave for a little while. She didn’t explain much at all, just said that it was urgent. A couple of days later, a man came to visit our home to let us know she was okay. He looked like an FBI Agent, although he never showed us his badge.”
Alarm bells went off in Nick’s head, and he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. Clearing his throat, he eyed Kaylee’s mom. “What did he tell you?”
“He said that she was safe, and he’d be in touch when he could tell us more.”
Nick frowned, not liking the sound of any of it. “Mrs. Thomas, is it okay if I come in? I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Of course,” she said, looking flustered. “I’m sorry I didn’t invite you in right away. I was shocked to see you here at my front door, although I know you and Kaylee have kept in touch over the years. I’m somewhat relieved you’re concerned as well. My husband said not to worry, but something feels wrong.”
“It does,” he agreed as he stepped through the front door. His eyes drifted to the stairs as Karen closed the door, turning the lock. Although Nick and Kaylee had dated as teenagers, he’d only been up to her childhood bedroom a handful of times. They’d snuck around anyway though, getting lost in each other in his own bed while his parents had been at work or making love in the back of his truck. He’d never been able to get enough of her, and thankfully, the feeling had been mutual. She’d been nervous but eager for him, and when their bodies moved in sync, joined together as one?
Shit.
He didn’t need to be remembering any of that now. Years had passed, and they’d both moved on.
His gaze scanned over the pictures in the hallway, drinking in the photographs of her. His heart pounded in his chest as he took in her fair skin and gorgeous green eyes. One fairly recent photo was of Kaylee on a beach, her sundress clinging to her curves. Both affection and lust coursed through him. She might’ve been beautiful as a teenager, but hell. Kaylee was an absolute knockout now.
And he’d let her get away.
“Did you just arrive in Omaha?” Karen asked, eyeing Nick’s duffle bag as he set it in her foyer.
“Yes, ma’am. I caught a flight to Offutt,” he explained. “My former commanding officer was able to get me on board a plane.”
“Wow. That worked out nicely. You’re working for a security company now, right? I understand you left the Army.”
“Yes. I’m with Shadow Security. We provide protection and act as bodyguards for our clients,” he said, relaying to her what was on Shadow Security’s public website.
“That’s wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a seat,” she said, directing him toward the sofa. Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he crossed the living room, and he pulled it free, frowning as he realized it was from Gray. Of course, it wasn’t Kaylee. For all he knew, she’d never even seen his recent messages.
Gray: Let me know if you need any help.
Nick: Will do.
Gray: I’m serious. Say the word and I’m there.
Nick: Got it. Thanks, man.
“Just my buddy,” he explained as he took a seat. While he hadn’t chatted with Gray about his concerns regarding Kaylee this afternoon, Jett had told Nick after the meeting that he’d arranged for a flight. No doubt Sam had filled in the rest of the team after he left. It felt good to know his teammates had his back. The problem was, he had no idea what sort of trouble Kaylee could be in. Nick was starting from square one, gathering intel about his former love. While he’d love to rush right in and solve the problem, he was currently sitting in the dark.
Half an hour later, his mind was whirling. Kaylee wasn’t doing marketing with her graphic design skills as he’d imagined. She was a civilian contractor for the DEA. She made graphics for highly classified reports—materials her parents had never even seen. Kaylee had never mentioned where she was working during their text exchanges. In fact, he knew little about her life now despite the fact that they’d kept in touch. Uneasiness wound through him. Was her disappearance tied to her work? What else hadn’t she told him?
He let out a breath. “I assume you’ve been to her apartment?” Nick asked. “I don’t even know her address but figured I could get it from you.”
“No, we actually haven’t been there recently. The FBI agent who came to our home assured us that Kaylee was safe but asked that we stay away from there. He didn’t want us to draw any attention to ourselves,” Karen said, looking worried. “My understanding was that they were protecting her as a witness to something. He didn’t disclose any details as to what or provide additional information.”
“Did he actually say he was FBI? The Witness Protection Program is run by the U.S. Marshal Service, not the Bureau.”
“I don’t think he specifically said what agency he was with. The man identified himself as being with the government. Gosh. I was so worried; I don’t even recall every detail. I wish we had one of those doorbell cameras that recorded everything. I did try to call her that night, but her phone rang and rang. I wondered if I should go to the police, but this man said the government was protecting her. I just don’t know what to do.”
Nick watched her intently. He didn’t want to alarm Kaylee’s mom, but in his experience, the Feds were usually eager to flash a badge. This wasn’t someone undercover gathering intelligence, who wouldn’t want to disclose where he worked. A supposed Federal Agent showing up on Karen’s doorstep but not providing her with his credentials was suspicious.
“Do you have any contact info for the agent you met?” Nick asked. “A name or cell number for this guy?”
She shook her head. “He assured us he’d be in touch again soon. I was so upset, I didn’t even think to ask him for it.”
“But you haven’t heard from him since then.”
“No, just that once,” she said, wringing her hands together. “That was weeks ago, Nick. I felt like we should trust him. Kaylee had said she might need to leave for a little while, so of course I figured it was related. I just expected to hear from her long before now.”
“I had no idea that she was a contractor for DEA,” Nick said, letting out a breath. “If she works there, she has clearances and access to all types of classified information.”
Karen looked sympathetic. “She didn’t want you to worry about her.”
Nick stared at her in disbelief before shaking his head. “We kept in touch but aren’t exactly close anymore. When we broke up, we made a clean break.”
“You were both so young when you were together. She’s dated over the years, of course, but she never settled down, never started a family. I think a part of her has always loved you,” Karen said, her voice sad.
Nick stilled.
Kaylee was happy. Wasn’t she?
“We barely know each other anymore,” he finally said, his voice catching. Karen didn’t respond, and Nick felt uneasiness stirring within his gut. He’d moved on. He’d dated over the years, had casual girlfriends. Hadn’t looked back. Just because Kaylee stood out amongst all his exes didn’t mean they were meant to be together. Nick was a realist. It hadn’t worked out, and that was that. He was lying to himself, however, because he knew damn well that no other woman would’ve reached out to him like this and known he’d come.
“I’m here because she asked me for help,” he said as he stood up from the sofa. “Can you give me her address? I’d like to check things out. After that, I’ll reach out to her employer. You mentioned she’s on a DEA contract, but do you know the name of the company she works for? I’d appreciate it if you could write that down along with any other contact info you have for Kaylee. All I’ve got is her cell number, which she’s not answering.”
“Of course. I’ll get all that for you before you go. I’m so worried,” Karen admitted.
Nick reluctantly met her gaze again, wishing he could say something to reassure her. “Me too.”
