Rad tried to get comfortable in the cargo hold of the C-130. He’d popped two Ambiens for the long plane ride even though he knew his body should be able to rest without them. But even with so little sleep and the pills, his mind raced with images of the previous day and night. He wanted it to stop—but he didn’t want to forget a thing—so he just closed his eyes and tried to memorize every detail.
“You thinking about what’s-her-name at the beach—Lauren?”
Rad opened his eyes and looked over at Wynn, who was staring at him with a serious expression.”
“Why?”
“’Cause you’re smiling like a damn love-sick schoolboy, that’s why.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Wynn moved closer and talked in a whispered voice, trying not to disturb the others who were attempting to relax and rest. “How long have you known her anyway? I never heard you talk about her before.”
Rad glanced at his watch. “Hmm, thirty-some hours now.”
“You got to be fucking kidding me.” Wynn’s voice grew loud, which caused a few grumbles around the plane, so he whispered again. “You two seemed like old friends.”
Rad leaned back and closed his eyes again. “I know. Kind of crazy, but it felt like we were.”
“You get her number?”
Rad smiled and nodded but didn’t bother to open his eyes.
“Da-a-a-mn, man,” Wynn said. “You’re good.”
“Good… or lucky, I guess.” Rad never had any trouble attracting women, which was why he was known by the guys as the “babe magnet” when they went to bars. He found this natural magnetism to be an annoyance and a curse. His buddies called him the luckiest sonofabitch alive.
But Lauren stood out in stark contrast to the women who usually accosted him. Rad wondered if she thought he was crazy, or worse yet, a stalker. Heck, he probably would have if he were in her shoes. He’d never acted like that with a woman, and he wasn’t sure why he’d been so bold—or trusting for that matter—with her.
One thing for sure. She wasn’t like most women he’d met. She was distant and reserved, yet at the same time, down-to-earth and real. For some reason he found her detached and distrustful personality intriguing. He had felt an instant chemistry the moment he’d laid eyes on her, but had no idea if the feeling was mutual. Much as she thought he could read her mind, he’d found her extremely difficult to assess.
Rad continued to replay the events of the day in his mind like a mini-motion picture. He had not taken his eyes off her from the first moment he’d noticed the long-legged, slender form standing at the water’s edge. The lone figure had appeared as just a dark shadow when he was still some distance away, but as he’d drawn closer, the graceful frame and athletic stance had come into focus.
The hat had been a godsend, giving him a reason to stop and talk. He remembered how his heart had skipped a beat when she’d first raised her gaze. Her eyes, though dark and mysterious, were touched with a peculiar velvety softness that made it hard to look away. Everything about her told of intelligence and resourcefulness and resolve. He couldn’t explain what had induced him to go find her again, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions he’d ever made.
Every minute of the twenty-something hours they’d spent together held memories he didn’t want to forget. He could still picture her in vivid detail, from the tips of her painted toenails to her dark eyes with their secretive expression. And then there was her walk—effortless and graceful, like Zoltar the fortune-teller had said—as if she knew exactly where she was going.
But the characteristic that attracted him the most and he most readily recalled was her laugh. Although quiet and meditative most of the time, he’d discovered that when she laughed, she did so loudly, and with a sound that was joyful and contagious.
Rad shifted his weight to get comfortable, still thinking about the wide array of memories that resulted from his short amount of time in Ocean City. It didn’t seem possible that so much fun and laughter could have been experienced in a mere one-day span. And it was likewise inconceivable that he, Michael Radcliff, could have clicked so easily and effortlessly with a woman he’d just met.
Closing his eyes again, Rad pictured Lauren sitting on the bench with her feet propped up on the sea wall. Funny, but she had been the first woman he’d ever met who hadn’t asked what he did for a living. Depending on the situation, he usually made up some innocuous occupation, but in this case there had been no need. Of course, she was also the first woman he’d ever met who could turn so instinctively to her four o’clock and could beat him with so little effort at Target Town. He assumed that being the daughter of a Navy veteran explained her familiarity with military terms and maybe even her quick reaction times. But there were other things, little things, he’d noticed that weren’t so easily explained.
Like the way they both had tried to take the seat in the restaurant that allowed a visual of the entrance. She had conceded the chair to Rad without a word, but then casually positioned herself so she had at least a partial view as well. And when he had questioned her about why she so often glanced over her shoulder on the Boardwalk, she had just smiled and said she liked to see what was going on behind her.
Her reaction when he’d walked up on her while she sat on the beach with her head in her arms was no less guarded and unexpected. Even with her eyes closed, she had seemed to sense his approach. Every muscle in her body had tensed, and one hand had even gone to her hip in a seemingly reflexive move that suggested familiarity with having a weapon there. He could almost see her chastise herself for her instinctive reaction and deliberately try to relax. And when he had spoken to her, she had appeared more displeased at herself for allowing him to surprise her than startled at his presence.
But that was part of what attracted her to him. She was different. Friendly yet cautious. Easy-going yet alert. She seemed to study everything and everyone as if taking notes and putting them into a folder for a later date. She’d remembered the name of every person she’d met at the party and came across as friendly and amicable. Yet there was always a hint of wariness and watchfulness in her eyes.
Rad sighed and tried to force his mind back to the present. His time with Lauren had been magical, but now he had to focus on the mission at hand. While life went on as usual for Americans at beach resorts like Ocean City, he and his brothers were heading to the other side of the planet to help prevent what had happened to Lauren’s parents from ever happening on American soil again.
The job he had to do wasn’t easy or glamorous, but it was a necessary evil in a world of increasing fanatical ideologies. The thought made Rad wonder what Lauren would think of his career choice. Would she be appalled if she knew his typical workday could involve blasting into a quiet house in the middle of the night in a country whose language and culture were foreign to him? And would she be shocked to know that he often had no way of knowing if that house contained a family of four sleeping on the floor—or fifty armed insurgents opening fire? How do you even explain a job like that?
And how do you explain to someone that even if you’re not actively deployed to the other side of the world, the majority of your days and weeks and months are spent training in some remote area of the United States?
Most people would probably think being surrounded by death and constantly in training would make someone lose touch with the softer side of humanity, but Rad found the opposite to be true. Living on the edge and constantly making life-or-death decisions made him and his comrades more acutely attuned to the fragility and preciousness of life. It also made them more aware of the important things in life—the things that mattered.
For a moment Rad’s thoughts drifted to something he had never thought about before—a normal life. Although he’d never been in better mental or physical condition, he couldn’t stay on the tip of the spear forever. In time his reactions would slow, and he would need to settle down. Seemed simple enough, but it couldn’t be more complicated.
Protecting people was his calling in life. It wasn’t something he could just walk away from and forget. He knew when he signed up for this gig that, in devoting himself to protecting the American dream for others, he would never be able to fully enjoy it for himself. That was just part of the job.
Like the sign displayed at the U.S. Naval Academy said:
Non sibi sed patrie. Not for self, but for country.
But now there was Lauren.
“Well, just be careful.”
Wynn’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Rad opened his eyes and lifted his head. “Whadyamean?”
“When you fall that hard for someone you’re bound to hit hard at the bottom.”
Rad lay back down. “No matter how hard I hit, it’ll be worth it.”
“Well, you got one thing going for you.”
“What’s that?” Rad didn’t bother to open his eyes this time.
“Heather and Annie liked her.”
Rad lifted his head again. “They did?”
“Yeah. They apparently talked a good bit.”
“I hope not too much.”
“You know you’re safe with those two.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Wynn groaned as he eased himself into a more comfortable position. “So what does she do for a living?”
“Not sure, actually.”
Wynn turned toward him, as if not believing he’d heard correctly. “You never asked her?”
“It never came up.” Rad opened one eye and focused it on Wynn. “I didn’t exactly tell her what I do, so I didn’t think it was right to ask what she does.”
Rad closed his eye and thought about it. When it came right down to it, he didn’t know that much about her, and in the short time they’d been together, she hadn’t done much to clear up the mystery.
“So she could be someone famous for all you know.” Wynn sat up on one elbow and talked in an excited whisper. “You know, like an author or a movie star trying to hang out with the regular folks for the weekend.”
Rad smiled. “Yeah, I guess so. If you want to consider us regular folks.”
“Heather said she travels a lot.”
“Yeah, I did get that much out of her. Sorry to ruin your fantasy, but I get the feeling she works in a bank or maybe an embassy or something overseas. Probably sits at a desk all day.”
His mind wandered again. And wears red heels and short black skirts.
“Oh.” Wynn sounded disappointed. “How’s that gonna work if you’re on opposite sides of the world all the time?”
“I haven’t quite figured that one out yet.” Rad lifted his head and shot him a piercing glance. “Get some shut-eye, would ya?”