Chapter 1

Major Evielynne Gastineau, in her Army Service Dress Uniform, sat on the stone bench watching the soft orange sun slowly sinking in the west. The Silver Star on her chest gleamed in the setting sun. This was the last day she’d wear this uniform as an active duty member of the US Army. Thirteen years was a long time to wear the same thing every day! But today, that all ended.

As she gazed across the waters of Suisun Bay, a gentle breeze kissed her cheeks and sent sparkling ripples across the surface. It was a magical time of day at the memorial, easy to relax and remember all the men and women who died, right where she sat, all those years ago. Easy to remember three years ago when she’d first set foot on the cement of this very same memorial, and her life had taken an extraordinary turn.

Evie smiled softly. An extraordinary turn? That was an understatement! Her own unique talents, her Cajun family heritage, and a very impatient ghost had been the combination that all started here, the catalyst that paved the way for one old, dying man to be reunited with his soul mate, for eternity. Evie had been the conduit.

The American flag clanged against the metal pole, chiming in the breeze. Evie looked up just in time to catch a wavering glimpse of a huge WWII sailor in his dress whites, holding hands with the cute, blonde love-of-his-life, just as the sun shot its green flare across the water and sank beneath the horizon. The sailor saluted and his girlfriend waved as their images disappeared with the day’s light.

Amee and Grady.

Tears welled and Evie sniffed loudly.

The ghost of Port Chicago was only the beginning of her life after Iraq and the Taliban prison. Now there would be another beginning.

A civilian beginning.

The thought made her mind stagger.

“Sad about leaving the army, Major?” Evie felt Conrad McIntyre take a seat next to her. “This is a beautiful place to contemplate the rest of your life, Evie.”

“It sure is.” She wiped away the tiny tear clinging to her dark lashes. “Did you ever think, when we were there, in Iraq, in that hell hole, that someday we’d be sitting here, watching the sunset, me and you?”

“Frankly, I didn’t think any of us would be walking out of that place. Correction, carried out of that place.” He patted Evie’s arm, just below the long scar, that was slowly fading. “Had the ever-tenacious Captain Gastineau not appeared in our private abyss of torture and starvation, I’m sure Pete and I wouldn’t have survived another week. We owe you our lives. Some fancy metal star will never be enough thanks for what you did.”

Evie saw the emotion in Conrad’s face. “Yeah,” She tried for a lighter tone. Today had been emotional enough for a lifetime. “Those were the days, weren’t they?”

Conrad cleared his throat. “And then some.”

They sat in silence for a while before either could speak.

“Andrea sends her love and this.” Conrad fished in his pocket and withdrew a locket. The cover was silver, flourished, and engraved with the initials E and G. He opened it and inside was a picture of himself and Andrea behind their wedding cake. Evie stood next to Conrad, and Pete Newcastle stood behind the bride. Their smiles were infectious, and the happiness of that day was clearly apparent on everyone’s face. “It was our happiest day and she wanted you to have it to remember…and possibly find your…” Conrad cleared his throat again, “…happiest day.”

“Oh, that is so sweet. I’ll have to give her a call later and thank her.” Evie took the locket and peered at the tiny picture. “That was such a hideous dress and my feet were killing me in those heels.” She laughed. “But it was worth it. You two were meant for each other.”

Conrad visibly blushed. He was a guy’s guy under the suit and tie. She'd spent enough time in rehab with him to know. He was at home in cargo pants and a sweaty T-shirt, not Valentino or Marc Jacobs. “Thanks, Evie. She really is something, isn’t she?” He pointed to his bride in the picture. “I’m the luckiest guy on the face of the planet. Speaking of which,” Conrad looked intently at his friend. “Who was that lucky guy you were dancing with?”

“You mean Simon? A guy I met when I first came here. He’s a friend.” Evie felt the warmth spread across her face, and she couldn’t keep the girlish giggle out of her voice. “And, soon he will be my boss. He offered me a job at his company…as the Security Director. He’s amazing. He made VP of the company before he was thirty-four.”

“Ooooh, sleeping with the enemy, huh?”

Evie slugged Conrad in the shoulder. “No sleeping. Just friends. We met under very unusual circumstances. His great-uncle passed away here, at the memorial. I had to deal with it. We sort of bonded in a really strange way.”

Conrad was intrigued. “The Port Chicago 50 guy? I remember that.”

“The very same. Grandville O’Sullivan was his name. Simon is his great nephew. Grady raised him, mostly. Grady was an incredible man and I was honored to meet him, if only a day before he passed.”

“Got in good with the family, huh?” Conrad raised his eyebrows and grinned like an attorney chasing an ambulance.

“What? No! I had some, ah, interesting stuff to deal with.” That was putting it mildly! She’d been haunted by Grady’s dead girlfriend from 1944, and pestered, until she actually got Grady to come back to the base before he died. It was an entire long story, in and of itself. It was one that only she and Simon really understood. Evie wanted to keep it that way. The military docs didn’t need to know she could talk to ghosts. They’d stick her in the looney bin and throw away the key, for sure. “Why all the questions?”

“Since Andrea couldn’t be here, she promised me something very special if I came back with some juicy intel.” Conrad made a kissy face then grinned.

“You’re kidding! Wait till I talk to her.” Evie had to laugh. Andrea had found such complete love with Conrad, she was always looking for a partner for Evie and Conrad’s buddy, Pete. “She is incorrigible. You know that, right?”

“Oh yeah! That’s one of the many things I love about her.” Conrad’s smile turned into a bit of a leer as he watched the water sparkle while dusk descended around them.

“Simon is VP of Digital Mystery and Mastery. He programs games. I guess it’s fairly lucrative.” Evie watched a family of ducks swimming around the black pilings, the only things left after the historic explosion that blew away two huge ships filled with ammunition bound for Asia in WWII. Hundreds of people died in the tragic accident, her little ghost being one of them.

“That Simon O’Sullivan? The creator of Ghost Wars?” Conrad seemed intrigued. She knew he didn’t have time in his life to play a lot of video games. “Pete is a huge fan. He plays that game in some kind of international league and then has to tell me how high of a score he got and how he wiped the competition, worldwide! Your Simon made that game? Wow!”

“That’d be the one. He finished the game just after his great-uncle passed away.” What she didn’t say was the main character in the game was fashioned after her little ghost, one notorious Amee McGee, the Ghost of Port Chicago.

“Hang onto that one. He’s got to have a pretty decent income, not to mention a permanent job if he’s the VP.”

“You make me sound like I’m a gold digger. It’s not like that. Simon and I went through the loss of his great-uncle together. It makes for a kind of bond, ya know.” Evie didn’t like the direction of the conversation. She didn’t date Simon because of his money, or his fame as a game developer. She was comfortable with the guy who had shared his great-uncle’s love with her, if only for a few days. But it was more than that. She was a broken soldier, suffering from horrible PTSD and still recovering from her wounds as an unwilling guest in a Taliban prison, when she first came to MOTCO as the Provost Marshal. Simon was a hurt, little boy who’d had a tough life with an addict mom and the Oakland streets for a home. Until Uncle Grady and her little ghost happened along. Amee took away Evie’s nightmares and Grady gave Simon a home. They’d both witnessed the miracle of Grady and Amee’s reunion and path to heaven. That was a connection that could never be broken. It was also one of those life-changing events that was never far from her mind.

“Well, hold onto that guy. You looked great dancing together. Like you fit.” Conrad continued to contemplate the water. “For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. But richer is better. That should have been written into the original vows!” While Evie had remained with the US Army, Conrad had started a company with Pete, once they had recovered and separated from the military service. Their company hit pay dirt with several government contracts. Now Global Systems Technology employed over two hundred people and was an up and coming Fortune 500 company in Texas. Evie got regular updates from Conrad and Pete both, and loved being an arm-chair witness to their success after sharing the worst together, in Iraq.

“Money isn’t everything.” Evie mused. “But it helps. He got me an apartment in Oakland as one of the perks of my job. It’s in a high rise but I’m actually starting to move in and enjoy the place.”

“Wow. Moving on rapidly, girl.”

“Well, I’ve lived in military housing for the last thirteen years. It’s about time for something other than tan and green.” Evie laid her head on Conrad’s shoulder. “I always thought I wanted a little place with flowers and green grass, but I’ve come to realize high security tops the list of desirable attributes in living accommodations these days.”

“Nightmares still?” Conrad shifted uncomfortably. He’d seen the aftereffects of torture and imprisonment. Evie knew he’d felt them up front and personal.

“Actually, no. Things sorta changed after Grady died…right here.” She pointed to the seat where they sat.

Conrad got up quickly. “Right,” He pointed to the cement bench. “Here?”

Evie laughed. She’d never considered the bench a death seat. “Yep. Right here. Right next to me.”

“And that doesn’t bother you. Right there, huh?” Conrad peered at the seat and decided to stand. “Well, Major Gastineau, you have one more duty before taking that uniform off forever.”

“And what’s that?” She couldn’t remember anything else required before she left the base for good.

“Get drunk with your two buddies. Of course.” He pointed to the civilian car he was driving. “Simon can drive.” He held out his hand and pulled Evie from the bench.

“You want Simon to come with us?” She was a little taken aback. They didn’t usually speak freely around civilians. Most folks hadn’t the slightest idea what hideous things the Taliban was capable of, and the things soldiers had experienced and seen in the sandbox. Simon was a sweet man. She had no idea how he’d respond to what might come out of their mouths with the addition of a little alcohol. “You think that’s a good idea?”

“Looks to me like he might end up family.” Evie knew Conrad was watching her for some tell-tale sign of budding love. She schooled her features to try and look innocent.

“Like it or not, he might as well get used to us and our ways.” Conrad pulled Evie toward his car. “And if he runs, you’ll know he’s not the one.”