FOR THE FIRST time since joining the SEALs, Nick had left something behind. It wasn’t something he could fit in a bag or carry in his uniform pocket. He left behind his heart with an auburn-haired, green-eyed beauty. And he didn’t want it back. As far as he was concerned, she could keep it until he died. Which would not happen on this mission if he had anything to say about it. He shot up a prayer for Kaylan’s peace and the decisions the team would need to make in the hours to come.
The roar of the C-17 permeated his thoughts as Kaylan slipped into the recesses of his mind. He locked away the memory, knew he couldn’t allow thoughts of her to dominate his consciousness while they tracked Janus. It was time to catch a killer.
Nick’s blood boiled at the thought of young men and women who had sacrificed their lives for their country at the hands of weapons Janus and her mysterious boss had provided to bloodthirsty tribal leaders. Would there never be an end to people’s greed and lust for power and possessions? He thought of the verses in the Bible that prophesied that war would continue until the end of time. Great job security for him. But he fought to provide justice and an end to the bloodshed. He ached for a time of peace.
Would his children always know the cruelties of war? If he stayed in the SEALs as he planned, his kids would gain an early understanding of duty, justice, and sacrifice. SEAL teams would die. Men, SEALs, they would know as family. He couldn’t control it. Death respected no person or situation. It came. Nick thanked God for the promise of eternity for those who believe. It left a small measure of hope, brought purpose to the pointless skirmishes over land and religion.
Micah elbowed him, raising his voice over the drone of the plane, “You good, man?”
He gave a thumbs-up. “Just thinking about what’s ahead.”
“I want this chick so bad I can taste it. I hope our intel’s solid. She hasn’t stayed in one place long. Maybe we finally found her home base. Yalta, Ukraine, is a pretty busy port, though.”
Nick shrugged. “May be perfect for anonymity.” Nick remembered the first time they laid eyes on Janus in the jungle of Nicaragua. He’d injured his back in an explosion that night. He remembered his shock as the scarf slipped from their target’s head and they discovered Janus was actually a woman. He wished he could put a real name with her face, a motive for her methods. But he was still in the dark.
Micah’s voice broke his reverie. “Think she’ll actually give up the big fish if we catch her? She was one of the coldest targets I’ve ever come across when we saw her in that bungalow in the jungle. I’d never seen someone so icy.” He studied Nick. “Although . . . ” His cheeky grin was back in place. “You come pretty close when something ticks you off. I usually know when to steer clear.”
“Did you just compare my anger issues to a known terrorist?”
“If the shoe fits.”
“Harsh, Bulldog. Harsh.”
“Now, see, that’s the look I’m talking about. Like you want to kill me.”
Nick smirked. “Don’t tempt me.”
Micah pulled a black-capped pen out of his pocket. “How many ways could you kill me with this?”
Colt tipped his Angels baseball cap up from his eyes across from them where he’d been dozing. “Twenty-three,” he answered. “Want me to demonstrate?” His eyes held that crazy streak he got right before he did something stupid. Nick blamed his hippie upbringing. He didn’t doubt this kid could deliver.
Micah tossed Colt the pen and the rest of the team came alert, eager to see what the team daredevil would do next.
“The easiest and most obvious way would be to shove it through someone’s jugular, making sure to hit the major artery in the process.” Colt uncapped the pen. “Like so.” In one quick move, he aimed the pen at Logan’s throat and with incredible speed moved in for his faux kill.
Matching his speed, Logan’s hand came up and grabbed Colt’s wrist, turning the pen and pinning Colt’s arm in a position where the point now faced Colt’s neck.
The team roared with laughter as Logan offered Colt a cheeky grin. “Never try to trick a dad while he’s sleeping. I’m used to nightly attacks from arms much shorter than yours.” He patted Colt on the cheek before letting him go. Colt’s tan skin deepened to a brownish shade of red.
“Smooth move, dude. You’ll have to teach me that sometime.”
Logan settled back against his seat crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes again. “I can’t give away all my secrets. Time to get some shut-eye, men. Who knows how much sleep we’ll get on this mission.”
Nick watched as one by one his teammates fell asleep. Exhaustion tugged at his eyelids, and his mind wandered back to the beginning of his SEAL career in BUD/S, where he first learned the life skill of sleeping wherever he could, whenever he could. He gave in to the urge and closed his eyes while his mind wandered. The drone of the plane lulled him to nostalgia, and he remembered the way he felt the first time he met Kaylan.
Sarah Beth and Kaylan were out on the lake in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, riding the family jet skis. Kaylan pulled a quick figure eight in the water, spraying Sarah Beth with white foam, her musical laugh echoing over the engine. Kaylan’s hair hung limp in a ponytail and a few strands draped over her eyes. Her freckles stood in stark contrast and her cheeks tinged a faint pink from her day in the sun. Her joy washed over him, brightening the summer day. Sarah Beth and Kaylan anchored the jet skis and approached him and Micah on the deck, their laughter echoing on the lake.
Micah had run forward and picked Kaylan up, spinning her around in a hug. Her joyful spirit lightened the air around them. He felt a magnetic pull and knew without a doubt that Kaylan was someone special. She radiated life.
“Micah, put me down!” As he set her on the deck and turned to hug Sarah Beth, she approached Nick.
“You must be Nick. I’m Kaylan.”
He stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
She looked at his hand and grinned. “That won’t work in this house.” She stepped forward and put her arm around his waist, rubbing her hand on his back with sisterly affection. “We hug. Don’t even try to shake Mom’s hand.” She turned toward the house, unfastening her life jacket as she went, revealing a black swimsuit. She stopped when she realized he wasn’t following. “Welcome to the family, Nick. We’re glad you’re here.” She nodded toward the house with a smile and kept walking as Micah and Sarah Beth followed her.
The plane hit an air pocket, and Nick’s mind flew back to the present. He still felt the same way about Kaylan now, breathless, hopeful of what could be, what would be if he had anything to say about it. For a time he thought marrying her was an impossible dream, something he cooked up in the heat of a summer morning. Now he knew his gut instinct was correct. He was ready to marry this girl.
Life had changed her. Haiti had changed her. While his first memory was of a girl becoming a woman, Haiti had solidified the transition to womanhood. A hint of sadness colored the innocence and childhood laughter that once defined her. She used to say that Sarah Beth defined full life, but Nick knew better. Kaylan defined that all on her own. She just needed to discover the beauty that came after a person experienced brokenness. She was finding her way back, learning to laugh again, learning it was okay to love with all her heart. That joyful girl of summers past lay somewhere deep inside, ready to burst past the hurt and death of innocence. He had determined to help her find her way back to that girl, to remember the sweetness of a time when life was beautiful just for a moment and remind her that they would make more of those moments in the days and years to come.
With thoughts of summer days, sunrises, and an auburn-haired beauty, Nick drifted to sleep, Micah’s snores providing just the hint of home he needed to relax and let go.