Shadowed (2 page)

Nick chuckled. “Looks like Micah has it under control.” He
turned Kaylan away from
the crowd and moved up the beach as darkness settled around them.

The moon hung low in the sky, reflecting eerily on the waves capping and lapping
the beach. Nick walked them toward the surf, the cool Pacific stretching to kiss
their feet. Kaylan could barely see the water line, but the soft roar of each new
wave soothed her.

She closed her eyes, turning her face to the gentle breeze and enjoying Nick's strong,
tough hand in hers. Her feet left the ground and her eyes flew open as Nick swung
her in his arms and jogged to the water.

“Put me down, jerk!” she shrieked, awaiting the plunge in the dark, cold ocean. Her
panic built. She saw only blackness. “Nick Carmichael, don't you dare.”

His boyish laugh tugged at her heart. “It's just water, Kayles.” And in they went,
Kaylan's jean shorts getting soaked, her T-shirt hanging on her frame.

Her breath caught in her chest with the chilly water. She could barely make out Nick's
grin in the darkness as she swiped wet hair from her eyes. “Nick Carmichael!” With
one good swing she sent a wave into his face. His eyes registered surprise before
his smile quirked. Trouble.

“Oh, no, you don't. You already got me wet. Nick, don't you dare.” Before she could
back away, he grabbed her around the waist and they both went under an incoming wave.
The salty taste permeated her mouth.

“All right, all right.” She came up, sputtering and gasping for air in the icy water.
She shoved at his chest as he steadied them both. His heart pounded beneath her palm,
and his warm laugh melted her heart. She joined his laughter. Just like with her
best friend, Sarah Beth, Nick's moods and reactions became more and more familiar
to her. This laugh spelled pure joy. Contentment.

“Moonlight looks pretty good on you, even though you're wet.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her close.

“You aren't too bad yourself, Mr. SEAL.”

“I mean it, Kayles. Beautiful, kind, genuine, gentle. I couldn't be more blessed.”

She was thankful for the darkness as her face heated. She could barely discern his
smoky blue eyes, but she knew that look. The one he reserved only for her. He expressed
himself better than she did, and occasionally it left her feeling behind the emotional
curve.

He rested his forehead on hers, the waves lapping gently around their legs. Despite
the chill, she felt warm with this Frogman in his natural habitat. Nothing could
touch her.

The breeze ruffled her dripping hair, and on its wings came whispered words, “I love
you, Kayles.” The admission sent her heart pounding. She pulled away from him, unsure.
She'd longed to hear those words but dreaded the possibilities that came with loving
and losing. Sarah Beth's death in Haiti had taught her all too well the pain of losing
someone she loved with everything she had.

“Nick . . . ”

“Don't panic on me.” He pulled her close, and she fought the urge to put space between
them, the desire to run before she got hurt, before she lost another person she loved,
before she fell so hard that the darkness enveloped her again. She could almost taste
the Haitian dust clinging to the air, smothering the light and her ability to breathe.

“I can't. Nick . . let's talk about something else.” Sarah Beth's cry echoed faintly
with the crash of buildings in her mind. Again Kaylan tried to pull away, memories
of Haiti causing Coronado, California, to fade from her view.

His calloused hand cupped her chin. “Kayles, look at me. It doesn't matter that you
can't say it right now. I just need you to know. I need you to trust me.” His blue
eyes reflected the glowing moon and never wavered from their hold on her face, on
her heart.
“I love you.” He drew each word out, making sure they reached every insecurity.
“I'm not going anywhere.”

She allowed the words to penetrate her fear, hoping against hope they would take
root and blossom. Healing came slowly, but every day she grew stronger. Nick was
key to the process. But there were some memories that could not be erased, some nightmares
that bled into her daylight hours, stealing her most precious moments.

One day she would say it. One day she would feel it. But not yet, just not yet.

“Smile, gorgeous.” He smoothed the lines on her forehead. His mouth tipped at the
corner in the moonlight, and her body tensed.

“Don't you . . . ” She squealed as his fingers found her rib cage. She twisted and
fought, laughing so hard the harsh memories from moments before receded with the
tide into the darkness.

“Nick Carmichael, let go!”

“You asked for it.” He released her, and she began to tip backward into the waves,
his laugh echoing in her ears.

“I don't think so.” She snatched his T-shirt and pulled him in the water with her,
her head dipping below the cold waves once again.

Their laughter filled the air as they rose to the surface. “How can you be so nice
one second and so mean the next?”

“Mean? I make you laugh because I love you. Don't be so gloomy.” His chuckle warmed
her to her toes, and she threw her arms around his neck.

“I like you too.”

His arms slipped around her waist and his face dipped toward hers. He could see all
the way to her soul in the moonlight, and it was enough to stop her heart.

“I think it's a little more than that. But I'll wait to hear the words.” His lips
settled on hers, making the lingering fireworks pale in comparison.

“Ugh, break it up, you two.”

Her brother's voice made her jerk, but Nick held her close, turning to face Micah
on the beach.

“Bad timing, Bulldog. What's up?”

Kaylan tensed as Micah held up a phone. His silence spoke volumes. Her hands clenched
in Nick's wet shirt.

“We gotta go, Hawk.” His voice carried a warning over the crash of the waves.

“Is it . . . ”

“Yeah. It's time.”

Nick's hands slipped from her waist, and he waded to shore. Kaylan immediately felt
cold. She followed him out of the surf. Up the beach several other SEALs that were
part of Support Activity 1 kissed their wives or girlfriends good-bye before running
for their cars.

“Babe, we gotta go. I'll call you later.” Nick's eyes grew as distant as the skyline,
his mind already miles away.

Kaylan refused to show her fear. “Be safe.”

With a nod, they both ran to Micah's car. Moments later they peeled out behind their
teammates.

Kaylan wandered back up the beach to the other SEAL families. She'd known when they
left Haiti in July and when she'd moved to California to begin her dietetics internship
the first of August that the time would come when Nick and Micah would leave. She'd
come to hate every ring of his phone. But here they were, and she had the choice
to panic or stand firm. She was the girlfriend and the sister of two SEALs. If they
could race fearlessly into danger, then she could remain their anchor at home. She
only hoped they wouldn't see the small cracks in her armor as she fought to hold
herself together.

“Kaylan, Kaylan, Kaylan.” Four-year-old Molly came bounding up, her blonde curls
bouncing around her slim shoulders. Kaylan lifted her into her arms.

“What's up, Munchkin?”

“Where did my daddy go?”

Kaylan glanced at Molly's mom, Kim, who was busy wrestling sparklers away from her
two boys. Kaylan smothered a laugh. They were as strong as their dad, Logan, the
lead corpsman and one of the older men. Molly had his curly blond hair and pale green
eyes.

“Daddy and the boys needed to work. You'll see him later.”

“Are they going to take care of bad guys?”

“Yes, sweet girl.” Molly was innocence in a beautiful, sweet package. The little
girl wrapped her arms around Kaylan's neck as she walked them closer to the fire.
Molly's blonde hair glowed, and her little hands felt sticky on Kaylan's neck. Water
from Kaylan's clothes dampened Molly's shorts and T-shirt, but Molly didn't seem
to care.

“Kaylan, know what?” She pulled Kaylan's head close, whispering in her ear. “My
daddy's a hero just like Superman. Only he's better. He doesn't need a cape.”

Kaylan's heart warmed and she kissed Molly's sticky cheek, tasting marshmallows from
the s'mores. “Your dad is definitely a hero.”

“Molly?”

The little girl squirmed to the ground when Kim called but turned back quickly to
Kaylan. “Don't worry about Mr. Nick. My daddy says he is the best of the good guys.”

The best, the bravest, the most sacrificial. The latter frightened Kaylan the most.
Her hero without a cape, unafraid to face the barrel of a gun—even if it meant his
life.

Chapter 2

N
ICK AND
M
ICAH
filed into the room they affectionately deemed The War Zone. Other
members of Support Activity 1 entered behind them, excitement from the Labor Day
festivities fading in light of a looming mission. The summer moon and pop of fireworks
seemed distant now as Nick's mind honed in on unfinished business. His fiery kiss
with Kaylan in the Pacific felt like a dream, smothered in the light of reality.

“This better be about Janus,” he mumbled to Micah as they took their seats and waited
for Senior Chief to speak. Her trail had gone cold as soon as he returned from Haiti
two months before, and Nick itched to catch this terrorist, woman or not.

Senior Chief Collin “X” Williams paced the front of the room. He was so named for
Professor X from his favorite comic, X-Men. He had the innate ability to read his
men, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and send them into combat prepared. Nick
knew he had measured every angle of the mission before briefing the team.

“Sorry to pull you away from the party, but duty calls. At zero three hundred hours
we picked up satellite feed of a terrorist cell moving weapons over the border into
Iran. We believe the weapons originated in Ukraine and Russia from our one and only.”

Micah glanced at Nick, his brown eyes expectant. Payback would be sweet.

“Janus slipped her shadow. Her last known location is Yalta, Ukraine, and we believe
she is still there. Not sure where her boss is, but we believe he resides somewhere
in Russia. If we can catch this slippery fish, we may be able to catch the shark
behind her.” X rubbed his hands in anticipation. Unlike his comic book character,
X boasted a full head of fiery red hair and a freckled face, browned by years in
the sun. A toothpick hung from his mouth, forcing him to talk through gritted teeth.
Nick often wondered how many toothpicks he'd swallowed.

“I want this chick bad. Her shipments are wreaking havoc on our boys in the sandbox,
and I've had about all I want to take of being the loser in this scenario. It's our
turn. She believes she's safe. This time we have the upper hand. I'm sending a team
of six. You leave in forty hours. I need a working plan in twelve. This is a capture,
no-kill mission. But do whatever you need to do to bring her in. Let's get busy.”
He tossed the toothpick in the general direction of the trash can as he exited the
room.

The War Zone broke into a flurry of activity as the men jumped from their seats and
pulled out maps of the terrain, ocean, and city. Nick paused to assess the action,
studying each team member. He'd worked with all of these men before, trusted them,
would give his life for them. As much as Nick could take care of himself, the SEALs
innately operated in team mentality, an ideal that was beaten into every man throughout
BUD/S. Each man used his strengths and abilities to play a role in planning and execution.
All in. All hands. All the time.

Colt stood at the white board at the front of the room studying the mission details.
Short and stocky, he had sandy hair mixed with faint traces of gray, giving him a
distinguished look amidst his boyish charm.

The son of true California hippies, he had rejected his parents'
lifestyle after
the tragedy of the twin towers. While pictures of his childhood showed him sporting
long locks, his short-cropped hair and brown eyes held a serious tone in adulthood.
The terrorist attacks had bred a new generation of patriots, a bright spot in the
carnage. A couple years younger than Nick, Colt owned the title of “team daredevil,”
always eager to prove himself, and was quite the poker player. Nick winced. He definitely
wouldn't play him again anytime soon.

In the corner of the room, Logan, a veteran on the team, wrestled supplies and made
a list of items to take with them. His little girl, Molly, held a special place in
Nick's heart. Logan's wife, Kim, was pregnant with their fourth, and Nick marveled
at the strength of their marriage. Too many SEALs tasted the bitter cup of divorce
due to job demands. Nick wasn't willing to risk that with Kaylan, and he believed
he could live up to his calling and marry the most amazing woman he'd ever met.

Besides Nick and Micah, Logan was the only other Christ-follower on the team. Nick
firmly believed Logan's walk with the Lord remained the secret to his marital success.
The man radiated calm and strength. “Redeemed” stretched across his bare back in
gothic ink letters and drew many questions from their teammates. Logan never hesitated
to share his faith. It oozed from every pore of his body in the confident way he
led the team and the gentle way he handled his family. No one questioned his leadership
or character. No one needed to. As far as Nick could tell, Logan's only weaknesses
were his obsessive love for steak dripping with A-1 sauce and his babbling about
the ranches in Montana. Nick left the room every time Logan started in on the topic.