Shadowed (6 page)

“Do you trust the Lord has a better plan for us than either you or I could write?”

Peace stole through the air as she remembered Jeremiah 29:11. Why did she always
panic before she remembered Scripture? “Plans for a hope and a future,” she whispered.

He nodded.

“Come back to me. Be safe.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, desperate to capture
the memory of his arms around her.

“Hawk!” Kaylan sensed Micah's impatience. Time was up.

Nick's lips stole hers, gentle at first then passionate, bordering on desperate as
his hands gripped her neck and waist, holding her close to him. She sensed his love,
his fear, his desire to make her understand.

Then with a whispered “bye,” he was gone. And her tears fell like rain, yet her heart
stood firm. She would see him soon. She had to.

Chapter 6

F
OR 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.

Chapter 7

N
ICK'S TEAM LANDED
at the Naval Support Activity base in Souda Bay, Crete, at zero
five hundred on Tuesday after about fifteen hours of travel time. Nick felt grungy
and exhausted as he grabbed his bag and followed his team into the hangar where they
set up a small briefing area in a corner. He shook his head, hoping to dispel the
fog.

The sun shone brightly on this hot September day, and Nick took a deep breath, inhaling
ocean air. What he wouldn't give to take scuba gear and explore the waters around
the island. When he was a kid, his mom swore he was a fish out of water. “You should
have been born with gills and flippers, son,” she always told him.

Nick helped his team spread out maps and photos on small fold-out tables. Guys from
the base rolled in a white board, dyed red in places from color that refused to be
erased. “They're just kids.” Micah nodded as they exited the hangar. “Do you remember
when we were just kids?”

Nick shook his head. “It's been a while. But we definitely lost that boyish glow
during BUD/S. They scrub that right out of you.”

Titus approached Nick and Micah with cups of steaming coffee. “Anyone for Turkish
coffee?”

“Turkish?” Nick accepted the cup, bringing it close to his nose to
inhale. The strong
scent cleared the lingering fog. He took a tentative sip. “Aren't we in Greece?”

Titus grinned, his white teeth in stark contrast to his dark skin. “I'm not always
big on being politically correct. They call it Greek coffee now, but the recipe never
changed. It's just political stupidity from the 1970s when Turkey invaded Cyprus.”

“Well, aren't you just the walking encyclopedia?” Jay walked up and slapped Titus
on the back. “Where's the café au lait, amigo?”

Titus rolled his eyes. “Well, to get a cup requires that you mind your manners. One
of the guys here is a coffee connoisseur. He makes a mean cup of joe, and he's definitely
identified some of the island delicacies. If you can act like a normal human being
for five seconds, he might let you have a cup.”

Jay chuckled. “Nah. That's what I have you for.”

“T-Brown, rustle all of us up some of that coffee, and let's get down to business,”
Logan called as he checked some gear.

“On it.” Titus disappeared through the hangar door, and Jay clapped his hands in
anticipation. “It isn't alcohol, but I'll take what I can get. That smell is making
my mouth water.”

Micah crossed his arms. “The last thing we need is you caffeinated. You're like
the energizer bunny without caffeine or alcohol in your system.”

“Well then, that must mean you're ready for a rematch.”

Nick smirked, “Meaning you're ready for another beating?”

“C'mon, Hawk. You let your boy do the dirty work for you last time. Let's see if
you can hang.” Nick couldn't ignore the playful challenge in Jay's eye. In one quick
move he put Jay in a headlock as he dragged him toward the tables.

Logan chuckled and shook his head. “It's like working with a bunch of teenagers.”

Jay landed a well-placed punch to Nick's gut, which doubled him over. “Little punk.”
Nick lined up to retaliate as Titus returned with the coffee.

“Seriously, you two? I wasn't gone for that long, and you can't keep Jay out of trouble
for more than five seconds.”

Micah grabbed some of the cups from Titus. “That's what we have you for. Aren't you
his baby-sitter?”

“Man, please. I just keep him from breaking his neck.”

Nick grunted. “Well, maybe you could teach him how to fight too. He's a little rusty.”

“You white boys are lost causes. I could teach you moves that would terrify you.
Street-gang style. Gotta learn to fight dirty.”

Jay shook loose of Nick and crossed his arms in mock frustration. “T-Brown, you
been holding out on me?”

“All right, all right. That's enough.” Logan took a sip of the hot liquid and grimaced.
“Down to business.”

Colt, Micah, Nick, Titus, and Jay gathered around the tables where Logan had spread
out a city map of Yalta, Crimea, in Ukraine. The white board behind Logan now looked
like a rainbow had exploded, leaving all its colors behind. Diagrams, notes, and
to-do lists cluttered the space. Charts, notes, maps, and supplies littered their
corner of the hangar. Nick loved the controlled chaos.

Logan walked them through the plan, his eyes studying each man on the team, making
sure they were fully engaged. “We think this weapons operation is fronted by a cruise
line that sails the Black Sea and makes port in Eastern European countries. We'll
take two Zodiacs from a ship anchored in the Black Sea to Yalta. Four will swim into
harbor while two stay with the Zodiacs and watch our backs. Slip in, gather intel,
and see if we can snatch Janus. We'll radio HQ once we have her.