Shadowed (10 page)

Titus clapped him on the back. “That was never an option, Jay, man. I love those
kids like my own, and Kim. Kim has just taken Liza under her wing. Helped her adjust
to SEAL life. They will never want for anything, not if I have anything to say about
it.”

Jay resumed his pacing. Nick knew he would burn off the anger, the feelings of abandonment
he faced in a crisis that reminded him of losing his dad.

“I'll call Kim. See how she's doing.” Nick stood and held up his Styrofoam cup. “Anyone
need a refill?” Colt and Micah handed him their cups as he exited the room.

He pulled out his military issue phone and slowly dialed Kim's number. At least Logan
wouldn't come home in a flag-covered box. But the circumstances still wouldn't be
easy.

“Hello?” Molly's sweet voice rang over the phone line, and Nick pictured her as she'd
been at the Labor Day party on the beach. So happy, so full of life. His heart broke.

“Hey, ladybug. It's Uncle Nick.”

“Uncle Nick! Where are you? Are you coming home soon? Can I talk to my daddy?”

“We'll be home before you know it.” He ignored her other questions, squeezing his
eyes shut to block out the stark, sterile white of the hallways around him. “Molly,
can you put your mom on the phone?”

“She's right here. See you soon, Uncle Nick. Can you give Daddy a hug for me, and
tell him I love him?”

“Sure will, ladybug. Now put your mom on.” He gritted his
teeth and took a deep breath.
They would figure something out. They would get through this.

He heard the static sound of shuffling on the other end of the phone before Kim's
alto voice cut through. “Nick, what's wrong? Is Logan okay?”

“Kim, we're coming home soon. Doc just cleared him. He's doing okay, ordering us
around like always. I'm sure he'll call you again shortly, but I just wanted to check
on you myself.”

“I wish I could be there.” Kim's tough veneer cracked, and it was all he could do
not to reach through the phone and hug her.

“Kim, he's alert and watching John Wayne movies, if that tells you anything. I'm
about to call Kaylan and ask her to get the kids so you and Logan can have some alone
time when we land. You will get through this like you always do, one step at a time
together.”

Silence greeted him, and he heard a small sniff.

“Bring him home, Nick.”

“We are on the first plane back. Stay close to your phone and e-mail. We'll see you
soon.”

He hung up and checked his wristwatch. It would be about zero eight hundred in San
Diego. Kaylan would be arriving at work soon, assuming her morning commute was smooth.
The phone rang three times before he heard a breathless “Hello?”

“Kayles, it's me.”

“Nick! It's so good to hear your voice. Is everything okay?”

He exhaled, her voice a balm to his exhaustion. “We're headed home pretty soon. I
don't have long. Listen, can you do me a favor?”

“Name it.” He heard the sound of a car alarm engaging and guessed she had just parked.

“Can you help Kim by taking the kids so she can come pick Logan up when we get there?”

Her hurried breathing stilled. “Nick . . . ”

“Kaylan, I can't say much. Please. Can you check on her tonight and then take the
kids when you get word we are about to land?”

“Absolutely.” She hesitated. “Are you okay?”

“Missing you. But other than that, I'm fine.”

“Miss you too. Come find me when you land? I'm sorry I won't be there.”

“This is more important. We'll have lots of these, God willing.”

“Come home fast, babe.”

“As soon as I can. Love you.”

He could almost hear her smile over the phone and see the blush creep over her cheeks.
“Bye.”

Nick ended the call and grabbed the cups off the desk to refill them. He wasn't sure
how, but they would get through this with Logan. No matter what it took. A SEAL didn't
leave a man behind, in death, in life, or in loss of limb. Their brotherhood ran
deeper than blood, and Nick would give anything to make this better. Janus had better
pray she died before he found her.

Chapter 12

I
T'D BEEN A
little over a week since the team left California. And it had taken only
a moment to change one's life forever. The plane engine shut off, and Nick and the
team grabbed their gear. Logan sat in a wheelchair. He'd refused to be too medicated
to see Kim, but Nick noticed the faint strain on his forehead and the way he clenched
his fists when he believed no one was looking. Watching him, Nick realized he'd never
seen such courage. Molly hit the nail on the head. Her daddy was a hero in every
sense of the word, and the world would never know it.

“You ready, man?” Nick grabbed the handles of Logan's wheelchair as the rest of
the team gathered around. Every eye solemn, every heart carrying the weight of a
wounded warrior.

Logan made eye contact with every man in the group. “Hold your heads up. This isn't
your fault.” He looked up at Nick, and Nick again saw a flash of pain cut across
his face before Logan concealed it. “Take me to my wife.”

Ground crew scurried around, checking the plane and putting it to bed. X waited with
Kim, but Nick had eyes only for her. Again, he thought he'd never seen a stronger
warrior. Logan married well. Kim stood head erect, eyes clear, with an American flag
in one
hand and her other resting over her stomach as if comforting their unborn
child.

Nick realized the rest of the guys were still following right behind him, ushering
Logan all the way home, to his family, his heart, and his purpose. They all stood
a little straighter when they saw Old Glory in her hands, and Nick knew Logan didn't
regret the events of the past week. He'd done what he set out to do—fight for the
country he loved. Kim came forward and wrapped him in a hug.

Only Liza and Kim waited for them. Most of their families lived in other states,
and Logan and Titus were the only two married, although Nick and Colt were close.
On a full deployment this moment would be sweet and much more energetic, but Nick
thanked the Lord for the low-key greeting. It gave Logan and Kim the chance to react
however they saw fit.

Liza came forward and met Titus. Nick noticed Titus hug her a little tighter. It
could have been any one of them. They could have come home in boxes. Nick sent up
a silent prayer of thanks for safety and protection. Kim took Logan's wheelchair
from Nick and began to push her husband toward the waiting car. He would go to the
hospital for more testing and hopefully find an antibiotic that would treat the infection.
The pain became more difficult to mask with each passing moment.

Nick looked to Micah, his jaw clenched tight. “Let's get answers, Bulldog.”

“No need to tell me twice.”

X approached both of them and shook their hands. “Welcome home. Glad you're safe.”
He nodded toward the buildings behind him. “Let's go debrief. I want to hear what
happened. And I hear we might have more info on Janus.” Titus, Jay, and Colt appeared
behind Nick and Micah, and X greeted them.

“We'll see. Gotta hand it over to intel.” Micah held the bag like it contained an
infectious disease. With every piece they discovered
about her, they came one step
closer to justice, but this info had come at a price. A price they'd all signed up
for but still hated to see in actuality.

“Miss Kaylan, why isn't my mommy home with my daddy yet?” Molly lifted her Barbies
and placed them in the pink house sitting in the middle of her bedroom floor. For
the past hour Kaylan and Molly had undressed and redressed each Barbie. Kaylan peeked
through the door to find both the boys playing Mario Cart on the Nintendo.

“Well, your mommy went to meet your daddy so they could have some alone time before
they see you.” Kaylan tapped Molly's nose with a smile.

Molly rolled her eyes, her dramatic personality in full swing. “Oh, Miss Kaylan,
I know all about alone time. Conner and Tanner leave me alone all the time.” She
put her hands on her hips. “They always want to play ball but never with my dolls.”
A pout furrowed her little brow. “I hope my mommy gives me a baby sister when her
stomach explodes.”

Kaylan smothered a laugh. Logan and Kim had decided to find out the gender of the
baby when they delivered. Kim was due within six to eight weeks, and Kaylan secretly
hoped they had a baby girl too. For Molly's sake.

Molly grew still as the ringing of Kaylan's phone sounded through the room. Her pale
green eyes doubled in size as Kaylan answered.

“Kaylan, it's Kim. Can you bring the kids to the hospital? Logan is ready to see
them.”

“Sure thing, Kim. They've already had dinner, and they've been waiting for this phone
call.” Conner and Tanner came to stand in the doorway, Tanner the spitting image
of his daddy.

“And Kaylan, can you maybe prepare them a little before they get here? Just tell
them he's in the hospital. I'll tell them the rest before we go in to see Logan.”

Kaylan inwardly groaned. “Sure. We'll be there in about thirty minutes.”

The boys ran from the room to put on their shoes, and little Molly pulled her sandals
on her feet.

Kaylan ended the call and stood from the floor, calling through the house, “Whoever
makes it to the car in the next sixty seconds gets free ice cream!”

All three kids sat buckled in the car in thirty.

The automatic doors slid open, and Kaylan walked through the hospital door with all
three kids in tow, each markedly more subdued than they'd been at home, despite
their stop at Mickey D's for drive-through cones. Kim waited for them by a few armchairs.

“Looks like Miss Kaylan let you have ice cream. I guess we'll have to ask her to
baby-sit more often.” She hugged all three kids as Kaylan stood back and watched.

Molly's green eyes filled with tears. “Mommy, why are we at the hospital? Where's
Daddy? I thought only sick people come here.”

Kim crouched down in front of her daughter and played with her braid. “Daddy hurt
his leg while he was working, and the doctors want to check some things. But he'd
like to see you.”

“Is it bad, Mom?” Seven-year-old Conner's eyes never wavered from his mother's.

“We'll see. Let's just go see Dad. He's missed you guys.” She reached for his hand.

Kaylan followed Kim and the kids to another wing of the hospital. She marveled at
how strong this young mother remained.
She didn't know the extent of Logan's injury,
but Nick wouldn't have called her if it hadn't been important.

She wondered how she would handle a phone call like this when she had kids one day.
She blushed, realizing she'd pictured Nick's blue eyes and rich voice in her daydream.
Maybe her feelings ran stronger and deeper than she wanted to admit.

She pictured a little green-eyed daughter or towheaded son and almost ached for that
kind of life. But she knew she needed to fully understand this community first. Kim
practically lived as a single mom most of the year. Kaylan admired how Kim commanded
her home with ease and a firm hand, handing the leadership role back over to Logan
when he arrived home. The Carpenter kids appeared well-mannered and energetic with
a strong faith in Jesus. Kaylan prayed they never lost that faith.

They approached a waiting room where Nick stood leaning in the doorway. She stopped,
her eyes drinking in the sight of him, scanning him for injuries. He'd slipped back
into board shorts, a gray V-neck, and flip-flops, his face smooth of scruff and his
blue eyes stormy. She closed the remaining feet between them, and he lifted her into
his arms, burying his face in her neck, his grip tight with pent-up emotion. Her
heart thudded from more than his touch. Something had gone terribly wrong. Desperation
and sadness poured from him, and she clung to his neck as he set her down, leaning
back only to look in his eyes.