SEAL Of My Heart (28 page)

Tyler heard Kyle swear. “Get. Him. Out. Now.”

“Roger that.”

Soon the hostages were at the gate. Water, quick rations, and Mylar blankets were passed out. All of the prisoners were shoeless. Several minutes went by until they heard the helicopter approaching.

“I see one bird,” Armando radioed. “Where the hell is the second one?”

Fredo spoke up. “They’re saying it took an RPG and it’s a big rescue scene. Only one bird coming. Gonna be tight.”

Tyler was relieved and relayed the information to the crowd. It was going to be sweet to get home and get back to a base where he could get a shower and some decent sleep.

“T.J., where the hell are you?”

T.J. emerged from the house, practically dragging Jackie behind him. Tyler could see tears streaming down the terp’s face. “What gives?” he asked T.J.

“Hard time saying goodbye to the ladies. One in particular. She’s pretty bad, Tyler.”

Jackie was turning around as they heard the rotors close. Soon dust was swirling everywhere and the sound of the big beautiful Black Hawk vibrated the ground like an earthquake. They could have used the other bird for the women and children.

Tyler looked in the direction of Jackie’s line of sight and saw the group of covered women at the entrance to the house. He felt bad for them, since there was no way they could take everyone on the chopper. He knew how Jackie felt.

“Five minutes, set, and it’s gonna be big,” Fredo barked. The timed charge was to blow up the entire weapons and explosive cache. They needed to be gone by the time that happened.

“I told ’em,” Cooper said. “Bringing the bird in.”

The drone landed hard a few yards ahead of them as the chopper was setting down. Coop quickly dismantled it, stuffed it back in its pack and ran for the open door of the chopper. One by one everyone boarded the bird, T.J., Jackie and Tyler in the rear close by. Jackie was still watching the group of women, who had now come out into the courtyard.

“Shit, didn’t you tell them, Jackie?” Kyle barked.

“I did.” Jackie started to go back, but T.J. held onto him. Jackie tried to yell something to the women, but they kept advancing, now breaching the walls of the compound, running for the chopper.

“We can’t take them. We gotta go. We’ll send another bird and some Marines, but we gotta go now!”

Jackie was screaming at them.

All of a sudden a huge fireball erupted in the complex. Two of the women fell to their knees. It was obvious several were hurt.

“Dammit,” Kyle growled. Bits of debris were falling everywhere and the pilot was not pleased. He ordered everyone in and began to elevate. T.J., Jackie and Tyler were not yet aboard.

The pilot began shouting. A large chunk of plaster hit the chin bubble of the Blackhawk. It was obvious they were running out of time. Jackie wasn’t going to go with them and no one wanted to leave him behind. Tyler grabbed Jackie.

“Is she worth it, Jackie? You’ll die here.”

“I don’t leave her. I will never leave her.”

“Fuck sake,” Tyler said. T.J. had made it into the bird.

Sounds of automatic fire from the horizon pierced the night. Tyler chanced a glance at Kyle, and he could see there was no choice. He’d run out of time. T.J. saw the look as well, leaned over, touched Kyle’s knee and jumped back to the ground and rolled.

In thirty seconds, the chopper was gone, taking all on board to safety, but leaving the two SEALs and the terp behind to guard the women.

Tyler’s whole life flashed in front of him at that moment. He saw Kate’s face, the way she slept, and the way she looked when she was putting on her clothes. He was grateful for what he had. He was still alive. Somehow he’d make it. The fear of death wasn’t as strong as the fear of regret, he discovered in that instant. Regret for all the things he didn’t get to do.

Just another fuckin’ day at the office.

He couldn’t afford to dwell on the circumstance. They had to find some protection if they were going to get out of this alive.

‡

K
ate returned to
her cottage, satisfied that some of her questions about the SEAL community were answered. She decided to write a letter to Tyler, even though she didn’t know how long it might take to get to him.

She explained how talking to Devon was a great suggestion, that Devon had developed the courage she hoped she’d have one day. She told him that she was now surer than ever that falling in love with him was the best thing to ever happen to her. Their chance encounter on that fateful flight from San Francisco to Portland had been a miracle in action. And if there was one miracle, there would be many more. She was sure of it.

Stopping, she thought about what he would be doing right now.

Are you dreaming about me? I hope you are. I’m going to go to bed dreaming about you. I’ve devised this bubble I’m sending for protection. You’ll have to tell me if you sense it. It makes me feel like I’m doing something to get you home safe where you belong. I’m not thinking about the next time we have to be separated, just focusing on getting you home this time. Next time will have to take care of itself.

She finished the letter, folded it and addressed it, copying the info from his envelope stuck inside his sister’s book. She examined his picture again, kissing her forefinger and then pressing it against his face on the cover. Though the artist’s rendering was wonderful, the experience of seeing him in the flesh was a hundred times more appealing. The image didn’t do him justice.

She began reading the novel, and although she liked it, her emotions and her lack of sleep conspired against her. She fell into her pillows and, yes, she dreamed of Tyler.

Kate was not
the first one to arrive at work the next morning. She parked right next to Sheila’s car. The front door was locked, so she fished out her keys and let herself inside the dark hallway that led to the tasting room. She began turning on lights.

“Sheila?”

“I’m here. Just working,” she heard a voice coming from the office down the corridor. Her door was ajar and the light was on. “I’ve just made some coffee in the kitchen if you need it.”

Thank God.
Kate had neglected to stop for her usual. She set her purse behind the bar and followed her nose to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee in the morning made her day. After pouring a cup, she walked down the tiled path to Sheila’s office and found her standing, delving into a file in the top drawer. The large company checkbook was closed, but centered on Sheila’ desk and the printer was running.

Kate was holding her coffee in her right hand. “You want a refill?” she asked.

“No thanks, I’m finished. Thought I’d go home and shower, get some breakfast and come back. Knock yourself out,” she said. Sheila’s smile was warm and seemed genuine. “Needed to get caught up on some bill pays.”

“Well, I’ll go get started on my calls,” Kate answered.

“You do that.”

“Oh, Sheila, Mr. Heller asked me about some expenses I couldn’t identify. Did he talk to you about it?”

“No. Hmmm.” Sheila frowned. “Must have figured it out, though. He said nothing to me.”

“He was going to ask Randy, I think.”

Sheila laughed. “Oh, that will be a waste of time. Randy is clueless when it comes to expenses.” Sheila’s rolling eyes and shrug didn’t dissuade Kate from her conviction that Sheila was worried about something. Perhaps things weren’t on as good footing with Randy as Kate had suspected.

“Well, I hope he figures it out. I didn’t want him thinking I was spending too much of the company’s money on promo.” Kate walked down the hall to her phone station.

She picked up the customer lists and donned her headset. After placing a dozen calls, she remembered she’d left her purse under the bar. She wanted her cell phone beside her in case Tyler managed to get a message through or answer one of the several she had texted. She removed the headsets and went back toward the tasting room.

Sheila was still there, putting some glasses away from the dishwasher.

“Thought you were going home.”

“Oh, I thought I’d just put these away and then take off.”

“I could have done it,” Kate said.

“You know me. Overachiever.” With her back to Kate, drying one wineglass stem that was still wet, she asked, “So when do you expect to hear next from Tyler?”

“I have no idea. He’s probably not in range.”

“Does he call you?”

“No. Only texting. I should say sexting. That’s what I hope he’ll do, once I hear from him at least.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it, then,” Sheila said. She walked around the end of the tasting bar as Kate was retrieving her purse.

Kate watched her friend, if she could still be called that, exit the tall glass and metal doors to the parking lot beyond and drive away in the new Volvo. Her cell phone was on top of her other things in the satchel she brought. Checking the screen, she found it blank. The battery was charged. Now it was nearly twenty hours since Tyler had left. She began to worry. She was sure he would have had time to send at least one message.

She locked the doors and retreated to the call center to get back to work.

Kate’s marketing resulted in several cases worth of sales to old customers. She’d focused on those who bought just prior to last year’s release, thinking perhaps some pre-Christmas offers would entice them. Heller could provide custom labels for their special clients to use as gifts. She ate lunch at her standup desk and proceeded on to the early afternoon.

Something caught her eye and she was startled when she saw Randy leaning against the doorjamb. She removed her headsets.

“Oh, Randy! Didn’t realize you were here.”

He slumped down into a chair next to her desk. His shoulders slouched. He held the large black Heller Vineyards checkbook between his palms.

“Kate, I owe you an apology.”

She steeled herself for what she knew was going to be a conversation she didn’t want to have.

“No, Randy, I’m probably the one who needs to apologize.”

“About the engagement? Well, yes, based on what you knew. But there are a few things you didn’t know. And now there are a few things I know.”

“Excuse me?” It was obvious Randy wasn’t coming on to her. With no evidence of his former bravado, Kate’s capacity for compassion began to flow. She actually felt sorry for Randy for some reason.

“I’ve been a fool.”

Kate waited.

He looked up, and when their eyes met she saw shame. With his head tilted to the side, his gaze darted over her face and the surrounding room without specifically focusing on anything.

She pulled a chair from the corner and sat across from him, knees almost touching. “What’s going on, Randy?”

“I’ve loved you, but I—”

She thought he might cry.

“I don’t deserve you. I never did. I didn’t earn your love and never should have had your trust.”

“I don’t understand. Just spell it out, please.”

“I’ve been sleeping around.”

She sat up straight. The possibility had never occurred to her. At first she felt the taint of anger, but then she remembered they no longer had a commitment. So this meant he never was committed?

“And?”

“Isn’t that enough, Kate?”

She knew there was something more. “What else?”

“One of the ladies I’ve been, you know—”

“Fucking while you’ve been my fiancé. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Yes.”

Somehow she knew the next part almost before he said it.

“One of them is Sheila.”

Figures.

Kate stood up. Instinctively she checked her cell phone. She so wanted to be transported from this little room to anywhere closer to Tyler. She thought perhaps she might be able to feel him just by putting her fingers on the blank screen. But there wasn’t anything there and she didn’t feel anything.

“I’m not sure that’s any of my business any longer,” Kate whispered, looking down at the lists. Tears were filling her eyes. Not from Randy’s reveal, but because nothing around her was as she had left it when she went to Portland that week-plus ago. Nothing made any sense. The only thing that made sense was that she needed to find Tyler. Whatever she had to bear, if he was here beside her she could bear it. She had to admit, his admonitions about staying away from “those people” had been spot on. She had no business being here. Being part of any of this.

“So I guess I should say I’m surprised, but I’m not. It’s sad, but I think I picked up a little of that just yesterday.” She turned to look down on his bowed head. “You could have gone on without telling me. So why now?”

“Because I think she deceived even me.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised at that, either. I think she’d go after Tyler, if—”

“She already has.”

“Well, I’m sure she has. Lucky for me—”

“She told me they were lovers.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“He has a tattoo on his chest of a compass? Frog prints from his elbow to his wrist?”

“Anyone could have seen those.”

“Really? When did you guys come by here when he wasn’t wearing a shirt, Kate?”