“Eagle 1, this is Eagle 5.”
“Go ahead Eagle 5.”
“I think they’re going to use the refueling tanker,” Cam said into his com. Even though he directed his message to Jake the entire team would hear it.
“Copy that, Eagle 5. Everyone rendezvouses at the checkpoint.”
The clock kept ticking. Air Force One was due in fifteen minutes. They needed to secure the area and remove all threats or wave off the plane, and they were running out of time.
Chapter 4
Eagle 1, this is TOC.” Jake looked at the team, before responding to Captain Knox. They didn’t have confirmation that the terrorists would use the fuel tanker as the bomb, but it made the most sense.
“Eagle 1, go ahead TOC.”
“I need a sitrep. Has the threat been contained?”
“No, it hasn’t. But we think we figured it out.”
“I’m supposed to tell the general that POTUS is safe to land because you think you figured it out?” As Cam listened to the exchange he winced at the captain’s words.
“Yes, sir. I do,” Jake responded.
“If anything happens to that plane our careers are over. You do realize that, Master Chief?”
“Yes, sir. I believe we can neutralize the threat in time.”
The silence was worse than an ass chewing, and it was taking too long for a response. Eating into their window. Halo stood up and let out a low growl, but loud enough for Cam to hear. As he turned toward the direction of Halo’s line of sight, he saw two tangos running along the edge of the terminal. If the dog hadn’t picked up on their scent, he’d never have known they were there.
Before he could alert the team, their coms echoed with the captain’s response. “POTUS is on final approach, but we can still wave him off. You’d better be right, Eagle 1. You have five mikes.”
“Copy that. Eagle 1 out.”
“We’ve got two tangos at nine o’clock,” Cam said.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for. Follow but don’t engage until we’re sure they are the threat.”
“Copy that.”
Cam and Halo took point. Ryan and Murph swung around to try to head them off, while Rafe and Jake followed closely behind. As they followed the tangos, they ran for a fuel tanker that had been parked beyond the terminal at the edge of one of the runways.
“Eagle 1, tangos are hot and heading for the truck.”
“Eagle 3, do you have eyes on the target?”
“Copy that, Eagle 1,” Ryan responded. “Eagle 4 has a clear shot.”
“Take them out before they reach that tanker.”
“Copy that, Eagle 1.”
As Cam watched, first one then the other tango went down. They dropped before he heard the sound of the rifle. “Eagle 5, secure the tanker.”
“Copy that, Eagle 1.” Cam and Halo ran for the tanker, as Ryan and Murph checked the tangos. Murph was their sniper and Cam was impressed every time he saw him work. It didn’t matter how difficult the shot, he’d made it.
They reached the tanker and Halo checked it for explosives. There was a detonator attached near the fuel hose, but it wasn’t armed.
“Eagle 1, tanker is secure. Threat is eliminated.”
“Copy that, Eagle 5,” Jake responded. “Eagle 1 to TOC. The threat is neutralized, I repeat threat is neutralized.”
“Never doubted you, Eagle 1,” Captain Knox replied, but the relief was plain to hear in his voice. “Head to the EXFIL so we can get the fuck out of here.”
“Copy that, TOC.”
“I don’t think we could have cut that closer if we tried,” Murph said as they headed to their plane. They’d accomplished the mission without alerting the locals or tipping off the Secret Service. Just another day at the office, except there was no going home and discussing their day with the families.
After they were airborne, Cam breathed a sigh of relief. For him, the mission never felt completed until they were in the air. He wasn’t sure why, but it had been that way since the beginning.
“We’re cleared for home. Red Falcon Team has landed at Bagram.”
“I say that calls for a celebration. Who wants a beer?” Jake asked as he headed over to the cooler. They kept a stash on board for after missions, and if any of them deserved to be celebrated it was this one. POTUS wouldn’t know he’d been in danger until the Joint Chiefs briefed him. It was a win or at least part of one, they hadn’t caught the fucktards behind the plot. Azfaar was still out there and it was guaranteed that he’d be causing more trouble.
Cam grabbed a beer, then set out food and water for Halo, before he sat down. He wanted to call Miranda and let her know they were on the way. While he was figuring out the time difference, Rafe sat next to him.
“You know you can’t tell her about the mission.”
“Seriously? You’re fucking reminding me like I’m some kind of newbie? That I don’t know all of our missions are top secret?”
“I’m just saying. They don’t all involve your girlfriend’s father. The temptation will be there.”
Cam hadn’t thought about it. He’d never been tempted to share information about their missions with anyone, but then this was the first time he was in a real relationship. He’d dated plenty, but nothing was ever serious until Miranda, she was different.
“How do you handle it with Meghan?”
“She knows that I can’t talk about it and doesn’t ask. It was a little different on the deployment because we were mostly training.”
“We haven’t been on any missions until now since you’ve gotten together. either.”
“True.”
“Just because I’m younger than you, Grandpa, doesn’t mean I need to be reminded,” Cam replied as he hid his irritation with sarcasm. It was true, he was a SEAL and knew the rules just as much as the rest of them.
“You’re right, kid,” Rafe said with a wink. “I just know how anxious you’ve been to get home to her.”
“No more so than you are.”
“Touché.”
“What are you two whispering about,” Murph asked as he sauntered toward them with refills. Relieved that the focus was off of him, Cam grabbed one of the bottles.
“Nothing. Just talking about living arrangements,” Cam said and gave Rafe a look that dared him to disagree with what he’d said.
“Miranda’s staying with Meghan since we were late. You never know what those women are up to.”
“No shit. Women are worse than we are. They’re probably talking about how often there will be a banana in the fruit salad.”
“Fuck Murph, how do you come up with that shit?” Ryan asked.
“Just how my mind works, bro. Can’t help it.”
“You’re just jealous,” Cam added.
“Me? Hell to the fuck no. I like buttering the biscuit as much as anyone, but I prefer a fresh one. Nothing stale for me.”
“How’s that?”
“It’s the thrill of the hunt, like a crap shoot. Sometimes you miss, sometimes you hit, but you never know until you try.”
“And the women you’re with don’t care?”
“Not so far. I think most of the women at The Ready Room expect it.”
“You’re nothing but a horndog,” Jake said as he joined the group. “One of these days one of those women is going to catch you like a bass on a hook.”
“That’s what you think. This frogman will never be hooked.”
“That’s a bet I’ll take,” Cam said with a huge grin. Now that Rafe was with Meghan it was like something had changed with everyone else. He saw it in Jake’s eyes when he watched Rafe and Meghan together. It was Longing for what he didn’t have.
“What are you talking about, kid?”
“A bet that you’ll get caught by a woman. The only question is how long until it happens. But it will happen.”
Murph laughed. “Fine, go ahead bet against me, but you’re throwing your money away.”
Jake laughed too. “
Okay, so how are we going to do this? And who will hold the money?”
“I will,” Bill Lynch said. “But I want in too. I’ve got fifty on Murph. No woman is gonna convince him to settle down. I’ve seen his moves in The Ready Room.” Murph thumped him on the back.
“See, Lynch knows.”
“You got it,” Cam said as he wrote his bet down. “Next?”
“Wait, you’re all putting money in, but what’s the time frame. You can’t leave it open-ended.”
“Leave it to Ryan to pour ice on the deal.”
“What the fuck, don’t make me punch you. I’m just saying. We need to figure this shit out or it’ll be a clusterfuck like our last bet. Remember, Jake?”
“Fuck yeah. Good point. Okay, so if Murph is still single in two years he wins, but if he’s been ‘hooked’ then he loses.”
Cam looked around and when none of the team objected, he wrote the ‘rules’ on the top of the betting list. “What happens when he loses?”
“There’s no way I’m losing,” Murph boasted then chugged his beer.
“We’ll see about that. How about this,” Jake continued, “if Murph loses he has to serve us beer in The Ready Room in a pink dress.”
They howled loud enough that the captain wandered over. “I thought you would be sleeping by now. What’s going on?”
“Just a friendly bet, Cap.”
“Yeah, we’re betting that Murph won’t be single two years from now,” Ryan explained.
“I want in,” Tony Knox said as he pulled a few bills out of his wallet. “You won’t make it, Murph. Sorry, bro. But as these guys find their women it’s inevitable. Trust me.”
“Gee, Cap, I thought for sure you’d take my side.”
“Sorry. Been there done that.”
Ryan, Rafe, and Jake put in fifty each against Murph, and Cam added his name to the list. After he double checked that he’d marked down all the bets, he added his money and totaled it up. Then he wrapped the two-hundred and fifty dollars inside the sheet listing the bets and handed it to Lynch.
“So, same deal as last time?” Cam asked.
“You mean with the money?” Jake nodded. “You all okay with that?”
“Yeah, money goes to the next fundraiser The Ready Room runs.”
“With any luck, Murph will be wearing pink to the event.”
“You’ve had too much beer, kid, because there ain’t no way I’m losing this one.”
Cam laughed. “We’ll see.” Grabbing some shut-eye sounded like a plan now that he’d had a couple of beers and the adrenaline from the missions had subsided. They had their spots in the plane and settled in for a well-deserved rest. Cam stretched out next to Halo. After figuring out the time zones, he didn’t want to wake Miranda with a phone call, so he sent a text before he went to sleep.
Miranda figured that their girl’s night was a success. They’d finished all three bottles of wine, the ice cream, and more than half the pizza. But most of all they’d laughed their butts off. She couldn’t remember having such honest and funny conversations in her life. Chrissy and Meghan were unbelievable and the stories they’d told about their high school antics were amazing. She was shocked that they’d managed to graduate at all.
For Miranda, it had been a private school and all about the grades. Not that her childhood was horrible, her parents loved her, but they expected her to act like the good little senator’s daughter and not get into any trouble. And she hadn’t, until the kidnapping in Afghanistan. Go big or go home. They weren’t going to be happy when they found out she was going back to the Middle East.
“Want to watch another movie?” Meghan asked. She must have nodded off at some point because the final credits for Moonstruck were playing. That was embarrassing, but luckily they didn’t seem to notice.
“Sure,” Chrissy said. “How about Die Hard, it’s getting late and I could use some action and hell Bruce Willis ain’t too shabby.”
“No, kidding. That okay with you, Miranda?”
It was after two a.m. Miranda had been struggling and obviously had failed to stay awake for the last hour. It was time she went to bed or risk falling asleep on the couch. She couldn’t do that. It would be rude since Chrissy and Meghan were still chattering away.
“Another movie? You two must do this a lot? I can’t keep my eyes open and you’re still going strong.”
“We used to. Not so much lately. Now that I’m living with Rafe we make the most of them when we have them.”
“That makes sense. I’ll have to work on my staying power.”
“No worries, Miranda,” Chrissy said with a smile. “Hey, does anyone call you Randy?”
That stopped her as she’d started to get up. “Randy? Nope, definitely not. I can’t even imagine my mother saying it.”
“Ahh okay, I was just wondering.”
“No problem, night.”
“Night.”
Randy? Not sure how she felt about that nickname or any nickname. She’d never had one, never even thought to shorten her name even though Miranda always seemed kind of old-fashioned. As she climbed in between the sheets and settled down, different names ran through her mind as she fell asleep.
It was still dark when she woke up drenched in sweat and crying. The clock said four-thirty, so she hadn’t been asleep for long. After listening to make sure she hadn’t woken the other women, she got up and went to the bathroom.
It was the same nightmare each time. Dark figures would break into their tent and drag her away from the others. Then they’d cover her face with a foul-smelling hood. She pleaded with them to let her go, but they laughed and spoke Pashto so quickly she couldn’t figure out what they were saying. Only one part of the dream had changed over the months since her rescue—now she screamed for Cam to save her. And it was his face she focused on to survive the torture.
A cold shower helped clear her mind. Sliding into one of Cam’s old Navy t-shirts, she sat in the chair by the window in her room. Peeking out through the blinds at the star-filled night, she wondered if he was thinking of her. His three-month deployment had seemed like an eternity but now that she’d see him soon, she was worried.
They hadn’t been together in months, and before that, it was just a few days at a time. The connection had been so intense when he’d found her in the cave, and they’d saved her and the other missionaries. Her father insisted she was just grateful, and that Cam was using her to get help up in his career. But he didn’t know Cam as she did, and that was the thing. Did she know him?
She used to love the stillness of the night, the quiet, but now she was restless, even when she didn’t have the nightmares. It was time for some major soul-searching to decide what she wanted. She had already agreed to go on the next trip to help with the school, but then she’d see about moving to Virginia if things worked out with Cam. Surely, she could find another way to help without traveling back to the land of her nightmares.
Chapter 5
The sun peeked through the open blinds when Miranda opened her eyes for the second time. Relief that she’d managed to sleep for a few hours without another nightmare, brought a smile to her face. Double nightmares didn’t happen often but when they did it was horrible, and most of the time it was after she’d been stressed. The wine and worrying about Cam being stuck in Afghanistan had most likely triggered this one.
Tip-toeing to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day, she heard the women in the kitchen. Wondering if they’d slept at all, she jumped into the shower. As far as she knew, they didn’t have any plans for today and dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved silk shirt. Maybe she could convince Meghan to take her shopping. It was time to buy clothes she liked instead of what her mother expected her to wear.
“Good morning.”
Meghan turned and greeted her with a big smile. “Good morning, Sunshine. How are you?”
The question told Miranda that her nightmare hadn’t gone unnoticed and she hoped she hadn’t disturbed them.
“I’m fine. Did you sleep at all?”
Chrissy laughed. It was the infectious type. You couldn’t listen to her and not at least smile. “Sure. Maybe an hour. Tomorrow is going to be totally suckful. Thank God it’s the weekend.”
“No shit. But there is the nectar of the gods at our disposal and we shall imbibe copious amounts until we resemble humans.”
“What the hell are you talking about? You used way too many big words for this little sleep.” If Miranda hadn’t been looking right at her, she’d have thought she was serious, but obviously, this was another conversation they’d had often.
“I could use copious amounts of that nectar.”
“I bet. How do you take it?”
“I’m a wimp. Three sugars and some of that half-and-half.”
“Three? You like it sweet. No wonder you like Cam. He’s such a sweetie too,” Chrissy replied as she handed Miranda the mug of coffee.
“He is, isn’t he? Strange to say that about a Navy SEAL. The ones I’d met with my father always seemed so serious.”
“They were on official duty then, not just hanging out. They are all sweet, well most of them anyway. I’ve met a few that were real jerks.”
“That’s guys for you, some are just asshats.”
“No shit. But you were lucky with Rafe, me too because it got you to move here.”
“Yup. So that makes me doubly lucky.”
“I’m thinking about moving here too. If I can find a job after I get back from the next trip to Afghanistan.”
“Really?” Meghan hugged her, and almost spilled her coffee. “What triggered that? Oh, I bet it was girl’s night.”
“I won’t lie. Girl’s night was a definite draw. I want to help women who can’t help themselves, but I honestly don’t want to go back to Afghanistan. I feel like a wimp even saying it out loud.”
“No, you are not even close to a wimp. After everything you went through, how can you think that? No fucking way. I doubt most people would go back.”
“It wasn’t just me who was taken, the others in the missionary group are going back. I will too, I promised. But this will be the last time, and I’m scared shitless.”
SEAL's Sunshine - Lynne St Jame Page 4