by Jaime Lewis
“Nothing I could do. I was in a position where I couldn’t blow my cover.”
Even Ace was laughing. “I think that was the only time our position was almost compromised.”
“Compromised, how?” Alex asked.
Potter chuckled. “Because we couldn’t stop laughing.”
“How many showers did it take you to feel clean?” Diego asked, trying not to laugh at the misfortune of his teammate. Although Alex knew they gave Irish plenty of shit about it. No pun intended.
Even with the stress from earlier, Alex found herself enjoying the moment. Hearing them joke with one another made her think of her uncles and all the times they’d sat around reminiscing.
“So, Alex. Tell us a little about yourself,” Irish probed, probably trying to direct the attention from him.
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything.”
She hated talking about herself. “Let’s see…my name is Alexandra. I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, along with these two yahoos.” She sent Stitch and Frost a grin. “Like them, I grew up living the SEAL family life.”
“Well, you have one hell of a dad,” Dino added.
“Actually, Derek isn’t my biological dad,” she admitted and could see from the shocked expressions they weren’t aware of that little tidbit, except for Stitch and Frost. When nobody said anything, she continued. “My real dad was a SEAL. He was assigned to the same team as Derek’s. During a mission, they were ambushed, and my dad was killed as a result.”
“Damn, I’m sorry to hear that,” Potter voiced. “How old were you when that happened?”
“Six. My mom left my dad and me when I was just a baby. My dad came home from work one day to a note on the table. After my dad was killed, child services tried to find my mom, but they weren’t successful. My dad’s parents died before I was born, and when Child Services finally got hold of my mom’s parents, they told them they didn’t want me. The only option was to enter the foster care system, but Derek stepped in and filed for guardianship immediately. Years later, when I was older, he explained that it was my dad’s wish that should anything ever happen to him, and I was still a minor, Derek and the team would take me under their wing. At first, the state was hesitant to grant the guardianship because of his occupation and his single marital status. Still, with help from some people in ‘high places’ and the support of the community, the guardianship was granted.” She smiled, remembering the day they had all celebrated.
“I lived with Derek, but all of my dad’s teammates raised me. They all hold a special place in my heart. They were always around, teaching and guiding me through life.” She smiled and laughed, “None of them knew anything about parenting. If it weren’t for Tenley’s mom, they would’ve been so screwed.”
“What did you do when they were deployed?” Ace asked, leaning forward, resting his arms on the table.
“Are you sure you guys want to hear about all of this?”
“Hell yeah. It’s not often we get the scoop on the CO’s personal life,” Irish said and gave her that flirty smile of his she was sure drove the women nuts.
“I’d stay with Tenley and her mom, Juliette. Juliette is my ‘adopted’ mom, per se. She helped me navigate through those rough couple of years when a young girl needed a female to talk to. As you can imagine, a little girl living with a Navy SEAL, well really six of them, my childhood was not the typical fairy tale princess stuff that most little girls dream of.” Alex smiled as she remembered every moment she spent with them. “I was somewhat of a tom-boy growing up. My uncles made sure I was able to take care of myself as I got older. By the time I reached high school, I was an excellent marksman. But in their eyes, I was their princess. Nobody ever messed with me. That’s for sure. I wouldn’t have changed a thing with how I was raised without my dad.”
Alex told them the story of a time in her freshman year of high school, giving them an idea of just how out of touch the guys were when it came to female stuff. It was a couple of days before the fall homecoming pep rally at the school. She played soccer for the varsity’s women’s team. All the girls were planning to wear their soccer uniforms to the pep rally, and for some added school spirit, they were going to put bows that were the school’s colors in their hair. Not giving him any explanation of why she asked him if he could take her to the store to look at some bows, an hour later, as they stood inside the Army/Navy surplus store looking at the newest models of hunting bows, she realized she should have clarified she needed hair bows. His facial expression had been priceless when she told him she needed hair bows, not hunting bows.
The guys laughed. Stitch was just starting a story of his own when the door opened and in walked her nemesis, Bert. He scanned the room, and as soon as his eyes locked on her, he made a beeline towards their table. If she’d been fast enough, she would’ve ducked under the table and hid from him.
He stopped right next to her. She wished she could tattoo the word asshole across his forehead, especially the way he had his lips pursed. She caught her laugh before it came out.
“You’re a hard person to track down. I thought you might have had second thoughts and headed back home.”
He tried to make it sound like he was joking, but Alex knew there was no humor intended. Whether it was an intimidation tactic or whatever, it pissed her off.
“What and leave the lives of those men in your hands? I don’t think so. We all would know the outcome if that were to happen,” she countered with a stare that showed she too wasn’t joking or backing down.
With all eyes on Bert and her, he took a step back as if feeling uncomfortable. “Well, when you are finished up with social hour and have a minute, I’d like to speak with you, alone.”
Like that was going to happen.
“Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of the team.”
His eyes darted to the guys, then he leaned forward and spoke low, so only she could hear. “You and I have some personal things to iron out. You cannot keep freezing me out. It’s been two years for crying out loud.”
She leaned back, putting much-needed distance between them and spoke slowly and loud enough that everyone could hear her. “As I said before, the only discussions I intend to have with you are those related to this mission. Anything else you have to say doesn’t matter because I don’t want to hear it.”
He sucked in his lips and glared at her. “Why are you making this harder than it needs to be? Last time I checked, we are on the same team.”
“Is that so? Because the last time I checked, leaders don’t abandon their team in a time of need.”
“Really? Is this what your attitude is all about? Bad shit happens, Alex. Yeah, it sucked, but you need to get over it. It’s been two fucking years.”
She sucked in a breath. Get over it? How does someone ever get over losing five friends and knowing she came within seconds of succumbing to the same fate. Knowing she had an audience, she needed to rein in her temper because she was seconds away from shoving her foot so hard into his manhood that his balls would be dangling from his mouth.
She stood up and was ready to go toe-to-toe with him, but before she could take a step in his direction, she was pulled back, and Frost stepped in front of her, getting into Bert’s personal space.
“I think it is time for you to leave.”
Bert surprisingly took a step back but pointed at her. “This discussion isn’t over.”
Her body shook with anger as she followed him with her eyes until he was gone. Frost put his arm around her shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up and knew he was pissed. But she didn’t want him or anyone else for that matter fighting her battles. Not that she wasn’t grateful for the back-up because that little situation had the potential to turn very nasty and possibly violent.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“What’s the history between you two?”
She sighed and plopped herself down
in the chair. No better time than the present for storytime, she thought to herself.
“What details have you been given about this assignment?”
Ace leaned forward. “Pretty much just the basics. Like you, we were surprised when we got the call. Our orders were to get to the airstrip, and a plane would be waiting. Derek said we’d be briefed when we arrived. The little we do know is besides the hostages; we’re also hunting down a suspected terrorist, Ashraf Fayad. A couple of years ago, he was suspected of using chemical weapons on hundreds of innocent civilians, along with some other heinous crimes, including forming ties with ISIS. Supposedly, he fell off the radar about two years ago after a botched op but has recently resurfaced with this latest attack.”
Alex’s body went rigid at the mention of the botched op. She hated hearing that term. Her actions didn’t go unnoticed either by Frost sitting next to her. She knew it when he quickly glanced down at her and squinted his eyes. Damn SEALs, they pick up on everything.
Frost held up his hand and interrupted Ace as he kept a keen eye on her. “Were you involved in that operation? Is that what that altercation between you and Bert was about?”
There was complete silence from the group as they all waited for her to answer. Eight sets of intense eyes were intimidating. She reached for her water and took a sip and swallowed hard. Was I involved? Yep, and I have scars to prove it. Both physical and emotional. If she said yes, she wondered if these guys would think she wasn’t the right person for the job? Would they scrutinize everything she said and did from here on out? Dammit!
She slid her eyes back to the group and answered the only way she knew how the truth. “Yes.”
Irish let out a low whistle at her response.
“How deep were you?” Ace questioned.
“Pretty deep,” she answered and held Ace’s gaze as he scrutinized her, waiting for her to continue. She took a long relaxing breath. She hated being under the microscope. When she returned to the states with injuries, she vowed she’d never step foot in that part of the world again. But duty calls, so here she was, sitting in the ‘land of sand.’ As strong and confident as she was, she would admit that having the SEAL team working alongside her provided her with an extra boost of confidence and a sense of security.
“As you all know, before I moved to the private sector, I worked at the NSA. Two years ago, I was the lead for a surveillance team sent to Afghanistan. It was supposed to be a simple couple of weeks doing reconnaissance and gaining new Intel on a potential new terrorist cell linked to ISIS, funded by a very well-known warlord in the region. The same individual who was suspected of using chemical weapons on innocent civilians.”
She explained in detail all the surveillance she and the team had gathered, including how they had blended in with the villagers as they waited to see if Ashraf made an appearance. That man was smart and had always managed to evade being in the same area where they were, even though she and the team were told that he traveled through the villages quite often.
When she finished giving them the rundown, she noticed Ace’s eyebrows were drawn inward, “I’m confused. If the government has all the Intel you’ve just described, then how was the operation botched? To me, it sounds like you and your team were very thorough.”
She nodded her head at his questioning. “According to the government, no Intel was received from that operation, and currently, I’m the only person who possesses all the detailed information about our target.”
His eyes shot towards her, and she felt as if they pierced right through her.
“How is that even possible? You had a full team. Surely you had to supply hard evidence. The government just doesn’t lose something like that. Are you sure someone on the team didn’t screw up and not send the file?” She could sense his agitation and wholeheartedly agreed with him, except for the part about not sending the file, but it didn’t give him a right to have an attitude with her. It became clear that he and his team were not briefed on how that op two years ago had ended.
With the tension growing thicker by the second, she took a deep breath and held Ace’s glare, ignoring everyone else who was sitting idle watching their interaction. In a calm, professional tone, she countered, “Because I’m the only one left who is still alive. All the Intel is in here now. At least what I can remember,” she said, tapping the side of her head. Soon, they would see several journals she had in her backpack that held everything she could remember. She wasn’t a fool; as soon as she was able to get hold of a pen and notebook, she started writing everything down. And it was a damn good thing she had an excellent memory.
“Just so we’re clear, Lt. Commander, our target for this op is the same asshole who is responsible for the explosion that killed five of my friends and colleagues, along with destroying every single piece of hard evidence, not to mention the server that our Intel was uploaded to was wiped clean. So that, Sir is how it is possible.”
She felt a little peeved at his line of questioning, and before she said or did anything else she’d regret later, she excused herself.
Walking next door to base command, she found a bathroom and locked herself inside. She turned toward the sink and turned the faucet on. She splashed some cold water on her face, then used a paper towel to pat her face dry. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she hung her head. She understood where Ace’s questioning was coming from. Hell, she’d have the same questions if she were in his shoes, but the audacity to speak to her in an accusatory tone is what upset her. He didn’t intimidate her, and she sure as hell didn’t answer to him either. If this was how it was going to be living and working side-by-side with this group, it was going to be a long couple of weeks for all of them because she was no push-over.
◆◆◆
Ace sat at the table, running his hand through his thick black hair. When Alex said she was involved, he hadn’t expected her to be in that deep. He was still trying to come to terms that she was the lone survivor from the brutal massacre of her team. Damn, that had to have been tough to overcome. He’d lost friends to the war but never lost a teammate, and prayed that day never came. But he’d heard about survivors’ guilt and the havoc it could wreak on someone emotionally. He had several questions he wanted answers to, specifically how Bert fit into all of this. She never went into detail about their relationship. He knew he needed to tread carefully and give her time to cool off. He pissed her off, which wasn’t the wisest decision, considering they were now working together. His main concern may come across to some people as being insensitive. However, he wouldn’t be in the position he was if he didn’t ask the right questions. Knowing more about her past, he was concerned about her mental state and her qualifications, given that her last mission wound up a clusterfuck.
“You were a little harsh on her, wouldn’t ya say?” Ace knew his medic wasn’t happy with him. Stitch had a soft spot, probably because of his medical background, but Alex was also his friend. They all had soft spots for women and children unless they stood on the enemy’s side.
“I wonder what happened to her team. We weren’t told about any of that,” Diego asked with a look of concern crossing his face.
Ace looked at Potter. “Were you able to get anything from Bert on the ride over here?”
“No, he pretty much stayed glued to his tablet and phone.”
Ace took a bite from his brownie and swallowed. Shit, he wasn’t even really all that hungry anymore.
“Whatever went down, there is a lot of bad blood between the two of them. Damn, I feel like an asshole with how I handled that.”
“Maybe that’s because you are an asshole,” a snappy voice said from behind him.
Shit, he was so riled up he hadn’t even noticed Alex had snuck up behind him. She was like a little ninja being all stealthy.
She sat back down and took a drink of water. She looked a little refreshed.
“Are you okay?” Skittles asked her, and Ace could sense the guys were already acclimating to her, which was a go
od thing; however, again, he needed answers.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He hated having to apologize. “Listen, Alex, I owe you an apology. Although I don’t feel my line of questioning was wrong, I shouldn’t have used the tone I did.”
The nonchalant shrug of her shoulders surprised him, “It’s cool. I don’t wear my feelings on my sleeve. Plus, your concerns are valid. I get it; your team and this mission are your focus and priority. But you must understand, this is my mission as well, and we do have to work as a team if we want to succeed. I don’t mind you guys asking questions; I’d just appreciate a little more respect in how you ask.”
He nodded his head. “I agree. Are you up to answering some questions and giving us a little background on what we may be up against?” Smiling at her, he said, “I promise not to act like a dick. If I do, I’m sure that one of these clowns will kick my ass.” He motioned to his team.
She chuckled while holding his gaze with those green orbs of hers, “Thanks, but I don’t need anyone to fight my battles for me, Lieutenant. I’ll gladly kick your ass myself if you ever talk down to me like that again. I don’t intimidate easily. I’ve never backed down from a battle, and I don’t ever intend to either. And yes, since you asked so nicely, I’ll gladly answer your questions. I assumed you would have some.” She smirked at him. “See, that was me being respectful.”
Damn, her spunk and sassiness were sexy as hell. He felt his dick twitch in his pants. As if knowing what she did to him, Potter snorted a laugh. “Damn, this mission is going to go down in the record books.” He looked at Alex, “You are going to fit in great with us, sweetie.” Ace couldn’t help the glare he shot across the table at his best friend.
Ace peered over at Alex and caught her looking at him. “What more can you tell us?” She took a deep breath, and he noticed her rubbing her right side above her hip. Whatever happened, the impression she gave it was a sore subject for her to talk about.
“It was two weeks before Thanksgiving. We were finishing up a six-week assignment. Our task over that time was to locate and investigate Ashraf Fayad. We spent days and nights traveling to various locations that he was known to frequent, interviewing many people. Some more willing to give us viable information, while others avoided us at all costs out of fear that Ashraf’s regime would retaliate.