by Laura Acton
Nick wanted his family to flourish. Each brought strengths and weaknesses to the table, and as a result, they became stronger and better. His eyes landed on Loki. Besides being an excellent techie and explosives expert, Loki kept them all laughing.
Loki’s pranks became legendary. He tried so hard to prank Dan but to no avail … until this morning. Dan’s face as Lexa yanked her pants from him and tossed his to him was utterly priceless. Nick had never seen the rookie so off balance. He grinned and began the briefing. “Okay, boys and girl, let’s start. First agenda topic.” His hazel eyes twinkled as he peered at the son of his heart. “Loki, thanks again for the entertaining start to the day.”
“It. Was. Not. Me,” Loki ardently insisted.
The others laughed, and Bram winked at him. “Sure, it wasn’t you. Though, I seem to recall only you left the gym to obtain,” Bram made air quotes as he said, “a water bottle.”
“Bram’s right, Loki, but you didn’t return with a bottle.” Lexa arched her brow hoping to play up the misdirection and prevent any other speculation about how their pants got mixed up.
Loki rolled his eyes. “Ever hear of a drinking fountain? All the Bouteille D’eau Naturel is gone.”
“Try again, Baldovino. See this?” Jon chuckled as he held up the bottled spring water supplied to TRF. “The fridge is full.”
“I spotted Jarrod as we went into the lockers. The janitor probably refilled it while we showered,” Loki tried to make them understand he told the truth.
Lexa shot him a teasing evil eye. “Uh huh, riiiiiight.”
Although fun to tease Loki, and he started it, Nick decided to move on with the briefing. “Okay, children, time to focus on work now. Annual reviews are coming up. I am slotting time with each of you in the next two weeks. Dan, you won’t require another psych eval, we’ll use the one from November. The rest of you need to sign up with the department psychologist.”
Nick glanced down at his papers, happy for no new alerts or warrants. “Today is shaping up to be a patrol day unless we receive a critical call.”
Loki interjected, “I’m not riding with either Lexa or Dan. I want to survive today, especially since I didn’t pull the prank.”
First sharing a conspiratory glance, Lexa and Dan turned to Loki, giving him a look of we don’t believe you. How better to hoax the ultimate prankster without pulling a practical joke?
Nick peered at Dan and Lexa thinking it best if he did not pair Loki with either today. Loki needed his head in the game, and that would not happen if he worried about being pranked by them. So, he formed the teams accordingly. “Lexa with Dan, Bram with Jon, and lastly Ray and Loki. I’ll be here working on reviews. Off you go.”
The team filed out with Loki bringing up the rear close to Ray. He whispered, “I’m going to find out the identity of this unknown joker, and I’m gonna get even. It sucks no one believes me.”
Ray put his arm around Loki’s shoulder and smiled. “Okay, man. If you do, I’ll help you. Though, if you didn’t pull this one, I have no idea who could’ve done it. No one else left workout.”
Thunderstorms and Unicorns
2
January 6
TRF SUV Patrolling – Dan and Lexa – 12:25 p.m.
Lexa and Dan muted their headsets after climbing in the SUV. For the last ten minutes, they enjoyed a laugh over almost getting caught. They also snickered at Loki’s plans to unmask the unknown prankster as they listened to Loki talking to Ray. Loki would never figure it out, and it would drive him batty, in a fun way.
Grinning, Lexa said, “This is justice for some of the pranks Loki pulled in the past.”
Matching Lexa’s mirth, Dan nodded. “Though, I can’t tell anyone but you I liked his turtle dove one.” Dan waggled his brows at Lexa.
Becoming serious, Lexa sighed. “Mixing up our laundry can never happen again. We’re lucky the team believes Loki exchanged our pants. We can’t afford to get caught. To avoid this in the future, first, we are never washing our uniforms in the same load ever again. Second, we both will keep an additional set in our lockers. And third, we pack our go bags before we go to sleep, so there is no scramble when we wake.”
“Copy.” Dan readily agreed with her plans and settled back as Lexa drove. He kept his eyes out for any trouble, but his gaze shifted to the gray and gloomy sky. His thoughts were interrupted by his ringing phone. Checking the caller ID, he sighed recognizing the name before answering. “Broderick.”
The lead investigator for the court-martials said, “Hello, this is Lieutenant Colonel Bonomi. Do you have a moment to speak?”
“Yes, sir, but this is an unsecured line, and at a moment’s notice I may need to disconnect. My partner and I are patrolling, and if a situation arises, I will hang up without warning.”
Lexa glanced over when Dan’s tone reflected a military bearing.
“Understood. I must ask you a few questions related to the events surrounding the death of Master Corporal Clay Sheldon.”
Dan tensed at Unicorn’s name. “I’m working noon to midnight shifts for the next four days. I won’t be able to take time off to go to Ottawa.”
“Not necessary. My questions are not top secret.”
“Alright.” The light sprinkles of rain hitting the windshield awakened the ghosts in his mind of the horrible night Clay died, and Dan shuddered.
“Records show Major Plouffe submitted a formal reprimand against Captain Blain for Sheldon’s death. The official after-action report submitted by Plouffe appears to differ substantially from your account and that of your unit mates.” Bonomi shuffled his papers to find the one he needed.
“In his reprimand, Plouffe claims Blain disregarded his orders to exfil. Are you aware of him blatantly ignoring orders?”
“No, sir. The storm prevented our exfil. We sought shelter in an abandoned village. We ended up pinned down and unable to move without getting killed.”
Making a note his statement aligned with all the men’s accounts, Bonomi said, “Further, Blain failed to care for the welfare of a subordinate by ordering Sheldon into the hole where he drowned.”
Dan’s voice rose unexpectedly. “Blaze didn’t order Unicorn. I did. I’m at fault for Unicorn’s death.”
The heat of Dan’s declaration piqued Lexa’s curiosity
“I’m sorry, I should’ve prefaced my words with Plouffe claims. I read all accounts, and there is no blame, only a terrible circumstance. Do you have any idea why Plouffe might make these claims and take these actions? I’m asking because everything so far points to him targeting you and the general.”
Raking a hand through his hair, Dan said, “Undoubtedly the same reason he kept demoting Winds. By then, Plouffe must’ve realized everyone in the unit hated my father and blamed him for my constant deployment. I can only assume Plouffe wished to keep Blaze from rising in the ranks.
“Keeping him as my CO likely suited Plouffe’s purposes until he succeeded in killing me. At the time of Sheldon’s death, the major had almost four full years to learn how we operated. Preventing Blaze’s promotions would mean Plouffe didn’t have to contend with a newcomer who might’ve brought a different perspective and ended up revealing his manipulation.
“Conversely, another theory is anyone who assisted me became his target by default. Given his machinations, if Blaze received a BCD, I would’ve lost protection of my six, making me an easier target.”
Dan inhaled and exhaled gradually at the thought of everything Plouffe put him and the guys through for six damned years. “Only Plouffe knows why. If you are reviewing the material, does this indicate a date has been set for the court-martials and am I required to attend?”
Bonomi closed his file. “Not a specific date, but I believe they will begin in February. And yes, I will need to call you to testify to a few items.”
“Fine. Anything else?” Dan fought hard against the memories seeking to invade his mind.
“No. I’ll be in touch when the date is set. Tha
nk you for your time.” Bonomi hung up and stared at the files. Plouffe’s deceit is extensive, affecting many lives.
Shoving his phone into his pocket, Dan remarked on the weather to distract himself from unwanted recollections. “Think it is going to rain hard today or only sprinkle?”
Recognizing his method for diversion, Lexa didn’t ask about the call and responded, “The forecast indicates a thunderstorm tonight. I love rain. After a significant downpour, everything smells so fresh and clean.”
When Dan didn’t answer, Lexa asked, “Don’t you like the rain?”
Dan shrugged.
Lexa began to understand Dan better. Sometimes he became unguarded in her presence and allowed her to glimpse the real Dan. Not the overly confident and cocky soldier he portrayed to the world but the man inside. Those brief glimpses showed a man who endured unimaginable pain and still required comfort and reassurance on occasion.
She also recognized a kindred spirit in the trust arena … Dan did not trust easily either … pain built thick walls. Honored he shared snippets of his life with her, Lexa lightly probed and kidded, “Why don’t you like rain? Too manly to carry an umbrella?”
Dan turned to her, and a lopsided smile graced his face at her tease. “No, not that. Rain is okay.”
“But?” Lexa prodded relishing his quirky smile.
Trying to be more open with Lexa about his past, something he struggled with ever since his little sister Sara’s death, Dan recognized he needed to begin letting her in. He wanted this relationship to grow so he must share parts of him, even if it was hard and showed his ugly failures or things which made him appear wimpy.
Dan returned his gaze to the passing sights outside the passenger window. He did not want to witness her reaction. If she displayed anything close to pity, he would die inside. “It’s the thundering I can do without.”
Lexa mentally kicked herself. Dammit, why didn’t I think of that? Of course, rain wouldn’t bother Dan. How many times did he remain in the Zulu position drenched by rain? Too many. I only saw him skittish once when it was also thundering like mad. Thunder must sound like bombs going off to him which surely dredges up awful memories.
“Understandable and quite normal. Does it remind you of Kandahar?” Lexa queried with quiet sincerity and concern.
Dan dared a quick glance at Lexa, relieved to find no pity, only real understanding. Lexa seemed to accept his foibles without hesitation and without making him feel self-conscious and less of a man. Just like Brody.
He nodded as his eyes actively scanned the street in front of them. “Yeah, there and a few other places.”
Surprised by Dan’s unguarded behavior, Lexa ventured to ask, “You weren’t in Afghanistan the whole time?”
Damn, why did I say that? He glanced at her again. What he viewed reflected genuine interest. Dan comprehended she would not push if he backed out, but he just finished telling himself he must open up to her. He flicked his eyes back to the window as light raindrops hit the windshield. Perhaps this memory is a place to start. If she accepts me after learning my stupidity and poor judgment caused Unicorn’s death, then I might be able to trust her with more.
He would need to craft his words in such a way as to not give away secret information, yet still be open about an event which brought him much shame and filled him with guilt. “I can’t tell you where or much about it but I didn’t remain in Kandahar the entire time.”
Remaining quiet, Lexa wondered how much Dan might share with her.
Dan paused and drew a shallow breath. “The unit rookie had been with us for about three months. We called him Unicorn because he told us while attending Toronto University, before deciding to drop out and join the Army, he was part of a freestyle group which won the Unicorn.”
“What’s that?”
“A bi-annual unicycle competition. It is kind of a huge deal for unicyclists. They come from around the world to participate.” Dan snorted. “Naming unit members is not a strong point for us.”
Lexa nodded. “Yeah, with your tag being Blondie, I kinda figured that one out for myself.”
As the sprinkling stopped, Dan said. “False start on the rain, uh?”
“Appears so. As you were saying …” Lexa prompted not entirely sure where this would go or that she wanted to hear this given Dan’s tone.
Leaning his head back on the headrest, Dan gathered his thoughts. “A hellish thunderstorm grounded the helos needed for our extraction, forcing us to seek shelter in a deserted village. A short time after arriving, insurgents began bombarding our location. At the time, we wondered how they found us. Blaze now believes Plouffe’s narcissistic ambitions had something to do with them discovering us since he sold me to terrorists without compunction.”
Her brows rising, Lexa recalled her feelings and Blaze’s explosion when he found out about how Plouffe orchestrated everything inflicted upon Dan. She hoped the calculating and malevolent man ended up in prison for the remainder of his life for all the things he did.
“Me and Unicorn came into the village from a different direction than the other guys because Unicorn acted as my spotter for the mission. Brody usually did, but Blaze wanted the rookie to work closely with each one of us to build connections, and it was my turn.
“When the shelling started, we hunkered down away from the rest of the unit. I selected our hiding location. Although the house possessed walls, the roof was gone. We were soaked to the bone and freezing. Unicorn located a trap door in the flooring which opened to a small area probably used for food storage. We barely fit into the three-foot-deep space.
“We sat with our knees bent and tucked close together … at least we shared body warmth. Taking shelter underground was my decision. I thought we would be safer and warmer. After several hours I couldn’t tell the difference between the thunder or the mortar blasts. The endless thunderclaps and explosions coincided.”
Dan ran his hand over his face as he paused a moment gathering the guts to be unconstrained with Lexa and trust her with one of the reasons why thunder bothered him so much. To admit a terrible failure which cost a man his life. He unlocked the box in his mind and shared.
“The walls took several hits and mostly collapsed. I assume a rock from the rubble crashed into the trapdoor making a hole. Water began seeping in and filling our hidey-hole as the night passed. At first, only a trickle entered which didn’t worry us, but a few hours later the room began filling at a faster rate when the downpour grew in intensity.”
“We tried to push open the door, but debris from the house landed on top of our hiding place. Unicorn and I became trapped in the little underground room. When the water reached chest deep, I radioed Blaze for help. As the unit came to dig us out, I worried they would be killed while rescuing us.
“By the time they managed to make an opening on my side, water lapped at our necks. Brody gripped my wrists and pulled me out. I was halfway out when more pieces of the unstable wall fell after another blast. Chunks flew all around us, and one slammed into my arm, fracturing my ulna.”
His voice hitched and his eyes glazed with a faraway sadness. “Right after they freed me, another mortar hit the remaining wall. They scarcely dragged me out of the way before the last wall crashed down on the opening. We dug frantically but by the time we reached Unicorn he had drowned. My decisions resulted in Unicorn’s death.”
Dan shivered. Unfortunately, he knew all too well the ungodly fear which accompanied drowning. What it was like to take a last gulp of air. How his lungs burned as he held his last breath, knowing his next one would be a lungful of water. The silence which came when he finally succumbed and slipped away into the watery depths. An unbearably frightening way to die.
The weight of his guilt settled in Dan’s heart and on his shoulders. “If only I had made a better choice. If I took the time to assess the stability of the house or likelihood of rubble trapping us in the hole. Perhaps if I radioed Blaze for help sooner Unicorn would still be alive. I was the
senior unit member, and Unicorn, the rookie. He was my responsibility. I failed him.”
Glad she achieved enough trust with Dan for him to impart his tale, Lexa realized she would not be able to contradict his sense of culpability. After listening to all his what ifs, and cognizant of the team’s errors handling Dan in the past, she comprehended Dan would clam up if she declared his buddy’s death resulted from of an unpredictable chain of events in a war zone.
Instead of offering useless platitudes, Lexa schooled her emotions and laid her hand on Dan’s arm. He endured six years of hardships … abused as a sacrificial pawn in Plouffe’s game of treachery against General Broderick. Many ghosts still haunted him, and his wounded soul needed unconditional acceptance to heal. She could offer him that without hesitation. “This wasn’t easy to share, was it?”
He acknowledged her words with a slight shake of his head.
Lexa gently squeezed his left bicep, mimicking a move she now understood communicated genuine concern to him. “You have experienced so many difficulties and losses. Thank you for confiding in me. I hope never to betray your trust.”
Dan cleared his throat and stole a glance at Lexa. He viewed no recrimination in her expression … only compassion and understanding. “Yeah, so, not such a fan of thunderstorms.” Needing a distraction and time to recompose himself, Dan added, “How about we stop at Timmy’s? I need to use the men’s room, and I’ll treat for coffee.”
“Sure, I think there is one a few blocks over,” Lexa said then informed Boss they were stopping.
Attack of the Unicycles
3
January 6
Outside Timmy’s – 12:40 p.m.
Dan walked out of Timmy’s with his iced capp and a double-double for Lexa. He was unsure why he shared everything about Unicorn’s death with her. He could’ve just said it was a night of thunder and mortars.