First Class Hero (First Class Novels)

by Harmon, AJ

  The ball sailed over the net and there was a set and a spike back over but a fist managed to get under the ball just inches from the sand and up it flew into the air. Paul set it for Phil and over it went again, but it was blocked at the net and the game was over. Paul patted Phil on the back and the men eagerly rummaged the ice bucket to quench their thirst.

  After grabbing a bottle of water, Paul fell on the sand at Nic’s feet.

  “We lost,” grinned Paul.

  “So why are you happy?”

  “It’s been a long time since I played. It was fun.”

  Nic smiled and Ed yelled that the burgers were done. Bodies moved quickly in the direction of the food. Mariah stood up and called her daughters to come and eat. They were with the other children playing in the sand.

  Paul looked up at Nic and tilted his head. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked. “Just a little bit maybe?”

  “I really like Mariah,” she replied. “She was telling me about when you were based out of San Diego.”

  “What did she tell you?” Paul’s tone was serious.

  “Just the barbecues and parties you guys had when you weren’t deployed. There was one time you wore a tutu to the grocery store?”

  Paul exhaled and smiled. “Ah…the infamous tutu. That was a video scavenger hunt that Chris’s wife wanted us all to do and I ended up with the short straw, literally. Not one of my better looks,” he chuckled.

  Several people had returned from the food tables and so Paul helped Nic up and they walked over to grab a plate and a burger. Ed dished up big discs of beef with cheese melted and oozing all over. They looked delicious.

  “Two or three?” asked Ed as Paul handed him his plate.

  “Eh, two to start.”

  “How many are you gonna eat?” Nic was shocked.

  “We’ll see,” grinned Paul.

  The conversation was at a low hum as everyone feasted on burgers and salad and fruit and potato chips. Nic watched as Seal after Seal went back for seconds and thirds.

  “You guys can pack it away,” she whispered. She had seen these men without their shirts on – not an ounce of fat. “Where do you put it?”

  Paul grinned. “We train really hard…really hard. We eat well.”

  They finished their meal in silence.

  *****

  After a game of football for the men, while the women helped clean up and then play in the water with the children, family by family or couple by couple, the gathering dispersed slowly. It was early evening and for everyone but Paul, work came early the following morning. Paul and Ed loaded up the barbecue and the mostly empty coolers and all the kids’ toys.

  “You guys stay,” Ed said as he threw Paul the keys to his truck. “We’ll see you at home.”

  Nic said goodbye to Ava and Chloe.

  “Thanks for helping us build a cool sandcastle,” Ava said and gave Nic a hug.

  “You’re welcome,” Nic replied and waved goodbye as Ed corralled them towards the car.

  Mariah gave Nic a hug too. “It was lovely to meet you.”

  “You too,” smiled Nic. “Thanks so much for having me.”

  Mariah walked over to the car and climbed in and Paul and Nic waved as they pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Do you wanna walk for a bit?” Paul asked.

  “Sure.”

  They wandered towards the harder wet sand and walked through the water as the tide slowly started coming in.

  “I hope it wasn’t too bad being around all us Navy guys,” Paul said, a slight teasing in his voice.

  Nic grinned. “I suffered through it like a champ.”

  “Yes you did,” Paul laughed. “Thanks for coming with me.”

  “Thanks for asking me.”

  They walked a little more and Paul wandered a little further into the water.

  “It’s so warm and inviting,” he grinned. “Too bad I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” He walked a little deeper, midway up his thigh. “If you have your suit we could swim.” Paul turned to Nic and she stopped to look at him. She did have her swimming suit on, but she wasn’t a fan of the unwanted sand getting into body crevices. She shook her head.

  “Oh well, maybe another time,” Paul shrugged. At that moment a large wave came in right behind him and pushed him forward. As the sand gave way under his feet, he fell forward and was almost completely under the water. He struggled to stay on his feet and Nic burst out laughing.

  “Don’t have your sea legs with you today?” she teased.

  “I was distracted,” he laughed as he made his way towards her dripping wet.

  “Guess you could go swimming now,” Nic laughed.

  “Ha ha,” he replied, as he pushed as much water as he could from his shorts. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and rung it out several times and then threw it over his shoulder. As he looked back at Nic he saw the expression of distress on her face.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he offered.

  Nic’s hand moved to her open mouth as she saw the scars covering his body.

  “Really,” he whispered as he reached for her hand. “And it was a long time ago.”

  “What happened?” she asked softly. Her hand lifted towards him but then stopped and returned to her side.

  Paul started walking back the way they had come. He took a moment before he answered.

  “You really want to know?”

  Nic nodded.

  “We were on a mission off the coast of Somalia. It was a hostage situation and we were to go in and get them out. There were three of them and they’d been held for a long time. We weren’t sure how much longer before they’d be killed. The mission was planned right down to the minutest detail, as they always are, and we were working with the most recent intel, but we found out when we got to the compound where the hostages were that our sources had not been the most reliable. They were ready for us. Phil was shot.”

  “Phil? The Phil I met today?”

  “Yeah. Hit in the leg. He couldn’t walk so I went back to get him and I got hit here and here.” Paul pointed to his right shoulder and his then his left bicep. “And I got shot here and here but I was wearing my vest.” He tapped his chest twice.

  “But you all got out?”

  Paul nodded. “Yup, we did. We even got the hostages out too.”

  “So you got shot saving Phil.”

  “He would’ve done the same for me. We don’t leave anyone behind…ever.”

  Nic looked at the vicious scars. “It must have been incredibly painful.”

  “In the heat of the moment I didn’t even know I’d been shot. The adrenaline was pumping and the training just takes over. I know it sounds cliché but it is really is the way it works. We train for that exact situation and we don’t even need to think…the reaction is instant and automatic. It wasn’t until we were in the helicopter that Ed saw blood on me. At first I just figured it was Phil’s cuz I carried him out, but as time wore on I figured out it was me.”

  “And these?” Nic pointed at his abdomen.

  “Oh those? That’s nothing. Just some shrapnel from a bomb.”

  Nic’s mouth dropped open. “Just a bomb?”

  Paul chuckled. “Yeah, just a bomb. We didn’t have time to defuse it so I detonated it but I wasn’t quite far enough away.”

  “That’s insane!”

  “Yeah…I got in trouble for that one. Ed was not happy!”

  “So you’re an actual hero?” she whispered.

  “No,” Paul frowned. “I did my job and I had Phil’s back. It’s what we all do every single day. I’m no more special than anyone else.”

  “Did you get a medal? Isn’t it a purple heart or something?”

  “If you’re wounded in battle, yeah, you get a purple heart. I got a Bronze Star too. I gave that to my mom. She didn’t leave my side while I was recovering. As overwhelming as she can be sometimes, she is my rock. I think the mothers are the ones that deserve the medals. Well in my case
anyway.”

  They’d made their way back to the truck and Paul opened the door and Nic climbed in. It was only a short drive back to her house and Nic was surprised to feel disappointed that their time together had come to an end.

  As they pulled up in front of her home, Paul jumped out and ran around to open the door for her. He walked her to the front door and thanked her for a very enjoyable afternoon. And then he walked back to the truck and drove away.

  3.

  Monday morning came far too early. Paul had not slept well. If he was actually going to leave the Navy his window of opportunity was closing quickly. He’d sat in bed and hand written his thoughts in a notebook and had realized that he had already made his decision. He’d made it weeks ago. He just needed to act on it.

  Ed’s office had been turned into the baby’s room so Mariah had the family computer on a desk in the corner of the kitchen.

  “Mind if I use that for a bit? And can I print something?” he asked as he entered the kitchen.

  “Of course,” she smiled. “Coffee?”

  “Mmm, please.”

  “Ed has left already. He got a call in the middle of the night. Something’s up.”

  “Huh,” frowned Paul. It must have been important to call him in the middle of the night. He turned his attention to the computer and opened up a Word document and the words just flowed easily and quickly. It printed, he signed it and folded the piece of paper in thirds and put it in his pocket.

  Mariah placed a cup of coffee on the counter and Paul thanked her. As he picked it up his phone began buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and was immediately concerned as he read his commander’s name on the caller I.D.

  “Lathem,” he said as he answered the call. He listened for a moment and nodded and replied in the affirmative on several occasions. He hung up and looked at Mariah. “I’ve been recalled.”

  “What? Is that why Ed was called last night?”

  Paul sighed. “Probably. My team will be leaving on Thursday. His team could be going too.”

  “This doesn’t sound good,” Mariah said as she was trying to remain calm, although it was difficult.

  “I need to pack and book a flight.”

  “Let me know if you need anything. If you need a ride to the airport.”

  Paul walked over to her and gave her a hug. “Thanks for letting me invade your home. I really needed this trip.”

  “Of course,” she replied. “You know you can come here anytime. We love you and you are part of our family. Always have been and always will be.”

  Paul ran up the stairs, two at a time, and threw his stuff together. He called the airline and booked a seat on a flight leaving at eleven o’clock. He was headed back to San Diego and then off on a mission.

  *****

  Nic sat in the kitchen drinking her orange juice and reviewing the classifieds on the internet. There weren’t any new job postings.

  “So, how was yesterday with your sailor boy?” Evelyn asked as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

  Nic sighed. “First off, he’s a Navy Seal, and second, he’s not mine.”

  “Why would you not want him? He’s gorgeous! Everything every woman could only dream about.”

  “I barely know him. But it was fun. There was a whole Navy Seal team there and their families. And surprisingly, they were all really nice.”

  “Why is that a surprise? There are lots of nice Navy guys. I’ve met many of them,” she smirked.

  “Well my experience hasn’t been as positive.”

  “So are you going to see him again?”

  “I don’t think so. My life is very up in the air at the moment. I’m probably moving in the next few months and his job is not conducive to a relationship, at least not a relationship with me. I’m not the woman for him. Believe me, I know.”

  “I think you should see what he has to say. And besides, he may not want to see you again.” Evelyn walked out of the kitchen.

  “Why wouldn’t he want to see me again?” Nic scowled. “Rude!”

  *****

  After a call to Ed as he sat in the airport, Paul understood it was a major event they were headed to in the Middle East. It would entail two Seal teams, Ed’s and Paul’s, and considerable involvement from a Carrier Strike Group and UAVs, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

  He wasn’t nervous; this is what he trained for. He had been a Seal for a long time and had seen pretty much everything there was to see in war and hostile situations. He was prepared. But he was also uneasy, and that was unusual.

  Paul made the call he hated to make. He talked to his mom for several minutes and heard the anxiety in her voice. She must have said she loved him ten times during the short conversation. He hung up and sat at the gate in the airport waiting for his plane to board. He fiddled with his phone, turning it over in his hands. He scrolled through the contact list and pushed the call button.

  “Hi,” Nic said.

  “Hey,” Paul replied. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. Thank you again for yesterday. I had a nice time.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did too. Hey, um, I was calling to…”

  “You know I’m glad you called Paul. I don’t want to have any misunderstandings hanging out there, and…”

  “Nic, I’ve been recalled. I’m at the airport waiting for my flight. I’m heading back to San Diego and then my team is heading off for a few weeks. I was calling cuz I didn’t want you to think that I just didn’t call you. I had a really nice time yesterday too. And I wanted you to know that. But I’m not going to be able to call you, at least for the next several weeks and I didn’t want you wondering what happened.”

  “Oh.”

  The gate agent announced boarding over the PA system and Paul needed to get on the plane.

  “I will call you when I get home if that’s okay,” Paul said.

  “Yes, do that. Paul?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Be safe.”

  “I always try.”

  He hung up with Nic and turned off his phone. He made his way onto the plane and found his seat. He didn’t like the feelings he was having at all. In fact, he hated how he felt. He was not nervous at all about the mission and he didn’t even know what that was. What he didn’t like was worrying about someone he was leaving behind.

  *****

  Back in San Diego, Paul headed to his tiny apartment, more like an over-sized storage shed with a bathroom, and packed for deployment. He had talked to his Commander on the taxi ride from the airport and had been filled in on the basics of the mission. They were going to rescue an American journalist and her cameraman who were being held hostage, and the plan was to eliminate as many of the terrorists as they could and bring the Americans home. Apparently they would be heading to a secret compound that was housing not only the two Americans but also a British soldier who had been missing for a couple of weeks. The CIA had an asset on the ground and the information coming from him described a military fortress, hence the multiple Seal teams and cooperation of several branches of the military. The Special Air Service of the British Special Forces would also be involved and they would meet up at the military base in Kandahar.

  Tuesday morning he was back on base and back with his team preparing for their mission. They spent two days packing and making sure all the equipment they would need would be making the trip with them. As Paul stood on the tarmac Thursday morning preparing to board the transport plane, his mind wandered back to Virginia and the woman who had somehow captured his interest without even trying.

  4.

  After ten years in the military, Paul had learned to sleep anywhere, so the flight to Kandahar went by quickly and he was soon on base.

  There were two Seal teams assembled. At one time or another Paul had worked with every member of the teams and would gladly work with them again. He trusted every one of them with his life. They were an elite group of men trained by the very best and they would get the job done.

&n
bsp; Paul had also met the SAS troop that had arrived. The sixteen extremely skilled British military joined the Seals. He welcomed the idea of working with the SAS, as they were considered one of the most elite Special Forces units in the world. He was sure he would learn something and was honored to work with them. Paul almost pitied the members of the Taliban who stood in their way. They would regret it. Of that he was sure.

  *****

  Nic stood at the bar waiting for her table’s drink order. It was a busy Saturday night and she and Evelyn were being run off their feet. But tips were coming her way and that made her feel like her sore feet were worth it.

  “Here you go, hun,” Brian smiled as he lined the glasses up in front of her.

  Nic smiled and scooted up her tray and headed off to deliver them to the waiting table. And so it went all night long. By the time the last customer had been put in a taxi and the doors locked, Nic had made almost two hundred dollars in tips.

  “Nice!” she grinned as she put her earnings into her purse.

  “Let me walk you ladies out,” offered Brian.

  “It’s good to see a little twinkle in your eye tonight,” he said as he stood by Nic’s car as she unlocked it.

  “Twinkle?” Nic was surprised.

  “Yeah, a twinkle. Probably helped with those tips too.”

  Nic and Evelyn said goodnight and drove home.

  “It’s true,” Evelyn agreed as they locked the front door after getting home. “You do have a twinkle. It’s your Navy boy, huh?”

  Nic rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not interested!”

  “I don’t believe you!”

  *****

  Maureen Lathem sat in the conference room of St. Luke’s Prep School and reviewed the applications that had come in over the past few days. She and Father Todd were to eliminate the unqualified applicants.

  “Well, of the fifteen, we have eleven that have met the minimum qualifications.”

  Father Todd nodded. “I’m actually pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think we would get that many.”

  “Hmph! Did you look at some of these though? There really are only two or three that we will want to interview,” Maureen frowned.