by Dana Mentink
“Nah. I admired her confidence, too. I was just dumb enough to think that when we got married, she’d give up all the other men.” He sipped the cold soda, gesturing for her to continue.
“I met Andy when I was eighteen and all my good sense went out the window. I thought he was made for me, the glue for all my broken parts. I never knew my father. My mom had me when she was sixteen, and she had mental problems as far back as I can recall, so I guess I didn’t know what real love was supposed to look like.”
“It can be tricky to spot,” he said. “I’m not sure I know what it would look like, either.”
A look, both gentle and poignant, washed over her and he watched, dazzled by it.
“Real love would be two people putting God at the top of the list,” she said. “That’s all I know. Man and wife are going to disappoint each other at times, but He won’t and He’s got to be the glue that holds it all together.”
He examined the rich mahogany of her eyes, the light dusting of freckles across her nose. In the small circle of overhead light, with her hair loose, swimming in her baggy ABUs, she did not look much like his ex-wife. Certainly not the sincerity that made her so very vulnerable, the honest desire to start over again and start fresh with God at the center. He wanted to keep right on staring at her, memorizing the details of her face, her long fingers, the tiny scar next to her eyebrow, but something achy and tight took hold of his heart and he got up to knock it loose. “I’m going to check the perimeter again, be sure no one tampered with any locks while we were gone.”
She nodded. “If that was Sullivan in the woods, he’s close.”
“Too close.”
“Carpenter believes the accomplice is a woman,” she said. “Your suspect list included Vanessa Gomez, Zoe Sullivan, Yvette Crenville and the two women Sullivan dated.”
“Linc interviewed one again just recently. I’ll call and pick his brain and schedule an interview with the others.”
“And you’ve ruled out Zoe. Vanessa got a rose, though it might have been a diversion.” She paused. “There’s one more name I was thinking of.”
“Spill it.”
“The woman at the base news office.”
“Heidi Jenks? What would her motive be?”
“I can’t imagine, but she has access to information, and you suspect her of being the underground blogger. I think she suspected I wasn’t Jillian, the way she looked at me.”
“I’ve learned by now not to toss any theories aside. I’ll look into it.”
“Me, too. Good night.”
Ethan paused at the door. “Storm coming in.”
She sighed. “Seems like there’s always a storm coming in.”
He smiled and put on a hick accent. “Lessen it’s a frog strangler, I reckon we’ll be okay.”
She laughed. “Tell that to your chicken of a dog.”
Smiling, Ethan let himself out and waited until she locked the door, the light silhouetting her in gold. Titus wandered over and the two made their way back to the in-law unit. As he pulled off his boots for the night he found his eyes traveling to the window, to the treetops visible just over the fence, shadowed by ominous clouds.
If you’re out there, Sullivan, I’m going to find you.
There’d be no more victims.
Especially not Kendra.
TEN
They arrived at Colonel Masters’s office and waited outside the door until they were summoned. Ethan looked about as happy as he had the last time they’d been to see Masters. When the aide ushered them in, he brought Titus with them and let him up on one of the chairs.
Kendra gave him a questioning look.
“Masters hates dogs,” he whispered.
She smothered a grin at the mischievous gleam in his eye. They entered, and Ethan fired off the obligatory salute.
The colonel did not offer them a seat. “I want to know everything about the hostile in the woods.”
“All we know,” Kendra said, “is that it was a male that matches Sullivan’s description. The police have the binoculars for printing.”
“I didn’t want police in the picture,” he snapped.
“We had no choice,” Kendra said. “There was a civilian involved. She could have been hurt.”
“We reported all this over the phone,” Ethan said. “Why are we here?”
Masters didn’t raise his voice, but his tone turned to steel. “Because I sent for you, and you’re both working for me.”
Ethan’s cheeks went scarlet. “You don’t—”
“He brought you here because of me,” said a voice from the file room. Kendra gasped as Jillian stepped out wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She almost didn’t recognize her with her hair dyed a dark brown and her eye color changed to green with the help of some tinted lenses.
Jillian smiled and the women hugged. She nodded at Ethan who was breathing hard, staring at Masters. “You’re nuts, bringing her here. If anyone who knows her happens to—”
“You worry too much, Ethan,” Jillian said. “Always have.”
His eyes sparked fire. “You must be plenty worried, too, to go into hiding and let someone else fight your battles.”
Jillian’s face settled into an angry mask and she started to retort, but the colonel stopped her with a raised palm.
“Enough. Jillian’s here because she wanted an update and she’s impatient for results.”
“Can you blame me? I want my life back.”
“We ran into a friend of yours who wants the same thing,” Ethan said. “Bill Madding.”
Her lips thinned. “We’re over.”
Ethan glared. “Funny, he doesn’t seem to think so.”
“That’s personal.”
“You were in a relationship with a married guy. He attacked Kendra. That makes it our business.”
Jillian folded her arms. “He’s divorced now, but he has a wandering eye. I dumped him when I saw the text on his cell phone from someone named Lizzie with all the kissing emojis.”
Ethan’s tight jaw telegraphed his feelings. Kendra understood. How could Jillian stand there and criticize someone for being unfaithful? It was a case of the plank in the eye blocking out the speck in another’s.
Kendra took a subtle step between Jillian and Ethan. “What can you tell us about Madding?”
Jillian sniffed impatiently. “Nothing to tell. He thinks he’s a macho man’s man, hunts, fishes. It gets old after a while.” She waved her hand, as if to push aside that line of questioning. “That’s a dead end. Where are we with Sullivan’s accomplices?”
“The police suspect it might be a woman,” Kendra replied.
“That’s not a new theory.”
“What do you think about Heidi Jenks?” Kendra asked.
Jillian’s eyes narrowed as she considered. “I’ve always thought she was the one behind the underground blog. She’d be in a good position to help Sullivan, since the press has access to plenty of places on base and off.” She tugged on a strand of brown hair. “Motive?”
“Could be she had a secret relationship with him.”
Masters raised his voice. “This is all well and good about the accomplice, but I want Sullivan, so we’ve got to force his hand.”
“We’re working on it,” Ethan said. “We’ll keep you apprised of our progress so there’s no need to drag us in here again.” He took a step toward the door, Titus beside him.
“You’re not leaving yet,” Masters said.
Kendra’s stomach tightened. “Why not?”
“Jillian needs to be seen around the base. I’ve pulled strings to cover her duties, but she can’t simply disappear. To that end, I’ve scheduled you for an overnight SERE training refresher course.”
Jillian started to explain. “SERE is—”
“Survival, Evasion, Resista
nce and Escape training, I know,” Kendra said. “I did my homework before I agreed to impersonate a marine.”
“No way,” Ethan barked. “She’ll be out there in the rough, unprotected.”
“Not unprotected. You will go with her,” the colonel said smoothly. “I’ll set the wheels in motion. It’s just one overnight, twelve hours max.”
Kendra noticed that Jillian did not look at all surprised by Masters’s announcement. She blew out a breath. “You are here to prep me for what to expect at the SERE training so I don’t blow my cover, aren’t you?”
Jillian didn’t respond.
“And you’re hoping Sullivan will make a move to kill me during the exercise.”
Ethan glared at Jillian and her father. “That’s exactly what they’re both hoping for.”
Jillian took Kendra’s hand and squeezed, her smile wide, a pained twist to her brows. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Kendra. I just need this to be over. I have to get my life back.”
By putting mine at risk? Kendra realized in that moment that Ethan had been correct. Jillian really would be content sacrificing Kendra to save herself. She detached herself from Jillian’s grip. “I took the case and I’ll see it through. You’ll get your life back.” And I will have repaid my debt. She turned to Masters. “When and where do I report?”
* * *
Ethan and Kendra were given the standard gear, except for the substitution of blanks for live ammo, and one hour to return home. Just long enough for Kendra to leave Baby with Mindy.
“I would leave her alone for one night, but she needs medicines,” Kendra explained to the neighbor.
“Don’t you worry about a thing.” Mindy cooed into Baby’s neck. “I’ll take good care of her. Have fun traipsing with your training, now, you hear?”
“We won’t go too far. It’s just a twelve-hour trek through the wilderness,” Kendra said. Ethan wondered if she was trying more to calm herself or Mindy. She was a tough lady, he knew that for sure, but she had no idea what to expect from SERE training. It was going to be a long night.
“In the woods?” As Mindy stroked Baby, a worried frown appeared on her face. “Where the man was?”
“Farther south,” Kendra soothed. “It will be okay. I’ll be back in the morning. Shall I wait until a decent hour to retrieve Baby?”
“I’m not an early riser, so that would be good.” She gave Ethan a sly look. “You two sure know how to go on some pretty wild dates.”
Ethan was annoyed to find himself blushing. Survival training was the furthest thing from fun, he wanted to say, and an even further thing from a date.
Besides, if he was going to take Kendra on a date, he would take her to the best BBQ place in Texas and then maybe for a walk under the stars. He’d show her the constellations and buy her the nicest box of chocolates he could find and a big bunch of tulips. His mama always drummed into him that a classy woman must have chocolates and flowers, fine quality chocolates in shiny boxes, preferably soft centers, for some mysterious reason he’d never understood. Nuts and chews would not do. Deployed or not, every year on Mother’s Day that was exactly what he got her, too, his mama, the finest woman he knew.
He imagined handing Kendra a bouquet of tulips, maybe pink, the color her cheeks turned when he teased her. That soft, silky pink of sunsets and shells tossed up on the sand.
He blinked. Where is your mind? he chided himself. Planning imaginary dates with Kendra when there was a killer at large? “Time to get going.”
The training would begin at Baylor with a refresher, and then they’d move out, traversing the course, which would take them off base and deep into the surrounding woods. Twelve hours in which the twenty some odd soldiers would spread out, conceivably on their own, but he fully intended to break that rule, until they rendezvoused back at base at precisely 0600 hours. Normally he’d relish the situation, the challenge of relying on his wits and savvy, but now he had Kendra to think about. Open spaces and sitting ducks came to mind, and the delicate pink of her cheeks that kept popping into his mind to his dismay.
They reported to the classroom first, where an instructor gave Titus a stern eye but made no remark about Ethan’s presence. He’d been given his marching orders from Masters but it didn’t mean he had to like them.
“Your job, soldiers, is to survive, evade, resist and escape. If you fail at these endeavors, you will face your enemy armed only with the articles from the Code of Conduct.”
He slapped a hand on the poster on the wall and they read the articles aloud.
“I am an American fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense,” Ethan recited.
He sneaked a look at Kendra, small and determined, her chin high and proud in a way that made his stomach tighten. She recited, “I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.”
The room swelled with the words of the dozen men and women. He felt the ripple of pride, as he always did, the privilege of serving shoulder to shoulder with people who meant every word they spoke.
When they reached the last article on the poster, their volume rose together, each syllable crisp and precise.
“I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.”
Kendra looked at him then. She didn’t smile but the courage in her eyes got right inside him.
“Soldiers,” the instructor said, sweeping the room and lighting for a moment on Kendra. “Don’t get caught.”
She won’t, Ethan promised silently.
They assembled outside and prepared to load up in the back of a truck.
“Be back here at oh six hundred or you flunk the course,” the instructor said.
Kendra crawled up into the truck and Ethan followed, hoisting Titus up behind him.
“Since when are dogs allowed, man?” a young marine said from the corner, a touch of resentment in his tone.
Ethan shot him a grin. “Don’t worry. He’s not much of an advantage since he’s scared of the dark.”
That got the chuckles he was looking for.
“How long has it been since your last SERE training, Jillian?”
Ethan’s head jerked toward the familiar voice.
Lieutenant Heidi Jenks sat against the truck wall, wearing the same woodland fatigues, notebook in her hand. The plastic cover was torn, held together with duct tape.
Kendra gaped. “What are you doing here?”
“I was talking to the Baylor base reporter to get some intel on the murder and I heard about this class. I thought it would make for an interesting article,” she said as she eyed Ethan, “since one of our own is participating for some reason.”
“Planning on putting this up on the underground blog?”
Jenks smiled. “I told you, that isn’t me.”
“I don’t believe you,” Ethan said.
She lifted a shoulder. “I’m having trouble believing a few things myself.” Her eyes locked on Kendra. “So when exactly was your last SERE training?”
Ethan had to get her off that line of questioning. “So you’re going to complete the SERE training with us?”
“Just until sundown when the hunting starts,” Jenks said.
“And who gave you permission?”
“Colonel Masters himself.”
Ethan bit back a groan.
“Weird, huh?” Jenks lowered her voice to a whisper. “I mean, why would Masters have his daughter participate in SERE when she’s got a serial killer gunning for her?”
And why would he let a nosy base reporter tag along?
Same reason.
He wanted to make it easy.
If Heidi Jenks was Sullivan’s accomplice, Masters had just invited her to take the kill shot.
ELEVEN
Kendra repeated the instructions to herself.
“Find water. Move toward the rendezvous point while avoiding capture.” And Heidi Jenks, she told herself. They had a two-hour grace period before the marines began to hunt them down.
Ethan and Titus were somewhere close by, she knew, but they could not join her with so many other soldiers around. Participants were supposed to go it alone. She suspected Ethan would be breaking that rule early on. She started hiking up river, grateful that her brother, Kevin, had repeatedly dragged her out camping in the mountains. She had a basic idea of how to stay alive, at least for one night. First order of the day was to obtain safe water and fill the empty container in her pack.
Jenks appeared at her elbow. “So you didn’t answer my question. How long has it been since you completed your last SERE training?”
The reporter was as determined as a dog on the scent, Kendra thought. She squared off with her. “My sole job right now is to survive and not get captured, so with all due respect, I won’t be able to answer your questions. As a matter of fact, I’d like you to leave me alone, period.”
To her surprise, the woman laughed. “That’s more polite than I would have thought from you, Jillian. You’ve changed. Is that why you and Ethan are back together? You’ve turned over a new leaf?”
Kendra’s pulse kicked up a notch. This reporter knew Jillian well enough to know that Kendra wasn’t acting quite the part. “That’s another question I’m not answering,” she said, marching purposefully. “Go find someone else to badger, why don’t you?”
“I’m used to reluctant subjects. They warm up eventually.”
“Not this one.”
To her dismay, Jenks trekked right along with her until they were about a mile upstream. Once she collected her supply of water she intended to move to deeper cover to find shelter until she could decide on the best way to evade the marines assigned to capture her. Sullivan, if he was nearby, would most likely not make a move during the daylight with soldiers in the vicinity. Then again, maybe Jenks would attempt to act for him.