SEAL of My Heart

by Sharon Hamilton

  “Ask for forgiveness rather than permission,” she whispered into her wine glass before she took another sip.

  “You got it.” Devon grinned. “You can’t talk them down. They don’t ever give up. Never. And they love—” Devon teared up. “Once a SEAL has loved you. Well, I don’t want to think about it, but I don’t think I could be married anymore to someone who did anything else. It is the most intense, wonderful life you could imagine.”

  Devon looked down and played with her silverware, positioning it evenly with her delicate fingers. “It can also terrify you, if you’re not ready for all that intensity. If you don’t like hard loving and intense guys who have egos the size of the room lurking under the surface of their calm demeanor, then you do yourself a favor and bow out now. They never relax, but they’ll look like it. They’re always on duty. And it’s hard for them to retire. Leaving the lifestyle and the community is harder than the things they do while in it.”

  “How do they learn to handle it?” Kate asked.

  “They don’t. They’re born that way. I’m convinced of it, Kate. The training just reveals who has that stuff and who doesn’t. They only want the guys who have the stuff.”

  “I would think it would be very stressful.”

  “See, this is the hard part, Kate. They are trained for all these things. And yes, sometimes it can get to them. It did nearly take Nick out of the teams. He was lucky. With a little time off after his sister died, he was able to get back up on the horse. If he missed a rotation due to mental issues, he’d have been out.”

  “You mean rotation as in going overseas.”

  “Yes. And it’s our job to pick up the pieces when they come home. No training for that. They’ll depend on you, your strength and your courage. You run the house and the enterprise of the family when they are away. When they come back, they are the kings. You work hard when they’re gone, and then you work harder when they’re back.”

  Kate’s frown must have been obvious, but Devon let it sink in before they locked eyes again.

  “Ask me if it’s worth it, Kate.”

  “Is it?” she asked.

  Devon leaned over the plates, grabbed Kate’s hand and squeezed it. “With every fiber of my being, yes. You’ve never worked this hard, but you’ll never be so loved.”

  C

  hapter 36

  The plan was carefully laid out, each man focusing on his part. They’d heard the words before, done the same things over and over again. But there was always something, multiple things that could and often did go wrong.

  Nothing ever went exactly as planned. That’s why there was a Plan B, and a Plan C, and it was each man’s job to explore all the other options in case it was left up to him and him alone to execute something he hadn’t counted on being in charge of.

  They didn’t see any sentries on the rooftop, which was good. Tyler thought if the twenty or so men were back at the compound, the leader and his wives would never be more under-guarded. Right now the SEALs outnumbered the warlord, but that also could change at any moment.

  Armando and Ollie scaled the wall with ease, using their clothing to get over the barbed wire and broken glass used as a deterrent. They looked for wires or infrared lines that could be tripped and found none. Once they were on top, they would lay cover, if necessary, so the others could gain entry and be semi-protected. They weren’t there to kill the leader, but if he took it in the shorts, Tyler and the rest of the guys wouldn’t grieve. And Jackie had told them none of the women would either.

  They were there to rescue the SEALs and other military men, and the CIA advisor. As far as they knew, the SEALs had not been identified as such, or at least it hadn’t come up during negotiations.

  But Kyle told them that was because the leader had no intention of letting any of them leave alive, including the women and children this man had terrorized in the many months since he’d taken over the dead warlord’s spoils.

  “Need to know if all the women will be together in the same room,” Kyle said to Jackie.

  “Yes. I think here.” He pointed to the monitor, where several green shadows moved back and forth in a small space. “He locks them up at night so they don’t try to escape.”

  “Charming,” T.J. said with a sneer.

  “Will they defend him?” Tyler asked.

  Jackie shrugged. “They may pretend, but you tell them harshly to go stand in the corner and shut their eyes and they will do it, even though you are Americans. They are used to taking orders.”

  “What about the kids? Report says there are about six kids, maybe five now,” Luke asked.

  “The kids will sit and wait for it to be over. They have learned there is no point to being a hero. You don’t have to be a fighter to die, but if you assist the wrong side, you die just as surely, my friend. No, I think they will just sit, and wait for the firefight to be over.”

  “Ask them if the guard makes regular rounds.”

  Jackie typed in the request on Kyle’s computer and waited. “No, she says. They walk around at random during the night. Whenever they wake up.”

  “Shit,” Kyle said. “So, the women are locked inside the room?”

  Jackie waited for the response. “She says yes.”

  “Tell her we’re here and to stay calm no matter what they hear.”

  Jackie delivered the message. “Okay, boss.”

  “Get your eyes on, everyone,” Kyle said as everyone except Jackie put on their night gear.

  “Fredo, go set the charge,” Kyle whispered. Fredo left, with Frankie behind for protection. On Fredo’s mark everyone turned away from the gate while a timed device destroyed the entire entrance and took half the wall on one side with it. Amid falling rocks and debris, Tyler thought time seemed suspended. He and T.J. waited outside while Kyle, Fredo, and Frankie took cover inside the compound. Two men ran from the residence but were easy targets in the courtyard. Armando had no trouble downing them both in seconds, and before they could fire a shot. Kyle relayed the news to the others. They raced for the front door, which had luckily been left open.

  “I got four, five moving targets, Lannie,” Coop said into his Invisio.

  “Copy.”

  Tyler thought he saw lights of an approaching vehicle on the horizon, but when he mentioned it to T.J. he couldn’t find it again. He whispered his suspicion that someone might be on their way. He was nervous about the roaming guard. Hearing gunfire inside the house, the guys held their breath until they got word from Kyle the other three guards had been neutralized and the leader killed. The whole operation from start to finish had taken less than six minutes.

  “Coop, send them word we’re in, on our way to see if we got wounded.”

  “Roger that.”

  Armando stayed rooftop as lookout while Ollie jumped to the ground and raced toward the door of the warehouse.

  “Nothing much moving, Kyle,” Cooper said as he watched the drone’s monitor. As luck would have it, the door was not locked, and Kyle, Ollie, Fredo and Frankie braced for a firefight, which never materialized.

  It was music to their ears when they heard Kyle confirm everyone was accounted for and was healthy and able to move. “Send for the pickup.”

  Cooper was monitoring the drone and signaled for the extraction team.

  “Where’s Jackie?” Kyle wanted to know.

  “He hasn’t come out of the house,” Tyler informed him.

  “T.J., get inside and check him out. Tell him we’re leaving just as soon as that bird gets here.”

  “Roger that.”

  “Laying charges here,” Fredo barked in his earpiece. “Everyone clear out and stay away. Make sure Jackie tells the ladies.”

  “I’ve got him in sight. Big crying orgy here, for fuck’s sake,” T.J. answered.

  Tyler heard Kyle swear. “Get. Him. Out. Now.”

  “Roger that.”

  Soon the hostages were at the gate. Water, quick rations, and Mylar blankets were passed out. All of t
he prisoners were shoeless. Several minutes went by until they heard the helicopter approaching.

  “I see one bird,” Armando radioed. “Where the hell is the second one?”

  Fredo spoke up. “They’re saying it took an RPG and it’s a big rescue scene. Only one bird coming. Gonna be tight.”

  Tyler was relieved and relayed the information to the crowd. It was going to be sweet to get home and get back to a base where he could get a shower and some decent sleep.

  “T.J., where the hell are you?”

  T.J. emerged from the house, practically dragging Jackie behind him. Tyler could see tears streaming down the terp’s face. “What gives?” he asked T.J.

  “Hard time saying goodbye to the ladies. One in particular. She’s pretty bad, Tyler.”

  Jackie was turning around as they heard the rotors close. Soon dust was swirling everywhere and the sound of the big beautiful Black Hawk vibrated the ground like an earthquake. They could have used the other bird for the women and children.

  Tyler looked in the direction of Jackie’s line of sight and saw the group of covered women at the entrance to the house. He felt bad for them, since there was no way they could take everyone on the chopper. He knew how Jackie felt.

  “Five minutes, set, and it’s gonna be big,” Fredo barked. The timed charge was to blow up the entire weapons and explosive cache. They needed to be gone by the time that happened.

  “I told ’em,” Cooper said. “Bringing the bird in.”

  The drone landed hard a few yards ahead of them as the chopper was setting down. Coop quickly dismantled it, stuffed it back in its pack and ran for the open door of the chopper. One by one everyone boarded the bird, T.J., Jackie and Tyler in the rear close by. Jackie was still watching the group of women, who had now come out into the courtyard.

  “Shit, didn’t you tell them, Jackie?” Kyle barked.

  “I did.” Jackie started to go back, but T.J. held onto him. Jackie tried to yell something to the women, but they kept advancing, now breaching the walls of the compound, running for the chopper.

  “We can’t take them. We gotta go. We’ll send another bird and some Marines, but we gotta go now!”

  Jackie was screaming at them.

  All of a sudden a huge fireball erupted in the complex. Two of the women fell to their knees. It was obvious several were hurt.

  “Dammit,” Kyle growled. Bits of debris were falling everywhere and the pilot was not pleased. He ordered everyone in and began to elevate. T.J., Jackie and Tyler were not yet aboard.

  The pilot began shouting. A large chunk of plaster hit the chin bubble of the Blackhawk. It was obvious they were running out of time. Jackie wasn’t going to go with them and no one wanted to leave him behind. Tyler grabbed Jackie.

  “Is she worth it, Jackie? You’ll die here.”

  “I don’t leave her. I will never leave her.”

  “Fuck sake,” Tyler said. T.J. had made it into the bird.

  Sounds of automatic fire from the horizon pierced the night. Tyler chanced a glance at Kyle, and he could see there was no choice. He’d run out of time. T.J. saw the look as well, leaned over, touched Kyle’s knee, and jumped back to the ground and rolled.

  In thirty seconds, the chopper was gone, taking all on board to safety, but leaving the two SEALs and the terp behind to guard the women.

  Tyler’s whole life flashed in front of him at that moment. He saw Kate’s face, the way she slept, and the way she looked when she was putting on her clothes. He was grateful for what he had. He was still alive. Somehow he’d make it. The fear of death wasn’t as strong as the fear of regret, he discovered in that instant. Regret for all the things he didn’t get to do.

  Just another fuckin’ day at the office.

  He couldn’t afford to dwell on the circumstance. They had to find some protection if they were going to get out of this alive.

  C

  hapter 37

  Kate returned to her cottage, satisfied that some of her questions about the SEAL community were answered. She decided to write a letter to Tyler, even though she didn’t know how long it might take to get to him.

  She explained how talking to Devon was a great suggestion, that Devon had developed the courage she hoped she’d have one day. She told him that she was now surer than ever that falling in love with him was the best thing to ever happen to her. Their chance encounter on that fateful flight from San Francisco to Portland had been a miracle in action. And if there was one miracle, there would be many more. She was sure of it.

  Stopping, she thought about what he would be doing right now.

  Are you dreaming about me? I hope you are. I’m going to go to bed dreaming about you. I’ve devised this bubble I’m sending for protection. You’ll have to tell me if you sense it. It makes me feel like I’m doing something to get you home safe, where you belong. I’m not thinking about the next time we have to be separated, just focusing on getting you home this time. Next time will have to take care of itself.

  She finished the letter, folded it and addressed it, copying the info from his envelope stuck inside his sister’s book. She examined his picture again, kissing her forefinger and then pressing it against his face on the cover. Though the artist’s rendering was wonderful, the experience of seeing him in the flesh was a hundred times more appealing. The image didn’t do him justice.

  She began reading the novel, and although she liked it, her emotions and her lack of sleep conspired against her. She fell into her pillows and, yes, she dreamed of Tyler.

  Kate was not the first one to arrive at work the next morning. She parked right next to Sheila’s car. The front door was locked, so she fished out her keys and let herself inside the dark hallway that led to the tasting room. She began turning on lights.

  “Sheila?”

  “I’m here. Just working,” she heard a voice coming from the office down the corridor. Her door was ajar and the light was on. “I’ve just made some coffee in the kitchen if you need it.”

  Thank God. Kate had neglected to stop for her usual. She set her purse behind the bar and followed her nose to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee in the morning made her day. After pouring a cup, she walked down the tiled path to Sheila’s office, and found her standing, delving into a file in the top drawer. The large company checkbook was closed, but centered on Sheila’ desk, and the printer was running.

  Kate was holding her coffee in her right hand. “You want a refill?” she asked.

  “No thanks, I’m finished. Thought I’d go home and shower, get some breakfast and come back. Knock yourself out,” she said. Sheila’s smile was warm and seemed genuine. “Needed to get caught up on some bill pays.”

  “Well, I’ll go get started on my calls,” Kate answered.

  “You do that.”

  “Oh, Sheila, Mr. Heller asked me about some expenses I couldn’t identify. Did he talk to you about it?”

  “No. Hmmm.” Sheila frowned. “Must have figured it out, though. He said nothing to me.”

  “He was going to ask Randy, I think.”

  Sheila laughed. “Oh, that will be a waste of time. Randy is clueless when it comes to expenses.” Sheila’s rolling eyes and shrug didn’t dissuade Kate from her conviction that Sheila was worried about something. Perhaps things weren’t on a good footing with Randy, as Kate had suspected.

  “Well, I hope he figures it out. I didn’t want him thinking I was spending too much of the company’s money on promo.” Kate walked down the hall to her phone station.

  She picked up the customer lists and donned her headset. After placing a dozen calls, she remembered she’d left her purse under the bar. She wanted her cell phone beside her in case Tyler managed to get a message through, or answer one of the several she had texted. She removed the headsets and went back toward the tasting room.

  Sheila was still there, putting some glasses away from the dishwasher.

  “Thought you were going home.”

  “Oh, I though
t I’d just put these away and then take off.”

  “I could have done it,” Kate said.

  “You know me. Overachiever.” With her back to Kate, drying one wineglass stem that was still wet, she asked, “So when do you expect to hear next from Tyler?”

  “I have no idea. He’s probably not in range.”

  “Does he call you?”

  “No. Only texting. I should say sexting. That’s what I hope he’ll do, once I hear from him, at least.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave you to it, then,” Sheila said. She walked around the end of the tasting bar as Kate was retrieving her purse.

  Kate watched her friend, if she could still be called that, exit the tall glass and metal doors to the parking lot beyond, and drive away in the new Volvo. Her cell phone was on top of her other things in the satchel she brought. Checking the screen, she found it blank. The battery was charged. Now it was nearly twenty hours since Tyler had left. She began to worry. She was sure he would have had time to send at least one message.

  She locked the doors and retreated to the call center to get back to work.

  Kate’s marketing resulted in several cases worth of sales to old customers. She’d focused on those who bought just prior to last year’s release, thinking perhaps some pre-Christmas offers would entice them. Heller could provide custom labels for their special clients to use as gifts. She ate lunch at her standup desk and proceeded on to the early afternoon.

  Something caught her eye and she was startled when she saw Randy leaning against the doorjamb. She removed her headsets.

  “Oh, Randy! Didn’t realize you were here.”

  He slumped down into a chair next to her desk. His shoulders slouched. He held the large black Heller Vineyards checkbook between his palms.

  “Kate, I owe you an apology.”

  She steeled herself for what she knew was going to be a conversation she didn’t want to have.

  “No, Randy, I’m probably the one who needs to apologize.”

  “About the engagement? Well, yes, based on what you knew. But there are a few things you didn’t know. And now there are a few things I know.”