by Dale Mayer
Tyson shook his head and realized he was down on the ground. His body had reacted as if he had taken a shot. He glanced at the odd gloves to see sensors flashing on his system.
“Now we’ll run that again. This time it’s up to you to decide if you take the hit or if you can shoot somebody.”
Within seconds a motorcycle came toward him. He raised his gun and fired. The motorcycle spun out of control, flashed past him with the driver rolling to the side. Tyson didn’t know if it was a direct hit, but, considering the guy still held his weapon, Tyson realized he would be a target if the man survived. Tyson raced to the alley and watched. The motorcycle driver didn’t make a move. Just as Tyson thought it might be safe to step back out again, another motorcycle came from the opposite direction. The driver screamed, “Asshole, that was my brother you just killed.”
And bullets hailed in his direction. For the next ten minutes he executed evasive maneuvers, firing shots to keep the gang from taking his life. By the time the program ended, Tyson was shaking, his adrenaline running through him, his body covered in sweat.
The glass wall slid to the side. Kai walked in, reached up and unbuckled the headset. She studied him. “How are you feeling?”
With his chest heaving and his breath coming out in rasps, he nodded. “I’m fine, but that’s quite a rush.”
She grinned. “It is.”
“Did you have anything to do with that invention?” he asked.
As she unbuckled his gloves and the belt and took the weapon away from him, she answered, “I didn’t do any of the technical work. But I was in on the testing from the beginning.”
He walked to the other side of the room, a big grin on his face, and for the rest of the morning watched as everybody had a chance to try out the new system. He turned to Levi and said, “That is a hell of a training program.”
Levi nodded. “What we can’t ever do is get soft. We can’t ever lose that edge that keeps us who we are in the field. So, yes, it’s a big financial investment, but then I’m investing in our lives. And that’s what counts the most.” Levi slapped Tyson on the shoulder. “You did a good job in there. Welcome to the team. It’s good to have you.” And he turned back to the others.
Tyson wasn’t exactly sure how to take that because, as much as he really enjoyed what he’d done this morning, it still wasn’t the same as understanding what life here as part of the compound would be.
Michael walked over. “That’s a hell of a deal Levi’s got going.”
“I can’t argue with that. Perhaps this is where we belong.”
“I’m positive.”
“Yep, you’ve made a home for yourself. I still feel like an odd man out.”
“And you will for a while. No doubt about it. But these are good people. Don’t forget that there are all kinds of people. Just be glad to know that others like us are out there.”
“Are they like us? Have they had the losses, the tribulations, the trials, the agony?”
The smile fell away from Michael’s face. “Yes, they have. Every last one of them.”
Tyson studied his buddy’s expression for a long moment and then nodded, something settling deep inside. “Good. Then maybe there’s a place for me here too.”
*
Kai watched Tyson walk away. He’d done incredibly well, considering he was the new boy on the block and she’d been picking on him all morning. She’d beaten the crap out of him, trying desperately to get him to hit back. But she’d forgotten about their code. Not only was it a case of not hitting or hurting a woman but also the fact they had his late wife between them. Tracy had been Kai’s best friend since they wore pigtails and took tap dancing lessons as five-year-olds.
Tyson and Kai had both felt the loss when Tracy had died in childbirth, taking Tyson’s daughter with her. And Kai knew that memory was between them at all times. Even when on the mat. He would always be someone who took it easier on her because of that relationship. And that was the last thing she wanted.
She wanted to kick him out of that fugue state he was in. Bring him back to life. Tracy had been gone for two years. It was long enough. It was well past time for him to get his act together and rejoin the land of the living. She couldn’t believe it when she found out he was here with Levi.
It was a good thing. She’d heard Tyson had left the military. And, at the time, she thought that was the right decision. It was as if he had had a death wish. He took any and all missions, pushed himself to the edge, always just a hair past whatever, but he wouldn’t let them see him lose control. As if joining Tracy was the only way he could see a future for himself.
It wasn’t unusual in the military to see a reaction like that. Sometimes it went the other way with men getting freaked out and becoming too cautious. In other instances they became the opposite, as if daring fate to take them as well. She knew Tracy would be horrified if she saw how off the wall Tyson had gone after her death. He tried to launch an investigation into the hospital and the doctors responsible. There was possibly a case there, but Kai knew it wasn’t in his best interests to keep focusing on it.
Tracy had died from complications during labor. She’d been at home while he’d been off on a mission, and she’d gone into labor three weeks early. He’d planned to be home with her, but she’d been alone, until the last minute when Kai arrived. By the time Tracy got the help she needed at the hospital, it was too late. Kai figured guilt had to be what had driven Tyson to that destructive edge.
He hadn’t shared too much with the rest of his team. One of them flung him to the ground and sat on him until he could pound out of Tyson what the hell was going on. But even then they had treated him with kid gloves. But he wasn’t left alone from that time forward. He wasn’t going anywhere unless he was part of the buddy system.
She’d heard it happen before with other SEALs. She imagined it wasn’t all that uncommon. Some divorced guys felt like their world came to an end. Other times, divorce was like a whole new life. Losing a loved one, well, that was harder than anything else. But when you blamed yourself, that just made it even worse.
Tyson was a good man. It had taken her a long time to see it. She’d been sure no man was good enough for her best friend. But maybe that was more of a cover so she didn’t have to examine her own attraction to him. Feelings that appeared to be just as strong today. She sighed inwardly. She thought she’d stuffed all that away. But the sight of him, well, it was a sledgehammer to her heart, knocking down the wall she’d hidden behind.
He’d loved Tracy as much as Tracy had loved him. But it was too fast, their relationship. They were married within weeks. She’d been pregnant within that first month. Tracy never did things in a small way. She was flamboyant and passionate. Tyson probably had no idea what hit him. But the roller coaster ride had ended in disaster. Kai wasn’t sure if he even understood just how much he’d been through.
“Kai, these are some awesome toys,” Jace said.
She beamed. “Aren’t they? I absolutely loved being part of the testing. I helped set up the scenarios, the settings, the weapons. That’s my contribution to the research and design. And of course I’m now heavily involved in the marketing as I know many people in the industry. With the experience I bring to the table, it’s easy to tweak these prototypes for all our benefit.”
Jace nodded. “I never expected to see something as advanced here. Tyson and I have only been here a couple days. We came at Michael’s urging. And of course, Levi’s offer.” He gave her a crooked grin.
She remembered some of the stories she’d heard about this man. Lethal. But picky. She liked that part of him. “Levi’s done right by you,” she said quietly. “I’m delighted to see Tyson here.”
Jace slid a gaze toward his buddy and nodded. “It’s good for him. Will hopefully give him a new lease on life.”
“Doesn’t look like he appreciates it much though,” she said with a laugh.
“In truth, he hasn’t settled in yet. He sits off to the sid
e, alone, in spite of all the welcome, and just studies everybody and often leaves the first chance he gets,” Jace said.
Kai turned to look up at him. “She was my best friend, but she was a hundred and fifty percent of everything to Tyson.”
“And Tyson … he’s a dragging-his-heels kind of guy.”
“He still stepped up to the plate when it was about marriage and fatherhood.”
“I always wondered though if it wasn’t too fast for them,” he said, his voice neutral.
She understood. “I had the same thoughts myself, but Tracy knew the minute she saw him and understood that was it. Everything else, as far as she was concerned, was wasting time.”
Jace smiled. “I remember when Tyson first met her. He looked completely shell-shocked. But not anywhere near as much as he did after she died. He’s never been the same again.”
Kai stood, took a sandwich from one of the many platters Alfred had brought to them and said, “Tyson had to adapt fast to all that was Tracy. Then he had to adapt faster eight months later. But he’s doing it. That’s what counts.”
Ice and Levi were having a heated discussion at the far side. Kai didn’t know if it involved her or not; she hoped not. The items they brought in today were done deals. She just wanted to make sure Ice and Levi were happy. But Kai sure as hell believed in these items for training. She had a few more tricks up her sleeve, but she figured the men were pretty well worked out for now.
She glanced at her watch and winced. “I have to leave within the next hour or so. If anybody has any questions, maybe we can do an informal session right now.” Instantly, she was surrounded.
“How many levels of difficulty?”
“How many more can you add on?”
“Can we change the weapons? Everything is different, depending on what weapon we have.”
“Can we play this outside?”
And the questions kept coming. She laughed. “Okay, let’s see if I can give you some kind of a fact sheet. There are handouts, but I know that’s not the same as getting it from the horse’s mouth. So, at the moment, there are three levels. However, within each level are several levels of difficulty for each scene. There are three current scenes—one in the woods, one in slums and one in an urban setting. We do plan to set up enemy lines, like behind terrorist lines. We also plan to set up one for a big city, as in skyscrapers, dealing with snipers. And we’re contemplating other scenarios like Coast Guard settings.”
She heard exclamations and murmurs over those suggestions, which made her smile. “I guess you guys like the new toy.”
“It’s freaking awesome,” Stone said.
She always had a soft spot for the big guy. That he walked through life now with his supremely awesome prosthesis the same way he walked when he had a flesh and blood leg just made her admire him all that much more. Of course, the fact that he had a partner who appeared to adore him as much as he deserved would have gone a long way to making that adjustment easier for him. Kai glanced around the room and realized almost everybody was paired up.
A group of women stood to the side. She knew some worked in town. The place was just a happening community. She didn’t know how Alfred handled it. What she had heard was one of the women now worked with him as well. Her thoughts pulled back to the men.
“Okay, as for weapons … you have several choices.” She walked over to one of the large cases she had brought with her. Laying it on the ground, she popped it open. “We have a crossbow, a Beretta, an assault rifle and a police-issued service revolver. Now should you want or feel the need for other weapons, then let me know. We’ll do what we can. We have to go through this whole process to set up a new weapon, but it’s getting easier. I do understand though. Like you, I have favorites.”
Stone asked, “How about a knife?”
She eyed him with surprise. “That’s an interesting suggestion.”
“We all carry them,” he said. “But it’s hard to get enough training using them.”
She sat back on her heels next to her case and thought about it. “That’ll be a whole lot more difficult.” She tried to work it through in her head but couldn’t imagine it herself. “I’ll tell the design team and see what they come up with. You guys have my email, and I’ll leave my business cards with you. Suggestions are always welcome. As you work your way through the programs and the levels of difficulty, etc., you can certainly send us whatever tweaks or suggestions you have. If you want to cuss us out as you’re getting your ass kicked on a daily basis, we’d love to hear that too.” At the snickers and snorts, she chuckled. “Honestly you’re the guys this is for, so it’ll be awesome to hear back from you about it.”
Just then her phone beeped. She pulled it out, checked the number, and her smile fell away. She read the text. What’s your decision?
She hurriedly returned her phone to her pocket and tried to regroup. She shouldn’t even be here with this asshole tracking her constantly. She just didn’t know whether he was serious or some kind of a screwball. She’d already contacted the police, and her company knew what was going on. She didn’t want to involve anybody here. It wasn’t her style. Besides, she’d yet to find a situation where she couldn’t look after herself. She wasn’t about to start looking for one now. The guys had more questions for discussion, and then a good forty minutes later she escaped to her vehicle.
She got in and turned on the SUV engine as she spotted Tyson in the open doorway, watching her. Her heart picked up a few beats. Damn that man. Even now he looked lost. And yet, she doubted anybody else would see it. Then again he wouldn’t appreciate anyone noticing. It had to have been a tough day for him. Even though she wished it wasn’t the case, just seeing Kai would bring back memories of Tracy. Kai could only hope at this point they wouldn’t be too painful for him.
But staying away hadn’t diminished her feelings. After seeing him again, she figured nothing would. Hopefully he’d dealt with his loss because he’d had all the time he would get. She’d been waiting. She could only pray she got the chance to find out if what she felt was real or not. And if Tyson could feel that way for her.
The trouble was, somebody else apparently felt the same way about her.
Chapter 2
She drove back to headquarters and raced upstairs. She couldn’t believe she’d spent so much time in this cement building. When she’d left the military, she’d wanted a job that didn’t have her stuck in an office all day. And true, she did leave to meet people, but she was still here for many hours every day. Too many if she were honest. In the military she’d been a trainer and had spent lots of time inside and outside. “I got another one,” she said in a hard voice as she strode across the open space.
The designers lounging on the far side staring at something on the monitors jumped to their feet. “Another one?”
“Yes. Another one.” She pulled out her phone to show them the text. “See?” Her phone was passed from man to man.
“That’s ridiculous. What does he expect you to say or do?” Tommy asked. His flamboyant color choices for his wardrobe did not detract from the fact that he still had more acne than most eighteen-year-olds. He was one of those genius teenagers. He’d been caught hacking government files at twelve because he really wanted to see if UFOs were at Area 51. It’d taken more than a hand slap to stop him. Once they got him designing new military training programs, he’d taken to them like he should’ve taken to school. Once he turned eighteen, he was part of this company. A lot of money was invested in their new programs, and they were always working on new designs. When she came on board, she’d insisted on shares. That had led to an investment program they could all live with.
Warren, who’d started the company, walked over at the commotion. “Did you get another text or was this one an email again?”
She nodded. “A text.”
He shook his head. “Forward it to the cops.”
“Like forwarding the last half dozen made a difference,” she scoffed. It was irri
tating that the police had been unable to track the sender. Although Tommy, the in-house cybergenius, hadn’t had much luck either. He’d found the accounts were closed as soon as the emails were sent out. So finding the asshole would not be easy. Her stalker apparently had cyberskills she could only dream of. She’d take a fistfight over some sneaky cyberattack any day.
“Any idea what it’s all about?” Tommy asked. “We set up several new walls and added an encryption to your email so he can’t access that again. Surely you must have some idea of what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “Wish to hell I did.”
“How did Levi’s team like the VR system?”
She could feel her face light up with excitement. “They were stunned.”
Warren grinned. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”
It was one of the benefits she brought to the company. Connections. These guys started with an idea, and, with her help, they tested, trained and developed them. Now it was up to her to find buyers. Only so many people specialized in elite military training. Eventually they’d be in the gaming market, but right now it was all about training warriors to defend their own.
“Did you ask him about other markets?”
She shook her head. “No, not yet.”
Warren’s face fell. “We can’t run without money.”
She nodded. “Not to worry. I’m having lunch with Levi and Ice tomorrow.”
Tommy’s face was immediately wreathed with smiles. “That’s Levi’s lady, right?”
Kai nodded and kept her thoughts to herself. None of these guys were military. “She’s his partner in life and in the company, yes.” She remembered the beating she took at Ice’s hands. Ice was a top-notch warrior.
“She’s also a stunner,” Warren said. “A hell of a good-looking woman.”