“Now what?” Charlie asked. “Is that it?”
Kel shook his head. “Not quite. If anyone else is working with the men we’ve already identified, they won’t know that we’re on to them.” Kel motioned to the bank of computers. “We’ll keep monitoring for suspicious activity until the subway closes for the night.”
Everyone settled back into their places and the room quieted as they went back to work. Unsure of what an additional terrorist would look like, they couldn’t do much more than watch for anyone leaving personal items behind. Minutes ticked by, but the only crime they witnessed was a pickpocket at Dupont Circle.
At seven o’clock eastern standard time, Kel decided it was time to call in another unit to take over. “It’s been almost two hours since the attempt at Metro Center. If nothing else has happened by now, I think we’re in the clear.”
Amy continued to stare at the Metro Center station until their replacements arrived. She couldn’t quite believe that it was over and that finally her life and her future were once again hers. She looked over at Brent and wondered if he would want to be part of that future.
CHAPTER 16
“I didn’t think your dad would let you out tonight,” Brent said when Amy walked through the door of her temporary quarters. She was still wearing the flowing skirt she had put on that morning, but instead of her blouse, she had changed into a plain white T-shirt.
She walked down the steps, smiling when Brent took her hand. “Dad and Charlie were both asleep within ten minutes of getting home.”
“You should be sleeping too,” Brent commented as he drew her out to the car he had borrowed.
“I’m too wired,” Amy admitted. “But I’ll understand if you don’t want to go out.”
“I’ve gotten kind of used to seeing you in the middle of the night,” Brent said softly. “I’ve missed it.”
A faint blush crept into her cheeks, and she looked up at the sky. She guessed that it was about two in the morning, and while her body was exhausted, her mind just wasn’t about to shut down. After her dad and brother had fallen asleep, she had called Brent on impulse, just needing someone to talk to. When he had offered to come take her out for a drive, she scribbled a note to her dad and was out the door without a second thought.
“Come on.” Brent opened the door for her. “I found the perfect place to hang out.”
“I didn’t think anything would still be open this time of night,” Amy commented, sliding into her seat.
“Trust me,” he said before going around the front of the car and getting into the driver’s seat.
“Where are we going?” Amy persisted.
“You’ll see.” Brent drove for a few minutes before turning onto a side road. The road wound through the trees, and finally he pulled off to the side near a little clearing. “Come on.”
Amy climbed out of the car as Brent opened the trunk and pulled out a basket. He stepped next to her and took her hand, leading her into the clearing. She didn’t see the blanket spread out beneath a tree until she was within a few feet of it.
Brent set down the basket and pulled out a book of matches. He picked up a lantern from the center of the blanket, lit it, and set it back down.
Amy could only stare. “How did you do this? I only called you fifteen minutes ago.”
“I was planning on calling you, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to get you out past your dad and brother.”
“You’re not afraid of my family, are you?” Disbelief laced her voice.
“I think it would be more accurate to say that your family is afraid of me,” Brent said without thinking. He reached for her hand, and sat down with her on the blanket. “I wasn’t sure if you would be hungry, but I brought some food just in case.”
Amy watched as he set out the impromptu picnic: crackers, cheese, grapes, and chocolate chip cookies. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I think after the job you did today you deserve it.”
Amy tucked her legs up under her and popped a grape in her mouth. “I wonder if my body will ever figure out what time zone I’m in.”
“You really haven’t given yourself a chance to adjust yet,” Brent commented. “So far you’ve only spent one night in a real bed in the past week.”
“And here I am sitting outside with you instead of taking advantage of the bed that’s been offered to me.” She laughed. “Maybe I do need to see a shrink sooner than later. I seem to have developed an aversion to easy living.”
“I’ll think you’ll adjust quicker than you think.” Brent took two water bottles from the basket and passed one to Amy. “I remember when we went to regionals for swimming my sophomore year. We stayed overnight at a hotel, and we had four people to a room. No one would share a bed, so all of the underclassmen ended up sleeping on the floor. Believe me, I had no trouble sleeping in my own bed when I got home.”
Amy leaned back on an elbow. “I would have thought with your height you would have played basketball.”
Brent shook his head. “Nope, Mom had been coaching the high school swim teams my whole life.”
“I thought most coaches for the boys’ teams were men.”
“Not at my school. Mom coached both the boys’ and girls’ teams. Over the years I had learned some important lessons.”
“Like what?”
Brent grinned wickedly. “Like that freshmen rarely make the varsity basketball team, and that basketball players don’t have girls in swimsuits at their practices. Besides, I didn’t want to wait until my junior year to get a letter jacket.”
“I have a feeling you were more interested in the girls than in the jacket.”
“Probably true.” Brent shrugged carelessly. “Not that I could do a whole lot of flirting with Mom standing on deck, but being the coach’s son did have some advantages.”
“Like having access to the phone numbers for all of the girls on the team?”
Brent laughed. “Have you ever considered a career in intelligence? Not much gets by you.”
“It’s probably safer than working for the State Department.”
“Do you think you’ll take another post with State?”
“I don’t know.” Amy bit into a cracker and considered. “What will happen in Abolstan now?”
“Intel will start gathering information about Namir Dagan and anyone else who is behind the use of biological weapons. Eventually we’ll go in and neutralize the threat,” Brent explained. Then he redirected the conversation once more. “You know, there are plenty of positions with State that are a lot safer than the one you had in Abolstan.”
“I know, but I mostly took the job to get away from home for a while. Now I don’t know what I’ll do. Even though I was only away for a few weeks, I felt like I was missing out on everything with my family.”
“I can tell you’re close.”
She nodded. “Considering Dad’s profession, he did a good job of being around when we needed him most. And Mom made sure that the social side of politics didn’t take over our family life.”
“That couldn’t have been easy to juggle.”
“I never realized how many invitations they turned down until I left home. Then all of a sudden they were so busy we could hardly get in touch with them.” Amy took a sip of her water. “I have a feeling what happened last week will probably make all of us reconsider what’s really important.”
“Life and death situations tend to do that to people.” Brent frowned. “And your family had more than its share this week.”
“I still can’t believe my dad and brother were in Cairo.”
“I wasn’t sure you knew about that.”
“I only found out because the DCI sent flowers to thank my brother for saving his life,” Amy explained. She considered for a moment. “I guess that means I should send you flowers too.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” Brent leaned forward and skimmed his fingers through her hair as the light flickered over her face. Amusement crossed her face when h
e leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Actually,” he said, “I owe you for taking care of me after I was shot.” With a grin he kissed her again.
Amy was smiling when Brent broke the playful kiss. “Does this make us even?”
“I’m sure I can think of something else I need to thank you for.” He leaned forward once more, but Amy put a hand on his chest before he could kiss her again.
“You must have been a handful when you were a teenager.”
“Not really. It’s hard to get into too much trouble when you always get caught.”
Amy just laughed as she popped another grape into her mouth. She looked up at the stars, thinking. Finally, she turned to Brent and asked, “Do we have real threats like the one at the subway often?”
“I’m not sure I can answer that.” Brent stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his ankles.
“Classified?”
“That and I only know about what I deal with.”
Amy watched him sitting there in the moonlight. Suddenly he looked so serious. “What can you tell me about what you do? I mean, besides rescuing hostages and preventing terrorist attacks.”
Brent shrugged. “That pretty much sums it up. We also spend a lot of time training so that when something does happen we’re ready. My unit was specifically created to stay on the East Coast, and there are other SEAL teams that are based out of California. That way no matter where something happens, the military has the right expertise somewhere close by.”
“Where will you go from here?”
“We’ve got a temporary assignment at Quantico for the next few months. Then we’ll head back to Virginia Beach. What about you?”
“Day after tomorrow we’re going to fly to Miami to visit my brother Matt and his family for a few days. Then we’ll go back to Virginia.” Amy looked up at the clear sky, wishing this time with Brent would never end. She could feel reality coming too quickly as she asked, “When will you leave?”
“Sometime next week.”
Amy hesitated but forced herself to ask, “Will I see you when you get back to Virginia?”
Rather than answer her, Brent shifted closer. Softly he ran his fingers through her hair, watching as her eyes darkened under the moonlit sky. He stared down at her, memorizing every little detail so that he could pull the memory out to warm him on the cold, lonely nights that were sure to come. Her eyes were questioning, her skin pale in the moonlight.
He lowered his lips to hers and brushed them softly, once, then twice. She leaned into the kiss, and he felt like he might drown right there even though water was miles away. He felt her sweetness and her strength as he let her kiss seep through him. He had thought he knew what to expect, but something was different, something he couldn’t identify.
She pulled back, uncertainty in her eyes.
“I should get you back.” Brent stood and held out a hand. Together they moved through the darkness, both wondering what tomorrow would bring.
CHAPTER 17
Brent didn’t settle into a deep sleep until five minutes before someone reached down to shake him awake.
“Come on, Miller. Time to get up.” Tristan’s voice broke through Brent’s foggy, dream-filled mind.
“Go away,” Brent mumbled. “We have today off, remember?”
“Not anymore.” Tristan picked up Brent’s shirt and tossed it at him. “We’re wheels up in fifteen minutes.”
Brent sat up, forcing himself awake. “What?”
“Kel said he’d brief us on the plane. Grab your gear.”
“This isn’t happening.” Brent swung his legs over the side of the bed, grateful that he had showered the night before. He quickly dressed, packed his things, and then grabbed his cell phone. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was only six in the morning, but he pressed speed dial for Amy’s number anyway. He waited anxiously as it rang and rang and rang. Her voice mail came on just as Quinn’s footsteps sounded in the hall.
“Come on!” Quinn called from the doorway. “We’ve only got three minutes!”
“I’m coming,” Brent shouted back and hung up the phone. Though it took some effort, he forced Amy from his mind and grabbed his gear.
* * *
She should have known. She had seen how fast he could vanish right in front of her eyes, but still she had let herself believe that Brent was just a normal guy, someone who made her feel like the world was a place made just for them. She still wasn’t sure what to make of his almost voice mail message. All day she had waited for him to call back, but her phone never rang.
She had gone through a series of debriefings, as had her father and brother. Reluctantly, she had relinquished the phone Kel had given her to the base commander. She then joined her father and brother on a military transport for the first leg of their journey. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Amy had slept most of the way home. Her dad woke her during their commercial flight so she could eat, but she only picked at her food.
Frustration that she had not heard from Brent had turned to anxiety when she found that his whole unit had left just hours after she had seen him last. Anxiety had settled into worry and apprehension. She knew what his missions could be like and prayed that she would hear soon that he was home safe. Following that thought was the realization that she might not even know when he got home.
All her life she had liked to be in control of her own destiny, to plan out her future. She wasn’t sure exactly when Brent had become more important than planning for tomorrow, but as she moved through the airport with her dad and brother, she knew she would much rather have uncertainty in her life if it meant Brent could be a part of it.
Amy tried to shake off her mood as she climbed into the back seat of a taxi. They had taken an earlier flight than they had originally planned, arriving at five in the morning. Rather than call Matt in the middle of the night, Jim had opted to take a cab and surprise the rest of the family with an early arrival.
Amy looked out the window as they drove through Miami. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze, and she could smell the ocean. Everything looked so peaceful and blessedly normal, yet somewhere in the world something was happening that had taken Brent away from her. She closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions, a sense of emptiness settling deep within her.
They turned the corner toward her brother’s house and Amy sat up a little straighter. “What time is it?”
“A little after six,” Jim answered.
“Do you think they’ll even be up?” Charlie asked.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Jim replied. He paid their driver and then helped Charlie get their bags from the car. A moment later he rang the doorbell.
Only a minute passed before the door swung open and CJ’s gray eyes lighted with surprise. “You’re home!”
CJ moved to hug Amy, and then she hugged Charlie and Jim in turn. “Come in, come in.” She pointed to a hallway off to the side. “Just leave your bags there and make yourselves comfortable. Matt won’t be home for a couple hours—he had an away game last night. But I’ll go tell Katherine that you’re here.”
“You don’t have to wake her,” Amy said.
“If I didn’t, she’d never forgive me.” CJ passed through the kitchen and started up the steps of a closeted stairway. “I’ll be right back.”
A couple minutes later footsteps sounded on the main staircase. Katherine came rushing in, the ties of her robe flapping behind her. Tears were in her eyes as she moved straight to Amy and pulled her into her arms. Neither of them spoke as a minute passed into two. Finally Katherine pulled back and looked up into her daughter’s face. “I am so glad you’re home.”
“Me too,” Amy said. She very nearly believed it.
* * *
“Something’s bothering her,” Charlie commented as he watched Matt flip hamburgers on the grill in the backyard in preparation of their Memorial Day feast.
“Charlie, she was held hostage, had to walk for days through the desert, an
d then helped stop a terrorist attack.” Amazement filled Matt’s voice even as he said the words he knew to be true. “You can’t really expect her to get over all of that so quickly.”
“I don’t, but that isn’t what’s bothering her,” Charlie insisted. “You didn’t see her in Italy. She worked with those Navy SEALs like she had been part of their unit for years, not hours.”
“Maybe she’s having some sort of delayed reaction,” Matt suggested as he opened up a package of hotdogs and started adding them to the grill.
“I think what she’s having is a broken heart,” Charlie told him. “She really fell for the guy that got her out of Abolstan. Ever since he shipped out without telling her, she’s been down.”
“Maybe we need to find this guy and intimidate him.”
“He doesn’t intimidate easily.” Charlie sat down in one of the deck chairs. “Not to mention that no one knows where he is.”
“No wonder she’s upset.” Matt turned to see the patio door open and watched Amy walk outside. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she had on only a light dusting of makeup covering up the freckles that were sprinkled across her nose. Not for the first time, Matt thought she could have been a model. Between her height and her natural beauty, he had little doubt she would have succeeded in the career, but she hadn’t been interested in such things.
Amy crossed to her brothers. “CJ wants to know how long until dinner.”
“Just a couple minutes,” Matt told her.
Charlie stood and offered Amy his seat. “Here, sit down. I’ll go tell her.”
Amy saw the look pass between her brothers, but she sat down anyway. As Charlie went inside, Amy turned to Matt. “I gather he told you about Brent.”
“Is that his name?”
“Lieutenant Brent Miller, U.S. Navy,” Amy said flatly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know his serial number.”
Matt turned and held his hands up. “Hey, I’m not trying to chase the guy away. Heck, I haven’t even met him yet.”
“It’s not likely that you ever will.” Amy’s eyes misted and she tried to fight it.
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