by Susan Stoker
Everyone was tense for several minutes as they flew fast back toward the desert—and hopefully away from anyone who might want to try to shoot them down.
But their exit from Galkayo was uneventful. As the lights from the Somali town got smaller and smaller, Midas breathed out a sigh of relief. He turned to Lexie and gave her a thumb’s up. They hadn’t paused to put on headphones, so they couldn’t talk, but it didn’t seem to matter. She beamed at him and returned his thumb’s up.
Yeah, it was safe to say Lexie Greene was officially under his skin. And Midas had no idea how he was going to be able to give her up.
Chapter Seven
Lexie did her best to put on a positive and happy face for the SEALs. She was certainly thankful to be out of danger of being re-kidnapped, but her future was still so uncertain. Not to mention, she was completely out of her depth. She didn’t know much about the military, and being deposited on a US Navy ship was so far out of her comfort zone, it wasn’t even funny.
More than that, she knew that her time with Midas was coming to an end. He’d go back to Hawaii with his team, and she’d be on her own once more.
For the first time ever, Lexie wasn’t happy with her solitary lifestyle. When she’d first joined Food For All, she’d been thrilled to get away from her dad and his snide remarks and his constant belittling comments. She’d enjoyed living by herself and not having to answer to anyone. But now she understood she literally had no one who would be worried about her. No one to know or care if she disappeared off the face of the Earth.
Being kidnapped had brought home just how alone she truly was. And it sucked.
She loved the closeness Midas seemed to have with his friends, and hearing about Mustang and his wife made a visceral longing rise up within her. She wanted that closeness but had no idea how to get it. With friends or with a man.
And it sucked even more that she felt such a connection with Midas. She wanted to think he felt it too. That kiss they’d shared had literally rocked her world. But they hadn’t had time to talk about what it meant…if it meant anything at all. It could’ve just been the situation.
Midas had given her a set of noise-canceling headphones to wear in the helicopter, but they weren’t connected to the rest, so she had no idea what the others were talking about. Midas tapped her on the shoulder and pointed out the small window, and she sat up straighter to look outside and caught a glimpse of a huge Navy ship. It was dark outside, but the lights on the ship were like a welcoming beacon. The chopper turned and began to drop elevation, and Lexie steeled herself.
This was it. They’d land, and she’d have to say goodbye to Midas.
She wasn’t ready.
But ready or not, the helicopter slowed as it descended to the deck of the ship.
Lexie started badly when Midas put his hand on her thigh. They still couldn’t talk because of the noise, but when she looked over at him, he smiled and nodded.
It was a little pathetic how much that simple touch meant. Lexie wasn’t a touchy-feely person. How could she be when she’d been single for so long? But after spending the day plastered against Midas, she was beginning to see why people craved human touch so much.
The chopper landed without much fuss and Lexie winced at the bright lights shining inside the interior through the open door. Midas helped her take off the headphones, then Slate and Jag held out their hands, assisting her to climb out of the machine.
A woman was there to greet her. “On behalf of the USS Nimitz and all her crew, welcome home, Lexie,” she said.
“Um…thanks,” Lexie mumbled.
“I’ve been ordered to bring you straight to the infirmary so you can be looked over. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”
Lexie nodded. She’d expected to wait for Midas and his team to exit the helicopter, but the woman gestured in front of her and said, “After you.”
Without a choice, Lexie headed in the direction the woman had indicated. She looked back to see if Midas was coming too, but saw he was preoccupied talking with his team and the other Naval officials who had greeted the chopper. He didn’t even look over as she walked away.
Lexie felt off-kilter and nervous, now that Midas wasn’t with her. It was stupid. This was an American ship and the woman escorting her to the infirmary was gracious and nice. But she’d hoped to at least get to say goodbye to Midas. To thank him again. To tell him…
She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say.
Her escort held open a thick steel door and Lexie stepped over the threshold. She winced as it clanged shut behind them. The sound was loud and final.
That was that. Midas would head back to Hawaii with his team and she’d…
She wasn’t sure what she would do next.
Once inside the ship, the woman stepped in front of her and led Lexie down several staircases and hallways until she was hopelessly lost. There was no way she’d be able to find her way back up to the deck…not without a lot of help.
As she walked, the woman chattered about nothing in particular, pointing out things like where the enlisted and officers ate, and the break rooms. Everyone they encountered nodded respectfully as they passed, but the farther they got from the chopper, and the SEALs, the more self-conscious Lexie became. She knew she looked rough. Her hair was probably sticking up in its usual unruly way, her scrubs were filthy from sweat and dirt, and she wore Shermake’s too-big sneakers on her feet. All the sailors she passed were dressed in immaculately pressed uniforms.
Finally, they arrived at a door bearing a big red cross. They entered the infirmary and her escort gestured to a table toward the back of the room. The room was empty except for them, and for some reason that made Lexie feel even more self-conscious. She’d never been comfortable being the center of attention.
“Go ahead and sit there,” the woman said. “The doctor’s been notified that you’re here, so I’m sure he’ll be arriving soon.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Lexie said.
The woman’s brows furrowed as if she was confused. “A bother?” she asked.
“Yeah. If the doctor was sleeping or something, I could’ve waited until the morning to see him. All I need is a place to sleep.”
The sailor shook her head. “Lexie, you were a hostage. You need to be seen right away. Besides, it’s his job.”
“Right. Sorry,” Lexie said, feeling as if she’d been chastised for some reason.
“There’s a gown over there you can change into,” the woman said, pointing over to a stack of plastic-wrapped garments. “I’m just going to step out while you change. It really is good to see you. We were all pulling for you.”
Then she nodded and turned and left the room.
Lexie didn’t move. She didn’t want to change her clothes. She felt vulnerable enough as it was. She wasn’t going to be practically naked when she met the doctor for the first time.
Shivering as the chilly temperature of the room began to register, Lexie lifted her feet and put them on the edge of the table she was sitting on. She knew she was probably contaminating the clean paper under her, but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sighed.
Why being here felt scarier than anything else she’d done in the last twenty-four hours, Lexie didn’t know. Maybe because she was surrounded by strangers and had no idea what would happen next. It wasn’t a good feeling. How would she get off this ship? Where would she go? Did she still have a job with Food For All?
She didn’t like feeling so out of control of her own life.
Lexie rested her cheek on her updrawn knees. Suddenly, she was exhausted. She’d been running on pure adrenaline and bravado since the SEALs had attacked the camp out in the desert. Yes, she’d gotten some sleep in the hole with Midas, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.
Her muscles hurt, her heart hurt for Dagmar, and she was sad that she hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to Midas or his friends. She knew they probably rescued people all the time, so she wasn’t anything
special to them, but this was the first time she’d been rescued. And she would’ve felt a lot better if she’d at least gotten to say thank you.
Not sure how much time had passed, Lexie jerked when the door to the infirmary opened once more. A man who looked way too young to be a doctor entered. He smiled at her and said, “Lexie Greene?”
She nodded.
“I’m Doctor Chow. I understand you’ve been a POW for a few months, is that right?”
Lexie was annoyed. It was stupid, but she couldn’t believe this guy didn’t already know.
Then, she immediately felt bad. How egocentric was she? Thinking everyone would automatically know who she was and what she’d been through.
“Yes,” she said. “But I feel pretty good, all things considered.”
He was carrying what looked like an iPad, which he lifted and begin to tap. He looked up at her after a short period of time and frowned. “You haven’t changed into a gown.”
“No,” she said. “I feel more comfortable in what I’m wearing.” And she did.
The doctor nodded, as if reading more into what she’d said. “You’re safe here,” he told her. “No one will hurt you.”
“I know,” Lexie said. Then it dawned on her what he meant. “I wasn’t raped,” she said.
He nodded again, but it was clear he didn’t believe her.
Lexie wanted to cry. She didn’t want to be here. “I wasn’t,” she insisted. “I’m tired. And hungry. And thirsty. I’m sore from hiding out all day in a hole under a floor of a shop in Galkayo. I’m cold because I’m not used to the air conditioning. But I’m honestly surprised at how good I feel. I just need a shower, some clean clothes, and a place to sleep.” It felt good to stand up for herself.
But the doctor’s next words wiped away her confidence.
“How about you let me do a complete workup and figure out what you need?”
Lexie sighed. She knew the man was just doing his job. She nodded. What else could she do?
Midas was annoyed. After they’d landed on the aircraft carrier, he’d been momentarily preoccupied talking with the Night Stalkers who’d picked them up, and when he’d turned around to escort Lexie to the infirmary, she was gone.
Mustang informed him that she’d already been led away. Then he and the rest of the team had to debrief about the mission. He’d had to explain what he’d done at the hospital, and where he and Lexie had hidden out all day. He’d listened as the rest of his team reported about Dagmar’s death and what they’d done to avoid the groups of men looking for Lexie and Dagmar.
The digital meeting with their commander back in Hawaii had gone on for three hours. Once everything had been recorded and reported and their superior officers were satisfied for the time being, Midas and the rest of the team were dismissed.
They had a few hours to get some sleep, then right after first light, they were being flown to South Korea before heading back to Hawaii. Midas was exhausted, but there was no way he’d be able to sleep without seeing how Lexie was doing.
He was sure she was fine. She was probably sleeping anyway, but leaving without talking to her seemed…wrong. It felt as if they had unfinished business. After all, they’d been interrupted right after that amazing kiss, and he hadn’t even had a chance to let her know he wanted to keep in touch.
“You going to find Lexie?” Mustang asked in the narrow hallway outside the conference room they’d been in for the last few hours. The other guys had already left to hit the showers and to catch some z’s.
“Yes,” he said, a little more forcefully than he’d meant to.
“Easy,” Mustang said. “I was just asking.”
“Sorry. I know.”
“Things were pretty intense there for a while, huh?” Mustang asked.
Midas nodded. “She was amazing though. Didn’t panic. Even when we had to go out the window of the hospital, she didn’t even flinch. She ran through the streets with me without shoes on, Mustang. And not once did she complain about it.”
“She doesn’t seem like the complaining type,” his friend said. “It’s damn lucky you two ran into that woman she knew.”
“Yeah. But here’s the thing, if it wasn’t her, I’m convinced it would’ve been someone else. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and is generous to a fault.”
Mustang tilted his head. “It sounds as if she’s more than a mission to you.”
“I think she is,” Midas admitted out loud for the first time. Then he shook his head. “But there’s no way this is gonna work out.”
Mustang laughed. Actually threw his head back and laughed at him.
Midas glared at his friend. “You’re an asshole,” he said, frowning.
“I’m sorry,” Mustang said, not sounding sorry at all. “But you’re standing there saying it’s impossible for anything to work out with the woman you rescued, to a man who recently married a woman he rescued while on a mission halfway across the world from where he lives.”
Midas pressed his lips together. His friend’s comment was convoluted, but he’d made his point.
Mustang went on. “Look. I know how you feel, okay? Out of everyone on the team, I know. You know how crazy I was when we got back to Hawaii and I was waiting to hear from Elodie. I drove you all nuts. But there was something about her that was different than anyone else I’d met. The odds of us making it were slim to none, but I’m standing in front of you a very happily married man, madly in love with his wife, telling you not to give up. I’ve never seen you this worked up about a woman, Midas. Don’t let her be your biggest regret. A relationship with her might not be easy, but it could also be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“I just don’t know how it can work out.”
“I didn’t either. All I knew was that it sucked that I had to leave Elodie on that ship,” Mustang said. “You just gotta trust that if you and her are meant to be, it’ll work out.”
“Well, that was vague as shit,” Midas complained.
Mustang chuckled. “Sorry. Go find her, Midas. Tell her flat out that you want to keep in touch. See where things go from there.”
“Thanks,” Midas said.
Mustang clapped him on the shoulder and nodded. “For the record? I like her. I obviously don’t know her as well as you do, but I can see the appeal.”
His friend’s approval meant a lot to Midas. It wouldn’t’ve stopped him from keeping in touch with her regardless, but it felt a hell of a lot better to know Mustang approved.
Midas knew he should probably shower before he tracked down Lex, but he was too impatient to see her. To find out what the doctor had said. To make sure she was good. It took a bit to find the infirmary because he wasn’t familiar with the ship, but after a few wrong turns, and asking some of the sailors who were out and about even at this time of night, he found it. Midas had no idea if she would still be there, but it was a place to start.
He pushed open the door and looked around the room. There were several examination tables, as well as twin-size cots along the back wall, for those patients who needed extra monitoring. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the only cot in the back that was occupied.
Midas walked toward it, eager to talk to Lexie.
But when he got his first glimpse of her, his stomach dropped.
She was lying on her side, and he could literally see the blanket over her vibrating because she was shaking so hard.
“What the fuck?” he muttered. Midas went to his knees beside the low bed and put his hand on Lexie’s shoulder. “Lex?” he asked.
She rolled over—and Midas mentally kicked himself in the ass. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, her eyes were swollen and, even as he watched, more tears spilled over her lids.
Without a word, he got up and gently scooted her over, climbing onto the small twin mattress with her.
“Midas? What are you—”
“Move over,” he said, interrupting her.
She did as he asked, althou
gh the tiny amount of space left on the mattress wasn’t going to be enough. So Midas switched to a position he knew would work. He lifted Lexie and rolled to his back, tucking her against him in the same position they’d been in for most of the day. It was hard to believe they’d been in that hole only hours ago.
Instead of protesting, Lexie snuggled into him and turned her face against his shoulder. Her arm went across his chest, and this time he could feel everything. Without his Kevlar vest and all his battle accoutrement, she felt even better against him.
“You’re so warm,” she said softly.
Midas shifted so he could pull the blanket she’d been using up and over her shoulders. “They always keep the infirmary cold, I don’t know why,” he told her.
“It’s fine. It’s just, after spending all that time in the hot desert, I think my body’s all out of whack.”
It was good to hear her talking somewhat normally, but Midas was still kicking himself for not being there when her adrenaline finally wore off and she broke.
“Are you all right? What did the doctor say? Why are you still in the same scrubs you’ve been wearing all day? And are you seriously still wearing Shermake’s shoes?” Midas asked, feeling the sneakers against his calves as she curled around him.
“He said I was dehydrated,” Lexie answered, irritation easy to hear in her tone. “He got annoyed with me when I wouldn’t change. He was condescending and made me feel as if somehow getting kidnapped was my fault. I got the impression he was hoping I was all banged up or shot or something, and when all he could find wrong was that I was hungry, dirty, and thirsty, he was disappointed.”
Midas’s irritation rose tenfold. But he did his best to keep his voice calm as he spoke. “I’m guessing life on an aircraft carrier isn’t always the most exciting for the ship’s doctor. I’m sorry he made you feel that way.”
She shrugged but didn’t comment. Eventually her shaking subsided, and Midas felt her sigh against him.
“Midas?”
“Yeah, Lex?”
“What are you doing here?”