by Laura Scott
Swinging into a sitting position on the edge of the sofa, he scratched Beacon behind the ears, drawing strength from the animal’s presence.
Good thing the top brass had agreed to honor Isaac’s request to retire Beacon from active duty. Losing his handler and then being separated from Isaac had caused the dog to exhibit all kinds of bad behavior.
If only they could see Beacon now.
Isaac couldn’t sleep, fearing the nightmare would return. Dawn brightened the horizon, so he padded into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. As it brewed, he took Beacon outside, startling the cop at the door.
When Beacon finished his business, Isaac headed back inside and helped himself to a large mug of coffee. The caffeine helped clear the cobwebs from his brain.
Aiden got up first, yawning as he carried the box of puppies outside. Tango followed as if knowing it was his job to assist.
Isaac remained inside to cook eggs for breakfast, although they were cold by the time Vanessa emerged, a good thirty minutes later. She looked lovely and fresh after her shower, especially the way her dark hair framed her face. His mouth went dry as he noticed her short-sleeved, burned-orange sweater and a billowy flowered skirt.
“Wow,” he managed. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” she murmured with a blush. Then her brow furrowed. “You look exhausted.”
“Yeah, well, as usual I couldn’t sleep.” He tried to downplay the symptoms of PTSD, although he knew as a nurse Vanessa probably understood. Better than Amber had.
“All the more reason you should come to church services with us,” she persisted.
Again, he hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. “I guess I better get home to change into something decent.” Isaac glanced down at his battle-ready uniform with a grimace. He didn’t have a lot of formal clothes, other than his dress blues.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. “You have plenty of time. No need to rush.”
Maybe not, but he needed some distance from her enticing honeysuckle scent or he might do something foolish like kiss her again.
She didn’t need a guy like him, bogged down with nightmares and mood swings.
Isaac warmed the eggs in the microwave and set the plate before her. Vanessa bowed her head and clasped her hands. “Dear Lord, thank You for providing the food I’m about to eat. Please continue guiding me on Your chosen path, Amen.”
He felt guilty for not praying before his meal, although it wasn’t second nature to him, the way it was for Vanessa.
They discussed their plans, agreeing to meet thirty minutes before the service, allowing plenty of time for them to walk, since Vanessa’s car still hadn’t been released. Isaac had also placed a call to Justin, requesting a second cop to be stationed at the house in case there was another attempt to get to the puppies.
When she finished breakfast, he helped with the dishes before heading home with Beacon. He hoped the pastor was open to airmen bringing their dogs to church services.
He spent some time with Beacon, grateful the dog didn’t show any hint of weakness from his injuries and appeared content to be there with him.
The feeling was mutual.
An hour later, Isaac was showered, shaved and wearing his crisp dress blues. He walked back down to Vanessa’s, struck again by her beautiful smile as she came down the steps toward him. It wasn’t easy to persuade Aiden to leave the puppies behind with Tango, even though it was only for a little over an hour, but he finally agreed. The cop stationed at the door accompanied them as a second cop arrived to watch the puppies.
As they approached the church, Isaac was relieved to see that a few of the other airmen had their dogs with them, too. At least he wouldn’t look completely out of place. At the threshold of the building, Isaac noticed a tall, light brown–haired man cheerfully greeting people as they entered.
“Good morning, Pastor Harmon,” Vanessa said when it was their turn to enter. “I’d like you to meet Captain Isaac Goddard and his K-9, Beacon.”
Isaac held out his hand and the pastor shook it.
“Welcome to God’s house, Isaac. May you find peace and serenity within your faith.”
“Thanks.” Isaac followed Vanessa and Aiden inside, grimacing as they went directly to the front of the church. As much as he would have preferred hovering in the back, he reluctantly slid in beside Vanessa.
Sitting there, he wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to come. Because of the recurring nightmare? No, because he’d promised. He stared down at his hands, finding it difficult to accept God’s will after suffering the terrible loss of his closest friend, Jake. Who knew if God really had a plan? Maybe they were all on their own to flounder or flourish.
Vanessa picked up a small hymnal, offering it to him. He shook his head.
Pastor Harmon seemed to be looking at him through the entire service, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Another reason he preferred sitting in the back and well out of sight.
Then the pastor said something that struck close to home. “‘In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’”
Isaac looked up and caught Pastor Harmon’s gaze, stunned at the gentle knowledge and understanding reflected there. Isaac gave the pastor a brief nod, realizing that what the Bible said was true.
He’d used Jake’s death as a way to avoid the light, as an excuse to stay in the darkness. But God was the light and he should never, ever have turned away from the Lord.
A sense of joy swept over him, and he reached over and picked up one of the small hymnals. When the choir broke into song, he joined in, his voice low and hoarse and rusty, yet true.
Vanessa wrapped her hand around his and he was suddenly glad she was with him.
For the first time since the horrible crash, he wondered if this moment, right now, really was part of God’s plan.
If so, he would be an idiot to let her go.
The peace he’d gained in church offered a keen sense of hope. It didn’t take long for them to leave the building, separating themselves from the crowd as they crossed Canyon Drive.
A dark pickup truck with tinted windows picked up speed as it headed toward them. “Look out!” Isaac shouted.
He released Beacon’s leash to grab Vanessa and Aiden with each hand. The cop beside them turned to point his weapon toward the oncoming truck.
The sound of gunfire was deafening and sent him to his knees.
Mayday, Mayday! We are under fire... In a heartbeat he was sucked back into the nightmare of his crash.
THIRTEEN
The truck bounced up and over the curb, then crashed into a tree. Staring in horror as the events unfolded, Vanessa caught a glimpse of the driver, slumped over the wheel.
Boyd?
Her mouth went dry and she took a step toward the truck. “I have to check on him.”
“Isaac? Are you okay?” Aiden’s voice had her turning toward Isaac. He was on his knees, his hands cradling his head.
“Stay with him,” she told her brother. “I’ll be right back.”
The cop who’d taken the shot accompanied her to the truck. Bracing herself, she peered inside, expecting to see Boyd. But it wasn’t. The driver was a stranger to her, just like the other guy, the one who’d tried to steal the puppies, had been.
She released her pent-up breath. The guy didn’t move, and there was quite a bit of blood covering his chest. She put her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse, but found nothing.
He was dead.
“I had to shoot, or he would have hit us,” the cop said in a low tone.
“I know.” She bowed her head for a moment, asking God to have mercy for the man who’d tried to kill them. Then she turned away, heading back to Isaac and Aiden.
Isaac was pale, but on his feet. “The driver?” he
asked.
She shook her head. “He didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry,” Isaac whispered, drawing her into his arms for a hug.
She soaked in his warm strength.
The sound of sirens filled the air, and she was grateful help was on the way. It wouldn’t take long for Justin Blackwood to find out about this, either.
“He was going to kill us,” Aiden whispered. “Just like that kid in Afghanistan.”
She belatedly realized that her brother could very well suffer a setback after this. The truck coming at them was eerily similar to what had happened to Aiden in Afghanistan. Isaac loosened his grip, realizing she wasn’t going anywhere, and she quickly pulled Aiden close in a sisterly hug.
“I’m sorry, Aiden. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to church with you. I should have known better. Everywhere I go brings danger.”
Her brother clutched her close for a long moment. “It’s not your fault, Nessa. It’s that stupid Boyd Sullivan.”
Two Security Forces vehicles pulled up to flank the crashed truck. She lifted her tortured gaze to Isaac. “I need to get Aiden home.”
“Soon,” he promised. “We’ll need to give our statements to the Security Forces first.”
She couldn’t bear to look at the truck, knowing the driver was dead. Why, Lord? Why is this happening?
There wasn’t a good answer. She knew it was God’s will, but at times like this, it was difficult to simply accept that and move on.
Captain Blackwood joined them a few minutes later, his face pale and grim as he surveyed the scene. “What happened?”
“The truck came at us out of nowhere,” Isaac said. “The cop had no choice but to shoot.”
A muscle ticked at the corner of Justin’s jaw. “I understand, I’m not blaming him for protecting you. But is there anything else you can tell me? Did either of you recognize the driver?”
“No, but I can tell you he’s not Boyd,” Vanessa said. “Not that it matters, I’m sure Boyd was behind this attack, the same as the other attacks. And I don’t think he’ll stop until he kills me.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Isaac said forcefully.
Brave words, and while she appreciated Isaac’s promise, she was beginning to lose faith. Not in God, but that she’d escape Boyd’s next attempt.
“We got a license plate. The vehicle doesn’t belong to anyone on base,” Justin said. “We’ll put his fingerprints through the system, see what pops up.”
“Another fall guy?” Isaac asked. “Just like the one who tried to steal the puppies?”
“That’s my take on it,” Justin agreed.
Vanessa shivered. Isaac moved closer and she gratefully leaned against him.
“By the way, we’re finished with your car,” Justin told her.
“Did you find any prints?”
“Unfortunately not.” Justin glanced between them. “I also looked into Captain Turner’s alibi for the time frame in question. He has a rock-solid alibi.”
“Are you sure?” Isaac demanded. “For the entire twelve-hour shift Vanessa worked?”
“We were able to pinpoint the time frame on the surveillance cameras,” Justin explained. “The video angle isn’t great, but we can see a shadowy, bulky shape of someone wearing a dark hood and ski mask slamming the brick through the window at eighteen thirty, almost a full hour before she found it. We were able to verify that during that same time frame, Captain Turner was in the ER tending to a patient.”
Vanessa wasn’t surprised. “I told you it wasn’t Leo’s style.”
“Yeah, well, our investigation has stalled once again. We know Boyd is the prime suspect but haven’t found him on base.”
“Probably because he’s using other people to do his dirty work,” Isaac said in a flat tone.
“Did anything come from following Rusty Morton?” Vanessa remembered how Gretchen Hill had mentioned the trainer’s suspicious behavior.
“Not yet, but we’re keeping an eye on him.” Justin turned back to the truck. Two airmen had placed the driver’s body on a stretcher. “This guy and his connection to Boyd is my priority now.”
She understood and silently agreed.
“If Rusty isn’t Boyd’s accomplice,” Isaac said thoughtfully, “he still might be the one who sold the dogs to the Olio crime syndicate.”
Justin raised a brow. “You could be right about that. I’ll check him out further once I’m finished here.”
It was almost an hour later before they were allowed to head home, escorted by yet another cop. Vanessa found it difficult to look the cop in the eye, knowing that being assigned to guard her was likely one of the most dangerous jobs on base these days.
No one was particularly hungry, but Vanessa made soup and sandwiches to keep herself from going crazy. Aiden immersed himself in caring for the puppies, and she hoped and prayed they’d allow him to find a measure of peace.
“Come, Beacon,” Isaac said. The dog obediently crossed over to sit at his side. Isaac ran his fingers over Beacon’s fur and she realized he was checking the dog for injuries.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“Seems fine.” Isaac glanced at her. “Better than you are.”
She shrugged, unable to argue. This latest attempt to kill her had been the worst yet. “How old is Beacon?”
“He’ll be seven at the end of the month, which is one of the reasons the top brass agreed he could retire from active duty.” Isaac shrugged. “That was the first hurdle I faced in getting him home. The second was his bad behavior.”
She frowned. “He’s fine. I haven’t seen any evidence of bad behavior.”
“I did a video chat with my buddy Frank a few months ago and Beacon went nuts. Frank mentioned they were struggling with his training.”
“Maybe he missed you.” She leaned forward to stroke the German shepherd’s head. Eagle nudged his way between them, so she turned her attention to her K-9.
“Well, now that he’s home, I’m sure your nightmares will go away once and for all.”
Isaac’s face shut down and he abruptly rose to his feet. “They haven’t, and I’ve accepted the fact that they never will. Excuse me, but I need to get home.” He strode through the house to the front door, with Beacon at his side.
She wanted to call out to him, to ask him to stay, but sensed there was no getting through to him.
Despite the cop stationed at her front door, the house felt incredibly empty after he was gone. She put a hand to her chest in an attempt to ease the ache that was building within.
She cared about Isaac, so very much.
Yet, she understood Isaac didn’t share the same depth and breadth of her feelings. Despite the heated kisses and being sheltered in his warm embrace, she could tell he was holding himself back. Treating her as a close friend, nothing more.
Had he done something similar with his former girlfriend?
She tried to take comfort in the fact that she’d helped him find his way back to attending church. Closing her eyes, she prayed that God would show Isaac the way to healing.
With or without her.
* * *
Isaac still didn’t have a meeting with Justin to discuss his future, and with everything going on, his buddy likely wouldn’t have time for a while yet. Maybe he should go all the way up to Lieutenant General Hall. After all, if the commander wouldn’t support his attempt to transition into another role, there was no point in trying.
It being a Sunday, he made a mental note to call first thing in the morning. If there wasn’t a place for him within the Air Force, he needed to start making other plans.
His future loomed empty and bleak, making the rest of the day drag by slowly. Keeping occupied with Beacon wasn’t helping to keep him centered as much as he’d hoped.
It was humbling to real
ize how much he’d come to depend on Vanessa, too.
When his phone rang an hour later, his pulse jumped when he recognized her number. “Vanessa? Is something wrong?”
“No, but I need a favor.”
Anything, he thought, but managed to hold his tongue. “What’s up?”
“I was asked to come in tomorrow morning to help cover a sick call,” she said. “Being at work seems to be the safest place for me to be these days, so I agreed. They need me to work a full twelve-hour shift and Aiden has an appointment at fifteen thirty with Lieutenant Colonel Flintman. Can you swing by later in the afternoon to watch the puppies?”
“Of course.” He was glad Aiden was going back to therapy. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I think Aiden was going to cancel his appointment if you couldn’t help out.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“Vanessa, I’ll escort you to work in the morning, and I need you to promise you’ll continue to ask for escorts each time you leave the ICU.”
“No need for you to be here. Justin stopped by and I now have a full-time cop to take me where I need to go.”
“I see.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“Good night, Isaac.”
“Good night.”
Once, he’d liked the peace and quiet of his small house, but after spending so much time with Vanessa, Aiden and the pups, he realized how lonely it was.
Was it possible he was turning another corner related to his emotional health issues? Going back to being a pilot wasn’t an option, and if he went into the civilian world, he wasn’t sure what he could do there, either.
That night, the nightmare returned. As before, Beacon woke him up before he crashed. He huddled with Beacon until almost four in the morning, when he finally fell into a dreamless sleep. Thankfully Aiden’s doctor’s appointment wasn’t until late afternoon, giving him the opportunity to sleep in.
Still, it bothered him that the nightmare had resurfaced again so soon, especially after he had Beacon home. Two nights in a row. He tried not to dwell on it, but the reenlistment paperwork mocked him from the kitchen table as he made breakfast, which technically should have been lunch, and drank two cups of coffee.