Code Name: Ghost

by Natasza Waters

  “What the hell is going on? Who is that? No one has any business in there at two-thirty in the morning.”

  “Just a second, Commander.” She put the phone down, and took a couple steps toward the door. “Can I help you with something?”

  The figure loomed in the shadow. A few steps closer and she could see he was holding something in his hand. It was too late for a courier and security usually escorted them. “I have to call security if you don’t leave. This area is highly classified.” The shadow swayed, hesitated and then turned abruptly and left. Odd. “Hello?” she said into the phone.

  “Who was that?” he said sharply.

  “I don’t know. He left.”

  “He?”

  “I couldn’t make him out, but he’s gone.”

  “Deactivate the door, right now,” he ordered.

  “Commander, it’s nothing to worry about. Whoever it was is gone.”

  “I don’t give a shit. Access is denied accept for a few people. No one should have a card that you don’t know. Deactivate the door.”

  “Okay I will. How’s Fielding? We heard about what happened. It’s just awful,” she said changing the subject, but keeping an eye on the anteroom. Veering her eyes to the window of the Commander’s office, the room sat in darkness, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled.

  “He’s going to survive, but the leg was badly damaged. They had to take it. Now deactivate the damn door.”

  “Commander, everything’s fine.”

  “Kayla, if you don’t turn around and deactivate that fucking door I’m getting on a plane, and when I get home—God help you.”

  “Okay, okay, don’t burst an artery, sir.” She swiveled her chair and opened up the program on the computer. The little door on the screen flashed with an ugly green border and the words “Security Access Activated” appeared underneath. She clicked the command change button and deactivated the door. A large warning popped up. “Door will be deactivated, all cards must be reset. Do you want to do this?” She clicked Yes and received the confirmation. Now she was the only person who had control of the door. It couldn’t be accessed from the outside. Picking up the phone, she said, “Are ya satisfied?”

  “Yes,” he grumbled. “Why the hell do you always fight me?”

  “Because I’m better at that than saying thank you.” She cleared her throat because a lump had formed in it.

  “I don’t need a thank you. I just want you to be there when I come home.”

  “You and the team have helped and protected me since I came here. I—I’m not really used to that.” God, she was bad at this.

  “When I get home we have things to discuss, Kayla, but I have to go now.” Another jet taking off drowned him out. “It’s good to hear your voice—” He paused, “I mis…” He cleared his throat. “Take care of the place, all right?”

  “You know I will.”

  They hung up and she walked to his office, her heart beating with heavy thumps. Opening the door cautiously she listened, and allowed her eyes to accustom to the darkness before stepping into the Commander’s office. She turned on the small desk light and gathered the information from his safe. Before leaving, she stopped beside his coat rack. Ah, this was so stupid she thought to herself, looking at a jacket he’d left there. A small swell of warmth filled her. He always took it with him, but he’d left it behind this time. On purpose? She buried her face in the rough fabric and took a deep breath. She backed away and ran her hand along the material. “Be safe, Commander.”

  “Kayla Banks?”

  She jumped, grabbing the coat stand. “Oh, Lord!” A base security officer stood in the doorway staring at her. Heavy footsteps running down the hallway came toward them. “Yes?”

  “Ma’am, we were notified by Commander Austen there was an intruder.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know who it was. He just came into the anteroom and left when I asked him to identify himself.”

  “Ma’am, please return to the center. We’re searching the building now and pulling the camera’s digital recording. I’ll notify Commander Austen when we’ve viewed them.”

  “Notify me instead. The Commander is on deployment, don’t bother him.” She strode past the officer and stopped in the doorway. “Agreed?”

  He dwelled on it. “Yes, ma’am, but if Commander Austen calls I’ll have to tell him what we found.”

  Just before closing the access door, a second officer appeared. “All’s clear. There’s no one else in the building.”

  Two hours later, the phone rang, and she half-hoped it was the Commander. “Ms. Banks, this is Officer Clarence. We’ve reviewed the tapes, and I’ve notified Captain Redding of the incident.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Ma’am, the individual who accessed the ops center earlier couldn’t be identified, but he was armed with a knife.”

  * * * *

  Cobbs reached up to turn the vented air off above his seat. “We should be landing in twenty minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch.

  Thane nodded and swiveled his head to look out the small window. The clouds below them hid their position, but he could feel the jet beginning to descend. Conversations in the rest of the plane became louder with the men’s excitement. It was always that way after deploying for a few months. They were coming home, and there was no better feeling in the world. For the first time in twenty years, he joined their anxiousness.

  The small terminal would be filled with wives and kids, milling—waiting impatiently. He could always tell a new wife from a seasoned one. The new one looked tense and excited, and they usually cried when they saw their husbands or boyfriends walk through the doors. The seasoned ones were like warriors themselves. They raised the children, ran the home and dealt with the issues of family on their own. It made them tougher, calmer—independent.

  Not having anyone didn’t bother him, except for this particular time.

  “Marg’s waiting for us,” Cobbs said, grinning at him.

  Margret Foster, now Margret Cobbs, was one hell of a gorgeous woman. She’d been a model in her younger years, and she was still beautiful, maybe even more so. The woman had grace and dignity, and he’d seen her first all those years ago. Pat never let him forget it, either, since they’d spent a single hot night together.

  Back then, they were invincible, proud, and about as horny and busy in bed as two good looking guys could be. Marg knew he wasn’t the kind of guy who wanted to settle down, and it was love at first sight between Pat and her. Her family had hated the idea their daughter, with a brilliant future, wasn’t going to marry into another influential family. They didn’t cut Pat a break until the media started to build up the Navy SEALs and their elite place in the forces. Suddenly they were proud to talk about their son-in-law.

  They had three kids now, the oldest two had already graduated from high school, and Kelsey—who had been a bit of a surprise five years ago, kept them on their toes. Over the years, they’d made it work. He wondered how, but the excitement biting at his heart when he thought about seeing Kayla again, finally held the answer.

  “Please fasten your seatbelts,” the voice on the intercom carried through the plane. “We’ll be landing in fifteen minutes.”

  The familiar “Hoo-yah” sounded off, but it didn’t come from his lips.

  “Did you at least call her?” Cobbs asked, snapping the buckle at his hips.

  He nodded, watching the heavens as they descended through the thin ceiling of clouds. Knowing his friend, he wasn’t going to leave it alone.

  “How long ago?” he asked.

  He reached for the seatbelt, and glanced at Pat. “I needed the dead recall list.”

  Cobbs chuckled. “You mean you made up an excuse to hear her voice. How long ago?”

  “Two months.”

  “And then you left her hanging for two months? What the fuck is wrong with you, man?” He shook his head in disgust. “You’ve been playing hard-ass for all these year
s. I know you’re in love with her. Why can’t you admit it?” he said quietly, folding the magazine and shoving it in the seat pocket.

  He jerked his head but remained silent.

  Cobbs let go of a loud sigh. “You know she’d be in that terminal if she knew you were coming.”

  “No, she wouldn’t,” he mumbled, his heart tightening, wishing she would be. He knew Kayla, and he knew she wouldn’t want to look like she was caving in to him.

  The night after putting her on the plane in Kandahar, he’d resisted calling her at least a dozen times. Once they got back, he’d have to request a new phone, his was in pieces after it smashed against the wall. When he’d finally caved, and called her from the carrier, he knew he couldn’t do it again.

  In many ways, she was like him, too brave, too stubborn, and because of it, they were in danger of spending their lives alone. He knew why he’d chosen his road, but he had only one clue as to why she had chosen hers. Lapierre’s words sat like hardening cement for the last three months in his thoughts. You’re safer in the States. Kayla was like a broken puzzle sitting on a coffee table. He saw pieces but not a whole picture. Three days ago, in the middle of the jungle, he made his decision. It was the right thing to do, the only thing to do for the good of both of them. He had to send her away, but before he did, he would put the puzzle together and see the whole woman who would always haunt his dreams.

  * * * *

  “Come here, you handsome SEALs,” Marg yelled at them, waving and pushing her way through the other wives as they walked into the terminal.

  “Fuck, she’s gorgeous,” he said, raising a brow at Pat. He didn’t mind ruffling his feathers from time to time.

  “You’d know,” he said, giving him a halfway dirty look. “You had her before I did.”

  Marg threw her arms around both of them. She gave him a big kiss on the lips and then turned her beautiful blues on Pat. “Hi, gorgeous,” she grinned, her gaze already telling him what she wanted.

  “Darlin’, you are a sight for tired eyes.” Like he’d never had her before, their bodies melded together for one long, passionate kiss.

  “Daddy!” Kelsey wrapped her little arms around her father’s knees, and he reached down and picked her up.

  “Hey, beautiful, I missed you.” Pat planted a big wet one on his daughter. “Where’s Cindy and Rayanne? Too busy to see their dad come home?” pretending not to see them standing behind Marg.

  “Daaad,” Rayanne crowed, throwing her hands on her hips and giving him a silly grin. She flew into his arms with Cindy close behind.

  “Hiya, Uncle Thane,” Cindy said, giving him a kiss.

  Marg plopped Kelsey in his arms and she giggled and grabbed his cheeks. “Hey, girls.”

  “Unca Thane!” Kelsey puckered her lips at him. He cuddled her tightly and gave her a big smacking kiss.

  Goddamn, they were all beautiful. Marg slipped her arm around his shoulder. She could do it being just under six feet herself. “When am I going to stop doing some other woman’s job?” she teased.

  He raised a brow, giving her a wicked look. “Maybe if you kept me as happy as you keep Pat I wouldn’t have to worry about it,” he replied. He jerked back, but she managed to cuff him anyway.

  “I have a big dinner planned for all of us, and then you’re leaving early,” she said, giving her husband a heated look that left nothing to the imagination.

  “Now you’re just making me jealous.” He carried Kelsey while she played with his ear trying to tickle him. The sun beamed down between the cumulus clouds moving quickly to the north. The California wind carried the familiar scent of home. There was only one thing missing, and he felt it so sharply.

  “If he’d quit being so fuckin’ stubborn, she’d be here right now,” Cobbs stated.

  Marg stopped in her tracks and they both turned. “Who’s she—pray tell?”

  Cobbs tilted his head and gave him a ‘well-what-of-it’ look. Marg swung her gaze back and forth between them. “Spill,” she ordered like a drill sergeant.

  “Unca Thane, why is that lady staring at you?” Kelsey asked.

  He whipped around, his heart pounding in his chest. “Where, Kelsey?” His eyes rushed past every face. Faces he knew, ones he didn’t, but not the one he wanted to see. There were so many people in the way. “Point, Kelsey. Where?”

  “She was over there,” Kelsey pointed back toward the doors of the terminal. “She’s gone,” Kelsey said, shrugging and wrapping her arms around his neck laying her head on his shoulder.

  Still searching, he said, “What did she look like?”

  Kelsey lifted her head. “Kinda like mommy, but smaller.”

  “Did you see her, Pat?” peering across every face again.

  “All right, start talkin’,” Marg ordered.

  “Here.” He plopped Kelsey in Marg’s arms and fought his way back toward the terminal waiting room. Throwing open the door he glanced around quickly. It was empty except for a cleaning woman pulling a black bag from a garbage can. He shook his head and fought off an unexpected tsunami-sized wave of disappointment as he stared at the floor.

  “Are you looking for me?”

  His pulse quickened as he turned around. “Kayla—” Standing five feet away from him, her eyes smiling, was the most gorgeous, wonderful, incredible woman, he’d ever seen in his life.

  Sweeping a wave of disobedient hair from her face she said, “Welcome home, Commander.”

  The distance between them disappeared with two steps. “Sweet Jesus, you’re a beautiful sight.” Christ, he thought he was going to cry himself feeling her softness in his arms.

  She tenderly touched his forehead where an angry red wound marred his skin. “I’m glad you’re home safe.” She smiled up at him. “Did you bring everyone home?”

  He palmed her cheek and nodded. “Yeah, everyone came home.” He wanted to kiss her so badly, but something stopped him. She was being polite and professional, and trying so damn hard to hide her feelings, and so was he. What the hell was the matter with them that neither of them was going to give? Over the years, he’d lost count of the women who’d offered forever, but he’d never wavered. If only Kayla would say she wanted him, he’d probably fall to his knees with relief.

  “Good.” She glanced away nervously. “Captain Redding sent me over to tell you that you need to come in tomorrow. You’ve got some kind of high-level meeting about Al-Qaeda at ten.”

  Shit, that’s why she was here? She hadn’t come because she wanted to. God, he was an idiot. “Right—well, I’ll be in.” He stepped away from her, but he found he couldn’t let go of her hand. Glancing up, Cobbs and his family stood not more than ten feet away. Marg looked like she was going to bust a coconut, excitement radiating on her face. Talk about being stuck between a rock and another rock.

  “Are you going to introduce us or what?” Marg asked, clasping her hands together.

  Kayla spun around with surprise. “Hi.” She gave a quick wave, and pressed herself against him. His hands slid to her hips, holding her gently. “Lieutenant Cobbs.”

  “Hi, Snow White.”

  “Snow White!” Marg stepped forward. “It’s nice to meet you, Kayla. I’ve heard a lot about you from Pat.”

  “Ah—Marg, right?” Kayla said, accepting her hand.

  “Yeah, so one more for dinner then?” she said, barely containing her excitement.

  “I’m working, actually. I just started my evening shift. Captain Redding just wanted to get a message to the Commander.”

  Kayla glanced up at him, and he realized he was holding his damn breath.

  “Well, I better get back. It’s good to see you all made it home. It was nice to meet you, Marg.”

  Sweeping her into his arms and landing the kiss of the century on her lips is what he wanted, but how could he do that? “Kayla?”

  She offered him a small smile and pulled away from him. “Bye.”

  Just like that—his chance, his moment, the one he’d been m
issing all his life was gone. The soles of his feet riveted themselves to the ground to stop himself from chasing her. He had made up his mind to let her go. He never changed his mind. He swallowed thickly to clear the lump from his throat.

  Marg marched up to him, her brow tight. She stopped within two inches and glared at him. “Are you that stupid?” she hissed at him. “Go after her. That woman truly loves your sorry, hard ass.”

  Confused, his feet felt like they were sinking into the tarmac. He stared blankly back at her.

  “Don’t make me hit you,” she blurted.

  “I’d listen to her, Thane, she’s got a wicked right cross,” Cobbs said, grinning.

  “She doesn’t,” he breathed, but he’d never forgotten Kayla’s words in the desert. She’d been knocked senseless, there was no way a woman like her could love him. Could he do what he planned if she did?

  Marg narrowed her eyes at him. “She does, you idiot.”

  “Right again,” Cobbs said with a laugh. He swayed Kelsey back and forth in his arms, and then shrugged at him. “How many people have to call you an idiot before you get a grip?”

  He swallowed hard and looked up to see Kayla getting into Red’s car. He’d sent her over here on purpose. The old man had set him up. “Marg, you don’t know her.”

  “I know what two people who want to fall into each other’s arms looks like, Thane. I never thought I’d see it, but I’m right aren’t I?”

  He glanced at the ground, deliberating on denying it, then stared into Marg’s waiting expression and nodded.

  Her face cracked into a beautiful smile. “I like her.”

  He tilted his head with a raised brow. “You don’t even know her.”

  Marg gently leaned her forehead against his. “I don’t need to. I can see what she does to you,” and she wrapped him in a huge hug. “Don’t you dare let her get away,” she whispered in his ear. “I know what you think, but you’ve always been wrong. We’re stronger than you give us credit for. We have to be, we marry warriors like you.”