Outcast (SEAL Team: Disavowed Book 2)

by Laura Marie Altom

  “Jasper? The burgers are ready. Come eat.”

  He jolted at the sudden warmth of Eden’s hand on his back.

  “Where were you? You seemed lost in another world.”

  “I was.” But I’m here now. The past is in the past—where it needs to stay, and if any of them were going to get out of this alive, he had to set his mind to answering at least a few of the far too many questions surrounding this supposed treasure.

  “Figures.” She’d picked up the phone and tried calling Roger’s number. “No signal.” She set it on the legal pad. “We’ll try again after lunch.”

  Lunch. What was he going to do? His every instinct screamed at him to pitch Dane’s meal straight into the nearest round file, but Eden would freak. On the flip side, what if she ate it, and then dropped dead?

  “O-M-G.” She groaned after her first bite. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

  While Jasper had wasted time contemplating whether or not Dane would try poisoning them both, the woman he was supposed to be protecting could already be in grave need of medical attention.

  “After we eat,” Dane said, “I think we should look over your father’s office. Maybe we’ll find a clue to where he could be.” He carried two plates from the kitchen, setting one next to her, then taking the other for himself. “Eat, Jasper. We’ll need our energy for tearing this entire station apart. If you’d like, take my burger.” He offered his plate.

  Classic psychology. Making him believe he hadn’t poisoned his own food, when in actuality, Dane planned all along for Jasper to eat his serving. Or could Dane be a step ahead of him and already suspect he’d ask to switch plates, so he hadn’t?

  Geez. Jasper clamped the heels of his hands to his forehead. He was starting to sound crazy even to himself. Odds were Dane was the kindly second father Eden believed him to be. If he weren’t, wouldn’t he be with Leo?

  Jasper took the chair next to Eden and across from Dane. When the first bite of his burger didn’t do him in, he took another and another, practically inhaling the whole thing.

  “Hungry?” Eden asked with a sleepy-sexy grin.

  He pressed the napkin Dane had also thoughtfully provided to his lips. “Thanks, man. You cook a mean burger.”

  “My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.”

  While Dane and Eden finished their meals, Jasper asked her, “What do you think we stand to find in your dad’s office?”

  “I have no idea. Dane?”

  “First, I guess we need a hint as to where he could possibly be. Maybe we’ll find it there, maybe not. But we have to try. We can’t just leave him out there—tired and cold.”

  “But wait—” Eden set down her burger. “Didn’t you tell me you saw Dad on a sub? If he escaped from there—I’m assuming it was somehow near shore. And did he have a boat to get to shore? Yet in all that time, Leo’s goons weren’t able to catch up with him?”

  “Guess not.” Dane kept eating. “Your dad stays fit.”

  “Yeah, but what did he do for foul weather gear? And what about the whiteout? If he was caught in that, then . . .”

  Jasper had been proud of her for questioning Dane’s explanation regarding her dad, but when he saw tears well in her eyes, he wanted to slip his arm around her shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. But the timing didn’t seem right. “I’m sure he’s fine. Wherever he is, we’ll find him.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Dane said. “My thoughts exactly. You two kids head to Carl’s office. I’ll clean up here.”

  “Are you sure?” Eden asked.

  “Of course. Plus, I wouldn’t mind a trip to the facilities.” He winked.

  “Oooh.” She nodded in understanding.

  “Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

  Jasper stood, holding out his hand to Eden.

  She eyed his offer of peace, then stood on her own.

  They’d made it a third of the way down the hall leading to the science lab before Jasper said, “Look, if you’re pissed about the way I’ve been treating Dane—sorry. Some shit—stuff—went down in my past that was beyond ugly. I trusted a friend and he let me down in the worst possible way. I almost didn’t earn my Trident—not because of any lack of smarts or physical endurance, but because I couldn’t allow myself to trust. Once I accepted the fact that those men were my brothers, and that they’d give their very lives for me, as I would for any of them, my whole life changed.”

  “What happened?” She cupped her hand around his forearm. Did it make him less of a man that her simplest touch warmed him from the inside out?

  “This isn’t the time or place. Just know that because I trusted someone I shouldn’t have, my sister-in-law died.”

  She paled. “My God . . .”

  “Since then . . .” He was beyond ashamed. “I-I not only have a tough time trusting others, but my own gut feelings. But for you, with Dane, I’m going to take your word for it that he’s solid.”

  Wrapping her arms around him, she held him despite her anger. His own mother and father had yet to forgive him, yet here was this amazing woman who, with only the briefest explanation, was offering him comfort rather than judgement. Did he deserve it?

  When she backed away, he again offered her his hand. This time, she took it.

  His soul smiled.

  “My father’s lab is the last door on the left. I wanted to go to his office after the attack, but there wasn’t time.”

  They walked hand-in-hand until the narrow entry forced them apart.

  She flipped a switch, drenching the dark room in light.

  It was the sort of lab he’d only seen in passing when he’d been in the wrong building at the college where Eden taught. Long counters held test tubes and electronic gadgets it would take a man fifteen levels above his paygrade to understand. Shades had been lowered on two small windows. The plants on the sills had died.

  “His personal office is through here.” She led Jasper through a windowless storage area and into a dark square room. In a land of eternal sun, his eyes revolted to adjusting to the dark.

  After a fumble for the wall switch, he was blinking again from the sudden change. And then he was holding Eden when she gasped, and then burst into tears.

  The office hadn’t merely been ransacked, but destroyed.

  “Will this ever end?” Falling to her knees, she gathered framed photos of her and a beautiful, smiling dark-haired woman Jasper assumed was her mother. The glass was broken, so he joined her in removing the precious photos from their ruined frames.

  “I’m sorry, babe. We’ll get new frames once we hit civilization.”

  “It’s not just the frames,” she said with a sniffle, drying her eyes with her T-shirt’s long sleeves. “My father gave his entire life to this place. To finding a cure for the disease that ravaged my mother and will soon have its grips solidly on me. He gave his whole life to save us, only to have it all reduced to this silly, stupid quest for a treasure that doesn’t even exist.”

  “We’ll clean it up, okay? We’ll clean it and find some clue as to why all of this is even happening. We’ll find your dad. And then together—you, me and Dane—we’ll rescue him, and then we’ll all go home.”

  “I don’t even have a place to stay in Denver. I sold it. Everything. I was never going back. There was no point.”

  “All of that’s changed.” On his knees, he cupped her dear face in his hands, drawing her close for a kiss he prayed held a fraction of the love he felt for her at that moment. “When this is over—whatever it turns out to be—you’re mine. I won’t let you go.”

  “Jasper . . . You have to get it through your thick, handsome head that even you can’t save me.”

  Ignoring her belief, choosing to know that together they’d beat any obstacles in their way, he eased his lips into a slow grin. “You think I’m handsome?”

  At the door, Dane cleared his throat. “Is this a private party?”

  Eden lurched back as if her own father had caught her making out. “D
ane. You startled me.”

  “My apologies. I’m here to help.” He shook his head and sighed. “Judging by this mess, you two could use an extra pair of hands.”

  “I don’t even know where to start, least of all what we’re looking for. And besides, wouldn’t we be better off searching the area where Dad ran from the sub? There’s no shelter for hundreds of miles. He’s out there somewhere—starving and cold.”

  Dane cupped his hand to her shoulder. “You and I both know your father’s a fighter. No matter what, he’ll stay alive.”

  “I’m with Dane on this, babe. I only met your dad once back in Denver, but he seemed like the sort of Indiana Jones-type who could handle pretty much anything and win.”

  “Except snakes,” Dane added with a smile. “Like the movie character, Carl always did hate snakes—maybe that’s why he has such an affinity for being on the ice.”

  “I take it he liked rocks, too?” Jasper shuffled through the debris to pick up a baseball-sized chunk.

  “That’s a meteorite,” Eden noted. “He has dozens. It’s a hobby—at least, it used to be. When my mom was alive, we used to take weekend trips to a valley fairly close to here that was strewn with them. While they looked for those beauties, I played house in a little cave. Mom even helped me make curtains out of an old sheet.” Wearing a wistful smile, she sat back on her heels.

  “A cave, you say?” Dane set the papers he’d gathered on the desk. “How far back did it go? Could your father be there now for shelter?”

  “It’s at least an eight-hour trek from here—and that was in a cat. It would take days on foot.”

  “Look what I found.” Jasper handed Eden a faded receipt for an item he knew she held dear. “This looks so old your dad probably forgot he even had it.”

  Her eyes teared upon reading the fragile document. “I had no idea it cost so much . . .”

  “What is it?” Dane asked.

  “The receipt for my locket.” Eden fingered the gold heart. “He paid over ten grand. The amethyst’s tiny. Hate to say it, but Dad got rooked.”

  “It is beautiful,” Jasper offered.

  “That does seem high.” Dane’s eyebrows furrowed. “I remember when your father ordered it. He was excited for you to have a special gift for your twelfth birthday. May I see it?”

  “My locket? Sure.” She fumbled for the clasp, but had trouble reaching it beneath her long ponytail.

  “I’ll help,” Dane stood behind her. While she lifted her hair, he undid the clasp. “I haven’t seen it since the day he wrapped it. Wonder how the receipt came to be in his office down here?”

  “Look at all this stuff. Dad always was a pack rat. It probably got mixed in with something he’d printed. He never was a fan of web documents. If he couldn’t hold it in his hand, it didn’t exist.”

  “This is quite a chunk of gold.” Dane palmed it to judge the weight. “Mind if I open it?”

  “Of course not. You’re probably familiar with the photo inside. It’s a copy I had made of a photo snapped of the three of us when we went to Maui for Christmas. I think that was the only time we didn’t spend the holidays down here—and that was only because Mom’s doctor wouldn’t let her travel for longer than a week.”

  “Impeccable workmanship.” Dane closed the piece to turn it over, studying the family tree etched on the back. “I suppose this sort of artistry is expensive.”

  Was it Jasper’s imagination, or was Dane studying the locket too closely?

  “May I please have it back? I feel antsy without it.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’ll put it on.” Behind her, he looped the sturdy chain around her neck to fasten.

  “Thanks.” She clasped the heart that symbolically held her family. “One nice thing about it being gold is that I never have to take it off. The seal is even watertight.”

  “Ingenious.” Dane cleared his throat. “So . . . Jasper, you’ll no doubt think the worst of me for this—and you’d certainly be within your rights to do so, but please know I only had our Eden’s best interests at heart.”

  “Do I need a gun?” Jasper asked.

  Eden slowly rose to her feet. “Dane? What are you talking about? We trusted you . . .”

  He waved off their concerns. “I promise you’re both perfectly safe in my presence. But I’m afraid I might have told a wee white lie about Carl.”

  “Is he hurt?” Eden paled. “Or worse?”

  “No, no. Nothing like that.” He was again clearing his throat as if he’d swallowed a gnat. “I, ah, am afraid I haven’t seen your father since the day Leo and his men stormed the station.”

  “But you said—” Angry heat flamed Eden’s cheeks.

  How could he have lied about something so important?

  “I knew you couldn’t be trusted,” Jasper muttered.

  “Sorry. I thought it might help ease poor Eden’s mind. At the time, our situation seemed fairly dire, so I didn’t see the harm in sugar coating an issue so out of her control.”

  “Dane . . .” She sighed. “I had a right to know. So basically, my father could be back in Tampa for all we know?”

  “Theoretically, I suppose. But let’s look at this from a logical perspective. If folks from McMurdo sent people here to check on their missing man, it stands to reason that they would have also sent word that your father had shown up there to ask for help. You’re his world, Eden. There’s nothing that matters more to him than keeping you safe.”

  “If that’s true, then why did he leave me? He asked me to go with him—to wherever he is—but I couldn’t just leave my friends. By the time I caught my breath enough to find him, he was gone. What could have possibly mattered more to him than the life of his daughter and all of the people we live and work with? It doesn’t make sense.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “None of this even seems real.”

  Jasper wrapped his arms around her, hoping his hold conveyed what he lacked the wherewithal to say. In that moment, he ached for her. Her father was her world. For him to abandon her at a time when she’d been in mortal danger was the worst kind of betrayal. Totally on par with what his old druggie friend had done to him. As much as Jasper enjoyed sharing common ground with Eden, he yearned for something better than the dark connection.

  “What makes you think Carl would have gone to this cave as opposed to McMurdo? Seems illogical,” Jasper asked Dane.

  “Not if what Leo believes about the treasure could be true.”

  “Geez . . .” Jasper shook his head. “I’m still struggling with wrapping my head around this whole treasure theory.”

  “I was too,” Dane said. “But just now when we started putting the pieces together, I can’t help but wonder if Carl truly does have a treasure? One so valuable he’d guard it with his life?”

  “Then he can choke on it.” Eden crossed her arms.

  “You don’t mean that,” Dane said.

  “Yes, I actually do. Nothing is worth more than life—love. Nothing.”

  Amen. Jasper’s heart went out to her.

  “Granted,” Dane said. “But for all we know, Leo himself, or even some of his men, may have forced him there. As well as I know Carl, he must have had a compelling reason to leave you. One more thing—shortly after your mother died, your father declared bankruptcy. Her medical bills were astronomical. He felt buried under the financial pressure. Yet two years later, he paid a small fortune to buy your locket and tripled the size of this station? Does that sound like the actions of a poor man to you?”

  Eden again clasped her golden heart.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked her. “The snowcat is already filled with emergency supplies, plus we have McMurdo’s sat phone. As long as you can lead us to where you think your old cave may be, we can go have a look, calling for backup along the way. If we find your dad, great. If we don’t, at least we’ll know where he isn’t. Sound like a plan?”

  A thump sounded from a few rooms away. Followed by a metallic bang.

&n
bsp; “What was that?” Eyes wide, Dane stepped behind the door.

  “Wait here with Eden,” Jasper said. “I’ll check it out.”

  9

  “I’M SORRY,” DANE said once Jasper left to inspect the hall. He reached out to hug Eden, but she stepped away.

  “Don’t touch me. I don’t understand how you could be so cruel. I believed you when you said my father was safe—at least he might have had a better chance with the elements than with a killer. Now, he could be anywhere.” She poked her head out from behind the door. “Jasper? Everything okay?”

  When he didn’t answer, her heart pounded. If something happened to him, she wasn’t sure what she’d do.

  She crept out to the lab.

  “Eden!” Dane whispered. “Get back here.”

  “No. I’m not leaving Jasper to fend for himself.”

  “Are you implying that’s what I did with your dad? If so, it’s not true. You know what it was like when Leo and his men were here. Utter and complete chaos. It’s a miracle any of us are alive.”

  “I know. Now, hush. With you yammering, I can’t hear a thing.” She crept closer and closer to the hall door but didn’t hear a sound. “Jasper?”

  “Look what I found.” Jasper appeared. He held something, but from where he stood in the hall’s shadows, she couldn’t tell exactly what.

  When it moved in his arms, she leaped backwards, clutching her hand to her chest. “Hope you know CPR. I need it.”

  “Sorry. Check him out. I didn’t know pets were allowed?”

  “They’re not. At all.” Yet he held a gorgeous white Persian with ice blue eyes. She stepped closer, holding the tag on his collar. “According to this, his name is Yeti.”

  “Who does he belong to? And how in the world did his owner keep him a secret? I can’t even begin to imagine how they smuggled him in. On a supply ship?” She took the purring cat for a cuddle. “Poor, baby. You must be starving.”

  “I caught him jumping from table to table in the lab across the hall. He must have knocked over a stool.”

  “Who in their right mind would smuggle a cat down here?” Dane emerged from the office.