She hesitated slightly, and then she spoke, “Yes, I’m okay. Were you able to get Lina Ramir released?”
Jay didn’t answer now. Kel did. His gun ready, he stepped into the room, one hand on Vanessa as though he were holding her in front of him by force. “She’s right here. Let my wife go, and you can have Lina.”
Halim saw Kel, and his eyes widened when he saw Vanessa. Then, in a rapid movement, he turned his gun toward the bed where Marilyn was still handcuffed to the headboard.
“No!” Kel shouted, panic shooting through him as Halim fired one shot.
Marilyn screamed, and suddenly both of her hands were free. Halim’s bullet hadn’t been aimed at her, but rather at the chain of the handcuffs. In the space of two heartbeats, he grabbed Marilyn and pulled her in front of him.
Halim’s eyes were dark as he held his ground, one hand aiming his gun at Kel, the other gripping Marilyn’s arm as he held her in place as his human shield.
Kel didn’t let himself look at his wife. He couldn’t let himself think of what she was feeling right now. Instead he had to focus on what Halim was going to do next. Halim wasn’t close enough to the balcony window for Quinn or Brent to take a shot through the glass, and he knew he couldn’t attempt taking one himself as long as Marilyn was at risk.
Vanessa’s voice cut into his thoughts, but she didn’t speak in English. Instead, her words were in French. “Halim, they have a car waiting for us outside. Let’s go.”
Halim also spoke in French as his eyes shifted from Vanessa to Kel and then back again. “Do you really think they’re going to let us walk out of here alive?”
“They’re Americans. They don’t like to kill,” Lina told him. “Bring the woman with us for insurance. We can let her go once we get to Nicaragua.”
Halim seemed to consider her suggestion for a moment. Then he turned the gun to aim it at Marilyn. “Let Lina go, or I will kill her.”
Kel’s voice vibrated with fury and a hint of fear. “You kill her, you’re next. And Lina will die right beside you.”
“Understood,” Halim said simply.
Then Kel took a leap of faith, releasing Vanessa and taking a step away from her as he moved farther into the room.
“You made a wise decision,” Halim said. “Perhaps I will let your wife live after all.” An evil grin crossed his face as he took a step toward the door, still keeping Marilyn in place between them. “You, however, I don’t trust to let us go.”
The moment Vanessa was out of harm’s way, Halim’s intention became clear. He glanced at her and then shifted his attention back to Kel. His grip loosened on Marilyn as he took aim. Then the room exploded with activity. Seth dove through the door and knocked Kel to the ground. Marilyn screamed, glass shattered, and gunfire erupted.
“Marilyn!” Kel ignored the throbbing in his knee and scrambled to stand as Seth shifted beside him. Both men stood to find Brent standing outside the window and Tristan leaning over Halim to check for a pulse.
Logically, Kel understood that Brent had shot Halim from his position on the balcony. He knew Tristan must have entered the bedroom behind Seth. None of that mattered to him now. Instead, his only focus was on his wife and the blood splattered on her clothes. But she was still standing, and she was still breathing.
And an enormous wave of relief rushed through him as he realized that the blood was Halim’s, not hers. As she struggled to catch her breath, Kel closed the distance between them and drew her into his arms.
“Are you hurt?” Kel managed to ask, one hand stroking her hair.
Marilyn shook her head as she took several deep breaths and her body trembled against him. They stood there for a moment in silence. Then she swallowed hard and shifted so she could see his face. “I was praying that you would come.”
Kel leaned down and kissed her softly. “And I was praying that I would find you.”
“I hate to break this up,” Seth interrupted, “but I think we should get this handcuff off you.”
Marilyn let out a shaky breath and held up her arm where part of the handcuff was still attached to her arm. “I’d like that.”
Seth popped the lock and then looked at Kel. “Why don’t you get her out of here? We’ll deal with NCIS and the cops when they get here.”
“Thanks,” Kel said, his eyes meeting Seth’s as he replayed the moment Seth had pushed him out of harm’s way. “Thanks for everything.”
Seth gave him a quick nod. “You’re welcome.”
40
She was home, and she was alive. The miracle she had prayed for had happened, and Kel had really been able to find her. Marilyn was still amazed that his squad had been able to rescue her only three hours after she had given them such a tiny hint.
Some navy cops had shown up to question her shortly after Kel had brought her home. They were still questioning Kel downstairs, but, finally, she was free to let those images go. Of course, she couldn’t—at least not yet.
She had spent nearly an hour in the shower trying to erase that man’s blood off of her, trying to wash away the nightmare she had witnessed. Even though it was after midnight, Marilyn had gone into her office instead of her bedroom. She couldn’t sleep, and she hoped that by writing a little she might be able to organize her thoughts and find a way to release herself from the disturbing images that wouldn’t go away.
She opened up a blank file on her computer and started typing. She described that deadly scene in the rental house, the way death scented the air, and her incredible relief that Kel hadn’t been the one lying on the floor bleeding. She replayed the sound of the shattering glass and her scream piercing the air. Her memory shifted back further to the moment she heard Kel’s voice, to the moment a shot rang out, to the moment the bullet had connected with the wall right behind where her husband had been standing.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, her mind somehow processing the events and the emotions they evoked. She ended up with over eight typed pages by the time Kel came into the room, her stomach still sick with the emotions she had forced herself to relive.
“Hey. I thought you’d be in bed by now.”
Marilyn turned to face him and rolled her shoulders, recognizing the stiffness there for the first time. “What time is it?”
“About two thirty.” Kel crossed to her, put his hands on her shoulders, and started to rub them. “You should come to bed.”
“I didn’t want to go to bed without you, especially after being chained to a bed all day.” Marilyn tried to force the muscles in her neck and shoulders to relax. She tipped her head back and looked up at him. “That feels good.”
“It’s supposed to.” Kel leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. “You have to be tired.”
“I am, but . . .” Her voice trailed off. How could she explain to Kel that she was still afraid, even though she knew that she was supposed to feel safe now?
“But what?” Kel asked. When she didn’t answer right away, he shifted so that he was in front of her. He stared at her a moment, as though trying to read her emotions. “You’re still scared.”
Marilyn nodded. “I know that must sound silly, especially to you.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He shook his head. “Marilyn, I’m so sorry about what happened today,” Kel said, his voice guilt ridden. “This was all my fault.”
“Your fault?” Marilyn’s eyebrows lifted. She didn’t have to ask why he was saying the words. She understood his logic. She had shared it at one time. Now she hoped she knew better. “Kel, I don’t blame you for what happened. You aren’t responsible for the choices other people make. You didn’t ask to be in the bank the day it was robbed any more than you expected that man to kidnap me.”
“But if I had left the teams like you wanted me to, you wouldn’t have been in danger.”
“No, I wouldn’t have,” Marilyn agreed. “But if it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else.”
Kel jerked a shoulder. “Probably.”
“In a wa
y, I guess it was a good thing that he decided to go after me. Not every woman’s husband has your talents.” Marilyn reached up and kissed him. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
Still looking unsure, he nodded. Then he took her hand and led her from the room.
* * *
Kel leaned down to tie his shoes and then looked back up at his wife. He had taken a couple of days off from work after Marilyn’s kidnapping, but this afternoon he had a meeting he knew he couldn’t miss. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine,” Marilyn assured him. “I’ll turn the alarm on as soon as you leave.”
Kel stared over at her, a little surprised she wasn’t more concerned about being home alone. Over the past several days, he had been by her side constantly, but he wasn’t sure if that was more for her benefit or for his.
He had canceled all of his physical therapy appointments since the incident, instead exercising at home where he could be close to Marilyn. He knew working out on his own might slow down his recovery a bit, but for the first time since his injury, he didn’t care. He had been putting his career first for too long, and he knew he couldn’t do that anymore.
Marilyn was doing amazingly well working through the horrifying memories of her kidnapping. She still didn’t like to go to bed by herself, but other than that and an occasional nightmare, she seemed to be recovering from the traumatic events of the past week.
Kel stood up and brushed a speck of lint off his uniform. Then he turned to look at her again. “Call my cell phone if you need anything. Even if I can’t get away, I can send Amy or one of my men to keep an eye on things.”
“I’ll be fine,” Marilyn repeated, more insistently this time. “Besides, I have a lot of writing I want to get done. It will be good for me to have a little quiet time to myself.”
Kel looked at her suspiciously. “Are you just saying that to make me feel better about having to go in?”
“Maybe a little.” Marilyn gave him a little grin. “Now go on. I’ll see you tonight.”
“I love you.” Kel leaned down to give her a kiss good-bye.
“Love you, too,” Marilyn called after him as he headed for the door.
Instead of going into the garage, he first walked outside and made a complete circle around the house. Once he was satisfied that no one was in his yard, he headed for the garage and got in his car.
He supposed he was still being a bit paranoid, but the image of Halim Karel holding a gun to Marilyn’s head hadn’t faded in the least. He didn’t know how Marilyn was coping so well. In fact, she seemed to be doing better after the kidnapping incident than she had after the bank robbery.
When Kel reached his temporary office, he sifted through his messages and returned a few before it was time to head to the officers’ club for a meeting with Admiral Blake. Kel wasn’t exactly sure what the admiral wanted to meet with him about, but he guessed that it had to do with the command position of SEAL Team Eight.
A few months ago, he wouldn’t have dared dream he would get an opportunity like commanding SEAL Team Eight. Not only would he basically be replacing his own commanding officer, but he would also oversee the operations and training of the Saint Squad as well as the other units within his team. Now that he was faced with the possibility, he wasn’t sure he was willing to make the kind of sacrifices that would be required to take such a position or even to continue working in the teams at all.
When he arrived at the officers’ club, Kel spotted Admiral Blake across the room standing beside a table occupied by several high-ranking officers. Content to let the admiral finish his conversation, Kel took a seat at the bar and waited.
A moment later the admiral crossed to him. They had barely exchanged greetings and settled into their seats at the bar when a bartender appeared in front of the admiral.
“I’ll take a beer,” the admiral told him.
The bartender nodded, quickly preparing the admiral’s drink and setting it in front of him. Then he turned to Kel. “What about you, sir?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
The bartender nodded and left them alone.
“You know,” the admiral shifted to look at Kel, “I’m not sure I trust a man who doesn’t drink.”
Even with his future in the navy uncertain, Kel couldn’t quite muster the energy to placate the admiral. Instead, he stood his ground, refusing to make excuses, and said simply, “Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
The admiral narrowed his eyes, a hint of surprise reflected there. “Do you know why I’m here?”
“Rumor has it that you want me to take command of SEAL Team Eight.”
“Then you do know.” Admiral Blake nodded. He motioned to the bartender again. “And you also know that I can change my mind.”
“Yes, sir.” Kel nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to change mine.” He waved off the bartender once more.
“You’ve got guts.” He let out a short laugh. “I’ll give you that.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Admiral Blake studied him once more. Then he motioned to an empty table. “Let’s order something to eat, and we can talk over dinner. I think we have a lot to discuss.”
“Yes, sir.”
41
Marilyn felt like she was running a race. She could see everything happening as though she were watching it on a movie screen, feeling the characters’ emotions as though she were living for them. Her fingers tapped away at the keyboard, the words rapidly appearing on the screen. The story was coming to an end, and it was a race to the finish.
Every day when Kel worked out in the dining room, Marilyn spent time in her office. For days she had been reading over her manuscript, fiddling with parts as it finally came together in her mind. She could see where the characters were heading now, and those last words demanded to be put on paper even though the hour was late and Kel had headed to bed more than an hour before.
She indulged herself for a few minutes more, and then suddenly she was done. Marilyn read through the last few paragraphs, expecting to find that she needed to add more of something. Then she leaned back, surprised that there wasn’t any more to do. It was really done. She had finished a novel.
A little awed by the moment, she saved her file and took the extra precaution of making a backup. Then she rubbed a hand over her stomach and realized she was starving.
She debated for a minute whether she was hungry enough to go down to the kitchen alone. She knew if she woke Kel, he would go down with her, but she felt so silly to be afraid of being by herself. She walked out into the hall and made it all the way to the top of the stairs before she realized she still wasn’t ready to venture downstairs alone in the dark.
Ignoring her grumbling stomach, she headed for her room instead and hoped that her fatigue would erase her hunger.
* * *
Kel had decided. Never in his life had he spent so much time pondering and praying about what to do with his future, but after seeing all of the miracles that had taken place to bring Marilyn home safely the week before, Kel knew he had to reevaluate his priorities. As much as he loved his career, he loved his wife more.
Admiral Blake had called him earlier that morning and offered him the command of SEAL Team Eight. Kel hadn’t accepted it right away as the admiral had expected he would. Instead, he had asked if he could have some time to discuss the decision with his wife. And although the admiral had given him three days to do just that, Kel knew now that he didn’t need to. Not anymore.
It was time for him to face the facts, and the fact that continued to overwhelm him was that it was time for him to leave the SEAL teams and pursue a career in another discipline. He hoped Marilyn could help him decide if that new career would be in the navy or in civilian life.
A hollowness settled in his stomach, but Kel hoped that feeling would fade with time. Perhaps once he was actively working toward a new future, he would find a way to leave behind the past that had been
such an integral part of his life.
After finishing work early, he had come home hoping to discuss his options with Marilyn, only to find the house empty. After a momentary panic attack, he remembered that she had gone to the doctor for some kind of checkup. He was just debating about whether he should throw some hamburgers on the grill for dinner when he heard the garage door open.
Marilyn rushed into the living room a moment later, her eyes bright, a thick stack of papers in her hand. “Hi.” She slowed when she saw him sitting in the chair Amy had given them. “I didn’t expect you to be home already.”
“I finished up early,” Kel told her as she crossed to stand in front of him. “Besides I wanted to talk to you.”
“Is everything okay?” Marilyn asked, a combination of concern and curiosity in her voice.
“Yeah. I’ve just been thinking about work and wanted to talk to you about some ideas I had,” Kel told her.
“Okay, but before we talk about that, I really want you to read the end of my story.” Marilyn grinned at him. Excitement flashed in her eyes. “I finished it last night.”
“Congratulations,” Kel said, wishing he were more excited about the words she had written. “But I think I already know how it turns out.”
“Just read it.”
Kel reached for her hand and drew her close. “Marilyn, I don’t need to read it to understand that you need me to put you first,” he said softly. “It’s the way it should be.”
“I need you to put us first,” Marilyn corrected with a small smile, rubbing a hand over her stomach. “Both of us. But that doesn’t mean you have to quit the teams.”
Kel looked down at his wife’s stomach, at her hand resting there. Then his eyes narrowed as he tried to catch up with what she had said. “Did you say, ‘both of us’?”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she nodded.
“You’re pregnant?” Kel pulled her closer until she tumbled into his lap. “Really?”
“Six weeks.”
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