by Susan Stoker
“Now tell me what really happened,” he growled. “You’re a terrible liar.” He paused and when she didn’t continue he added, “Please tell me. Caroline, I’ve been on hundreds of missions for my country, but I don’t have the words to express how thankful I am that you were sitting next to me on that plane. Not Mozart, not Abe…you. You did what you had to do and you saved my life and the life of everyone on that plane not once, but twice. Now tell me.”
Caroline ducked her head. Crap. She hadn’t done anything she was ashamed of, but for some reason she really didn’t want to tell Matthew what had truly happened. She couldn’t help but feel as if she should have done more. She inhaled a quick breath when Sam did something to her side that really hurt. Damn. She quickly stumbled over her explanation to get it out of the way and to try to take her mind off of Sam’s probing.
“The terrorist was on the ground but getting up and you were still trying to get into the cockpit. I knew I had to do something or we’d all die. So I jumped on his back. I tried to keep him down, but he was too strong for me. He flipped me over and we had a kicking and hitting match. I didn’t know he had a knife, which was dumb I suppose, but he must have gotten me while we were fighting.”
“Why didn’t you say anything afterward? Either before we landed or when the paramedics were there? Didn’t you see an EMT?” Abe asked suddenly from somewhere off to her uninjured side. Caroline shifted her gaze over to him.
“For the same reason you didn’t, Christopher,” she explained slowly. “I heard what you told that woman on the plane. She asked why you weren’t going to get help. You said the hospitals were busy enough with the other passengers. They wouldn’t have had time for you and it wasn’t fair to the other passengers. I agreed, and besides it was just a scratch. I got some antiseptic wipes from the EMT and tried to clean it last night. It wasn’t until this morning that it started looking red.”
There was silence. The three SEALs were actually stunned into silence. Jesus, this woman was braver and less self-serving than a lot of the people they worked with on a daily basis.
Finally Mozart broke the silence and told Caroline, “It looks like the knife missed penetrating very deeply, Ice, but you have a good slice across your side. It’s more than a scratch. It’s infected. I think you need stitches as well as antibiotics.”
Caroline took a deep breath and didn’t say anything. She looked up at Matthew and saw him clenching his teeth and working his jaw. She looked away. Why was he mad at her?
“I don’t want to go to the hospital. I-I don’t like hospitals.” Caroline begged, a little desperately. She kept her eyes on the man hovering above her, not able to look at the disappointment she knew she’d see on Matthew’s face.
Wolf turned her head back toward him again so she was looking him in the eyes. “Mozart can sew you up, if you’ll trust him.”
Caroline didn’t hesitate, “I trust him. I trust all of you. I just….” She paused. Took a deep breath and continued on. “I just don’t want you guys to think I’m a wuss.”
She hadn’t hesitated to say that she trusted them that went a long way toward making Wolf feel better. But a wuss? Seriously?
“Ice,” Abe said firmly before Wolf could get a word out. “You’re not a wuss. In fact I would go so far to say you’ve held up better than some of the SEALs in training back in San Diego. Let us take care of this for you. You’ll be up and around in no time.”
Wolf looked at his teammate. Interesting. Abe wasn’t known for being the most patient man, especially with women. He knew Abe respected woman and tried to be polite with them, but most of the time he tended to be short and abrupt with women, wanting to be with them sexually, nothing else. But there was something about Caroline that brought out the protective instincts with all of them.
“We’ll be right here with you, Ice,” Abe promised firmly. Caroline nodded and shut her eyes. Wolf had to distract her. He could see that every muscle in her body was scrunched up tight in preparation for whatever it was she thought Mozart was going to do to her.
“Where did you go last night, Caroline?” Wolf asked.
Caroline answered without opening her eyes. Her eyebrows were still scrunched together as she was waiting for Sam to do something. “Nowhere. I spent the night in the airport.”
Wolf’s eyes met Abe’s eyes guiltily. Abe had been right.
“Why? Why didn’t you go to the hotel? Didn’t they offer you a comped room?” Wolf asked knowing what the answer was already, but asking anyway.
“Yeah, but I thought I’d just stay at the airport since I’d hoped to leave first thing this morning. Besides, I didn’t have any money for anything like food when I got there. They gave us the room for free, but I didn’t know if the food came with it or not.” Caroline grunted as Sam inserted the needle that would put the anesthetic into her side.
“Hell, why didn’t you just ask, Caroline? If you did need money, I’m sure one of the men would have given it to you.” Wolf chastised her gently.
Caroline opened her eyes at his tone. She looked him straight in his eyes. She wanted him to hear what she was saying. Without looking away from Matthew she asked Christopher a simple question.
“Christopher, when did you first notice me?”
Abe answered without hesitation and laughed a bit. “When you fell on top of Mozart as you walked down the aisle on the plane.”
“Sam, when did you first notice me?” Mozart was waiting for the anesthetic to take effect and told her honestly. “Same as Abe, I saw you walking down the aisle and of course when you about fell in my lap.”
Caroline hadn’t looked away from Matthew while the others were answering her question. She directed the same question to him.
Wolf thought back and suddenly he knew where she was going with her question and opened his mouth to lie when she interrupted him, as if she could tell what he was thinking. “And don’t lie, Matthew.”
Shit. Wolf sighed. “I noticed you when you offered to switch seats with me.”
Caroline nodded as if they’d given her the answers she expected.
“Christopher, you and I met at the lunch counter in the airport in San Diego. I was standing right in front of you. You dropped your fork and I picked it up for you. You thanked me and continued to your seat.” Abe flushed, remembering the incident now that she’d brought it up, but Caroline wasn’t done.
“Sam, you were sitting at the end of a row of chairs with your feet out, I tried to step over your legs without disturbing you, but you noticed anyway, apologized, and moved out of the way. I said it wasn’t a big deal, you nodded and I went and sat down in the same row of chairs as you.” Caroline still hadn’t looked at the other men, but heard Mozart’s low, “damn.”
Caroline took a deep breath. “Matthew, you and I met on our way into the airport. I was having problems getting my suitcase in the door because one of the wheels was broken and…”
Wolf interrupted her, “…And I helped you carry your suitcase through the door and up to the check-in kiosks.” Caroline nodded a bit sadly. “You said you hoped I had a good flight and walked off down toward the security check-point.” Except for the roar of the engines there was silence.
“You asked why I didn’t ask for help, Matthew,” Caroline continued after a beat, “it’s because I’m not the kind of woman people notice. The three of you all talked to me, but still didn’t remember me. I’m not the kind of woman people recollect or go out of their way to help.” All three men went to interrupt her, but Caroline weakly held up her hand to stop them and continued.
“It’s okay. I know what I am and what I’m not. What I’m not is like one of those women on the plane. You know Christopher, the blonde that was cozied up to you? The ones that got the men to fawn all over them? Even if I’d asked for help I’d most likely have been turned down. Politely I’m sure, but turned down. In a room full of people, no one notices me. That’s just the way it is, and it’s fine.” Caroline emphasized. “So don’t a
ny of you feel sorry for me. I didn’t ask for help because I knew I’d be fine in the airport for one night. Hell, people spend the night in airports all the time. I just didn’t have the energy to care last night. And I don’t have the energy right now to be embarrassed about telling you all of this. So don’t go reminding me later, okay?” She tried to make the men feel better. She knew they felt guilty, but she didn’t want them to. That wasn’t why she told them what she had. “I just want you guys to know that I understand why you feel like you have to help me, but I’m fine. I’ll be okay.” She shut her eyes, not able to look at the guilt she could see in Matthew’s eyes anymore.
“I don’t think you understand anything about us, Caroline,” Wolf countered. He didn’t elaborate.
Caroline didn’t open her eyes or say anything else. Wolf knew she’d heard him; she just wasn’t acknowledging what he’d said.
Mozart poked at her side for a moment and when Caroline didn’t flinch, declared to everyone that her side was numb enough to put in the stiches. Wolf stood up and carefully helped Caroline lie down on the cot then kneeled on the floor next to her. She lay on her side. She had one hand under her head and the other was curled up against her chest, as if anticipating the stiches going in.
Mozart actually looked to Wolf for approval before he leaned down and started stitching her side. It wouldn’t take too many, but he wanted to be as careful as he could be. Since it was Ice, he wanted to spare her as much pain and make the scar as small as possible.
Abe had left their side for a moment while Mozart stitched her up but he was back with another needle as soon as Mozart was done with his handiwork. Abe also looked to Wolf for his okay before proceeding. Wolf nodded at him. With Wolf’s approval, Abe leaned down and stretched out Caroline’s arm that had been clenched tightly against her chest. He found a vein on the inside of her elbow and administered the drug before she could do more than put up a token protest.
Caroline turned to look at Matthew in surprise.
Wolf’s chest expanded at the fact she’d looked at him for reassurance, not at Abe or Mozart. At her questioning look, Wolf simply said, “To help you sleep.”
Caroline nodded but laughed. “I don’t think I need any help sleeping, Matthew. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
Wolf leaned close to Caroline’s head. Damn, she hadn’t complained once. She’d been in pain, was in a plane getting stitched up, and she’d let a man she didn’t really know inject an un-known drug into her system. Wolf would’ve beaten her ass if he hadn’t been so proud of her for being so strong.
Wolf figured he’d get to ask one more question before she was out. They hadn’t had a chance to talk to her about what went on in the interrogation by the Feds. He hated to do it now, but they had to know what everyone said in the civilian’s debriefing before they met with the commander in Norfolk.
“What did you say to the FBI about what happened, Caroline?” He wanted to put off the uncomfortable question and possibly bring back bad memories for her, but he knew, as the team leader, this was something they needed to know before any of the personal things could be said.
“Nothing, Matthew,” she said sleepily.
“Nothing?” Wolf pressed skeptically.
“Nothing.” Caroline confirmed. “They were more interested in the stories from the other passengers. They were willing to talk and say what they knew, which wasn’t a lot. They thought you guys were most likely some sort of military, but since they were in the back when most of what happened, happened, they didn’t have much to say. While they questioned me, no one really seemed interested. I already told you about me and people not noticing me.”
While he was happy she hadn’t said anything, it’d make it easier for them to stay under the radar, and he was still baffled by this woman. All three men looked at each other over Caroline’s drowsy form. If she’d kept quiet as she’d claimed that should help with whatever was going on with the Feds. They’d been very interested in how and why the terrorist’s plan failed; to the point of suspicion. None of the SEALs wanted Caroline put in the middle of whatever was going on.
Mozart asked the question they were all thinking. “Why didn’t you tell them what you did, Ice?” he asked quietly from her side.
Caroline tried to open her eyes, but they were just too heavy. Jesus what was in that shot? “I didn’t do anything, you guys did all the hard work…and I didn’t want to get you guys in trouble.” She murmured. “I know what you SEALs do is usually kept hush-hush and I didn’t want to say anything that you guys didn’t already explain, so I told them nothing. Figured it’d be better.” Her voice slurred more and more. “Believe me, I wanted everyone to see how sexy you guys are, and know you’re heroes and what you did, but I know that’s not how you operate…” Her voice trailed off. She was out.
The three SEALs said nothing as they got Caroline cleaned up and comfortable on the cot. They had to strap her in so when they landed she wouldn’t roll off. Mozart had given her enough of the sedative to keep her asleep for a while. Wolf stayed by Caroline’s side holding her hand, while Abe and Mozart went and sat in empty seats.
They all had a lot to think about. This slip of a woman had touched each of them in different ways. None of them would be the same. All of them knew they’d protect her with their lives if need be. They didn’t know what would happen next, but somehow they knew it wasn’t over. Their instincts were screaming at them that something was wrong, but they didn’t know how or why. None of them wanted to see Caroline disappear from their lives. She’d become important to them by just being herself. She was unassuming and they were so damn proud of her they couldn’t stand it.
Chapter Ten
Caroline woke up slowly, feeling like her head was filled with cotton. She rolled over and gasped in pain. Ouch, she’d forgotten about her side. She lifted up her shirt and saw the neat row of stitches. Sam had done a good job. She was a bit surprised it wasn’t covered with a bandage, but figured Sam knew what he was doing. Thank God they hadn’t brought her to a hospital. She really did hate them. She thought back to the one time she’d had to spend time there and shuddered. She’d rather have Sam stitch her up any day of the week then go through that again.
Looking around, Caroline could tell she was in a hotel room, but not where or which one. She should’ve been freaking out, but the last thing she’d remembered was the three SEALs staring down at her tenderly as she passed out on the cot on the plane. If she couldn’t trust a SEAL, then she couldn’t trust anyone.
She carefully got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom as if she was drunk. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten and she felt pretty weak and unsteady on her feet. Caroline used the toilet gratefully, then noticed the brand new toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter. She pounced on them and brushed her teeth thoroughly. She’d never take that for granted again.
Seeing the shower, she suddenly had an intense urge to get clean. She knew she probably shouldn’t get her stitches wet, but she had to have that shower. She figured she’d try to keep her injured side out of the water, but if it got wet, it got wet. She could still feel the blood splatter from the terrorist’s neck. She felt itchy and didn’t want to even think about the germs she’d picked up from rolling around on the floor of the plane and then sleeping on the ground at the airport.
She tore off the shirt that she never wanted to see again, throwing it in the trash. She thought briefly about the fact that she wasn’t wearing any pants. Someone, hopefully it had been Matthew, had taken them off of her before putting her to bed. The thought made her tingly inside, but she pushed it aside. He’d obviously been gentlemanly enough not to remove her shirt, and even though she didn’t really know Matthew, figured he’d probably turned his head when he undid and removed her pants.
Caroline took a much quicker shower than she really wanted to, just enough to get clean and wash her hair, but she did take the time to wash her hair twice. She would’ve stayed in the shower al
l day enjoying the beat of the hot water on her back, but she had to figure out what was going on and where she was. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in a fluffy bathrobe that was on the back of the door.
She stepped back into the room and noticed for the first time her suitcase sitting on the floor. What the hell? How had that gotten here? The last thing she remembered was that the airline had said they would send all the luggage to Virginia when they were done with it. Damn. She hated not knowing what had happened. Caroline remembered being on the plane with Sam, Christopher, and Matthew, but nothing after Sam started stitching her up. That shot was definitely stronger than anything she’d ever taken before. She’d always reacted strongly to drugs, something they couldn’t have known.
She sighed and sat on the side of the bed. She noticed a piece of paper on the table next to the bed and leaned over gingerly, not wanting to tweak her side, to grab it.
Caroline. If you’re reading this I’m not there to tell you what’s up. Don’t worry, everything is fine. You were out of it when we landed yesterday. We met up with the Feds and they released your bag to us (guess there’s an advantage to being a SEAL after all huh?). I brought you here since I didn’t know what plans you made for when you got here.
You slept all night and I really wanted to talk to you when you finally woke up. Mozart assured me that you were fine, just sleeping. He said you’d wake up when you were ready.
We had to get to the base this morning to go over what happened on the plane. I haven’t left for good though. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I made sure there was some food in the hotel fridge, you’re probably hungry. The coffee is all ready to go, just hit the on button.
I hope you feel better today. We’ll talk when I get back from the base.
Matthew
Carline held the note to her chest. Wow. It didn’t really say anything romantic, but somehow it was the most romantic thing she’d ever been given by a man, okay, hell, it was the only note she’d been left by a man. She hadn’t received any notes in high school, or in general. Matthew had been thinking about her. She glossed over in her mind the fact that he would’ve had to have carried her into the hotel room and concentrated instead on how he’d said he’d be back later.