All her thoughts and feelings and emotions seemed to have sunk into a giant sinkhole crashing through her chest. Fearful of falling over the edge herself, she longed to feel her mother’s arms around her once again. To hear her voice telling her everything would be all right. To snuggle against her side in the dark of the night, warm and safe beneath a blanket.
“I want you to know I loved your mother. And if things had only been different we…” Drake’s tone spoke of what-ifs. His expression was one of strength and regret. “You see we—”
“I can’t talk about this now.” Liz stared into his eyes. “Maybe tomorrow.”
He nodded.
She turned toward the cabin stairs to go to the galley then glanced back. “One more thing. I know there’s nothing we can do about Keith, but what about Cat?”
“I assigned Stealth to stay with Cat at the hospital until she can be moved to the medical center in St. Louis.” The corner of Drake’s mouth lifted. “Cat’s gonna hate having him there.”
“Why?”
“They mix like oil and vinegar.”
“No, I meant why St. Louis?”
“Right.” Drake nodded. “OPAQUE headquarters is located about an hour outside the city. Makes it easier for us to keep her secure. Besides which, there are some mighty fine hospitals in the St. Louis area. She’ll be in good hands to get the rest she needs. Speaking of which, you should go get some food. Get some sleep.”
Everyone had been right; she needed food and a long, warm shower to wash off the salty ocean scent clinging to her body. “I will, but I’ve got something to say. Mitch was right about one thing. You need to be completely honest about why I’m so important to CT.”
“I agree.” Drake nodded and headed back to the wheelhouse. “We’ll all talk later today.”
She stepped down into the boat’s cabin, grabbing a small container from the fridge as she passed. The contents looked like chicken salad, smelled like tuna. Balancing a bag of pita chips, an orange, and sparkling water, she slid onto the cushioned seat of the built-in table for six.
Already, the first glow of sunrise skittered along the horizon, the water shimmering with the sun’s rays. Looked good from where she was standing. She had to admit there’d been a few times in the past hours she wasn’t so sure she’d see another sunrise. Take another breath. Have another ice cream or a drive along the California coast or a kiss.
Mitch had never doubted that they would survive. Maybe survival was all he allowed himself to believe. Only made it that much harder when life kicked you in the gut with cancer, bullets…or explosions.
She was ready to accept she was as safe as she could have ever thought possible. On a boat. In the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. With one OPAQUE agent, Reese, in the wheelhouse. Drake, the man her father told her to trust, telling her to go eat. And her own personal protector, Mitch, swimming around the boat like a shark closing in on its prey. She’d heard Reese call Mitch a Navy SEAL—that explained his ease with the water. Explained his fight and survival instincts, also.
All that time, she’d continually heard the almost silent splash of Mitch’s strokes. The rhythmic sounds could have belonged to a machine stamping out parts. He hadn’t stopped, hadn’t slowed, hadn’t varied his perimeter. If she knew how to swim, she’d go give him a piece of her mind. Yeah, he’d been upset about his team, and she understood why, but he’d pay for his comment about hauling her out of the water.
Hungry, she picked up the small bowl, then reached for a… Fork? Knife? Plate? She stretched to reach the closest cabinet drawer and luckily found the utensils.
Briefly, she glanced out the porthole as she heard Mitch swim past. His stroke was perfect, his line straight and smooth like a torpedo heading straight to its target. He was sleek in his cut through the waves, almost majestic. She wondered what he’d do if she jumped in the water right in front of him.
He’d save her. Again.
Because, no matter what he thought of her personally, she knew he’d never let anything bad happen to her on his watch.
…
Mitch shoved at the load of survivor guilt trying to overload his brain, pushed his aching muscles up another notch, and kept swimming. Two men had given their lives so he could live. First, his dad. Now Keith.
The vision of his father charging the thief holding him as a shield was indelibly etched in his memory, the blast of the robber’s gun recorded in his mind. Mitch could still see the look of surprise on his dad’s face as he crumpled to the floor. The robber had fled the scene and Mitch had run to his dad. Knelt and shoved his shirt against the wound to stop the bleeding. Listened as his dad gripped his arm and said “Take care of them…love…” Mitch had promised, and his dad had died.
Keith’s image floated into view. A fist bump of a plan. Promise of a beer at the Mariner’s. The roar of the Q40’s unmuffled acceleration—explosion—blast—
Silence.
Mitch’s mind fought the heaviness in the middle of his chest. One stroke after another after another, he swam round and round the boat. There’d even been a short time he’d forced all other thoughts out of his mind except himself. Swimming. Training. Survival. Results. In his mind, he’d put himself through the paces he’d learned when he first joined OPAQUE. Of course, nothing could surpass Hell Week years ago at the SEAL Academy.
At this point, though, he was tired. Tired enough to lose focus. Lose control. Lose his battle against caring. How long had he been out here?
He had no idea, but it wasn’t near long enough to make amends for the words he’d blasted out at Drake and Reese. They knew how he felt, because they’d had their own share of regrets somewhere along the line. Their own assignment that had ripped their insides to shreds. Or, the kind of news that left a scar ten feet long on your soul. They’d give him a pass on the rant.
Liz was another story. He’d lashed out not knowing she’d ever hear his insults, not even realizing what he’d said until he’d heard the words himself. She’d overheard. He’d hurt her. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never forget her shocked expression, the tears streaming down her cheeks, the tremble of her chin.
