“And I’ll pay for it. You think it was easy? God knows I’ve betrayed you and my friends. I can’t betray my wife and kid, you understand? I need you to promise to take care of them, if not for me, for the sake of being a SEAL taking care of family. You have no idea, no idea at all, Shane. You’re always been the player, always able to come and go as you please. You don’t have a woman or care about someone so much that the idea of her being dead strikes fear in your soul every night you’re out on a SEAL mission.”
Shane’s mouth opened, as if he was about to give another angry reply, then his lips pursed into a straight line. “Go,” he finally said. He turned away, adding, “And you’re wrong about my not understanding. There is always another way.”
Surya didn’t want to, but she was beginning to feel sorry for Mark. Maybe he did make the wrong choice, betraying his SEAL brothers and country, but he’d been thinking about his own family’s safety.
“You swear you’ll take care of Shelly and my kid.”
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” Declan said, quietly.
“And I’ll make sure all the other families are given protection,” Jed continued. “Now, I’m coming right behind you to make sure you do your job.”
Mark pushed Surya forward, then turned around, with her still tucked in front of him. They walked backwards slowly, away from the group. He whispered in her ear, “Goodbye, Surya.”
It was clear Mark Walters was intending to sacrifice himself tonight. In her world as a GEM operative, mingling with refugees and displaced ‘fighters’, she’d seen enough examples of men and women who had given up. There were some who just sat down and gave up. Others who became hardened about their lot in life and used their bitterness in bloodshed. Then there were those who had decided to make a last stance, sacrificing themselves for that one bit of victory.
She understood Mark’s position, even perhaps more than he did. They all lived and breathed the covert lifestyle. Each sacrifice was acknowledged, and in times of war, sometimes celebrated. Because in something lost, there was also much gained.
She turned and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Goodbye, Mark.Iforgive you. Now, shove me hard onto the sand so I can get their attention off you for a few seconds.”
She felt the wetness of his cheek, as if he was crying. He pushed her hard and she yelped out loud as the others rushed forward to her. Someone pulled her to her feet. It was Kirk. She stumbled forward in surprise. He held her tighter.
“Babe, you can stop acting. I saw you kiss him goodbye.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and turned to face the others. “He has on a vest. I think it’s full of explosives.”
“Get out of here, all of you,” Jed ordered. “There will be enough uniforms out here soon and only my team has permission for this international venture. I’ll call you, Dec, when this is over. Please get my scientist back safely to Hawk, as well as the operative who was with him, if he’s still alive. Hawk knows who to contact.”
“We do not sanction suicide missions, Jed. I’m going after Mark,” Dec said.
Jed stepped in front of him. “No, we had this talk before. Nothing comes between me and saving the lives of those at the Interpol Convention. I’m giving you Vadim, who is responsible for all this. That SEAL over there? No longer your responsibility. He’s not on any authorized mission. We clear?”
“Fuck you, McNeil.” Declan said, his voice cold and deadly.
If he’d said that to Surya, she would have cocked her weapon and prepare to defend herself. It was the kind of voice that would scare the person to whom he was addressing.
But Jed just turned and started walking away. “Maybe later. You’ve plenty to keep you busy, Dec. Get off this island so I can do my job. Surya? T says you’re wasting your vacation time.” He didn’t look back as he went off in Mark’s direction.
The tension felt like an elastic band. These SEALs had a code about never leaving any of theirs behind, and now, they were going to do exactly that. Any moment now, Surya knew it could snap and someone was going to get hurt. This wasn’t the place to go psychological. Time to use her skill to distract them.
“Well.” She exhaled a sigh. “He sure knows how to chew up scenery.”
“Did Mark Walters really give you a note and his cell phone?” Kirk asked.
She nodded. She’d felt him shove something into her side pocket. “Want it now, Mr. MacKenzie?”
“Yes. We’ll all leave now and get farther out in the water.”
“Then what?” Kirk asked.
“We wait to see if he succeeds in doing what he said he would do. McNeil’s with him to make sure the job gets done, but we’re all going to watch and then we’ll sail into international waters.”
Surya slipped out of Kirk’s arms and started off. She wasn’t going to just hand over the note and not get what she wanted.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not going with you crazy kids,” she said. “I have a dream vacay to finish. You can come with me to get that note for your boyfriends here or I can mail it, along with your stupid bags.”
Kirk stared after her. “Surya!”
