Backlash Read online

  Admiral Mantiquez nodded. “Yeah, I was sorry to hear that, but that’s not why I’m here.”

  Kel blinked twice. “It’s not?”

  He shook his head. Rather than elaborate, he motioned to a waiter. “I think we’re ready to order.”

  Kel hadn’t even opened his menu yet; he opened it briefly and picked something at random.

  After their orders were taken, the admiral leaned back in his chair. “What do you see as your future with the navy?”

  “I’m going to get back,” Kel said with a confidence that belied his insecurities. “I’ll have this surgery, go through rehab, and then rejoin my squad in about six months.”

  “Then what?”

  Kel straightened a bit, surprised both by the admiral’s acceptance of his plan and by his question. “I’m not following you.”

  “Do you see yourself moving beyond commanding your squad?”

  Kel’s shoulders lifted slightly. “I guess I never really thought about it. Commanding the Saint Squad has always felt like the perfect fit for me.”

  “Up until now, I agree that it has been,” Admiral Mantiquez agreed. “But you may be destined for more.”

  “What kind of ‘more’?” Kel lifted his water glass and took a sip.

  “Command of SEAL Team Eight more.”

  Kel set the glass down a little too quickly, and water sloshed over the edge onto the tablecloth. “Excuse me?”

  “Commander Daugherty put in for retirement. He’ll be stepping down in three months,” the admiral told him. “Your name is on the short list for his replacement.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kel said. “There are dozens of candidates who have more command experience than me.”

  “That’s true, but I don’t think any of them are right for the job,” Admiral Mantiquez told him bluntly. “You’re a rare breed when it comes to your style of leadership. Your men trust you, and they’ll follow where you lead, but you’ve also been teaching them how to be leaders themselves. Lieutenant Miller did an exceptional job under difficult circumstances after you were injured. If you can instill that kind of leadership in all of the men in SEAL Team Eight, you should be the man in charge.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but even if I did want the position, you said yourself I’m on the short list. I’m sure there are other candidates competing for it, candidates who aren’t looking at six months of rehab.”

  “There are,” Admiral Mantiquez agreed. “But my vote’s for you.”

  * * *

  Marilyn paced the apartment for nearly an hour, her mind and body numb as she thought of the events of the past twenty-four hours. Kel had left that morning without saying a word to her. Not his usual “Good morning” or “I love you.” Not even “I’ll see you later.”

  She had sought solace in her writing for several hours that morning and into the afternoon, but as the sun had lowered in the sky and Kel hadn’t returned at the normal time, she had been unable to do anything but wonder. Where was he? And was he coming back?

  Kel had been angry with her before—many times—but this was the first time she had ever seen him so hurt by her words. Normally, he fought back. He would insist, demand, and argue. He was always so sure of himself and his convictions that his presence on his missions was crucial.

  Seeing him broken and lying in the hospital bed had been a relief—not that he was injured but that he was still breathing. The hurt she had caused him the night before had backfired in a way she had never anticipated. She hadn’t meant to admit she didn’t want him to get better. Those words hadn’t even been entirely true. She did want him to recover. She just didn’t want him going out on missions again.

  Marilyn heard a car pull up outside and hurried to look out the window. Her hopes that Kel had returned were dashed when she saw the next-door neighbor climb out of his car and grab his duffel bag from the backseat. His face was streaked with camouflage paint, and he looked like he had just returned from some kind of mission or training exercise.

  His wife had clearly been watching for him because she ran out to greet him as he slammed the car door shut. Marilyn watched as the couple embraced and then kissed. They looked so happy to see one another, pure joy radiating from both of them. Even though Marilyn watched them longer than she intended, not once did she see any signs of resentment or bitterness from the wife over her husband’s absence.

  Turning from the window, Marilyn wondered if she could ever be like that or if she even wanted to try. Her fears had dominated her thoughts for so long, and she had never really considered what it would be like if she simply accepted her husband’s career without complaint. She dropped herself into the desk chair and let the alternatives consume her mind.

  No more fights, no more arguments. Could she be the kind of wife who could kiss her husband good-bye and wish him well even though her insides were sick with worry?

  She opened a computer file, glancing at the time. Seven o’clock, or 1900, as Kel would say. He should have been home hours ago, she thought to herself. And she knew. If she had to choose between watching Kel leave on dangerous missions or living life without him, she would choose staying married. She tried to fight against that little seed of hope that Kel wouldn’t be able to go on those missions anymore. Somehow she was going to have to overcome the fear and learn to live with the career he had chosen. The career he loved.

  * * *

  Kel settled onto a stool at the bar in the officers’ club, deep in thought. He had spent the better part of the day in his old office working with Brent and the rest of his team. Nothing had jumped out at him to explain why someone would be targeting him, but he hoped Seth’s understanding of Ramir’s organization would help him discover why the threat was aimed his way and what they should do about it.

  Seth had left the office early to take his fiancée to dinner but had agreed to meet Kel afterward. Both men hoped that together they might figure out how to alleviate the threat so Kel could finally return home.

  He glanced at his watch to see that Seth wasn’t due to arrive for a few more minutes. The bartender moved to take his order and moments later set a soda in front of him. Kel took a sip and then turned to look around the room. A few tables were filled with larger parties, people who appeared to work together and had chosen to socialize during their off hours. Many, though, were couples enjoying a quiet dinner.

  Kel couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to convince Marilyn to have dinner with him at the officers’ club. He supposed it was her aversion to his career that caused her to always choose going somewhere else when they went out to eat.

  Rubbing a hand over his face, Kel fell prey to his doubts about his marriage. Marilyn’s words had been so shocking that he still could hardly believe she would wish for him to remain crippled. Logically, he understood that she just didn’t want him back with his squad, but logic wasn’t making the hurt go away. For the first time since meeting Marilyn, he was seriously considering whether their relationship was meant to last.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Seth’s arrival. Kel nodded a greeting as Seth settled onto the stool beside him. “How are the wedding plans going?”

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,” Seth said, shifting to face Kel more fully. “Vanessa and I were talking over dinner . . .” He hesitated now, as though trying to gather the energy to speak once more. “Maybe we should postpone the wedding for a few weeks until we’re sure this Ramir problem is under control.”

  “Seth, you know better than that.” Kel shook his head. “You can’t put your life on hold until the world is safe and everyone is happy. Otherwise, you’ll spend your future planning for it instead of living it.”

  “Yeah, but Vanessa and I are the only two who have been inside his organization. We’re more likely to identify a threat than anyone.”

  “And you’re more likely to be a target than anyone.”

  Seth’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

&nbs
p; “You’re the one Ramir’s man took a shot at, not me.”

  “You think I’m the target?” Seth shook his head. “That’s crazy.”

  “It makes sense.” Kel kept his eyes on Seth’s. “The only thing I offer Ramir is the chance at getting to a naval officer on American soil. If that’s all he wanted, he could go for anyone.” Kel shrugged. “Why me?”

  “Maybe it has to do with the newspaper clipping in your hometown paper.”

  “So you think that Ramir saw the newspaper article and realized that my injury was really from the navy sending me into his fortress to kidnap the woman he thought was his niece.” Kel stated the unlikely facts.

  “I know it’s a stretch, but it’s possible.”

  “Possible,” Kel agreed. “But it might be more likely that he would come after me if he somehow figured out that you work for me.”

  “I don’t know how . . .” Seth’s voice trailed off as his eyes lit with a sudden awareness. “The picture.”

  “What?”

  “There was a cropped photo of you with the newspaper article,” Seth told him. “It was one taken of our squad a couple of years ago.”

  “So?”

  “I was standing right behind you. Part of my face was visible in the newspaper article.” Seth ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “Ramir could be coming after Vanessa.”

  “All the more reason to go through with your wedding and get her out of here for a couple of weeks,” Kel told him. “If we’re right, the only reason Ramir is looking for me is so that he can find you.”

  “Great,” Seth muttered.

  “In a way, that’s actually good news. At least this explains why someone was looking for me.”

  “Yeah, but you and Marilyn are still in danger, especially if your name is the only one Ramir has managed to uncover.”

  “We’re only in danger if he can find us.”

  Slowly, Seth nodded. “You know Brent wants to go back in after Ramir.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Kel shifted in his seat, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot through his thigh where the bullet had struck him. “I told him I don’t think it’s worth the risk right now.”

  “Until tonight, I agreed with you, especially after what happened to you.” Seth hesitated, considering in his slow, thoughtful way. “Now I’m starting to think that we should strike before he has time to recover from the last time we were there.”

  “Maybe you should keep your focus on your fiancée for now.”

  “Don’t worry. Vanessa will keep me out of trouble.” Seth stood up and changed the subject. “Take care of that leg.”

  Kel wanted to insist that it was too dangerous and could immediately hear his wife’s voice saying those same words echoing in his past. Though it pained him to consider the risks, he forced himself to give Seth an encouraging nod, and then he watched him leave the room.

  19

  “Kel, we need to talk about this,” Marilyn insisted as Kel packed an overnight bag on Sunday evening. “You have been avoiding me for days, and now you don’t even want me to come with you when you have your surgery?”

  “What is there to say? You don’t want me to get better, and I do. End of story.”

  “Of course I want you to get better.” Marilyn let out an exasperated sigh. She put her hand on his shoulder, letting out another sigh when he kept his eyes on the clothes he was packing rather than turning to look at her. “I love you, and I worry about you when you’re gone. That’s all.”

  Kel turned now. His eyes were tired, and he gave a little shake of his head. “Marilyn, it’s not like I wasn’t a SEAL when you married me. You knew this was what my life was like.”

  “You were a SEAL, but you weren’t commanding a squad when we first met,” Marilyn pointed out. Then she shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is you getting better.” She put a hand on his cheek now. “All the way better.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re just saying that because it’s what you think I want to hear.”

  “No, I’m saying it because it’s true.” Marilyn let her hand drop, but she kept her eyes on his. “I’ve always wanted you to get better, Kel. I just worry about you.”

  “I know.”

  “Now, can I come with you to Bethesda?”

  Kel shook his head. “No, I want you to stay here. It’s safer.”

  “What do you mean, ‘it’s safer’?”

  “Someone is targeting me and at least one other person in my squad. I don’t want you anywhere that you might be in danger.”

  “You can’t be serious.” Marilyn looked at him skeptically. “No one would ever try to hurt me.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m not willing to risk it.” Kel’s voice softened. “Please, just stay here. I’ll be back by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Marilyn let out another sigh. “If that’s what you want, but please have Brent call me as soon as the surgery is over.” Her eyebrows lifted, a touch of amusement tainting her voice. “You know how I worry.”

  A little smile crossed Kel’s face, and he leaned forward to give her a brief kiss. “Yeah, I know.”

  * * *

  Brent pulled up in front of the Whitmores’ home and pushed the button on the garage door opener that his in-laws had given him shortly after he had married their daughter. He had volunteered to take Kel to Bethesda for his surgery, hoping to find the opportunity to speak with his father-in-law. When he noticed that Jim’s car was already parked alongside Katherine’s SUV, he smiled to himself and climbed out of his car.

  After knocking on the back door, Brent pushed the door open and called out a greeting. He wasn’t surprised to see Katherine standing in the kitchen fixing dinner.

  “Hi there.” Katherine turned and smiled. “I’m glad to see you made it. How is Kel doing?”

  “The doctor said the surgery went well. Now we just have to wait and see how his rehab goes.”

  “Well, we’ll certainly keep him in our prayers.”

  “I’m sure he appreciates that,” Brent told her. “I saw Jim’s car here. Is he in his office?”

  “Yeah, go on in.” Katherine nodded. “Tell him dinner will be ready in a half hour.”

  “Thanks.” Brent moved through the house and found Jim inside his office, a phone to his ear. He hesitated outside the door until Jim noticed him and waved him inside. Brent took a seat and waited for Jim to finish his call.

  Jim then turned his attention to his son-in-law. “Admiral Mantiquez called a few minutes ago and said that Kel’s surgery went okay.”

  Brent nodded. “So far, so good.”

  “The admiral also told me that you’re looking for some help to get a mission cleared.”

  “I am.” Brent let out a sigh and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You know I hate to ask for favors, but this one could be vital to national security.”

  “Akil Ramir?”

  “Yeah.” Brent nodded. “The situation in Arizona was way too close for comfort. We both know he’s going to try again. If not there, then somewhere else.”

  “I agree, but I also don’t know how we can justify going into Nicaragua.”

  “I realize you don’t normally condone black ops, but this may be the time to make an exception,” Brent told him, and then he offered a little smile. “Besides, our latest intel says Ramir is in Aruba.”

  “Aruba? I thought he felt safest at his fortress in Nicaragua.”

  “We think he was worried about retribution from his partner in the last attack. According to Seth, the drug lord Morenta was at the fortress, and everyone was worried about what would happen if everything didn’t go the way it was planned.”

  “Do we know where Ramir is hiding in Aruba?”

  “Yeah. Seth’s fiancée said that’s where she first met Akil Ramir when she went undercover as his long-lost niece. She’s already sketched out a floor plan and a layout of the basic security. Compared to the fortress, this will be a piece of cake.”

  “I
t should make things easier on my end, too. Our relationship with the authorities in Aruba is a lot more amenable, especially since they are so reliant on American tourists to stimulate their economy.”

  “We might not get an opportunity like this again,” Brent offered.

  Jim let out a sigh. “I’m still not sure about this, though. You want me to send you in against someone we haven’t been able to prove is a terrorist.”

  “That’s exactly what I want.” Brent kept his eyes on Jim’s. “Seth has the inside information we need to make this work, and he and Vanessa have the knowledge necessary to tie Ramir to the last terrorist attack.”

  “Kel also just had surgery because of the last time you boys went up against him.”

  “Yeah, but we didn’t know as much then as we know now,” Brent reminded him. “Besides, we’ve already had one of Ramir’s men take a shot at Seth. If we don’t take Ramir out soon, my squad may be in more danger by doing nothing.”

  Still playing the devil’s advocate, Jim pointed out the obvious. “Your squad also has a new kid who is still untested.”

  “I think he can handle it,” Brent said. “Besides, I’d much rather go in before Seth goes on leave for his honeymoon. We need his inside knowledge of Ramir’s organization.”

  Jim blew out a breath, clearly considering. “How soon do you want to strike?”

  “Seth is already working out the details, but we could move as early as tomorrow night.”

  “Tomorrow?” Jim’s eyes widened. “You won’t even get back from taking Kel home until tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I know. We would catch our ride tomorrow night and then strike the following day,” Brent told him. “If everything goes the way we plan, we’ll be home before the weekend.”

  “Sounds pretty optimistic.”

  “Seems to me optimism is a good thing.”

  “Will Amy go along?”

  Brent shook his head. “Not this time. She’s gathering intel right now, but there’s no reason for her to go into the hot zone.”

  “This plan is sounding better by the minute.”

  “I thought you’d like that part of it.” Brent grinned. “Now, how do we get permission?”