Once a SEAL (9 page)

“Caty, run upstairs and lock the door,” he ordered, then moved to the phone and called the police. By the time the officers arrived, he was upstairs with his sister, holding her close.

No
one
asked
who
hurt
the
intruder. Everyone assumed it was his mother.

His
father
knew
the
truth. The reason this criminal was in their home was his fault. But his father neither said anything nor confronted the fact that his son’s life would never be the same. All he cared about were appearances and that his son turned out like him. Being an uncompromising dictator was not what Dan wanted. He needed someone to know what his soul dreamed of and to love him for it.

The
next
morning, he called his grandfather, asked him to come get him. Then he went downstairs and told his dad he was going to live with his grandfather. He was determined to bring his sister out of this nightmare, too. One thing was for sure, he vowed, no one would ever hurt him or what was his, and he would do everything in his power to protect his family and those who could not protect themselves.

Dan shook himself out of the memory. A cold sweat chilled his skin. He took in his surroundings, noticing he had already run ten miles. Dawn was stretching its fingers toward the ocean.

Making a tight circle, he turned around. It was time to head back to the base.

Aria only knew part of the story, that he had been threatened as a kid. She didn’t know about the horrible relationship he’d had with his father or why he had gone to live with his grandfather. How it all started with an intruder and a vow that led to him wanting to join the military—this was stuff he needed to tell her. He had eventually brought his sister with him, too, and then sued for emancipation when his grandfather died of a heart attack, and together they had finished growing up. Maybe that was why he felt as if he understood Aria. She’d had to do a lot of self-raising on her own.

Self-defense and weapons were a part of that world. They were as dangerous or safe as the person that wielded them. He knew how easily they could kill, and he also knew how his training had saved his life and those of his sister and mother.

After all that, there was still all the crap with his parents and how they had tried to buy Caty and him back again with the lure of paying for college, but it didn’t work. He and Caty were capable of figuring it out on their own…and they had.

These were some of his secrets…the darkness and light that dueled in his soul. He’d lost his childhood in that one event. And his self-consumed jerk of a father—what would his wife say to that and his promise to be nothing like his own parents?

Aria had been lucky to like and love her parents. When she talked about them, their attributes and values were a lot like his. He’d be thrilled to be similar with his kids.

Damn, kids were a lot to think about, but they both wanted them.

A book he’d read as a teenager about UDTs—Underwater Demolition Teams—had led him to SEAL Team. When he joined up and made it through boot camp and BUD/S, they helped him, taught him, and forced him to work within an ethos. That healed a part of him. He honored that with his life and soul. His duty wasn’t just a set of responsibilities, it was his reason to exist. Fighting for liberty and happiness…he would do anything to maintain those freedoms, and no one needed know what it cost him. As long as he could do his job, he would.

Taking the well-worn path onto the base, he double-timed it to the Platoon Building. Keying in the correct code, he opened the door wide and took the stairs two at a time until he reached the landing. Then he keyed in another set of security codes and let himself into the locker room. He unlaced his shoes, stripped off his clothes, and dropped them in front of the cage that housed his stuff. He could hear other guys in the showers already, preparing for the day ahead.

***

Dressed in the Spec Op digitals, Dan checked his appearance in the window’s reflection before he opened the door and entered the Team THREE Quarterdeck. He was determined to touch base with the XO before he joined his Team in the conference room.

In the hallway, he ran into Admiral Josh Winters, CO Commander Brian “Duckie” Diggins, and XO Chuck “Ox” Parker. He acknowledged them formally. “Admiral Winters, good to see you again, sir. Commander. XO.”

“Mac, how’s married life?” asked the CO. “Sorry we missed the wedding. My girls had a dance recital. You’ll learn how that goes soon enough.”

The XO grinned. “Yeah, me, too. We were at the boys’ baseball game. They did a great job—six and zero this season, thus far.”

The Admiral cleared his throat. “McCullum, congratulations on making Chief. I heard your last mission went well. When can we expect that After Action Report?” The other men looked at him, and the casual banter separated like whiskey and water.

“I submitted mine yesterday, Admiral.” Dan didn’t mind being put on the spot—he was notorious for dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s—and as far as Dan knew, everyone on the Op had completed their required reports.

The Commander spoke up, taking charge of the conversation. “We’ll make sure it’s on your desk today, Admiral.”

The Admiral gave a brief nod and walked away.

The Commander and XO exchanged glances and then turned their attention back to Dan. A lot was said in that look, and Dan didn’t need a decoder ring to know that the Admiral was concerned about something critical.

“Good job in identifying that woman in Ru’s presence as being part of the terrorism cell that killed Sandra Niang,” Duckie commented.

“Yeah, I’d like to be part of the Op that takes the root down.” Dan’s jaw clenched. They’d nailed the man who shot her, but it didn’t stop the group’s poisonous effects from spreading.

“Duly noted,” replied Duckie.

Unfortunately, Dan had to broach another topic. “May I speak briefly? My wife’s uncle died in an automobile crash yesterday, and we are now charged with raising her fourteen-year-old brother. I’d like to take some time off to help her out and get things settled.”

The Navy took the family unit very seriously. They needed their sailors on task, and at times that meant they only had a short intense period of time to concentrate on family-unit issues.

“Condolences. When is the funeral?” asked Ox.

“I don’t know.” Dan wondered if Aria would need to go back to the mountains. “I’ll find out if Aria wants to go back to Dorset to have a wake with his friends there.”

“Vermont?” asked the CO. Dan nodded.

“The Ombudsman, uh, Crocker, can lend a hand. Help you sort through the details and provide support. Make sure you contact him.”

Dan watched his CO and XO closely. Finally, the XO spoke. “We need you on tomorrow’s training mission. It shouldn’t be too lengthy. We’re reviewing and practicing the tactics for the next mission. Your particular skill set, Mac, will be crucial.”

The CO picked up the thread from there. “If you can hold off on your plans, go on this jaunt and the upcoming jump, then we can give you some time off afterward. Would that work for you and your family?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” He felt the phone vibrate at his hip. It was JC’s code. He needed to hightail it to another briefing. The session had already started and he was late.

The CO patted him on the back. “Our condolences to Aria, Mac. I’ll be talking to you.” That was polite speak for “You’re all set, so get going.”

Dan didn’t need a kick in the ass to move. He set his course for JC and the briefing.

His eyes tracked the CO and XO who’d began talking before the door even was closed. “This is going to be a dicey one,” said Ox. “We need to verify the Intel again, before they—” As the heavy door clicked shut, their voices became an indecipherable and steady drone.

Dan would have given anything to be in there. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but he knew it was hot. Because it had brought the Admiral onto Team THREE’s Quarterdeck, and usually the world went to him.

The past week had been a blur. Grief and anger consumed her, but Aria was more focused today. Jimmy had started school, and she had been able to throw herself into her work.

Dan had been gone for several days. It was becoming the norm: sporadically home and then without warning gone again. She had been reluctant to talk to anyone else about her real feelings… Maybe she was
too
private for her own good.

Phone calls had flooded the new landline. Her message machine logged calls from several of the SEAL Team wives—women she had met for the first time at her wedding—in addition to the Ombudsman and many of Uncle David’s friends from Vermont. She hadn’t returned any of the calls, not even to Mark, who had loaded her cell phone with text messages. She was too overwhelmed…trying to keep her emotions locked tight in their mental-construct containers.

Uncle David’s friends back east had taken care of the funeral arrangements. At some point she would have to go deal with his house, now hers and Jimmy’s, but not now.

Dan’s ringtone chimed from her cell, and she lunged for the phone. Clicking the answer button, she said breathlessly, “Hello.”

“Hey, babe. I just wanted to share a morning squeeze with you and wish you a great day. I miss ya and love ya.” Dan’s voice cut off and the phone went dead. It had been a voice mail.

She played it again and then wished she hadn’t. Regardless, she clicked Save on her phone and placed her head in her hands and wept.

I
need
to
get
out
of
this
rut
or
I’m going to go crazy! I miss that man way too much. Where’s my independence? My backbone? My capacity to live life fully every day is required. You’d think he’s the only reason I can exist.

Then she went back into the dining room, emptied the rest of her things into the big hall closet, and cleaned the room…until the smell of disinfectant was so strong it made her dizzy. Grabbing her keys and purse, she unlocked the front door, opened it wide, and there stood Hammer Cody’s wife, Hannah.

“Hi, Aria. Sorry to intrude… When you didn’t answer, I got concerned.” She held a casserole dish in her hands. “This is homemade macaroni and cheese. It’s pretty basic. I used Cheddar, Swiss, and Gruyère.” Hannah gestured to the bag hanging from her arm. “There’s a small sliced ham—you just need to heat it up whenever you’re ready. Oh, and a bag of fresh apples from Julian. Have you been up there yet? Great pie.”

Aria didn’t know what to say. She stared at the willowy woman wearing blue jeans, a Life Is Good T-shirt, and sandals and sporting an uncertain-looking smile. Finally, it dawned on her she was being rude. “Come in.”

Hannah headed straight for the kitchen. She laid her items down and then immediately put the food in the refrigerator. “You’ll want to heat the macaroni at 350 degrees for about twenty to thirty minutes. Whenever the top bubbles, it’s done.”

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

“That’d be great.” Hannah helped herself to a seat at the end of the island. She wiggled on the stool and then looked down. “Michael was right. These are nice looking. Did you find them online?”

Aria nodded. “Please thank him for me. I didn’t realize everything…would happen the way it did. Hammer was kind to help out.” She took two mugs and her stash of different flavored tea bags out of the cabinet.

Waving a hand in front of her face, Hannah made a derisive noise. “It’s what they do. It’s what we do.” She took a deep breath and said, “I was sorry to hear about your loss. If there is anything I can do. Any of us… We’d like to help.”

“I…uh…” Aria wanted to say, “
No, get out and leave me alone
.” But she did need help. She wanted to get a bed for her brother, and she needed to get one for herself and Dan. Her back was aching from sleeping on the air mattress, and she didn’t want to wait for Dan to return. He should have been home days ago! “Is there somewhere I can buy furniture? I want to get a desk for my brother, too.”

Hannah grinned. “Absolutely! You’ve asked the right woman. I have a bachelor’s degree in shopping. Well, it’s really business, and I honestly have two master’s degrees—finance and philosophy. But I promised myself I’d add a PhD eventually. Come on. Turn off the hot water. I’m driving. We’ll get the beds, the desk, and anything else you need and have some lunch, too.”

Aria switched off the stovetop burner and moved the pot of water to the sink. She put away the tea and the mugs. Picking up her purse and keys again, she felt a small part of her lighten up. “Hannah, you’re not at all what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

She answered honestly, before she could stop herself. “Someone uptight.”

“Yeah, we once lived on base. I know exactly what you mean. Don’t get me wrong, not all bases are bad…they are just different from how we operate.” Hannah gave her a wicked look. “So, dish. Who is the thorn in your side? Are her boobs lifted up to her earlobes and does she have a plastic-surgery body, or is she only condescending and trite, based on her husband’s rank?”

Laughter spontaneously burst from Aria’s mouth. “All of the above. Her name is Caybreena Hinnell.”

***

Spending time with Hannah Cody was the best medicine Aria could ever hope for. She had been a miracle, with her wry humor and her love of bargains, showing Aria the most cost-effective stores with the best quality items and how to really make the commissary and exchange work by adding in coupons. Aria had almost forgotten how good it felt to laugh. She’d really needed this.

“Call me if you need anything. Otherwise I’ll check in tomorrow.” Hannah gave a small wave and a big smile before she pulled away from the curb.
Why
was
there
something
so
special
about
spending
time
with
a
friend, especially someone that awesome!

There was lightness to her steps as she entered the house with bags of clothes for Jimmy and herself, and a few additional items for Dan had made her feel useful. After five today, the store where she purchased the bed, dresser, desk including chair, and wardrobe would deliver Jimmy’s new bedroom set. The items should fit in her former office, and hopefully give Jimmy a sense of belonging in the new home.

She placed the bags on the couch and began to peruse her purchases when her cell phone sounded. She took it out of her purse and looked at the phone number. A frown lined her lips. It was the high school. Her genius brother was a year ahead of his age, so she had registered him as a sophomore. He hadn’t mentioned anything about his classes or teachers. Perhaps this was a “getting to know you” phone call. She hoped it was. If it were another accident, she’d need to be institutionalized. “Hello?”

“Mrs. McCullum, this is Principal Jeffries. We need you to come down to the office,” said a soft-spoken man who spoke rather hesitantly. “Immediately.”

“Is Jimmy hurt?” Her newfound calm was slipping away…being replaced by flat-out worry. Her hand clutched over her stomach.
Please, please, please let Jimmy be fine.

Principal Jeffries’s tone climbed up an octave. “Ma’am, he isn’t hurt. But he has been taken to the police station. If you could come to my office, I will explain what has happened and then you can go there to arrange…the details of his…uh, release.”

“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth. What was she supposed to do? Where the hell was Dan? She wished he were home! “I’ll be right there.”

Touching the speed dial on her phone, she called Dan.

“Hey, I’m out fishing. Leave a message, and I’ll ring you when I’ve caught my limit.”
Beep.

“Dan. I need you. I’m at the school. Jimmy’s in trouble and I could use your help.” She hung up and then looked at the phone. She didn’t want to do it, but she did need someone to help her. Mark’s face danced in her mind—in truth she had been trying to distance herself—but she knew if she called, he would come.

She hit speed dial and waited for Mark to pick up. Listening to the phone ring was torture. She should have answered his text messages and not blown him off. Only she didn’t know what to say. Distancing herself from Mark a little had seemed right, to let her have more time with Dan. Wasn’t that what newlyweds were supposed to do, have time together? Things weren’t necessarily unfolding that way. Dan was still gone on his training mission, and she didn’t know when he would be back.

As it rolled to voice mail, she hung up and redialed.

Finally, Mark picked up. “About time. I was beginning to wonder if you ditched me for good. How are you feeling? How’s Jimmy?”

Relief flooded her. “Not good.” She took a deep breath. “Mark, I know I haven’t been a very good friend lately, but I need your help. I think Jimmy has been arrested. Could you please meet me at the principal’s office at the high school in Coronado?”

“Of course, I’ll be right there.” He rang off.

She put her phone back in her purse and looked at the items strewn on the couch. “Please, let me be able to handle this…” Fishing out her keys, she put her purse on her shoulder, straightened her spine, and said, “I can do this.” Then she headed out the door to face whatever was awaiting her.

***

Aria spent less than twenty minutes in the principal’s office, where she learned that on Jimmy’s first day of school he had gotten in a fight. They had let it go, given the extenuating circumstances of the car accident, the death of his uncle, and his new scholastic environment. But on his second day of school when Jimmy had brought a Ka-Bar knife, albeit an unsharpened one, their zero-tolerance policy had been forced into effect. Jimmy was suspended, pending a review of his case by the School Board Committee. There was no way to fight the decision.

She had left the office with Mark, feeling as if she were the one in trouble. Where had Jimmy gotten the knife? With the trident symbol etched into it, she had a pretty good idea.

Thank God, it had been dull! But still, shouldn’t Dan put his keepsakes in a better place?

Politely, she thanked the principal for his time and asked him to please advise her in writing concerning this event—including the names of the individuals who had been involved in these proceedings—since her brother had never committed acts of violence before and wouldn’t do so unprovoked. She then left his office. It had taken a lot out of her to be that cool when all she wanted to do was scream and shout “Why, why, why!”

Damn! How had she missed this…why hadn’t she noticed there was a problem with Jimmy? Shouldn’t she have better mom radar for him? As if he could sense her thoughts, Mark said, “We’ll work it out. He’s a kid who just lost his uncle and is under stress…new environment, et cetera.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll make it better.”

She nodded, grateful that he was there. Why was it she always had to depend on a friend? And why lately did she feel her own husband was too hard to find?

They had been asked to sit, to wait until the detective handling their case was free. Aria was a bundle of nerves, and she clasped Mark’s hand as if it were a lifeline. He stroked his thumb back and forth over her skin.

“It will be fine. Just relax. This is his first offense and no one was hurt.” Mark’s words soothed her a little, but she wasn’t going to feel better until her brother was in her arms and they were leaving this place for home.

The desk sergeant asked them to go through the door and to down the hall. There was a man waiting there who showed them to two chairs in front of a large desk. Another man, dressed in a suit and tie, stood. “Mrs. McCullum? I’m Detective Calfry.”

“Yes.” Aria shook his hand. “This is my friend Mark. He’s a…lawyer. My husband is out of town.”

Detective Calfry opened a file and examined the contents. “Your husband’s in the Navy. A SEAL.”

“That’s correct.” Her fingers twisted anxiously in her lap. She squeezed them together, trying to force them to be still.

The folder was closed and Detective Calfry looked up. “I spoke with your brother, James. The knife he acquired is your husband’s, correct? There was no sharp edge and, according to James, no intent to harm or kill. But it is still weapons possession on school grounds.” He leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk. “Our concern is that situations like this can escalate. Today it’s showing off an item, next it’s a demonstration. Were you aware that he took the knife to school?”

“Are you kidding me? I didn’t even know it was in the house!” Her nerves were raw and she could barely contain her emotion.

Mark patted her arm. “Aria, let me interject, please. The McCullums were just married. The day after their wedding they received an opportunity to move into a house on base and took advantage of the offer. They have barely unpacked, and now this…”

Aria nodded. “And—”

“Please let me continue.” He waited until he received a nod from her and then said, “I personally helped them carry their belongings into the house. Daniel McCullum is a very stand-up guy, and I find it unlikely that he left anything lying around. It is more likely that he did have them hidden away and that Jimmy unearthed the knife and was trying to make friends, not realizing what kind of an uproar his choice would make.”

Mark uncrossed his legs and scooted forward in his chair. “Now, my question to you, Detective, is…will Jimmy be charged?”

“Before we get to that, please note that Chief McCullum will have to come to the station and pick up the knife when he returns. In addition, he will have to attend one of our safety lectures on weapons safety and the storage of them. But”—holding up his hand, he continued—“there are consequences to Jimmy’s actions. You’re lucky the judge and police chief were here when it happened. Jimmy will be required to work in Judge Wasa’s courtroom as an intern for the entire summer. If you agree to these terms, then he can leave with you today.”

Aria could barely contain her relief.
Thank
God!