The Tide: Breakwater (Tide Series Book 2) (34 page)

“Think you broke something else?”

Dom nodded. “Think so.”

“I’ll patch it up later,” Lauren said. “For now, you go wait there.” She pointed to the part of the medical bay where her team was triaging patients with less urgent injuries.

“You got it, Doc.” Dom joined the crowd of other civilians. A couple of midshipmen talked quietly in one corner. He gave them a solemn nod before heading toward the far end of the bay. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he spun.

“Sir, I want to thank you.” It was Midshipman Rachel Kaufman. The fire and desperation Dom had seen in her eyes when they were at the academy had been replaced by a stoic calm. “You saved us, and you saved the people we were protecting.”

Dom shook his head, remembering those that had died during the rescue attempt. But there was no use voicing his reservations. If Kaufman was half as good a leader as he suspected her to be, she would feel the pains of their deaths for the rest of her life. She, like him, would spend long nights awake, replaying the action in her head to see what she’d missed, what she could do better next time. How she could prevent others from making the ultimate sacrifice.

“
You
saved those people,” Dom said, shaking her hand. “You deserve the commendation. If it weren’t for your efforts, there wouldn’t have been anyone for us to find at the academy.”

Kaufman’s brow furrowed as if she were going to protest. She didn’t seem to like receiving praise, and Dom noted that on his mental list of what it took to be a humble, selfless leader.

“What’s happened to this country...it’s horrific,” she said. “I don’t want to stand by and watch everything fall apart. Can I join your crew?”

Dom thought about it for a second. They’d lost two more Hunters. The space those Hunters had left was like a bleeding wound on his team—and in his mind. He could certainly use someone like Midshipman Kaufman. But he knew others that needed her more.

“Kent Island could use some strong leaders,” Dom said. “And the men and women from the academy already trust you. I can’t take you away from them.”

“Defending a civilian stronghold? That’s all you want me to do?”

“I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as you think,” Dom said. “I can’t spread my crew any thinner, and I need someone on Kent I can trust. Someone who’s faced those Skulls and lived to tell about it. You’re that person, Kaufman.”

She chewed her bottom lip, straightened her posture, and nodded. “I understand. And you’re right. My responsibility to my fellow midshipmen isn’t through. And neither is my responsibility for the survivors we promised to protect.” Her expression grew serious once again. “I’ll do it, Captain.”

“And you’ll do a damn fine job of it,” Dom said. Kaufman was young, still wet behind the ears, but what choice did he have? She would need to work with the local law enforcement officials and makeshift civilian militia that had already done their part to set up defenses around Kent. But her midshipmen and even those civilians would benefit from working with someone like Kaufman who had some military training under her belt, despite her age. Skulls wouldn’t be the only challenge Kaufman faced when it came to negotiating how the island should be defended, but he would do his best to support her and ensure Kent remained a habitable shelter for the time being. He made a mental note to have Chao set her up with a radio and sat-phone so she’d have access to the Hunters whenever she needed it.

Another civilian bumped into his side as he made his way through the people awaiting triage. The slight touch sent undulating waves of fire through his ribs. But he hardly gave the pain a second thought when he saw his daughters. Maggie, her tail wagging, jumped when she reached Dom. He patted the dog’s head and headed to Kara and Sadie.

Sadie wrapped her thin arms around him, squeezing his sides. He ignored the pain from his injuries and embraced her.

“You’re back,” she said, burying her face against his chest.

“I told you I would be,” Dom replied.

Kara’s lips parted in a wide smile as she lay in one of the medical beds.

“I kept my promise, didn’t I?” he asked.

“You did,” she said. “You did.”

He bent over her, and she draped her arms around his neck. Even in that small gesture, he could tell she was weaker than before.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“Been better,” Kara said. “But Lauren and her crew took care of me. Going to have a couple of bad scars, but”—she shrugged—“I’m alive.”

Dom put his hand over hers. “That’s right.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “And I’ll always be thankful for that.”

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Kara said. “I’m ready for some fresh air. I’ve been cramped up here for too long.”

“We’ll have to talk to the doc about that. But right now, she’s got her hands full.”

“Totally understand. Wish there was something I could do to help.”

Dom let out a half-laugh.

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are,” Dom said. “You came off treatment for the Oni Agent. Your injuries haven’t even had a chance to heal. And the one thing bothering you is wondering how you can help.” He put one hand on her shoulder and the other on Sadie’s. “I love you, girls.” Maggie whined and pressed her body up against his legs. “You, too.”

The dog’s tail beat the air faster, and for a moment Dom could almost forget about the hell around them. He still had his family. He wondered how many others in the world were left that could count themselves as lucky as him. He doubted the tally was high.

But even now, he didn’t have much time to enjoy with his family. He had a job to perform, and the
Huntress
needed its captain. He had only a couple of hours, waiting for Lauren and her team to process the civilians and midshipmen, with Kara and Sadie. They spent that time recalling camping trips and hikes and vacations to the Florida Keys. He had to comfort his daughters when those stories brought up memories of Bethany. This time, they didn’t ask whether or not she’d be okay. They must’ve seen enough, as he had, to know the Oni Agent would’ve had plenty of time to complete her transformation into a Skull.

He tried to guide their conversations away from their lost mother. But he found he couldn’t sincerely tell them everything would be okay. He feared the world had changed far too much to make such promises. He thought of the debriefings he needed to have with his crew and the tremendous task of setting up Kent Island. Then he pushed those thoughts aside. He’d almost died. He’d almost failed his daughters. He sat beside them, holding Kara’s hand. Sadie nestled into his chair, and Maggie lay at his feet.

All he could do was enjoy this moment. He would relish every goddamned minute he got with them more than he ever had before, starting now. They laughed over shared memories, like the time Kara caught a ten-pound largemouth bass with a pink kiddie fishing pole. Back when they first brought Maggie home after adopting her, Sadie, only five at the time, was so scared of the fuzzy, golden puppy that she cried whenever Maggie came close.

“But I got over that quick,” Sadie said, brushing her hands through Maggie’s fur.

“That you did,” Dom agreed.

Soon enough, the medical bay was empty except for the few midshipmen and survivors with more serious injuries that needed prolonged monitoring.

Lauren walked toward Dom and his daughters. “You ready? You’re our last patient of the day.”

“Fix me up, Doc,” Dom said.

Lauren finished the job she’d started earlier, applying fresh bandages and giving Dom a second dose of the chelation treatment to treat the Oni Agent before it took hold. He found he wasn’t scared of the possibility. He trusted Lauren. He trusted his crew. And he’d seen their determination and skill in the face of an almost unknowable enemy. One that faced them on land, manifesting itself as Skulls, and just as easily faced them in the microbiological realms in their bloodstreams. Yet he knew the men and women aboard the
Huntress
were prepared to vanquish the Oni Agent wherever it appeared.

When his bandages were changed and the injections done, Lauren gave him a few pills. “For the pain. Not much else we can do for those ribs now. I’d tell you bed rest is what you need, what with the chelation therapy potentially weakening your bones, but I know you’re not going to listen.”

“You got that right.” Dom popped the pills and washed them back with water from a paper cup Lauren handed him. He paced toward the isolation ward and peered into the window. Scott and Ivan still lay in induced comas. The Oni Agent might’ve been eliminated from their bodies, but its effects had still damaged their brains. “You think we’ll ever find something to help them?”

“I don’t know,” Lauren said. “I hope so, but I’m afraid the damage has taken its toll. The best we can do...” She paused, her voice trailing off. “The best we can do is keep their bodies alive. But I don’t know that they’ll ever get their minds back.”

Dom sighed. He turned away from the invalid Hunters and faced Lauren. “Can your team take care of the patients here?”

Lauren nodded.

“I’m going to need you at a roundtable.” He checked his watch. “We’ll meet in forty.”

“Aye, aye, Captain. I’ll go inform the medical staff.” She went back toward the patient exam beds, her white coat trailing behind her.

Dom returned to Kara and Sadie. “I’ve got work to do—”

Kara cut him off. “You always do.” Her eyes appeared to well up for a moment before she wiped them with the back of her hand.

Tears streamed openly down Sadie’s face, and her bottom lip trembled.

“I know, I know,” Dom said. “But I’ll be back soon.”

“You always say that, too,” Kara said.

“I haven’t broken that promise.”

“Not yet,” Kara agreed.

He hugged both girls again. “You two mean the world to me. Don’t ever forget that, okay?” He used his thumb to brush a tear away on Sadie’s face then kissed her forehead. “As soon as our meeting’s over, I’ll be back here. Got it?”

They both nodded.

“Love you.” He hugged them again before leaving the medical bay.

The passageways were still filled with his Hunters unloading gear and helping resupply and ready the civilian flotilla for their short journey to Kent Island. He knocked on the door to the electronics workshop and told Chao to gather the Hunters, Thomas, and the comm specialists to the mess hall for the upcoming roundtable.

Dom had ten minutes before the meeting, and he needed the time to mentally prepare himself for everything they’d have to face: organizing the burials at seas for Hector, Owen, and Brett; finding their resupply depot; going over the new information Lauren’s medical team had uncovered on the Oni Agent’s spread and its biological origins; and determining where they’d travel to next to see if they could find any researchers or resources to help them combat the Oni Agent’s prion disease components.

He found himself traversing the ladders to the upper deck and pushing out of a hatch. The breeze over the bay sprayed a salty mist over his face as the
Huntress
cut through the crystalline waves. He approached the bow and wrapped his fingers around the steel rails. He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the air and the warmth of the sun.

“Dom?” A voice broke his momentary reverie.

He turned to see Meredith.

Dom stared hard at her. It was the first time he’d seen her since the academy rescue operation. And he found himself damn glad to see her here. He pulled her into an embrace, and she wrapped her arms around him, her own grip strong and hardened.

They pulled away from each other for a second, and Dom held her elbows. Her red hair whipped around her face, still smeared with a combination of dirt and dust and dried blood. She evidently hadn’t spent a second to herself since reboarding the ship—probably helping the survivors and ensuring everyone else was accounted for and taken care of.

Typical Meredith
, he thought. He admired her selflessness, her dedication to others. It was what had drawn them to each other in the first place.

“Dom, I need to know—”

Dom pulled her close. The sight of her before him like this crushed all the mental barricades he’d constructed to contain his emotions. His lips met hers for a moment. One small but significant moment. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was enough to make his skin tingle. Meredith interlaced her fingers with his, and he wrapped an arm around hers. Together, they faced the open water. She pressed herself close to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

“This has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” he said. “Too bad we had to go through hell first to get here.”

“And there’s no one I’d rather go through hell with,” Meredith said.

“I’m not going to stop until we eradicate the Oni Agent,” he warned.

Meredith chuckled. “You say that as if you think
I’d
give up.”

Dom pulled a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Together, they walked hand in hand back to the hatch. They shared a final kiss, alone above deck.

When their lips parted, Meredith let go of his hand and opened the hatch. “After you, Captain.”

He nodded and climbed down the ladder, back into the noisy passageway. A thousand nagging thoughts plagued his mind as he rejoined his crew. But as the chatter of those traveling through the passageway filled the air around him and he caught sight of Meredith flashing him a grin through the crowd, he at least knew one thing about the coming days and the immense challenges before him.

He would not face them alone.

––––––––

T
he oranges and reds of the setting sun bled across the docile sky. Eastward, the first sparkling stars were like pinpricks in a blanket wrapping the earth. Even the gulls seemed to have quieted as the
Huntress
idled in the Atlantic.

At the roundtable two days ago, Dom had been apprised of Sean’s findings that the Oni Agent had originated at many different sites around the world. That seemed to support the idea that some deliberate act had led to the Oni Agent outbreak.