CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Saturday, April 21st
Bryce filled two mugs with coffee and added Splenda to one and cream to the other. Just as he was about to lift them, he heard the footsteps and saw Daphne walk toward him with a shy smile. “Mornin’, sunshine.”
“Good morning.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her in and hugged her as tight as he dared. “You want to take our coffee back to bed?”
“No.”
He lifted his head and looked down at her and laughed. “I was plannin’ on behaving.”
“Liar. You had me three times and I’m not sure how I’m going to walk today.”
Moving his hand over her silky hair, he hitched his shoulder. “You’re irresistible and there can only be so much expected of me.”
She wiggled out of his embrace and pursed her lips. “Dig deep, sailor, because you’re not landing on this beach for a while.”
“When you say a while – is that like minutes or hours?”
Letting out a snort, she reached around him and took her cup of coffee. “Days.”
Lifting his mug, he took a gulp of coffee and saw her trying to fight a smile. “You’re trying to torture me, and I respect that.”
“Thought you might.”
Hearing a buzzing sound, they both looked around and he realized it was coming from Daphne’s purse. “It’s you.”
“Hopefully, it isn’t an emergency.” She picked her purse up, dug out her phone, and read the text. “Uh oh.”
“What is it?”
“I may have to go in this afternoon; we’ve been developing some intel around an HVT and they may need all hands on deck.”
He took her hand and led her over to the couch. “Who’s going to be assigned the mission?”
“I’m not sure because it’s a TOC decision and we usually don’t know until the team is wheels up.”
He watched her stare out the window as she drank her coffee and wondered what she was thinking about. There were a million possibilities and he knew that guessing wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Everything okay?” She turned and gave him a smile, and he knew she was worried about something. Hopefully, it had to do with the HVT and not what had happened between them.
“Sorry about that; I was just thinking about the group we’re tracking.”
“Bad?”
“Some of the worst I’ve seen.” Taking his hand, she rubbed her thumb over his scarred knuckles. “I don’t see, feel, or experience what you do, but I certainly have a front row seat to some of the worst that humanity has to offer.” Looking up, she shrugged. “Not that it even begins to come close to what you’ve been through.”
“War is war, no matter what your vantage point is.”
“But you and the men on the Teams bear the burden and live with the scars associated with taking on the world’s monsters. You guys do it so that others who don’t have the fortitude to make themselves dirty with it can remain free. I sit and watch every second of the missions that I’m assigned to and I see what those battles cost and what scars they leave behind. The level of violence that you deal with is incomprehensible to most people, and the only reason why you don’t have a chunk of granite marking your life is because your commitment to it surpassed those who wished to do you harm. Your ability to adopt that way of life and take on the violence that will keep you and your brothers alive is perhaps the most heroic thing in the world.”
Feeling the weight of her words, he found himself speechless. Not only did she understand what he committed himself to, but she appreciated it.
It wasn’t anything he ever expected to find outside of the brotherhood, and he couldn’t believe that his partner for life got him and held him in high regard for his willingness to do it. “Until this moment, I didn’t understand how incredibly fortunate I am that you not only know what I do but appreciate and value it. And not in some bullshit, abstract way.”
“Understanding is a double-edged sword because I’m going to be nuts when I know you’re downrange.”
Pulling her in, he kissed her cheek. “There are moments when you don’t think you’re going to survive and then you do, and I know it was all for this moment. We have our whole lives ahead of us and we’re going to be celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary in Djibouti.”
“By then, we may just decide Hawaii will be adventure enough.”
“Not anything we have to decide today.”
“True, we’re still just dating and exploring.”
He snorted and took her coffee cup out of her hand. “We’re together and making a foundation.”
Patting his shoulder, she gave him a shrug. “Possible.”
He toppled her over and made sure he was blanketing her completely. “Are you teasing me so I prove my point?”
“I’m teasing you so you know that you have a bit of work to do before I agree to all your crazy proclamations.”
“That’s fine ‘cause I plan on working for you every day.”
“Now that’s what a girl likes to hear because I plan on showing you how much you mean to me every day.”
“That’s a damn fine recipe for success if ever there was one.”
She pushed at his chest and gave him a stern look. “Move, so I can make some breakfast and show you I mean what I say.”
He heaved himself off and held out his hand. “Let’s make it together.” Lifting her off the couch, he pressed his mouth to hers and knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he woke up to her every morning.
Nothing else would do.
***
Leaning against the building that housed Support Activity One, Bryce checked his watch and knew he had at least fifteen minutes before Daphne was going to be done. It was past eight and the sun had been down for almost twenty minutes; he’d arrived early because he didn’t want her waiting for him in the dark.
Pulling his phone out, he checked his messages and saw a text from his brother letting him know he’d be in town on Wednesday. He quickly typed back a response and suggested they grab dinner, so he could meet Daphne.
When he received an almost immediate response, he figured Bree had already informed him about the woman in his life. Nobody could spread information quicker than his sister, and he figured most everyone back in Mobile was appraised of the goings on in his dating life.
Which made him wonder when his mama was going to call and ask for the full download. She was never a woman to stay out of her children’s lives, which meant a long conversation was looming on the horizon.
Hearing the door open, he turned and saw his girl walk slowly in his direction. Shoulders hung low told him that the last six hours had not been easy. Holding his arms open, he watched her walk into them and felt her arms circle his waist tightly. “Rough?”
“Yeah.”
He rested his chin on her head and let his hand move slowly up and down her back. Sometimes words could do nothing in their line of work and he didn’t know if this was one of those times. When she lifted her head and gave him a grateful smile, he ran his hand over her cheek. “If you want to talk about it, let me know.”
“I’ve been in Navy Intelligence for over five years and I’m still sometimes shocked at humanity’s capacity for violence. I just spent several hours reviewing recordings of a little-known ISIS faction in Trinidad and I’m sickened by the reprehensible things they’re capable of. How is that still possible after all these years?”
“Because you’re human and no one ever gets used to seeing that level of violence,” he replied.
“I make no claim to understand why things in life unfold the way they do; in fact, many of the things I’ve seen make no sense to me at all. This new enemy is not tactically sophisticated, but certainly braver and more determined.”
“Add to that the seemingly endless supply of people willing to become jihadists and our children could be facing theirs someday.”
“Not everyone is a willing jihadist, especially in the Sahel region. A lot of times people are threatened, raped, and drugged before they engage in the fight. Did you know that Trinidad is now known as the biggest supplier of jihadists for ISIS?”
“How did that happen and who in the hell are they recruiting? They can’t have much of a Muslim population and I can’t imagine Catholics buying into the message.”
“That’s the question we’re trying to answer. Because right now, there’s a push to disrupt what’s happening.”
“This is a much bigger discussion, so let’s go grab some dinner and we can enjoy a beer with our how to save the world talk.
Taking his hand, she pulled him toward the parking lot. “That’s a great idea since I’m too tired to make anything for dinner.”
“What are you in the mood for?”
“You pick since my brain is fried.”
“Copy that.”
“Thanks, Bryce.”
Stopping under a light, he studied her face. “What for?”
“For letting me talk. I’ve never been able to do it because of the nature of my job, so having you to share this stuff with is really wonderful.”
“Always.” Bending down, he gave her a quick kiss and then led her to the truck. “Knowing that you understand what I do is going to make coming off a deployment cycle that much easier and, when it’s time for me to deal with what I’ve seen and experienced, you won’t let me slide. That alone is invaluable and makes me think that we have a hell of a chance at an incredible life together.”
“I can’t disagree.”
Resting his arm on the back of Daphne’s chair, Bryce took a moment to evaluate the people who just entered the restaurant. He had everyone cataloged and needed to do the same with the group that was being led to a table near them. Deciding they were not a threat, he looked down and noticed his girl rolling her eyes.
“You didn’t expect anything different, did you?”
“No, it’s just interesting to see it from such a close vantage point.”
“It’s never going to stop, so you should prepare yourself. I see the world from a perspective that few people do, so I’ll always plan and prepare for worst case scenarios and view people as a threat to your safety until I determine they’re not. It’s nothing personal; it’s what I do to protect my own.”
“And what exactly are you evaluating?”
“I assess posture, body position, and language while taking quick mental snapshots that are collected and systematically processed for anything that stands out as a hazard: stacking and racking. The threat level is at zero, but if shit goes sideways, I’ve developed plans to prevent confrontations and stop violence before it occurs with every person in this place.”
“You’re not saying anything that I wasn’t mildly aware of before, but to have it put in such blunt terms is eye-opening.”
“This is me, Daphne, and I pray that you accept me as I am.” When her small hand covered his and she shifted her weight closer, he felt a level of peace he wasn’t aware existed.
“I see you, Bryce, and have a pretty good idea what I’m in for. I don’t have some romanticized view of what it takes to do what you do and the burden you carry for the things our government tasks you and your brothers with.”
He kissed her head and nodded. “It’s not going to change either because when we were in Khost, the violence was at a level that I’d never experienced. I think it’s the new normal because we’re dealing with people who have nothing to lose. No country, no family, nothing but the belief in their mission.”
“What I saw earlier today illustrated that point and leads me to believe the enemy is only becoming more reckless. The hell-bent attitude of killing Americans is the same, but the capacity for violence is greater.” She took a sip of her wine and then looked up. “Can we change the subject?”
“Sure, you had enough doom and gloom for one day?”
“Yeah, in technicolor, unfortunately.”
“Here comes our food.” The waiter delivered their meals and then filled their water glasses. “Thanks.”
“Anything else I can get you, folks?”
“Daph, need another drink?”
“No, thanks.”
“This looks great,” he said as he looked at their plates. Can’t believe I’ve never tried this place, considering how close it is to our apartment.”
“I’ve walked past here a bunch of times and always wanted to try it.”
“Well, I’m glad we’re doing it together.” He lifted his fork and took a bite and nodded. “This is makin’ my southern heart very happy because I usually have to be at home to get pulled chicken and dumplings.”
“Tell me about your family, Bryce.”
“I’ve got one sister and one brother. I’ve told you about my sister, Bree, but don’t think I’ve told you about my brother, Bruce.”
“No, I don’t think you have.”
He watched her eat her macaroni and cheese and then took several bites of his food. “Bruce is the four-time MMA world light heavyweight champ and he’s going to be in town this week, so you’ll get to meet him.”
“I’ve never seen an MMA fight and don’t really know anything about the sport.”
“Well, if you ever want to see one of my brother’s fights, let me know because I’ve got copies of all of them.”
“Where does he live?”
“Up North along with my sister Bree.”
“Is it weird having a brother who’s a celebrity?”
“I guess sometimes, but I’m not around his crowd very often, so I haven’t dealt with his screaming fans. My sister, Bree, is engaged to Matt Hall who’s the middleweight champion and I think his fans are a little crazier.”
“Well, it’s a world I know nothing about, but I look forward to meeting your brother.” She gave him a once over and then returned to her food.
“What?”
“Nothing, I’m just hoping your brother likes me enough to share all the stories of your youth.”
“Maybe you two meeting so soon isn’t such a great idea after all.”
She sat back and put her hand to her chest. “What?”
“I think you need to be in deep with me before you hear all those sordid details.”
“There is nothing your brother is going to tell me that could change my mind about you, Bryce, so don’t you worry.”
Seeing how sincere her words were, he knew she wasn’t feeding him a line, which was the best damn news possible. “You’re spending the night, right?”
Her eyes flew up to his and she shrugged. “I don’t know, is that an invitation?”
“You have a permanent invitation and I want to be with you as much as you can stand.”
“Are you trying to make sure we’re good and bonded before your next deployment cycle?”
“I’m just trying to get you bonded to me, period. If I’m anything…I’m yours and I hope you eventually feel the same way about me.”
Seeing her head tip down, he wondered if he’d said too much. When she finally looked at him and he saw her eyes were wet, he knew they were going to be okay. “We don’t have to do anything, Daph, we just need to be together.”
Clearing her throat, she looked from side to side and then took his hand. “Maybe I’ll be the one landing on your beach tonight.”
Seeing her face flush pink, he swallowed loudly and nodded. “You do whatever you feel is necessary. I’m at your service.”
She picked up her fork and nodded primly. “You should finish your supper so you’re ready.”
Following orders, he did just that, and knew whatever she had in mind was more than he deserved.