Freefall (29 page)

Twenty seconds later, the bombs dropped and the military base ceased to exist.

* * *

Amy stood wide-eyed as she tried to decipher the pilots' voices as they reported in. She stood in CIC watching the intricate details that went into running a military operation. Each officer seemed to know exactly what to do, who to report to, and how to disseminate their information.

The first round of cheers startled her, but she shared in the joy when she heard that the military base had been completely destroyed.

The next few minutes seemed to take forever. Amy found it difficult to understand the overlaying messages as the pilots were given the precise locations of their targets. As she watched, officers communicated with members of the intelligence community to help guide the fighter pilots while also tracking a squadron of enemy planes being sent to intercept them.

The first two suspicious vehicles were neutralized just as they reached the Turkish border. Seconds later, the plane targeting the third car missed its objective as it came under fire from enemy planes. Amy understood little about what was happening except that several Navy planes were in the middle of a dogfight as the third car passed over the Turkish border. She turned her attention back to the radar screen where Commander Dunnan was now hovering. Communications overlapped as enemy planes were shot down, a tense voice rattled off a series of technical data, and the tracking continued on the third and final car. Tension was rising rapidly, and Amy struggled to understand the situation.

Suddenly, Dunnan turned to Amy. “Have all of your boys finished their weapons qualifications?”

Amy nodded. “What's wrong?”

“Enemy fighters have intercepted our planes that were after the third car. I'm diverting your team to finish up the job,” the XO told her. “Who had the best accuracy rating from your team?”

Amy's heart lurched into her throat as she answered. “Lieutenant Miller.”

Dunnan turned from her and rattled off the instructions Amy feared. Brent was being sent to intercept the last remaining threat, and in so doing, would have to pass through a war zone.

* * *

“I don't see the target,” Brent said as he passed over the road heading toward the Turkish border. On his starboard wing, Seth was piloting another F-14 with Tristan in the back seat.

Behind him, Quinn rattled off the newly received directions and then checked the road himself. “I don't see it either.”

Seth's voice came over the radio. “All I see is a truck up ahead.”

“That doesn't match the information we received.” Once again Brent studied the terrain below. Miles of open space stretched from the road to a ridge of mountains rising in the east. To the west the Mediterranean Sea glistened below them. Brent couldn't fathom how the car could have possibly disappeared from sight. “This doesn't make any sense.” He spotted the semi-truck and considered. “The car has to be inside that truck.”

“It's possible,” Quinn admitted from the back seat.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we've already crossed into Turkey, and we aren't authorized to take out a truck.” Seth's voice of reason came over the radio.

“Then get authorization,” Brent suggested as he checked their location. “And you'd better make it quick. We only have ten minutes before the next town.”

* * *

“How could we have lost it?” Dunnan's voice was tense as he studied the map in front of him.

Unsure of her current role in the situation, Amy stepped closer and looked at the map as well. Just sixteen minutes before, the planes had confirmed their target before diverting to engage enemy fighters. Three minutes ago, Brent had found no trace of the car. She considered Brent's analysis that the car was likely inside the tractor trailer and set about looking for any other possibilities.

Beginning from where they lost contact, Amy studied the terrain. The road followed the coastline of the Mediterranean, so there weren't any places to hide on that side of the road. On the other side was open desert leading to a mountainous region. Again, in the short span of road where they could have lost their target, there weren't any roads branching off of the main route. In fact, the only place they could have lost sight of the car was a single tunnel where the mountains abutted the road.

“When did that truck show up?” Amy asked finally.

Dunnan didn't respond, but the officer who was communicating with intelligence turned to answer. “It's been in front of our target the whole time.”

“I assume it was going slower than the car we were targeting.”

“Yeah,” the officer responded. “One of our concerns was whether or not to let the car pass it before striking.”

Amy turned to the XO. “Commander, the car was probably loaded into the truck inside this tunnel.” She tapped on the map. “Either that, or the car is hiding in the tunnel.”

“We have to confirm where the car is before we strike.”

“We don't have time,” Amy reminded him.

Dunnan turned to face her. “What do you suggest?”

“This stretch of road is isolated,” Amy started, tapping her finger to the map. “If we take out the road right here in front of the truck, we'll stop the truck's forward motion, and then we can take out the road right before the tunnel to keep it from reversing course.” Amy pointed at her suggested targets. “If the car is hiding inside the tunnel then it can't go anywhere either.”

Reluctantly, Dunnan nodded. “Both sections of road are close enough to the mountain that a vehicle shouldn't be able to get by,” he admitted. “That would give us time to send a couple of helicopters in to check out the tunnel.”

Amy nodded. “Our troops would have to be outfitted with hazmat suits, just in case, but I doubt the driver is going to release the biological agent . . . unless he plans to kill himself too.”

“Which is definitely a good possibility.” The XO turned and relayed the suggestion to the captain. A moment later, the locations of the new targets were sent to Brent and Seth. At the same time, two fighter helicopters were deployed to help neutralize the final threat.

Two minutes later, Brent's voice came over the speaker confirming that the road had been destroyed in the two locations.

Amy waited anxiously as the minutes drew out while Brent was among the fighter pilots flying cover for the two helicopters entering the area. Suddenly, Brent's voice came over the radio. “Target acquired!”

“Where did it come from?” Dunnan asked one of his officers.

“It just emerged from the tunnel, sir.”

A split second later, Brent's voice sounded again. “Missile away!”

A brief moment passed before one of the officers informed the XO, “The target was destroyed.”

“Alert the Turkish border patrol of the situation. Make sure they know about the truck stranded out there,” Commander Dunnan instructed. He turned to Amy, who was still trying to comprehend that the threat was really over. “You and your boys did a good job today.”

“Thank you, sir.” A surge of satisfaction flowed through her as she fought back a smile. “I guess I'd better get out of your way.”

She took two steps before the XO called out to her.

“Hey, Whitmore.” He waited until she turned and then said simply, “Welcome aboard.”

Brent didn't realize he was looking for her until he found her. Amy stood on deck looking out at the dark ocean, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had changed out of her fatigues and was in her own clothes again: jeans and a T-shirt. Above her the flight deck was quiet, at least for now.

She rubbed her arms against the chill of the wind coming off of the water but made no move to go inside. He considered leaving her alone, but his body moved forward anyway. He was only a few feet away from her when she sensed his presence and turned to face him.

Surprise registered in her eyes, but her voice was completely professional when she spoke. “Did Kel need me for something?”

“No.” Brent shook his head. “I doubt he'll need anything until morning.”

She nodded and turned to look back over the ocean. They stood there in silence until finally Amy turned back toward him. “I guess I should go in and get some sleep.”

“You don't have to go,” Brent heard himself say. “If you want to be alone, I can leave.”

“I thought it was you who wanted me to be alone.” Amy's voice was low, the words nearly lost in the wind.

Brent's eyes met hers. He saw the loneliness that mirrored his own. He felt the sizzle of attraction that he had been trying so hard to ignore these past several weeks. He knew he should turn away. If he didn't do it now, he wasn't sure if he would ever really be able to. As though his body wasn't listening to his reasoning, he stepped forward.

Her eyes met his, challenging, even daring him to stay. She'd never asked why he didn't call, not once. Now, he could see the questions there in the depth of blue, right along with the challenge for him to finally be honest with her. Giving in to his feelings, he heard a sigh escape, barely registering that it had come from him. Then suddenly the words were tumbling from his mouth.

“Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to stay away?” He moved closer. “I wake up every morning thinking about you. You're the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.”

Amy's breath caught in her throat as his arm wrapped around her waist and drew her closer. She felt the truth of his words as his lips touched hers.

He drank in her sweetness, colors exploding in his mind as she responded to his kiss. She overwhelmed his senses—the softness of her hair, the feel of her hand on the back of his neck, the scent of her combining with the ocean air. He forgot about the frustration of the past few weeks, the difficulty of watching her each day, entrenching herself in his unit as a valuable, respected member.

Images flooded his mind: the first time he had seen her play basketball with some of the Marines on base, the way she chatted with the secretaries in the next office like they were lifelong friends, the first time she had offered morning prayer. The attraction he had first felt for her had deepened to include a respect and appreciation that continued to grow each day.

He heard her sigh, and panic overwhelmed him. He drew back, staring down at her. He had perfection in his arms, but what would happen tomorrow if he didn't come back? Or the next day? Fatalities in the teams were lower than the general public probably realized, due in part to the intense training, but the possibility still existed that one day he would leave on a mission or a training exercise and wouldn't come home. She deserved better than that.

Her big, blue eyes stared up at him, clouding with confusion as Brent released her.

“I can't do this,” Brent heard himself say, even though his heart was shriveling at the thought of life without her. “You deserve someone better, someone who can come home to you every night. I can't be that kind of man.”

Something flashed in her eyes but was quickly banked. She folded her arms across her chest, her voice even. “I don't believe I ever asked you to be anything but what you are.”

“I'm sorry. This is my fault.” Brent took a step back. “I never should have let myself be alone with you.”

“You are such an idiot,” Amy stated mildly despite the hurt she showed in her eyes. “You think you have the right to decide what I want my life to be like.”

She stepped closer to the rail and then turned back before she continued. “Do you really think that by staying away from me it would be easier if something happened to you?” She shook her head and then continued, talking more to herself now than to him. “Actually, it would be worse. If we were married at least I'd have you in the next life. I guess you don't care for me enough to give me that.”

Brent's eyes widened at her casual mention of marriage, and he saw the moment when she realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud. With a sigh, she forced herself to look him in the eyes. Her voice was soft now. “You might want me to find someone else, settle down, have kids. That would make it easy for you because then I would be out of your life, somewhere that you wouldn't have to see me. But that's never going to happen. I can't marry someone else when I'm in love with you.”

“Amy,” Brent said, even as she fought the tears that sprang to her eyes.

She just shook her head, stepping away from him and toward the door. “I'll talk to Kel. He can help me transfer to one of the units in California. It may take a couple of weeks, but you should be able to steer clear of me for that long.”

A new sense of panic flooded through him, but all he could do was watch her go.

Brent stared at the hatch Amy had disappeared through for several long minutes before turning his gaze out to the open sea. Was it possible that instead of giving Amy the chance for a normal life, he was robbing them both of any chance of happiness? A memory flashed in his mind, the argument he'd had with Jim Whitmore when Brent had insisted Amy didn't want a normal life.

Moving to the rail, Brent bowed his head in prayer. Questions tumbled out of him, fast and furious. Was he really the man Amy was supposed to marry? Could they really find a way to balance family and his career? Tears welled up in his eyes as he asked the question that had been haunting him for weeks. Why did that little boy have to die?

Brent ended his prayer, struggling against his tears. He just stood there, staring out at the ocean. Slowly, a warmth spread through him as he realized that the little boy who had died so tragically was no longer suffering. He was in the Lord's care, away from the fear and pain that had taken him from this world.

The realization that the Lord would watch over him and Amy during their lives overwhelmed him for a moment. Didn't his unit start each day with a prayer for that reason? They all knew that whatever happened, their Heavenly Father had the power to protect them from danger, just as He had the power to take them from this world. His heart jumped into his throat as he considered that—just maybe—the Lord had put Amy in his path for a reason.