by Aria Ford
“Shh,” he whispered. “We’re here to help. You’re okay.”
The girl still looked scared, but Bradley’s words calmed her. He untied her and removed the gag from her mouth.
“Stay quiet,” he said firmly. “We’ll get you out of here.”
Bradley handed the girl off to Jacob, who swept her up in his arms. Now that we had her, we had to move fast. If we were caught, none of us would make it out alive.
We moved back through the door and down the deserted hallway. As we emerged from the building, everything was clear. We moved as a team, taking steps in unison and constantly swinging around to check our surroundings. It wasn’t until we made it to the tree line that things took a turn.
Bradley and I stood back, making sure Jacob made it to cover with the girl. Drew followed close behind, and just as I was about to step into the woods, I caught sight of an insurgent behind Bradley. Without thinking, I grabbed Bradley by the collar and threw him to the ground, swinging my gun around as I moved. My shot went off just in time, and the insurgent fell to the ground.
“Tango eliminated,” I said into my headset.
Bradley jumped to his feet. We ran into the woods, falling close behind Jacob and Drew. We didn’t stop running until we were a safe distance from the compound. Finally, we slowed to a walk, and Jacob put the girl down. She stretched her legs for a few seconds before she could walk on her own. After muttering a soft “thank-you,” to each of us, she fell silent. I could tell she was battling some serious hunger and pain, but she was strong. She didn’t slow down or stumble until we reached our camp.
Jacob took her to a place where she could sleep, while Bradley and I disappeared into our bunks. We would be extracted within a few hours, so sleep was out of the question, but we could have used some rest. I fell back on my bed with a thud, not bothering to remove my boots.
“How does it feel?” Bradley asked. I turned to face him with a frown. “Completing our last mission.”
“I feel exhausted,” I said without emotion. “And sore.”
“Seriously,” Bradley said. “We haven’t talked about this yet. It’s been years since either of us had normal lives. We’re about to reenter society. How do you feel about that? What are you going to do with your life now?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “Honestly, Brad, I’m just trying to get through this. When we’re back home, I’ll figure it out.”
“I hear ya,” Bradley said with a nod. “But you must have some plans. Something. Anything.”
“Nope,” I said, staring at the ceiling.
I thought about what he said, but nothing came to mind. For nine years, my life revolved around the military. I worked my way up to become a SEAL, and then I went on missions. It was a simple life, but not an easy one. I got orders. I followed them. Simple as that.
Now I didn’t know what to do next. In just a few hours, we would be on a plane bound for America. Once we landed, I would have to figure out my life, but right now I didn’t want to think about anything.
“Well,” Bradley said. “Listen, whatever you decide to do, you should at least go by and see Mom and Dad.”
“They aren’t my parents,” I said without hesitation. “They’re yours.”
“Still,” Bradley said. I could feel him roll his eyes beside me. “They’ll want to see you.”
“After they kicked me out?” I scoffed. “I doubt that.”
“I talked to them yesterday,” Bradley said. “They’re planning a huge homecoming party for us—both of us.”
“That’s great,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”
“Dammit, Ryan,” Bradley snapped. “Just quit being a dick and listen to me for a second, okay?”
It wasn’t often that Bradley lost his temper. I sat up slowly and turned to face him. His eyes were fixed on my face with a determination I recognized all too well. His father had that same look in his eyes the day he threw me out.
I sighed. “I’m listening.”
“I know you have your issues with them,” Bradley said slowly. “God knows you have every right to be angry, okay? But they did take you in when no one else would. They adopted you, man. How many other people would have done that?”
“They adopted me for a few years,” I corrected. “Then they kicked me out. Or did you forget that?”
“I didn’t,” Bradley said. “But I also remember the reason they kicked you out. You weren’t exactly an innocent victim, Ry.”
I turned away from him and scowled at the corner of my bunk. Bradley always had a way of getting under my skin. He wasn’t wrong about his parents. They did adopt me years ago, but things had changed since then. I was only a member of their family for a short time. I barely had a chance to feel like one of them before they made me leave. Why would I waste my time visiting them now?
“I just don’t think I can,” I said, my voice soft. “I’m sorry.”
Bradley sighed, but didn’t argue. He knew my mind was made up.
“Thanks for the save back there,” he said, reaching over to slap my shoulder. “It would have sucked to go home with a bullet in my ass.”
I laughed. “It would’ve been in your head, dipshit.”
“Nah, those shits couldn’t shoot the broadside of a barn,” Bradley said.
“Whatever you say.”
“Seriously,” he said. “Thanks.”
“Look,” I said. “Whatever happened with your parents, you’re still my brother. That hasn’t changed after all these years, and it’s not going to now. I couldn’t just let you die back there, even if I wanted to.”
“Hilarious,” he said. “You’d be fucking lost without me.”
“Doubt that.” I smiled, lying back down against my thin pillow.
It wasn’t comfortable, but it felt good to be off my feet. I couldn’t wait to be back home. I didn’t know where I would go once I was released from duty, but I’d thought about it a lot. Bradley wouldn’t understand if I told him the truth. He only wanted me to go back to Lexington and make nice with his parents, which was something I just couldn’t do.
Still, there was something about Virginia that sounded appealing. The idea of living in Lexington again made my skin crawl, but I’d always liked the state. As I laid there silently, I wondered what the housing was like in Richmond.
CHAPTER TWO
Jacqueline
My brother’s homecoming party was more lavish than most weddings. With a mother like Veronica Keeton, no party of ours was ever lowkey. I hated her over-the-top nature, but she would never change. As I looked around the living room at the insane decorations, I rolled my eyes and wondered what my brother would have to say when he arrived.
“Jacqueline!” Mom called from the kitchen. “Sweetie, I could use some help in here if you don’t mind!”
“Coming!” I called back. I sighed and glanced around the room one last time. Between the fondue station and the patriotic everything, I knew Bradley would be miserable in seconds.
I walked into the kitchen without enthusiasm to find my mother standing by the stove, stirring a large pot of something that smelled amazing. Without asking, I knew it was gumbo, Bradley’s favorite. I smiled at the scent, remembering all the times I watched my brother shovel bowlfuls into his mouth.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“Would you mind getting the appetizers set out?” she asked. “There are some trays right there on the counter.”
I nodded. “Sure thing.”
Moving to the counter, I laid out all the trays and grabbed the appetizers from the refrigerator. I rolled my eyes again as I realized just how much my mother must have spent on this party. Deep down, I knew she meant well. It wasn’t easy for her to worry about Bradley’s safety. For years, she was the mother of a Navy SEAL. There were times when we didn’t know where he was or even if he was alive. The fear often got the best of me, and I knew it was much worse for Mom.
As I thought about this, my feelings sof
tened. I glanced up at my mother and saw the excitement on her face. With a smile, I walked over and hugged her. She smiled, surprised, and hugged me back.
“I’m excited too,” I said. “I can’t wait to see him.”
“Oh, honey,” she said, sniffling. “We all are.”
I hurried over to finish the appetizers while my mother launched into a story about our neighbor, Mrs. Greenburg.
“Apparently she seduced one of her students,” Mom said, using her scandalous voice. “Honestly, I can’t say I was surprised. You know she’s always been sketchy. I told your father, I said, ‘George, that woman is trouble. I don’t want her anywhere near the kids.’ But he always insisted she was fine. Now look, I was right!”
“Uh-huh,” I said, barely paying attention.
As much as I loved my mom, she was often exhausting. Her penchant for gossip was not something we had in common. I found senseless drama to be boring and uninspired, but she lived for it. Every time I came home, she would give me the rundown on the latest neighborhood news. As her daughter, it was my job to listen politely, but I never remembered a thing she said.
Today I would have been happy to talk about my brother. Bradley was coming home—Bradley and Ryan. My stomach clenched tightly as I thought about Ryan. I hadn’t seen him in over nine years. Last time we were face-to-face, I was only fourteen. It felt like a different life.
“Get the cake out, would you?” Mom asked, taking the appetizer trays into the living room.
“Sure,” I said.
I opened the fridge and pulled out a giant box. As I set it on the counter, I smiled to myself. This was going to be a great day. I opened the box to examine the cake, and my mood changed immediately. Staring at the cake, I felt an uncontrollable rage deep in my stomach. My face flushed, and when my mother entered the kitchen, she looked at me in shock.
“Jacqueline,” she said. “Honey, what is the matter?”
“Why isn’t Ryan’s name on the cake?” I demanded.
“What?” Mom asked, a slight frown on her face.
“It just says ‘Bradley,’” I explained. “Why isn’t Ryan on here too? He’s coming home today.”
“He’s not coming,” Mom said quickly. She smoothed down her apron nervously and walked over to the sink. Her back was to me, but I could tell she was upset.
“Why not?” I asked.
She shrugged. “He didn’t want to.”
“His name should be on the damn cake, Mom,” I snapped. “This is bullshit.”
“Watch it,” she said, turning to face me with a stern expression. “You don’t know everything Ryan put us through.”
“I know enough,” I said, still fuming. “You adopted him, Mom. You and Dad brought him into this family and then you just abandoned him.”
“We did not,” Mom said, her own anger showing in her voice.
“Hey,” my dad said, suddenly stepping into the kitchen. “People are starting to arrive.”
My mother gave me a look of warning before she hurried into the living room. I could hear her greeting family and friends with her high-pitched hostess voice. The sound made me cringe. I was still angry as my dad ushered me into the living room, but I put on a happy face. I smiled and nodded politely, just waiting for Bradley to arrive.
When he did, my anger disappeared. He ran into the house with a huge grin on his face, coming straight to me. He grabbed me and lifted me off the ground, spinning me in a fast circle.
“There she is!” he said. “I missed you, little sister.”
“I missed you, too, big brother.”
Bradley set me down and turned to our parents. He hugged them both for a long time, making tears fall down Mom’s cheeks. I knew how happy she was to have him home, and the sight warmed my heart. My anger was still there, hidden beneath the surface, but I knew now wasn’t the time to release it. This was her moment, just as much as mine or Dad’s. We were all happy to have Bradley home safely. My frustrations weren’t important.
After Bradley greeted all the guests and ate a few bowls of gumbo, he grabbed two slices of cake and dragged me to the backyard. We sat on the back porch together, eating our cake in silence. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, but I would wait. We had time. Right now there was only one question that needed to be voiced.
“So,” I said, licking the frosting off my fork. “Where is he?”
Bradley stiffened beside me and exhaled slowly. With a sigh, he set his plate down and turned to face me.
“Richmond,” he said. “He moved to Richmond.”
“Really?” I asked with surprise. “Why there?”
Bradley shrugged. “I don’t know. I tried to convince him to come back here, but you know how he gets.”
“Do I?” I laughed. “I haven’t seen him in nine years, Brad.”
“God, has it been that long?” Bradley asked in disbelief.
“I was fourteen,” I said.
“Damn.” He shook his head slowly and sighed. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
“I know,” I said. “I asked Mom why his name wasn’t on the cake, and she made some lame excuse.”
“What’d she say?” he asked.
“Just that he didn’t want to come,” I said.
“Well, he didn’t,” Bradley said. “She’s not wrong about that.”
“Still,” I said with anger. “He should be here.”
“I know,” Bradley said. “I feel the same way you do, Ash. Listen, there’s something I wanted to ask you—a favor.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “What is it?”
“I need you to keep an eye on him,” Bradley said. “Just check in on him every once in a while. His apartment isn’t far from your clinic. I looked it up.”
“I don’t know,” I said, shifting uncomfortably. “Are you sure I’m the best person to do that? We haven’t seen each other in so long.”
“I know,” Bradley said. “But, Ash, there’s no one else. He doesn’t have anyone else. It’s just us.”
I didn’t answer right away. My worry was too great. Of course I cared about Ryan. But what would I say to him? After not seeing him for almost a decade, I didn’t even know him anymore. I was just a child the last time we spoke.
“Listen,” Bradley said. “Without someone around, he’ll slip. I know him, okay? I know him better than anyone. He needs someone to be there, to support him. Without that, I’m afraid he’ll go back to his old ways.”
“You really think that would happen?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Bradley admitted. “I hope not, but I’d feel better if I knew you were looking out for him. Please?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure,” I said. “I can’t promise it’ll do any good, but I’ll stop by. It would be good to see him.”
“Thank you,” Bradly said, wrapping his arm around me for a quick hug.
We sat on the porch for a while longer, finishing our cake and catching up. My mind stayed focused on Ryan, though. I pictured his face, heard his voice, and wondered what he would be like after all these years.
CHAPTER THREE
Ryan
My new apartment wasn’t yet decorated. I barely managed to unpack my clothes and set up my bed. My couch was thrown in the middle of the living room, with nothing else around it. I knew I would need a TV and maybe a kitchen table, but I wasn’t in a hurry to buy them. Most of my life, I didn’t have a lot. Just having my own place—not paid for by the navy—felt liberating.
As I ate breakfast, I glanced around the apartment. It was small. A one-bedroom with one bathroom and a combined living and dining room. I had a patio, which was nice, and a tiny front porch. It wasn’t much, but I already loved it. Still, I felt confined as I finished my oatmeal. After being in the military for so long, I felt bored and restless. Without the constant shuffle of missions and physical training, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
I rinsed my bowl and threw on my shoes. A
run would help clear my mind. I locked my front door and took off down the road. Richmond was a new city for me to explore. I’d spent a little time here as a kid, but not much.
As I ran, I looked around the neighborhood. My apartment building sat behind a subdivision filled with large houses. I turned, jogging through the streets and checking out the houses as I ran. Most of them were two-stories with fancy cars parked out front. I sighed and shook my head. Everything about this subdivision reminded me of the Keeton’s home.
Shaking my head, I ran faster, trying to push the memories away. Most of the houses sported American flags. I noticed them and wondered how many of these families actually knew members of the military.
Being in Virginia, it was safe to say that most people were patriotic, but that didn’t mean much. I’d found that patriotism didn’t always extend past a few flags and “I Support the Troops” bumper stickers. It used to frustrate me, but I was used to it now. I didn’t let it bother me as I continued down the street.
Running was second nature to me. After years of PT and physical exertion, my body needed the exercise to function. I wasn’t the kind of person who could survive off potato chips and sitcoms. If I didn’t run at least once a day, I would lose my mind.
Still, running through these suburban streets wasn’t what I craved. I already missed the rough terrains I used to traverse. My feet longed for rocky paths and bumpy trails. Deep down, I was happy to be a civilian again, but part of me felt lost, unsure.
When I first joined the navy, it was because I didn’t have anything else. The military was just a natural step. It didn’t mean much until I decided to become a SEAL. Then my life had purpose. I suddenly felt like the person I was always meant to be. Without that time, I knew my life would have fallen apart. I wasn’t the best kid or teenager. I was on the path that most foster kids take, a dangerous one. But the SEALs changed all that. They pushed me and inspired me, turning me into a man who was finally worthy of a good life.
As I jogged back to my apartment building, my mind drifted to my last mission. It was a success. Bradley and I both made it out alive, as did our team. Everything went smoothly, except for the insurgent I killed. Just thinking about it made my stomach clench. I forced the guilt away and turned a corner, stopping dead in my tracks.
