The Peaceful Warrior: Navy SEAL Romance

by Daniel Banner

  “With you up there, how could it not be great?” he countered. “You really are amazing.”

  “I should be,” she said. “I had voice lessons for ten years.”

  “I’m not talking about singing,” he said, focused on her with laser intensity. “Just being with you changes everything in my world. I wish I didn’t have to get on a train tomorrow morning. I wish I could just spend the whole weekend with you.”

  Daisy’s whole body tingled, partly from the thrill of sharing that experience with him but mostly because he’d said exactly what she was feeling. This date had been simple and perfect, so far, and if she could get a couple more of those types of dates then she’d really know that he cared enough about her to put her first when they were together.

  “You better get some sleep tonight,” she told him, still a little afraid to get too deep into the relationship discussion. “We should go.”

  His back straightened almost imperceptibly. “I’m not leaving until I hear you sing. Without me.”

  “Fine,” she said, loving how firm he was about it. “But we’ll have to wait a few songs so people don’t get sick of us.”

  He put an arm around her and she leaned back against him and got comfortable with her head on his shoulder and her back against his strong chest and abs. She was in no hurry.

  After a few songs, an opening came up so she hurried to the front and sang, “Unchained Melody,” thinking the whole time about that first night on the train and their long whispered conversation. As she sang, she couldn’t deny the feeling that she honestly couldn’t help falling in love with him.

  When she came back to the booth, he was standing up and clapping, not trying to involve the whole place in the applause, but clapping only for her. He wrapped her up, picked her off her feet as easy as if she was made of feathers, and gave her a delicious kiss that she felt all the way down in her toes.

  They left the restaurant and he drove her home and walked her to door. She made a half-hearted invitation to come in, and he turned it down. She didn’t push because she knew he had to leave for the train early in the morning, and also she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about what exactly she was inviting him to.

  But he did kiss her, the best one yet. And as he kissed her she imagined them standing on a rock outcropping at the beach, with waves crashing around them, her and him alone, deeply into the kiss, and savoring every second of it. If she’d had any doubt about his claims of never giving up, she had to believe his kiss.

  He left her giddy, wanting more in such a good way.

  All night long he had been all hers and it was so perfect. Cannon was definitely figuring it out. No real tests had come, but they would, eventually.

  Something was different when she thought about a future with him. In the past whenever she thought of the possibility of being pushed to the side, it stressed her out. The bell without a clapper and the magical date tonight had helped her realize that he was willing to go to lengths and she should too. They both had to make sacrifices for the person they loved. There was a difference between being needy and respecting herself, and Daisy was starting to see the line.

  At some point in the future, something would come up and she’d have to let Cannon go, without any resentment or frustration.

  The strange thing was … Daisy thought she could do it. She could meet him in the middle, both leaving their starting places so they could be together on new, better ground.

  The thought of that future with him had her too energized to sleep, so she pulled up her laptop to keep going with her current edit, but an idea struck her.

  Maybe another trip to Seattle was in order. They really could spend the weekend together. They could be together with him putting Pasha and his job first, and Daisy being perfectly fine with it. She pulled up the Amtrak site to find out if there were any open roomettes.

  She just couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him before Sunday, so she texted him, asking if he would mind a tag-along on the train, and promising to let him do his job.

  He replied, I’d never turn down the chance to see your beautiful smile.

  That was good enough for her. She booked it without another thought.

  Chapter

  Cannon waited outside of Pasha’s suite for her and Miss Dee to get settled. There was already something different about this trip, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. The crowd on the platform had been like any other—mostly individuals commuting to Central California, older people preparing for a scenic vacation, and a crowd of other people riding for a dozen different reasons. After doing the northbound trip for almost a year now, he figured half of the people on the train would go all the way to Seattle.

  What was it about the crowd today that made him nervous? Maybe it wasn’t even the crowd. Storm clouds were moving in, and would only get bigger and meaner as they went north. Rain all through Northern California, then snow all through Oregon and Washington. It rarely changed anything with the train or its schedule, but it did give the upcoming security detail an ominous feel.

  Of course, he was ignoring the biggest probability. Daisy was here. They’d seen her momentarily on the platform and would be meeting her in a few minutes in the Pacific Parlour car. This would be the third time she’d ridden the train with them, but the first one since they started dating. He had to prove to her that she came first in his life, but how could he do that when Pasha was his one and only priority for the next 36 hours?

  Before booking the trip last night, she had texted and asked if he had a problem with it. At the time all he could think was that it meant he could see her and spend time with her.

  Now that it was a reality though, he wondered if it had been a mistake because he could not shake this feeling that something was off and he hated the thought that it might be because the woman he’d fallen in love with was on the train. She had promised to let him do his job, so she knew he had to focus on Pasha. Hopefully this trip wouldn’t derail his goal to prove that he would put her first.

  The door opened a crack and when Miss Dee saw Cannon standing there, she opened it the rest of the way and Pasha came out. The stairs were always the trickiest part of traversing the cars, and he was glad for a competent counterpart like Miss Dee. He led the way up the stairs, and when they all reached the top, Miss Dee took the lead.

  Halfway through the next car, they passed Daisy’s room. Pasha greeted her as enthusiastically as usual, and invited her to go to the parlour car with them. Daisy agreed and asked if she wanted to learn Rummikub, which Pasha quickly agreed to.

  Cannon gave her a smile and a wink as she took her place in the middle of the procession with Pasha, and got a lovely smile back from her. As much as he wanted a hug and a kiss, he was glad she was fine without it.

  He took his attention back to his focus on situational awareness.

  Lately, every trip started with a walkthrough of the train, like the one that Pasha had found Daisy with the first time. The security aspect had worried Cannon at first, but he had discussed it with Rasmus Gold and Sutton and agreed that it was okay. Cannon used it as a chance to get eyes on the entire train and scope out any possible threats.

  Today was definitely different. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. It had to be because his … girlfriend was on the train with them. Was girlfriend the right word? As far as he was concerned it was. But he didn’t have time to think about that. Later, when everyone except for him was sleeping, he could think about it all he wanted. Daisy would probably visit him and they could discuss it together.

  The sweep of the train was clear, except for that pesky malaise in the bottom of his gut, but until he could put a name to it—besides ‘Daisy’—he’d just be vigilant, like normal. That was horrible. He felt bad for wondering if the weird feelings were because of her presence.

  They hung out in the parlour car for an hour, with Cannon sitting to the side while Daisy interacted with Pasha and, to a lesser degree, Miss Dee. Lightning lit the cl
ouds and rain pelted the windows. The storm could very well be the cause of his discomfort.

  They split up when Pasha went back to her suite for her lessons. They met up again for dinner, then after Pasha put her PJs on, they headed to the theater car. It only took Cannon about ten guesses to figure out they were watching The Incredibles. One of these trips she’d realize he was being obtuse on purpose, and the game would end.

  Who was Cannon kidding; she probably knew already and kept playing along for his sake.

  In the theater room, Pasha and Miss Dee took their normal seats up front while Cannon took his position in the back of the car. Daisy paused, unsure for a minute. With a questioning look, she motioned to the front, asking if that’s where Cannon wanted her to go.

  He nodded, reluctantly, and she nodded back understanding, shrugging like, what are ya gonna do? Cannon was pretty sure they were both rethinking whether it had been a good idea to spend this time together. Still, he loved being able to see her pretty face throughout the day.

  The Blu-ray player wouldn’t read the disc, so they had to wait for Felix to round up a replacement. Daisy and Pasha chatted in their funny, intelligent way. Daisy was so beautiful and carefree, she just made the world a better place wherever she went. Cannon loved watching this woman he loved interact with this little girl who he loved like his own daughter. After this trip, he’d do whatever he could to make sure he never had to choose between the two.

  The movie eventually started, and it was one of the longer animated movies on the rotation. By the time they finished the movie and said goodnight, it was after eleven. Miss Dee got Pasha all ready for bed, then let him know Pasha was ready for him. Other than when he went in to sweep the room at the beginning of the each trip, it was the only time he went into the suite.

  “Keep an eye out,” he told Miss Dee as he walked past, and sat on the side of Pasha’s bunk. Even though he felt like he knew the cause of the nerves, he was still being extra vigilant. He was tempted to forego the goodnight song so he could keep watch, but he was just being silly.

  Miss Dee nodded and kept the door cracked, one eye down the hallway, and one hand under the flap of her coat where she kept her .357. Either she had picked up on a weird vibe from the train, or had figured out that Cannon had.

  “Whose turn to pick the song?” asked Cannon, tightening the burrito wrap of Pasha’s blankets.

  “Oh Cannon. Did you forget again? When I go to Daddy’s, you pick. When I go to Mommy’s, I get to pick.”

  “Oh good, because I want to sing ‘You Got a Friend in Me’.”

  Pasha smiled. “I love that one.”

  Cannon sang it, the same song he’d sung the night before. He’d been as nervous as a new guy showing up for his first day with his SEAL platoon last night, but he’d tried not to show it. It paid off when Daisy had whooped and gotten the whole place to clap for him.

  When he finished singing, Pasha gave him that cute little, half-toothless smile. “I’d clap, but I don’t wanna mess up my burrito blankets.”

  “Goodnight, Violet,” he told her.

  “Goodnight, Mr. Incredible.”

  Miss Dee pulled the door open for him.

  “Restroom,” he muttered as he walked passed. They didn’t need a lot of words to communicate simple things like that. He grabbed his toothbrush, then went to the restroom, knowing that Miss Dee would have her hand on the butt of her gun and a shoulder against the door until Cannon came back and let her know that he was back on duty.

  In the tiny bathroom he put toothpaste on the toothbrush and splashed some water on it. As he lifted the brush to his mouth, he felt or … sensed something from outside.

  Rain? Thunder?

  No, those were footsteps, and not just from a single person.

  Cannon dropped his toothbrush and drew his Glock. With his gun pointed down he opened the bathroom door. There were armed men in the hallway. As he raised his gun, someone behind the door kicked it shut, catching his wrist in between the door and the door jamb. The pressure of the door deadened the nerves in his hand, making his fingers release the gun even though he’d been gripping it tightly. He pulled his hand back, but the gun fell to the floor outside.

  The door slammed all the way shut and he saw it shudder under the weight of a man’s shoulder.

  Cannon took inventory of what he’d seen before the door closed. One, two, three, four, five … six men in the hallway, at least three of them with pistols, and probably all six. All of the guns he’d seen had silencers on them. There was also at least one more man and probably two more behind the door towards Pasha’s suite. This was a coordinated and timed attack. Miss Dee would have heard the door slam and tucked Pasha away in her safe corner by now.

  If Cannon could take down six of these guys, Miss Dee should be able to handle the other two. Anyone who tried to enter her room without knocking would get a bullet in the chest.

  Now Cannon just had to figure out how to stop six guys with only one gun and five bullets. Even if he had more ammo on him, he couldn’t start shooting willy-nilly. With such thin walls and doors on this train, hitting innocent passengers was a real possibility.

  “Oy,” said a man from the other side of the thin bathroom door.

  Cannon considered kicking the door open and taking out the man, but he decided to hold off and look for a better plan.

  “What do you want?”

  “It’s not what I want, bodyguard, it’s what I’m going to do.”

  Whatever this guy’s plan was, he was confident in it. “I can’t hear you,” said Cannon. “Crack the door.” He turned off the bathroom light, but a night light still partially illuminated the tiny room.

  After a few seconds, the door did crack open, giving Cannon the narrow view into the hallway he was looking for. He could see three of the men he knew were there. Out of their view, Cannon pulled his back-up gun, a five-shot revolver, from his ankle holster.

  “You don’t tell me what to do,” grunted the man from behind the door. “Now listen good if you want the little princess to make it off this train alive.” The man was about four inches shorter than Cannon, based on where the voice came from. “In ten minutes this train will stop. The princess and the nanny will get off with me, my men, and your cell phone. You and Bruce and Bruce are going to stay behind. They’ll keep you company for the next few hours to keep you from making any unauthorized phone calls.”

  Cannon’s blood was boiling and it was all he could do to keep from reaching around the door and breaking this man’s neck. No one was going anywhere with Pasha, and no one was going to touch her. Not today, not ever. He was just glad Daisy was far away on another car instead of there with them.

  Cannon dug his stun rod out of his pocket with his free hand while he talked. He growled in a voice he knew would carry to every man in the hallway, “I will protect her at any cost, and if you are still out there when I come out, you will pay that cost, not me.” Cannon’s breathing was fast, and he was in combat mode. “Each and every one of your men better be ready to meet your Maker, because this door will open in ten seconds, and I’m coming out to send you and them to hell.”

  “That’s a tough speech for a man who lost his gun, but this isn’t a movie. You’re trapped and unarmed and outmanned. Now put your hands out slowly, and everyone can get off this train alive.”

  “Ten,” said Cannon. “Nine.” He had no intention of making it to zero. “Eight.” At six he would act, while they were still getting ready for him. “Seven.”

  He heard steps on the staircase. In a split second, conflicting emotions rose: worry for the innocent person about to walk into a deadly standoff, but also gratitude for a minor distraction. But, hold on. He knew that gait.

  No no no! Why right now?

  This was the Philippines all over again, but instead of Doug running into the line of fire, it was someone he cared about even more, and she didn’t even know about the ambush she was running in to. Cannon had to think fast and act decisi
vely.

  No, he just had to get her clear.

  “Daisy! Run!”

  Her steps halted immediately, but through the crack, he saw two men dash to the staircase. A short scuffle ensued, and he heard someone being dragged down the stairs. Daisy was trying to call out, but her voice was muffled.

  “Looky here,” said the man behind the door, opening the door a few more inches.

  Daisy stood there, no longer struggling, with two guns pointed at her head. Cannon controlled his breathing and tried to look at the mission as he would if we were still a SEAL. He had two objectives, two people to protect, but they were in opposite directions and one of them had already been captured.

  The man who Cannon still hadn’t seen said, “Thanks for coming, Daisy. This simplifies things.” He tapped on the door with a knuckle. “Oy. Bruce and Bruce are going to take your little lovely back to their room. If you don’t cooperate three things are going to happen. You’ll die, the princess will still come with us, and there will be no one to make sure Bruce and Bruce behave up there with your lady. Come out now, with your hands up, and you can go with them to make sure things stay civil. It’s your decision. How much do you care about these two little ladies?”

  Hostage situation. Where was Blayze when he needed him? What would Blayze do in this situation?

  He would simplify. He would separate the at-risk parties if possible. Cannon didn’t believe for a second that if he gave up, he and Daisy would be safe. Pasha for sure wouldn’t be safe. If he did give up and go peacefully, there would be a chance to protect Daisy, but that would mean abandoning Pasha, who had to be his number one priority right now. Would Daisy understand? Had he made his duty clear?

  Even if she did understand, could he really do it? Could he really leave Daisy to the fate of the Bruces?

  The rules of engagement were clear in his situation, but what about his operational priorities.

  Daisy spoke up. “Remember who’s number one today.”

  An ape of a man, who Cannon had to assume was a Bruce, slapped a hand over her mouth. Then he and a short man scooped her up and looked at the man behind the door.