Total Bravery

by Piper J. Drake

  Looking back up the aisle to where Mali sat curled on a bench in the “living” portion of the RV, Raul had a sharp moment of gratitude for Taz. She might’ve panicked covered by Raul if he’d been alone, and she hadn’t. Part of it, Raul was sure, was due to surprise but also because Taz had been pressed up against her side. The big dog’s presence had given her pause and let her get past fight-or-flight mode to listen to Raul’s instructions.

  She was a civilian. Every few hours had brought a shock to her system, psychologically and physically. She was curled up on the bench now, not in hysterics, but taking up the least amount of space possible as Arin and Zu and their dogs barreled inside, too. Mali’s eyes were wide with fear but not blind with panic or glazed with shock. Her very agile, flexible mind was still working.

  He had so much respect for her in the moment that he leaned back against the counter and was staggered by the relief beating through his chest. It’d been less than forty-eight hours. She was alive and whole and everything to him. It wasn’t something a man came to terms with very often. But there it was.

  “Try not to fall on anything.” Kenny put the RV into gear and drove forward. Laki grunted from the passenger seat in the front cab. Pig didn’t seem fazed at all. “No worries about the windows. They’re designed for bullet and blast resistance. The whole vehicle is.”

  Arin slid into the seat next to Mali, blocking his view. King slipped under the table and rested his head on Arin’s lap. Raul shifted over to get at least a partial view of Mali in time to see her give her big sister a tremulous smile and a nod. With Arin right next to her, there wasn’t room for Raul, and he wasn’t about to presume to push between the sisters. Instead, he looked down at Taz. The big dog turned his dark face up toward Raul.

  “Taz, such Mali.” Raul punctuated the command with a hand gesture, sweeping his hand out toward her.

  Taz paused, the dog’s body trembling with eagerness to obey as he worked through the nuance of the command to figure out what Raul wanted. Mali wasn’t out of sight or hiding. She wasn’t lost, so the dog didn’t need to search for her. After another moment, the GSD moved out and found his way down the narrow aisle to the table. He slipped past King under the table and placed his chin on Mali’s foot.

  Mali looked down and began petting Taz, the strain leaving her face as her nerves calmed. Raul watched and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Dogs had a way of calming the people around them. Taz was the next best comfort he could offer Mali. He was glad she had responded.

  Arin turned on the bench to pin Raul with a neutral look. Raul returned her gaze as calmly as possible. Oh, they were going to have another discussion. Since Raul had been flip-flopping through the night about what he was going to do about the situation, he was glad it’d be a while before they stepped aside to address the elephant in the room. Adrenaline was working through his system and fading away, leaving his nerves jangling and his body tired. They weren’t in the clear yet, but being on the move was a significant improvement.

  “This changes things.” Zu leaned against the tiny kitchen counter area, filling the space with his bulk. “They were definitely following, which means they know where the team house is and had a good, long time to get a look at each of us.”

  Raul frowned. He’d been careful to lose any tail when he’d brought Mali back from their trip up to North Shore the day before. If they’d been followed anyway, then he was going to have to seriously work on retraining himself on his skill sets.

  “Maybe. This vehicle is easy to keep following, too.” Arin crossed her arms and leaned forward on the table next to the bench.

  “I was planning to give the outside a makeover anyway,” Kenny called back over his shoulder. “Happy to send you the tab.”

  Zu grunted. “If you were going to do it anyway, the tab better be for part of the cost, not total.”

  “’Course.” Kenny chuckled. “I’ll be getting it taken care of ASAP, though. I’ll drop you all first. How’s your HQ in town sound?”

  “Perfect. If they know about the team house they know about the office we have in town, but the office is better constructed to protect against sharpshooters.” Zu widened his stance as the RV rolled up and over the edge of the beach onto the road. Next to him, Buck did the same. The Rhodesian Ridgeback remained standing through the rough transition and let his tongue loll out in a relaxed doggie grin as the RV began driving over the smoother road surface.

  “Well, my name and face was going to come up in their research if they did a background check on Mali anyway.” Arin sighed. “We can’t be sure they followed Raul and Mali from their little excursion. It’s just as likely that they made the family connection and had the team house under surveillance anyway.”

  It was a possibility. Raul was tired of scrambling to react to the situations as they developed, though. They needed to get ahead of this and take control. “When we get to HQ, let’s get a plan of action together.”

  Zu nodded. “It’s past time.”

  “What about Kenny?” Mali spoke up. “You can’t just drive away and expect to disappear. Someone was watching us.”

  “Does my heart good to have someone worry.” The gravity in Kenny’s words kept his statement from becoming flippant. “Have faith. I have long years of practice disappearing. I’ll be in touch, and next we meet, we’ll be on another beach somewhere, Laki and me. Our home may change or it might just look different on the outside. Who knows? It will be a surprise for all of us.”

  Mali looked skeptical. Raul glanced from Arin to Zu and decided to believe they’d see the man again. People in their line of work learned to go off the grid all the time. If Raul needed to, he could. It might seem surreal to Mali but it was their reality.

  There was a pause and then Kenny looked up into the rearview mirror at Mali. He gave her a kind wink, an old soul peering out of those weary eyes. “I’m not from this island. I probably won’t be on this island forever either. But tonight, I was here when you were here, and I’ll call that fortuitous. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mali Siri, researcher and younger sister of Arin Siri. I’ll look forward to meeting you again.”

  * * *

  The offices of Search and Protect were designed to be a headquarters for round-the-clock activity when needed. It was Raul’s first visit to the corporate complex where they were located and he appreciated the security measures provided by the facilities. They weren’t bad for a first line of defense and a bit better than standard for normal business requirements.

  Once their weary group stepped off the elevator onto the specific floor occupied by Search and Protect, there were discreet signs of heightened surveillance. Vibration sensors were distributed to supplement the visual security cameras. Glass walls and doors with security badge access provided physical barriers to entry into the office area from the elevator lobby, stairs, and public bathrooms. He was betting the glass was ballistic—commonly considered bulletproof—but he was surprised by the stylish graphic patterns printed on the glass to provide a modicum of privacy for the offices while still allowing for judicious line of sight at certain heights. The effect was sleek and professional, very corporate yet practical for the defense-minded.

  As they all entered, there was a stand with water bowls to one side of reception supplying fresh, circulating water for the dogs. Buck, King, and his Taz each waited to be released to go enjoy a much-needed drink. The seating in the reception area could’ve accommodated a few guests but wasn’t designed for a large influx of visitors. Raul guessed the sort of clients they had didn’t come in big groups.

  “Hey boss, was surprised to get your call. Everyone okay?” A man came striding toward them along a short hallway. He looked younger than Raul by a couple of years, probably in his mid-twenties, and in fairly good shape. His white dress shirt was a contrast against his rich brown skin, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal reasonably muscled forearms. The guy worked out, maybe did some outdoor activities like surfing, but he
didn’t have the efficiency of motion or the carriage of someone with combat experience. This man was a civilian.

  “We’re good.” Zu clapped a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and turned to Raul and Mali. “This is Kai Pukui, the face of our organization. He handles contract negotiations and communications. I asked him to lend a hand while we regroup.”

  There were handshakes and introductions for Raul and Mali, but Raul watched her with growing concern. She’d held up well on the drive back from North Shore but she’d been hyperaware and jumpy. The couple of times he’d driven anywhere with her previously, she’d dozed off in the car five minutes into the ride. She was obviously too stressed, and maybe still afraid, to get any kind of rest.

  “We’ve got offices for each of the team members.” Kai stood next to Raul as Arin ushered Mali farther down the hallway to a small kitchenette area. “Yours is closest to the front, here. It’s got a couch in it, in case you need to catch a strategic nap.”

  Raul chuckled. “All of us have couches?”

  Kai lifted his hands. “Hey, I haven’t known Arin long but she seems to be the ninja master of cat naps. She’s also way more fun to work with when she’s had good sleep and good coffee in equal portions. We’ve got a high-quality coffeemaker in the kitchen. Couches in the offices sounded like a good idea.”

  The offices sounded luxurious. Raul briefly considered the chance of rest and then decided against it. His first priority was to see to Mali’s well-being. Then he and the team had work to do. He shook his head. “We’re on a clock right now. Maybe another time.”

  “Gotcha. Here’s your badge to get into the office. Anytime entry.” Kai handed Raul a slim white card, innocuous and unremarkable. If Raul dropped it someplace, it wasn’t likely a random stranger could pick it up and figure out what access it provided just by looking at it. “I’m headed out to retrieve the SUV. We can do the whole getting-to-know-you thing another day.”

  Raul nodded.

  Kai gave him a friendly grin and a jaunty wave before heading out. Nice guy. There’d been a friendly openness about him, a contrast to Miller and Kalea’s gruff affection, but somehow carrying the same sincere quality to it. Raul looked forward to getting to know the guy better.

  “Getting introduced to the team a person at a time, huh?” Arin stepped up next to him. “Wasn’t exactly what Zu and I had in mind but maybe it’s a good way to make sure you’re not overwhelmed.”

  Raul chuckled. “You worried I’d spook?”

  Arin shrugged. “You’ve got reason not to be particularly happy in a crowded working environment.”

  She would know. She’d been there when their team had splintered. Instead of an organized retreat, watching each other’s backs in a mission gone bad, what had been left of their unit had scrambled out in twos and threes. Some of them had gone it alone. When they’d gotten back to safe territory—and “safe” was a relative term—none of them had been able to tolerate each other. Their trust had been blown into atoms.

  “How is Mali?” He put his memories on a mental shelf in favor of the situation at hand.

  Arin didn’t miss a beat. She probably didn’t want to linger on the topic either. “She’s tired and worn out, but all things considered, it could be a whole lot worse. She doesn’t have a lot of coping mechanisms for times of crisis or emergency.”

  Raul paused and straightened, looking his best friend in the eye. “Maybe she didn’t need to as a kid with you there watching over her, and that’s what older siblings do. But here and now, maybe you should take the time to reassess her as an adult. From where I’m standing she’s been handling a whole lot of crises very effectively.”

  Arin glared back at him, silent for a long moment. He wasn’t sure if she was going to snap back at him verbally or physically. Arin had a wicked right jab and one hell of a left cross. She was generally not violent without cause, but when family or close friends were involved, she could be explosive in her responses. But she was also one of the clearest thinking individuals he’d ever met. It was hard to predict which way she’d go in this kind of situation, when someone had just tried to eliminate her little sister.

  But Arin sighed, the tension going out of her. “Mali did manage really well under the circumstances. And you were there for her, too. I owe you.”

  “You would do the same for me or mine.” Raul crossed the hall to his new office to reconsider the couch. Maybe he could convince Mali to take a nap.

  Thing was, his family was all a step removed. He didn’t have siblings, no dependents. Raul had the freedom to serve his country because there hadn’t been anyone who’d needed him at home. Even if he’d wanted to build a civilian life for himself, there hadn’t been anyone to come home to.

  In the last couple of days, he’d watched over someone. He’d become invested in her welfare. He’d wanted to build on the chemistry between them. He’d wanted more than the structure of a team. He’d tried to keep his distance because he didn’t deserve her, but he couldn’t resist.

  Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to take the discussion further but one of the things that made his friendship with Arin work was being upfront with each other. “She’s an amazing woman.”

  Arin stared at him.

  He didn’t waver. “I’m interested in her intellect and much more.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I don’t like it.” Arin set her jaw. “But as you so clearly pointed out, Mali is an adult. For the moment, my best option is to give you the obvious warning that I will take it out of your hide if you hurt her.”

  Raul did a double take and studied his friend. He’d been expecting a burst of protective anger, opposition, possibly fighting for his life. This was better than the best-case scenario he could’ve imagined. “I’m not sure where this is going, but whatever this is, I want to explore the possibilities as long as she does. It’s not a passing thing.”

  Arin nodded. “Either way, the immediate future is about figuring out what is going on with Mali’s coworkers. The clock has already run out in the case of the standard textbook kidnapping scenario.”

  Raul gritted his teeth as red flashed across his vision. He indulged his emotions because he wasn’t out in the field, letting the anger and frustration burn through him instead of exerting control and calm. “We’ve seen human trafficking before in a few places around the world. It’s despicable, and it never gets easier to see.”

  It was a hard reality, one most people were only tangentially aware of from action movies and suspense fiction. Modern entertainment had replaced fairy tales these days, but it was like his conversation with Mali about the darker fairy tales. There was a lesson buried in most of those pieces of fiction.

  “A lot of people think of Hawaii as a paradise.” Arin tapped her fingertips against the doorjamb of his office. “But every wonderful place has its darkness. It’s a stark contrast, and it’s in these places where we can have purpose.”

  He scowled at her. “You’re saying we only belong in dark places.”

  She shrugged. “It’s a dramatic point of view but who better to deal with what’s in these places? This is why we do what we do. Do the right thing when other people can’t.”

  This was why he’d followed Arin. Her conviction was palpable and compelling. It made him believe.

  “We’ll make a difference a little at a time, one mission at a time.” Arin leaned back slightly and looked down the hall. “Zu is giving us the chance to do more than most.”

  Okay. She had a point. Zu had presented much the same rationale when Raul had signed on, but Zu had put the focus on the practical aspects of the opportunity for Raul while Arin tended to concentrate more on the team’s strong sense of purpose and their ethics.

  Raul might not have believed Zu if their team leader had gone into the idealism of what they were doing, but perhaps Zu had known Arin would communicate it in a way Raul could believe despite having become jaded over the years. He and Arin were friends. They got each other.


  He lifted his hands, palms up. “People like us, we’re not made for civilian life. What we’ve seen, what we’ve done, the skill sets we’ve developed, and the way our minds work, don’t let us go home. Not to a conventional life, anyway. At least working like this lets us choose what missions we take and make a living for ourselves.”

  Arin smiled. “This is why I asked you to join Search and Protect. This future gives you room to move forward.”

  He grinned. Gratitude wasn’t something they expressed often. It got awkward between them when they tried too hard so he left it at that and didn’t try to put it into words.

  Then Arin’s smile faded. “But I’m not sure what kind of future that offers when someone like Mali gets tangled up with one of us. Keep that in mind. You may not intend to hurt her, and she may not realize how she could hurt you, too, but there’s potential for both.”

  It was a risk. He’d seen romances go badly with any number of military types. It was more than time apart during missions; it was a difference in world views and realities. The reality in which Arin and he lived included a harsh understanding of what people could do to each other, but they also understood better than anyone how important it was to enjoy every moment they had.

  He’d tried to talk himself into putting distance between himself and Mali. It hadn’t felt right. So he’d seize the moment and worry about the future when they got there.

  “Sometimes you gotta take it a step at a time and watch the lay of the land in front of you.” He shook his head. There was too much to consider all at once. “None of us is going to get a full night’s sleep, and we’ll want to get an early start. Are there assigned shifts for us to keep watch?”

  Arin glanced back down the hallway. “I’ll check with Zu. We’ll take turns, of course, but let’s try to give Mali as much rest as possible.”