A Hero In Uniform - The Complete Series
Title Page
Epilogue
Prologue
Epilogue
A HERO IN UNIFORM:
THE COMPLETE SERIES
© 2013
TOWNSEND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING, LTD
WRITTEN BY SAVANNAH DELGARDO
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Kelley Harmon is in the Witness Protection Program after her federal agent boyfriend beats her and rapes her. She is relocated to Cairns in an attempt to keep her safe.
But when her attacker escapes from prison and comes looking for revenge, who will Kelley turn to for protection?
Daniel Coleman wants to keep Kelley safe, so he takes her to his families farm to do just that. But how is he going to keep her safe when all his thoughts are consumed by how much he wants to make her his own?
One
Kelley Harmon stood in the middle of her new apartment, a smile on her face.
The cute little one-bedroom in the heart of the Cairns CBD was perfect.
Perfect to keep her hidden.
The name on the lease is under Collins, her fathers name, which the landlord wasn't too thrilled about. But he hadn't had a choice in the matter because of a subpoena from the Witness Protection Unit of the Australian Federal Police that stated, by law, he wasn't allowed to keep any official records of his newest tenant.
But Kelley wasn't only a federal witness.
She was also a victim, of both sexual and physical abuse.
She'd been placed in the program and relocated under an alias because her attacker was a former AFP agent; Ronald Coleman. Ronald's brother, Daniel – who is a Lieutenant with the Australian Navy – pulled strings with the friends he has in the AFP to get her relocated up north so she's closer to the base where he's stationed when he's on shore.
Sitting down on her new couch, Kelley looked at a photo of her and Daniel – with some of his fellow sailors and crew – that was taken at the Navy yard, the Armadale patrol boat a backdrop for the shot.
She wasn't delusional; she knew Ronald won't stay in jail.
At the trial, the judge had been sympathetic towards him and had only given Ronald a four year sentence on a crime that usually carried a minimum of fifteen.
But enough about that.
Kelley was in Cairns to start over, to get on with her life and to forget the past.
Putting the photo back on her coffee table, she was about to start breaking down her moving boxes when the phone rang.
There was only one person who knows the number, so she answered, “Morning, Danny.”
Daniel chuckled. “Morning, Kelley. How's the unpacking coming?”
“Finished. Are you back on port?” She asked as she wiped some dirt of her pants.
“No, I'm on shore leave on the Samaru Islands.” He replied. There's a smile in his voice as he added, “I bought you something.”
“Really?” Kelley asked. “What?”
“That's a surprise.” Daniel said.
They joked around some more before Kelley said, “Danny, just ask what we both know you want to ask.”
She heard him blow out a breath before he asked, “Am I that obvious?”
Kelley nodded and told him. “You are, but, no, he hasn't.”
Ever since Ronald had managed to get a threatening letter to Kelley while she'd been in a hotel in Northern Townsville, awaiting transfer to Cairns, Daniel had been concerned for her safety.
Kelley had even reassured him no one besides them knew her number.
But that didn't stop the Lieutenant from worrying. “Alright, I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. I think it's sweet.” She told him, just to ease his conscious. “When do I get to see you again?”
“We'll be returning home soon,” Daniel replied, “I'd say within a week.”
“Great!” Kelley exclaimed, excited to be seeing him again after his two-month patrol. “Call me when you can.”
“Count on it, babe.” Daniel said. “See you soon.”
They hang up and Kelley goes back to breaking down boxes. She always feels good after talking with Daniel and her thoughts about the past evaporate.
Lieutenant Daniel Coleman, the navigator for the HMAS Sydney and third in charge of the Armidale-class patrol boat, didn't like Kelley being alone.
His brother had messed her up really good, beating her to within an inch of her life before raping her and finally marking her with his knife.
But, he was also proud of her, because she was pushing on, and – as far as he could tell – she wasn't letting what Ronald did to her get her down.
Returning to the bridge after a quick run to the head, Daniel decided to focus on his job, telling himself that Kelley could handle herself after the self-defence lessons he gave her.
“New nav-track, Danny.” Lieutenant Ethan Conrad – the ships Executive Officer – told him.
Daniel accepted the sheet of paper and entered the co-ordinates into the compute before telling the wheel, “Half-ahead both engines, revolutions two-zero-zero-zero.”
The sailor at the helm repeated his orders just as their CO – Lieutenant Commander Jackson Tanner – joined them on the bridge. “Where are we headed, Nav?”
“Barkley Island, boss.”
“The Coast Guard requested our help in a Search-and-Rescue, boss.” Radio Operator Steven Leigh told them. “A couple has disappeared while vacationing on their boat.”
Jackson nodded and turned his attention to Daniel. “How's your girl, Nav?”
His colleagues and mates had been with him ever since he'd first learned about what Ronald was doing to Kelley and given the relationship he shared with her, they are always referring to her as his girl. Daniel thinks it sounds rather nice, but he knows Kelley will never be anything more then just a good friend because she made it clear she wasn't about to get into any form of relationship beyond friendship for a very long time, if ever.
“She's fine, boss.” Daniel told Jackson. “Just finished unpacking this morning.”
“That's good.” Jackson said. “Has she had anymore trouble from Agent Ass?”
His CO's nickname for Ronald always made Daniel smile, and he said, “Not anymore.”
Jackson lowered his voice and said, “If you need to take anymore time off, just let me know.”
“Thanks.”
He would have liked nothing more then to take an extended leave from the Navy to be with Kelley, just to make sure she really was okay, but he knew she needs space. He'd let her settle into her new life before he crowded her.
Two
Back on dry land, Daniel and his mates began heading up the wharf, more then ready for the three days of fun and much needed relaxation.
They'd been a sea for two months, patrolling Australia's northern waters and keeping her safe from any unwanted attention, and it was time to sit back and unwind for seventy-two hours.
“Hey, Danny!” Ethan called, standing next to a silver BMW.
“What's up, X?”
“You've got a visitor.” Ethan said before getting into the sedan and driving off.
Daniel looked to where Ethan had pointed and smiled when he saw Kelley, looking her usual beautiful self in grey jeans and a light blue tee with her auburn hair pulled back into a tail at the back of her head.
Steven let rip with a loud wolf-whistle and asked, “Now what is a girl that fine doing with a schmuck like you, Coleman?”
“Hey, respect? That's Kelley you're talking about.” Daniel said before grinning at her and greeting, “Hey, beautiful.”
Kelley threw her arms around his neck and laughed, “Hi! Welcome bac
k to the mainland.”
“And it's good to be back.” He said.
The ships mechanical engineer, Ric Jordan, elbowed Daniel in the side and muttered, “Introduce us, you goose.”
“Oh, right.” Daniel slipped an arm around Kelley's shoulders and gestured to the men. “Kel, these are my colleagues, Steven and Ric. Guys, this is Kelley.”
“Nice to meet you, Kelley.” Steven said.
“Like wise.” Kelley said, shaking hands with each one. They head up the yard to the exit and she said to Daniel, “I brought your car if you want to give the guys a lift.”
His car was a 1972 Ford XA GT coupe that he'd spent seven years working on, restoring it to it's original glory. He had no doubt in his mind that Steven and Ric would have liked a ride, but he wanted some alone time with Kelley, so he told them, “Sorry guys. You're going to have to find another ride. The lady and I need to talk.”
They nodded and headed out through the main-gate to hail a cab as Kelley turned to him and asked, “Okay. What's wrong?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to catch up.”
She smiled and asked, “Really?”
“Really. I've missed you.” Daniel replied, ignoring the odd mix of feeling that arose when he said that. Instead, he pulled out her present and handed it to her. “Think of this as a welcome-to-your-new-life -gift.”
But, even as he said that, he got a sudden premonition in his gut that told him something bad was going to happen, and he didn't like it.
Back in her new apartment, Kelley sat on her couch, flipping through a magazine while Daniel took a shower.
His gift was wrapped around her wrist and she loved it; it was made of a massive white shell with six rows of beads coming out in a butterfly-like pattern to cling to the wrist.
When she'd put it on, she'd silently vowed to never take it off.
Looking at it, Kelley reflects on how much alike the two brothers are, even though one is light and one is dark; they both share a passion for hard rock and classics from Sinatra. They both have a weakness for women with hair similar to her own. They both prefer home-cooked meals to takeaway.
But the similarities are only material.
Of the two men, Daniel was defiantly the better one, and she isn't saying that because of what happened to her.
Daniels values, beliefs, and ethics out shine Ronald.
Daniel was a gentleman, while Ronald prefers to live the easy life, taking what he wants by force or manipulation, rather then working for it.
Closing the magazine with a loud snap, Kelley heads into the kitchen to start lunch.
Anything to get Ronald Coleman off her mind.
“Yo, Kel!” Daniel called from down the hall.
“Yeah?”
“Where's the … Oh. Never mind.”
Kelley grinned; Daniel had a habit of doing that. But it was something that made him more adorable.
He appeared a few minutes later, looking absolutely handsome in a black shirt and jeans. “Whatcha cookin'?”
“Stir-fry.”
“Sounds yummy.” He grabs a can of coke out of the fridge and leaned against the counter, his see-everything green eyes on her as he asked, “What's wrong, Kel?”
Kelley knew better then to try and lie to a who was number one in the Navy for his interrogation skills, so she blew out a breath and answered, “I had Ronald on my mind.”
Daniel looked at her in concern and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine. It's just … sometimes it feels weird.”
“What does?”
“The history I have. It doesn't seem real.” Kelley explained. She continued to cook the stir-fry as she looked at him and said, “It doesn't seem like it's possible for me to be in this situation.”
Daniel moved closer to her and rubbed her between her shoulders as he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
She'd have liked nothing more then to talk to him about it.
For the past month, Daniel had been there for her, offering both support and advice when she needed it.
She was thankful for his help, but, sometimes when she looked at Daniel, she was reminded of just why he did those things for her. And explaining that to him without hurting his feelings was something Kelley hadn't figured out how to do.
So instead, she smiled and replied, “No. It's okay. But thank you.”
Daniel nodded in his head and told her, “Okay. But I'm here if you need me.”
Kelley smiled again and said, “I know.”
Three
Seventy-two hours flew, and on Thursday, Kelley took Daniel back to the Navy yard. He'd liked the three day they had spent together, but he hadn't been thrilled to learn that she sometimes still thought about Ronald.
His bastard of a brother had really messed her up, maybe more then Kelley was willing to admit.
But work was calling again, and Daniel needed to get his head in the game so he wouldn't mess things up out at sea. Besides, he knew Ronald couldn't get to Kelley and that she only thought of him when her wound acted up or something triggered an unpleasant memory.
She's going to be fine, Daniel told himself as Kelley parked his GT near the main entrance and they got out. She's a smart young woman and she won't let anything happen to herself.
At the main gate, they were met by Steven, Ric and Jackson, who was meeting Kelley for the first time.
“I've heard a lot about you, Miss Harmon.” Jackson said, shaking her hand. “I want you to know that, if you need Coleman for anything, just tell me and I'll send him home as quickly as possible.”
Kelley smiled at the CO and said, “Thank you, Lieutenant Commander. That's very considerate of you.”
“Think nothing of it, ma'am. You have my full support.” Jackson told her.
They continued on to the waiting patrol boat, the roar of an approaching motorbike mingling with the sounds of water lapping against the hull of ships, the cry of seagulls in the air and the chatter of sailors walking about them. Recent rain made the atmosphere very pleasant, and the wharf was dotted with puddles, some quite large. So it was inevitable that the sailor driving the Harley a little too fast lost control on the bend where the four of them were walking.
A shouted warning was issued, but it came too late.
The bike hit Daniel and Kelley, causing Kelley to loose her footing on the slippery wharf and she fell straight into the cold water below.
“Kelley!” Daniel jumped to his feet and ran to the edge, looking down into the water, hoping to see her.
But she hadn't surfaced yet and that was troubling.
A patrol boat was right there, it's rotors right in the line of where Kelley had fallen in. Had she hit her head?
Without wasting anymore time, Daniel yanked off his shirt and boots, ready to jump in and save her.
Jackson stopped him momentarily, handing him a rope someone had grabbed and telling him, “Tie this around your waist so we can help.”
Daniel did, then dived into the cold water.
Instantly, he found Kelley, and his heart almost stopped when he realised she wasn't moving.
Swimming over to her, he removed the rope from around his waist and secured it under her arms before giving it a good tug, letting Jackson know to start pulling. He followed her out as she was pulled from the water, and when they broke the surface, Jackson hauled a still-unconscious Kelley out of the water as Daniel climbed out.
Navy paramedics were waiting and when Kelley was flat on her back on the wharf, they began working on bringing her around. A crowd had gathered and people were talking, telling exaggerated versions of what had happened, but Daniel paid them no attention.
His entire focus was on Kelley and the paramedics as he prayed she was going to be alright.
Before she'd woken up, the last thing Kelley remembered was being on the wharf at the Navy yard, walking Daniel to his ship.
Now, she lay in a hospital bed at the near-by Navy hospital, Daniel and Jackson at her side.
> And she was in shock.
Not because of what had happened, but rather because of what the doctor had told her a few seconds ago.
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