Toad sat up straighter and threw a smile on his face. "Ladies!" he called out. "Hello."
"Hi," purred a tall blonde. "I'm Brandy. The redhead is Sarah and behind her is Karmyn."
"With a K, not a C," piped up Karmyn, "and a y, not an e."
"Nice to meet you, Karmyn with a K and a y. I'm Toad with a T and a d, next to me is Railroad with two Rs, and across the way there is Hick - spell it like you hear it, plain and boring." He grinned charmingly. "Pull up a lap and let us buy you a drink. Something fruity unless I miss my guess."
Brandy giggled and turned to her friends. "I told you they were military. Did you hear the nicknames?"
Slowly, Hick closed his eyes. He was not in the mood for barrack bunnies tonight - the name given to women who chased military men to sleep with them. Instead, he drained the last of his beer and stood. "Here's a chair. I'm sure you can find a place for them to sit."
Toad snorted and pulled a pliable Brandy into his lap. "Yep, I've got a perfect place for you."
Sarah watched Hick for a moment then scooted around and placed a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"
For a split second, Hick could almost see his Georgia in the woman standing beside him. They both had red hair, freckles, and deep green eyes. However, where Georgia had gorgeous womanly curves, Sarah was lithe and tall. The lack of a Southern twang was also obvious. This woman could never come close to the one who already possessed his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Please excuse me, ladies. PT comes early in the morning." He pulled a bill out of his wallet and tossed it on the table. "The next round is on me. Enjoy."
Disentangling her hands from his arm, Hick gave the group a tight smile then worked his way out of the pub. Once outside, he took in a few deep breaths of the salty air then stuffed his hands into his pockets. Turning to the left, he walked away from the parking lot and stepped off onto the sand. Finding a bench, he dropped onto it and leaned back.
"She must be pretty special."
Hick's eyes flew open. Sarah stood by twisting her fingers nervously.
"Who?" Hick asked with a bit of confusion.
She slid her hands behind her thighs, flattening the slight flare of her skirt then sat down. "The woman that I'm not," she answered.
He pushed his hand through his hair. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
She laughed softly. "I didn't take any offense. I didn't even want to come out tonight, but Brandy guilted me into it." The salty air filled with the sigh of waves breaking on the shore before she continued in a soft tone.
"I saw you when you walked in with the other two. Brandy said she just knew you were in the navy and probably SEALs. To let you in on a secret, Karmyn bet Brandy she couldn't bag one of you."
Hick let out a disgusted breath. "Well, if she's after Toad, she has a good chance. He's the poster child for man-ho anonymous. Railroad is a bit more reserved. He's particular about who he dates. And then there's me."
"The emotionally unavailable one," Sarah finished.
"It's that obvious, huh?"
She smiled and gave a little shrug. "Maybe just a little bit. I've been down that road before; trying to get back into the dating game while getting over heartbreak. Did something happen to her?"
"Not exactly. Georgia... I mean Annabeth lives on the other side of the country."
"And long-distance relationships are hard."
Hick didn't know why he was so forthcoming with what was going through his mind. Perhaps it was because of Sarah's resemblance to Annabeth or maybe it was the obvious concern on her face. Either way, it felt good to voice the uncertainty that plagued him.
"Yeah, really hard," he admitted. "We've been friends for a while now. With my job in the SEALs and hers in Atlanta, the logistics of getting together are almost impossible."
Sarah slid her foot out of the two-inch heels and buried her toes in the warm sand. Slowly she pulled them out, letting the sand trickle off the top. "My mother always said where there's a will there's a way. If you two want a relationship, then you'll have to work for it."
Hick leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. Staring out at the moon kissed waves, he considered her words. They had tried to work for it for a year now, but they were no closer to what he craved than the first night they met.
"She's on a date tonight," he said in a low voice.
"Ah. And you're not happy about that."
He looked at Sarah, but she kept her eyes on the breaking waves. "I want her to be happy. It's not fair to ask her to commit to me when there's so much working against us. She deserves better than that. I don't know what to do."
"Oh my God, are you serious?" Sarah jumped to her feet and glared at him. "Who are you to make that choice? You alpha males are all alike. You think you know what's best for others, but you have no clue." She started to pace slowly. "Here's an idea of what you should do. You should get your head out of your ass and talk to her. Why don't you call her and tell her how you feel?"
"And watch her run?"
Sarah snorted. "If she hasn't run from your career, then I'd say she thinks there's more than just friendship there. Seriously, what do you have to lose? You said yourself that there's a distance between you. You said the career makes things difficult. In my thinking, you're already experiencing the hardest part. Give the woman a chance to know her mind."
Her sudden outburst shocked Hick to his very core. This little spitfire stared him down as if daring him to take her advice. Suddenly he burst into laughter. "I think you just pulled my head out after all." He leaned back and pulled his phone out. He hesitated a moment. "What if she's still on her date? What if they are together?"
"What if she thinks you don't want her and you lose your chance?" She squeezed his arm and then slid on her shoes. "The world is full of what-ifs and antagonizing over them is just going to drive you crazy. I'm going to go find the others. Good luck, Hick."
He watched her make her way back to the raucous little pub down the street then stared at the screen in his hands. He made up his mind, pushed a button and waited for the call to connect.
"Hick?"
The hope in her voice was clear. With a smile, he replied, "Hey Georgia. You've been on my mind again."
Hick was calling her.
After the last conversation they had had, she wasn't sure how this would go. Then, he said those words that always made her smile.
"Hey. How are you?"
"I'm good. How was your date?"
The words came out tight as if he dreaded hearing the answer.
Letting out a heavy breath she blurted out, "It was a disaster. Andrew is an ass. I never even got to eat dinner. Not that there was much to eat anyway. Why is it the fancier the restaurant, the smaller the portions?"
He chuckled; his laughter was rich and full of light-hearted mirth. "I've never really understood that either. When I'm hungry, I want to eat a full meal, not nibble on a sliver of meat."
"Oh, speaking of meat, I ordered the pork belly dinner. It didn't look anything like bacon. I like mine crispy, not thick, lumpy and covered in a bunch of grass."
"I'll keep that in mind. No lumpy, limp, bacon for my Georgia. Got it. I'll remember that the next time I cook you breakfast."
He called her his Georgia and was planning on fixing her breakfast. Suddenly the uncertainty of the last few days was wiped away. She relaxed and snuggled into the cushion and cradled the phone. They sat in comfortable silence for a bit. She could sit there for hours and not say a word, just be content to know he was there on the other side.
"Is everything going okay with you?"
She nodded then remembered he couldn't see her. "Yeah, all's good here. How're the guys?"
"Cowboy's dad isn't doing very well, so he's on leave to be with his family."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll be praying for him."
Annabeth flipped off her television and curled up on her sofa. Snuggling down into her blanket, she felt the fear evaporate. "And
the others?"
"Finch is on leave as well. I don't know what's going on with him. Bruiser is keeping his mouth shut about whatever it is. Bruise is so blissfully happy in love with Olivia; he stays with her as much as possible. Railroad is good, and Toad is his normal self."
"In other words, he's still womanizing," she guessed.
He laughed softly. "Yeah, pretty much. In fact, he was working on it tonight when I left the pub."
Annabeth felt her breath catch. "You were out at a pub?"
"Yeah, I was for a little bit."
"Oh." She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "Do you want to get back to them?"
"No, Georgia. I want to talk to you. If I wanted to be in there with them, I'd be there."
"Really?"
"Yeah, honey." He blew out a breath. The line was silent for several moments. "Annabeth? Look, I think we need to have a long talk."
She felt her breath seize. Was this the end? Was he tired of being friends? "A talk about what," she asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Oh, it's nothing bad. I think we need to discuss things; discuss what's going on between us. Talk about this thing that's between us." He stammered over the words. "Because where we are now isn't working."
She swallowed and clutched the phone tighter causing the plastic to creak. "You sound unhappy."
"I am, Georgia. But not how you think." He sighed heavily again. "I'm messing this all up. Look, I know you are busy but how about after Phoenix we take some time together. I'd like to see where we are and maybe, where we can be. I don't know how else to explain it."
Her stomach tied in knots. Was Hick asking what she thought he was asking? Was he seriously talking about something more permanent between them? Her heart leaped into her throat at the thought, and she swallowed it down.
"Georgia? You there?"
"Yes, sorry, I'm here. I'd like that a lot, Hick. I can't promise I won't have to work some, but most of what I do can be handled remotely. How long do you think you can get? I know you never know when you have to go and how long you'll be gone."
"That's true. But, if I'm not already on a mission, I'll take some leave. Okay?"
"Okay."
She relaxed. Hick was going to take some time for them to spend together. It sounded too good to be true.
"Alright, honey. It's getting late there. I don't want to keep you from your beauty sleep, although you don't need it."
She giggled at his words. "It's always better to be safe than sorry."
Softly she heard him sing to her with his deep sexy baritone. Her toes curled, and a huge smile brightened her face. "Georgia on my Mind" hadn’t been one of her favorites until she heard him sing it. When he finished, she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Thank you, Hick. That was beautiful."
"Never be more beautiful than you, my sweet Georgia. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Hick."
The line went dead. Annabeth hugged her phone to her chest and lay back on the sofa. Only three weeks until Phoenix then she could spend some time alone with Hick. It sounded perfect, and she couldn't wait.
Chapter 6
It was done.
The first strike in the glorious plan of the Left Hand of Allah netted the desired attention. The cell celebrated down in the living space. He allowed it, but he would not join them. As a trusted lieutenant of the Left Hand, he will not celebrate until returning home after the great plan was complete.
19 days
"Do you believe this shit?"
"Who did it?"
"Anyone claim responsibility yet?"
Hick stood in the back of the media center with his eyes glued to the screen. Dark smoke curled over a scene containing rubble, screaming and crying people and emergency workers. When he had awoken this morning for PT, the news of the bombing in Cannes was plastered on every outlet possible. Now he waited for official word of the event with his fellow SEAL teams.
The screen went dark as the briefing began.
"At oh-ten-hundred Zulu time, four vehicles carrying explosives targeted four buildings in Cannes including Palais des Festivals et des Congres. Details are sketchy at this time, but we're gathering intel." The Commander turned slightly and pressed a button. The screen flared to life once again. A woman's voice could be heard laughing then speaking in a mixture of English and French. The screen showed a beautiful avenue under a clear blue day. The area was filled with tourists going about their business. As the camera slowly panned around, a white van appeared on the screen, driving recklessly. The camera followed the progress with the operator commenting on the stupidity of people driving wildly in a busy area. The camera panned back to the avenue when there was an explosion. Smoke drifted upwards from a large building down the avenue. Three more explosions echoed in the air as people began to scream and run. The screen tilted crazily as the owner ran from the area before cutting to a different scene. In it, thick dark smoke filled the air and people were coughing. The camera panned around the area showing people walking in a daze, some with bloody places on their bodies. The scene stopped.
"This video was taken by a tourist during the attack. As you can see, there were four distinct explosions, all tourist areas. The Palais des Festivals was filled with people at the time attending a lesser filmmaker's festival. The body count at the moment is at 104 with hundreds more injured or missing. This message was sent to news agencies around the world."
The screen flickered on again, and a man wearing black robes with a ski mask stared blankly ahead. Behind him, the plastered wall was a dingy grey with many cracks like spider webs on the surface. He began to speak, and the translation flashed across the bottom.
Western culture is an abomination to Allah. No longer will we allow this corruption to influence the world.
"Same bullshit different day," Railroad mumbled from beside Hick.
"It sure seems that way."
"Shhh." Bruiser glared at them.
Hick turned his attention back to the screen. The terrorist continued to spew his hatred calling upon others to join in the jihad and bring down the West and America in particular. He continued to harp on how American values had corrupted the minds of the young and how American movies were violating the innocence of the world with sex and violence. His spiel went on for another ten minutes before he ended his tirade and the screen went blank.
"Because the terrorists mentioned American culture specifically, we have been put on alert. This is the same type of rhetoric Haafiz al-Bashir, code name 'Fedora,' has been spouting for the last three years. Although it hasn't been confirmed, it's believed he and his radical subgroup of ISIS are responsible." He clasped his hands behind his back and glared out of the gathered SEALs. "As you know, we have been actively searching for him. He is currently number three on the terrorist's most wanted list." The Commander stopped and wiped his face with his hand. Looking over the assembled, he continued. "This one bit us in the seat. There was no chatter on any of the usual outlets. With there being four bombs at once, we know there had to be some coordination. The question is how and where? The CIA, NSA, Homeland Security and a bevy of other acronyms is working to answer those questions. When those questions are answered, you can bet your ass we will be going after him. Therefore, all nonessential leave is canceled. Questions? Alright then, you're dismissed. I'd like to see the leads for each team for a few minutes."
One by one, the men filed out of the room. Bruiser, stayed along with the leaders of the other teams to speak with the Commander. The others left the building.
"How about lunch?" Railroad asked.
"Okay, sounds good. Hey, you think they'll call Cowboy and Finch back from leave?"
"I dunno, Toad. They said nonessential leave. I guess it depends on why Finch is gone and if they think cancer surgery on Cowboy's father is essential." Railroad glanced over at Hick. "How about you? Get some chow?"
"Nah, you go ahead. I've got something to do."
Toad snorted. "Tell Bethy hi from us."
A growl er
upted from Hick. "Her name is Annabeth. Don't call her Bethy."
"Says the man who calls her 'Georgia.' At least my nickname is close to her normal one." Toad smacked Railroad on the shoulder. "I told you he was serious about her. You owe me a twenty."
"Bite me. I'll buy your lunch, that's the best you get. See you later, Hick."
The two walked off toward the parking lot leaving Hick alone. He pulled out his cell and punched Georgia's number.
"Hey, you."
He couldn't help the grin that split his face. "Hey, Georgia, how are you?"
"Better now. I took today off and went to Chattanooga to visit my sister. It was time for a little nephew therapy."
"Is that the mysterious man that has you all flustered?"
Hick laughed as Annabeth hissed at her sister. "Would you hush? He can hear you."
Annabeth's sister, Grace, called out, "Hey Hick! When are you going to visit? Elliot can't wait to meet you. He calls you Uncle Hick."
"Ignore her," Annabeth muttered between gritted teeth. He could imagine her cheeks turning red. She was so cute when she got embarrassed. The flush started at the top of her face and rushed down to disappear into her shirt.
"Uncle Hick, huh?"
"He's only six," she said defensively. "He's never even met you. But when he overheard me telling Grace that you were in the Navy he got excited. Now he wants to be a soldier or a bartender. And before you ask, he saw Tom Cruise flipping bottles in Cocktail and thought it was cool."
Hick erupted in laughter. "Well, I don't know if I can compete with Tom Cruise."
"You're better than him any day of the week."
"Well, I do try."
She hesitated a minute. "Hey, would you mind facetiming with me a few minutes? Actually, I was hoping you would talk with him. It would thrill him beyond words."
"Sure. Let me call you back. I'm on the way to the parking lot."
He hung up then jogged to his car. Once he settled in, he called her back using the video application.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Rescuing Annabeth (Kindle Worlds) (Team Cerberus Book 2) Page 5
