High-Stakes Holiday Reunion

by Christy Barritt

  * * *

  Jack Sergeant, the CEO of Eyes, and Mark Denton, his second in command, came to a stop in front of them. Both looked like they’d been working long hours. They’d abandoned their ties and coats. The top button of Denton’s white shirt was open and the shadow of a beard had already formed on his cheeks.

  Mark—who went by Denton—had helped to train Christopher as a SEAL before going to work for the CIA. He’d been Christopher’s contact in getting a job here and, for that, Christopher was grateful.

  Christopher trusted Jack and Denton more than if they’d been brothers. Both had been SEALs and had earned reputations as being trustworthy and loyal, as well as innovative and at the top of their game in the paramilitary contracting world. He’d jumped at the chance to come work for them.

  They introduced themselves to Ashley. Jack put his hands on his hips, his brow furrowed with concern. “What’s going on?”

  Ashley glanced at Christopher before sucking in a deep breath and telling her story. Even though she had to be exhausted and scared, she maintained a calm demeanor that he could appreciate. Except for her voice cracking a few times, she stuck to the facts.

  Denton stepped forward. “Is there anything you can remember about the car?”

  She nodded. “The license plate number.”

  Christopher raised his eyebrows. “You can?”

  She nodded again. “I thought the police were the only ones who could do something with that information, though. I figured it would do us no good.”

  Jack shook his head. “We’ll look into it. You have no idea who these men are?”

  Ashley shook her head. “No, I have no idea. We’re just simple, everyday people. Things like this don’t happen to us.”

  Jack grunted. Christopher knew that he understood what it was like when simple, everyday people got mixed up in things bigger than they seemed equipped to handle. That was how Jack had met the woman who was now his wife, for that matter. At least that reminded Christopher of how good things could come from bad situations, similar to the flower garden he’d stumbled upon in the middle of a military base. Some soldiers had decided to make the place feel like home and planted roses and hollyhocks and other varieties he couldn’t identify. How they’d made those flowers grow in that soil, he’d never know. But they had, and they’d proven to him that from the dust something beautiful could grow.

  “You’re both welcome to stay here for as long as you need to,” Jack started. “Christopher, the men are at your place now, checking things out and boarding up your windows. You did the right thing by leaving immediately. In the meantime, we’ll look into that license plate number and see what we can find out.” He glanced at Ashley. “Why don’t you give us your address and a house key? We’ll search your place also, just to make sure there’s nothing we’re missing.”

  “I appreciate it.” Her gaze met each person’s in the circle while her hand clutched the necklace at her throat. “I appreciate all of your help. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  Jack patted her arm. “We’re glad you’re here. Let us know if you need anything else.” He offered a curt wave before he headed back up the stairs.

  Denton lingered, his gaze meeting Christopher’s. “Christopher, can I speak with you for a moment?”

  Christopher nodded and followed him to a corner. He glanced back at Ashley and saw that she’d already gravitated back toward the fire again. By the set of her shoulders, she looked like she was carrying a weight far heavier than she should bear.

  He turned back to Denton. “What is it?”

  Denton lowered his voice. “Are you sure you can handle this?” His eyes showed that he was dead serious.

  “Of course.” Christopher wasn’t sure what his superior was getting at.

  Denton crossed his arms and shifted, his voice still low and conspirative. “You took this job to recover from war. You’re being thrown right back into a battle, though.”

  Christopher straightened. “I can handle it.”

  “I know you think you’re tough. You are tough. But even the toughest soldiers have to step away from the battle sometimes.”

  “Sometimes a soldier has no choice but to go back into the fight. They have to reach down inside and find strength, even when they don’t think they have it. That’s what one of the men who once trained me said, at least.” He kept his chin raised and stood at full attention, though he knew Denton would tell him to be at ease.

  Denton stared at him a moment before nodding. A smile stretched across his face and he gripped his arm. Denton had been that man who said those words. “I’m here for you if you need me.”

  “You always have been. I appreciate that, sir.”

  Denton leaned closer. “Listen, I don’t know what your past relationship is with Ashley, but I get the feeling you two were more than friends.”

  “Yes, we were. We were engaged, to be exact.”

  His eyes widened a moment. “This was the girl you were crazy about while you were in training, huh? I remember the way you talked about her like she was the best thing to ever happen to you.”

  “She was the best thing to ever happen to me.” His heart squeezed as he said the words. They were true. Walking away from Ashley had felt like walking away from his heart.

  “Don’t let your past get in the way of doing what you have to do.”

  “Yes, sir.” He glanced back over at Ashley. Those words would be the hardest to follow through on. Remembering their time together was so bittersweet.

  Somehow, he had to ignore the fact that she hated him and realize that God had brought her back into his life for some reason...maybe even just forgiveness and closure? He didn’t know.

  But he did know that, in Christ, all things worked together for His good.

  Somehow, someway, something good was going to come out of all of this.

  The question was...what?

  FIVE

  Christopher stared at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside his bed. The red numbers stared back at him. Six-twenty, and he was wide awake.

  He’d been wide-awake for a long time.

  For most of the night, for that matter.

  He tossed toward the other side of his bed, trying to grab a few more minutes of rest. Back at home, there was a bottle of sleeping pills lying on his nightstand. He’d refused to take them, despite his doctor’s encouragement. He liked to think he was strong enough to weather the storms of life without the help of any medication.

  Even if he’d had the pills with him now, he wouldn’t have taken any last night. He wanted to be on guard.

  Between his return home, the unexpected reappearance of Ashley in his life, and the danger surrounding her, sleep had just been a dream.

  He should be used to it. He hadn’t had a good night’s rest in months. Too many images from Afghanistan haunted him.

  He’d gone to counseling all of four times, and it hadn’t done him any good. All the counselor had wanted to do was talk about things. He was tired of talking about things. He just wanted to move on.

  Being back in the States was an entirely different kind of battleground.

  Hang on to the good memories, he reminded himself, punching his pillow with his fist.

  He was thankful that Jack had given him a job at Eyes as a Training Specialist. He hoped his soul would have time to heal away from the battleground. But now he’d been thrust into the face of danger again, it seemed. But how could he turn Ashley away? He couldn’t.

  Ashley’s face drifted into his mind. They’d had some good times together—some really good times, actually. Their relationship had been so simple, filled with long walks, road trips and movie marathons.

  Then things had ended. No, make that, then he’d ended things.

  He never thought he’d see
her again. Or if he did see her again, he expected her to be married with kids in tow. She was the kind of woman who’d make a great mother and wife. He knew that’s all she’d dreamed of for so long. She had everything a guy could want. So why was she still single? And why had she come to him of all people? Was there something she wasn’t telling him? He couldn’t even begin to fathom what that thing might be.

  Finally, after tossing and turning for thirty more minutes, he dragged himself out of bed and hopped in the shower. Someone had left some clothes outside his door. He quickly put on the jeans and sweatshirt, making a mental note that he needed to run to the store and buy a few things today.

  He stepped outside his room and stared at the door beside his. Ashley’s room. It was only 7:00 a.m. Was Ashley awake yet? She’d always been an early riser. She liked to go jogging or biking before starting her day. He remembered many mornings when they’d met at the beach to run together on the boardwalk. Those memories seemed like an entirely different lifetime ago.

  He raised his hand to knock at her door but stopped. He would let her sleep, or at the very least, have some privacy. When she was ready, she’d come downstairs. He needed some coffee and a bite to eat. Maybe that would wake him up. At the end of the hallway, he peered out the window and saw at least two inches of snow piled on top of everything, cloaking the landscape in innocence.

  The weather forecaster had gotten it right for once. What did you know?

  A blazing fire greeted him downstairs as he made his way toward the kitchen. The space was already filled with a group of law-enforcement trainees. He recognized several and waved hello. He’d been one of their instructors and had been teaching them about use of force. That responsibility had been passed on to someone else until this ordeal with Ashley subsided.

  He began pouring himself a cup of coffee when he heard someone behind him.

  “Christopher.”

  He turned away from the coffeepot at the sound of Ashley’s voice, making sure any sign of his exhaustion disappeared from his face.

  She stood in front of him, her eyes wide and crystal clear and as breathtaking as ever. Man, she was beautiful with that oval face, pert nose and glossy hair. If anything, the years had only made her more attractive. He could stare at her all day, and it would never get old.

  “Morning, Ashley.” He raised his mug. “Care for some coffee?”

  She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. He had the crazy desire to pull her into a hug, to stroke her hair and tell her everything would be okay. But he couldn’t do that. Ashley Wilson was off-limits. She was now, and she should have been ten years ago.

  He forced his thoughts to go in another direction. He focused on the here and the now. He knew he couldn’t forget the past—and that he shouldn’t—but right now he just couldn’t deal with it. “Grab a plate. Breakfast is on the house.”

  She hesitated, but only for a moment, before putting some eggs and fruit on her plate. They sat down together at a table by the window. She thanked him before closing her eyes. Was she praying?

  She pulled her eyes open, her gaze dull as it met his. “I wish they’d taken me and not David,” she blurted.

  “It doesn’t sound like they want to kill him, Ashley. They could have already killed them both, but they haven’t. Instead, they’re just using that threat as leverage for you not to tell. No, I think they want your brother and David for another reason.”

  She nodded. “That makes sense, I guess. I just wish they’d left David out of it. He’s so young and innocent. He always tries to be so tough, though. He’s a real soldier—or trouper, I suppose.” Her gaze met his. What was that emotion in her eyes? Regret, it almost seemed. But why?

  Christopher looked up as Mark Denton approached the table with that cocky swagger he was known for. He pulled back a chair. “Mind if I sit down?”

  Using his foot, Christopher pushed a chair out for him. “Please do.”

  Denton pulled the seat to the end of the table and straddled it. His gaze met Ashley’s. “We got a trace on that license plate.”

  Her eyes brightened. “What did you discover?”

  “It turns out the man who owns the car is named Gil Travis. Have you ever heard of him?”

  Ashley shook her head. “Gil Travis? The name doesn’t sound familiar.”

  Denton’s lips pulled into a tight, grim line. “He’s on the FBI’s most-wanted list.”

  She blinked, as if trying to process his words. “What?”

  Denton nodded. “He’s affiliated with a terrorist organization called His People. Do you remember the bombing of that federal building up in Richmond several years ago?”

  Christopher was well aware of who the group was. That particular story had made national news after five people had died.

  Ashley nodded also. “Yeah, I remember that. It was all over the news.”

  “His People were behind it. They’re determined to take down the America we know and love. They’re some dangerous men, and Gil is their second in command—more of a tactical commander who plans their attacks against targets here in the U.S., as well as at embassies overseas.”

  “Why? Why does this group hate America so much?” Ashley asked.

  Denton grimaced. “The organization formed in the 1970s under the leadership of Abar Numair—”

  “He’s the man who was killed several months ago, right? By some of the U.S. special forces?”

  Denton briefly glanced at Christopher before nodding. “That’s correct. This organization has cells all over the world, including some here in the U.S. Most of the people who join the organization have some kind of ties to the Middle East.”

  “Are they Islamic extremists?” Ashley asked.

  Denton shook his head again. “No, that’s the surprising part. Probably twenty percent of their membership is Muslim. The real reason these men have come together is that they have some kind of bone to pick with the U.S. Gil, for example. His dad was killed in a drone attack over in Iraq. His mother remarried and moved to the United States, making him a citizen—a citizen with a huge grudge.”

  “People with grudges can do terrible things,” Ashley mumbled.

  “Authorities are still trying to figure out who provides their funding for them. That’s what makes them scary—there are some unknown members who stay secret.” Denton pulled out a photo. “Do you recognize him?”

  Ashley studied the photo for a minute. Christopher immediately recognized the tall man with a head full of dark hair, cold, black eyes and sunken cheeks. “He looks vaguely familiar, but no.”

  “That’s Gil Travis,” Denton said.

  Ashley’s gaze met Denton’s. “I still don’t understand. What does my brother have to do with this? It just doesn’t make sense.”

  Denton drew in a deep breath. “We’re still trying to figure that out. What did you say your brother did for a living again?”

  “He programs computers. He’s one of the best—” Her eyes widened as she stopped midsentence. “He’s one of the best in the country,” she finished softly. She turned toward Christopher, licking her lips. “He could hack into almost any system.”

  “Including the government’s,” Denton filled in.

  “He wouldn’t do that.” She swung her head back and forth. “He’s too ethical. Especially now that he’s a dad....”

  Christopher seemed to remember that Josh had gotten into trouble in high school for doing some hacking, but that was a long time ago. People changed, especially when they became parents. Certainly Josh wouldn’t do anything to put his son in jeopardy.

  “If he had a gun to his head, he might.” Denton leaned toward her. “We’re going to need to find out some information from you, Ashley.”

  “Sure. I’ll share anything.” She grimaced after she said the words. What was that about, Chri
stopher wondered?

  Denton leaned toward her. “Tell me about your brother.”

  “He’s the classic computer nerd. He’s an absolute whiz at anything computer-related. TechShare recruited him to work for them four or five years ago.”

  “TechShare?” Denton questioned.

  “They’re some computer company. I hadn’t heard of them, either, before Josh got a job with them. Apparently, they design some of the processors that the bigger companies buy. I don’t know. He doesn’t really like to talk about his work. He says it’s boring.”

  Denton watched her closely, almost as if he were a human lie detector. “How about his family? Tell me about them.”

  “His wife died a few years ago from cancer. I’m his only sibling. My mom passed away nearly a decade ago, and my dad is living in a retirement community down in South Carolina now.”

  “Just one child?” Denton continued. He took a sip of coffee, his gaze never leaving hers.

  She licked her lips again. “Just one. A son named David. He’s eight.”

  “Anything we need to know about him?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “He...he’s, um...he’s adopted. You don’t think that has anything to do with this, do you?”

  Denton shrugged. “Who knows? Anything’s a possibility now. Was it an open or closed adoption?”

  “Open.”

  “Do you know the birth mother’s name?” Christopher turned toward Ashley, feeling like they could be onto something. “Maybe we could start there. We could find her and see if she has anything to do with this.”

  “I can...I can try to get her name for you. I doubt it would do any good. I think you’re looking in the wrong direction.”

  Christopher stared at her another moment, wondering why she was acting so strangely. Earlier, she’d seemed so anxious to do whatever was necessary. Now hesitancy seemed to lace each movement. “We need to explore every possibility, Ashley.”

  “I agree.” She rubbed her temples before finally pointing behind her. “Do you mind if I run to the restroom for a moment?”