by Laura Acton
“Everything okay in here?” Gambrill asked loudly. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Jon appeared to be stepping over the line.
Reluctantly Jon dropped his arm, unclenched his fist, released Broderick, stepped back, and pinned the rookie with a hostile glare as he grated out, “Just working on real world drills.”
Dan gained control and lowered his stoic mask into place in response to Jon’s actions and glare. He didn’t want Gambrill to intervene further. Dan only gave a curt nod when his godfather looked at him for confirmation everything was alright.
As Jon stalked away from Dan, Walter blew out a breath. Still not settled down yet. Give them time to work it out on their own. He turned and left the gym. Walter maintained faith Alpha Team would accept Dan shortly—they only needed more time.
Dan glanced at Lexa who rubbed her wrists. Oh man, he held her harder than he meant to. As he watched Jon stalk away, keeping his eyes on the potential threat, he tried to figure out how to make amends to Lexa for hurting her.
Stunned by Jon’s overreaction and words he belted at Dan, Lexa scrutinized him. She noted the dribble of blood coming from his fat lip she gave him. Though she was none too happy he on the team, she shouldn’t have struck him so hard in sparring. Loss of control which resulted in injuries like that was uncalled for no matter what.
Lexa felt a twinge of guilt for hurting him—but why did he deliberately rile her. She realized she shouldn’t have risen to the bait. Broderick won the match because he used his words to invoke her emotions causing her to become her unfocused. Not something she should have allowed to happen—this was a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget.
The ferocity of Jon’s attack and what he said to Dan surprised Loki. He didn’t want the rookie on his team any more than the rest of them did, but Jon crossed the line even if Dan’s taunting of Lexa was risqué. He wanted to dispel the tension which settled in the gym.
Loki turned to Ray, licked his lips, and eyed the burger in Ray’s hand. “Now, where were we? Ah yes, I remember.” Loki snatched Ray’s burger and ran as he took a bite.
Ray sputtered a moment then raced after Loki as he hollered, “Give me back my burger!”
Dan and Lexa glanced at each other recalling Loki’s words were the exact words when Lexa returned to the bed with a condom for Dan. They exchanged silent, stunned expressions—both thinking, what are the odds? Both turned away from each other and headed off in different directions needing time to regain their composure—leaving everyone in the gym dumbfounded.
Nick rubbed his face. What the hell is he going to do with his team? They are slowly imploding. What was Gambrill thinking to just drop a rookie onto their team? He turned and left the room to go find his very hacked off tactical lead. Jon crossed the line today, and it was time for another talk with him about his behavior towards the unwanted team member.
Oooooo Brodericks … Argh!
29
Present Day – July 20
St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Waiting Room – 3:50 p.m.
As the teasing stopped and his cousins and the others moved on to more general conversation to pass the time, Scott noticed Lexa sat apart from the rest just like last night. Scott wondered if she was uncomfortable around so many men—or maybe it was just the Brodericks who intimidated her—they were an intense lot en masse.
Scott studied Lexa carefully. From her expressions, he could tell Lexa was thinking about things which pleased her at first. Her countenance changed, and she now seemed distressed and forlorn like something important had been taken away from her. He decided to try and talk with her. Perhaps he could offer a little comfort or maybe lighten her mood.
Lexa observed Scott’s fluid panther-like stride, so like Dan’s. Scott looked the most like Dan, so much they might be mistaken for twins. To her eyes though, he was definitely an older version. Scott’s hair is the exact same shade of golden blond and cut in much the same way, but Dan’s hair is a bit longer. The same velvety sapphire blue eyes stared at her as Scott approached.
What affected her most was what he was wearing and his fat lip. His lip was bruised and puffy in the exact same location as Dan’s was when she hit him in their sparring match. And damn, Scott was dressed in all black. Black boots, black jeans, black t-shirt. He was even wearing a Ducati red ballcap which reminded her of Dan’s helmet. He dressed almost exactly like Dan had been only six days ago when she hungrily raked up Dan’s body as he got off his motorcycle in her garage.
Lexa stiffened when Scott came to a stop in front of her, so like Dan, it hurt seeing him healthy. Dan should be like that right now instead of fighting for his life. Lexa had a sinking feeling Dan’s injury was life altering.
Scott could feel the tension emanating from Lexa when he stopped near her. He knew she had stayed the night with Loki watching over Dan. She was probably hungry—hospital cafés didn’t offer the best selection of food. Perhaps he could break the ice talking about food. “If you’re hungry, I know where we can get tasty burgers.”
Lexa tilted her head but remained quiet as she heard the same timbre of voice with less gruffness. Similar but not exactly the same as Dan’s.
At the continued silence, Scott added, “But if you prefer we could get a bite of something else.” Then the thought she might be intimidated by a plethora of Brodericks, he said, “Perhaps we could dine privately together after we’re done here? Maybe get some dessert …” Scott gave her his trademark lopsided grin and waited for a response.
Scott took two steps back rapidly as Lexa stood and stared directly at him. She stabbed him with daggers shooting from her eyes, anger pouring out of her. He saw her hands clenched and ready to strike, her lips tightly pressed together, and her face had lost all color.
Christ! What did I say to upset her so much? Oh, crap tears are forming in her eyes now. Her body quivered slightly with anger—she went rigid to stop the shaking. Holy hell, what did I do? Scott broke eye contact with Lexa and glanced over to her team searching for help. His eyes landed on the one they called Bram. “Bram?” he said in a voice which demanded attention.
Bram heard his name called and looked over to where it came from and spotted Lexa. On his feet in an instant he crossed the small room and positioned himself between the two, mostly to protect Scott because Lexa appeared ready to strike. He stared at Scott. “What did you say to her?”
His angry tone attracted the attention of everyone in the room. The rest of Alpha Team, except Nick, instantly planted themselves in front of Scott with expressions of protective brothers, ready to beat the crap out of someone who hurt their little sister. Nick promptly grasped Lexa by the arm and urged her, none too gently, to the other side of the room. He attempted to calm her down before she lashed out at Dan’s cousin.
Adam and Jeff promptly joined Scott and faced off with Alpha Team. It took a lot to unsettle rock-solid Scott—him being so flustered worried them.
Dumbfounded, Scott glanced at Lexa on the other side of the room and then refocused on the men in front of him. “I only suggested we could get a burger together, maybe some dessert,” he stammered out.
“What exactly did you say?” Jon asked.
Scott recounted his exact words further confused when grins started appearing on their faces “I’m sorry. What did I do? She looked ready to kill me and also like she saw a ghost,” Scott said as he raked his hand through his hair. He glanced at Lexa once again only turning back to Loki as he spoke.
“Man, you couldn’t have picked a worse thing to say to her right now. I’m surprised you’re not out cold already. If she had a gun on her, you would be staring down it. Those were almost the same exact words Dan taunted her with during their first sparring match,” Loki said with humor lacing his words.
He shared the entire event with Brodericks. Most of the team remembered the event with humor instead of malice. Jon was the only exception—he still didn’t like the fact he lost his cool and pinned Dan to the wall. Loki felt Jon should forgive him
self because Dan forgave him.
Jeff eyed Jon with a hard glare. It pissed him off Jon treated Dan like that. His protectiveness for family surged forth as he growled out, “If ever hear of you treating my cousin like that again …”
Adam who was more likely than Jeff to lose his cool reversed their normal traits and became the voice of reason. He put his hand on Jeff’s shoulder. “Restraint is needed. That is in the past. They worked it out.” Yet he couldn’t help turning his icy glare to Jon and firmly declaring, “Right!”
Jon nodded. He wondered what things would’ve been like had Dan’s family been around sooner. He might be a dead man based on the glares he received from all three of his cousins. “Won’t lie, we had a rough beginning, but it’s all good now.”
As the tension slowly ebbed away, Scott peeked over at Lexa. For a reaction like that there must be something more, something deeper. Heather said something about Lexa having a sixth sense with Dan. Scott scrutinized Lexa—this bore consideration. Then a thought struck him. Hmmm, is there an attraction between Dan and Lexa?
On the other side of the room, Nick managed to calm Lexa down with a few soft words. This was new behavior which warranted examination, Nick thought as he sat next to Lexa. His thoughts about a connection between Dan and Lexa increased in his gut. He would hate to lose either one of them if they crossed the line. He pushed that thought away—Dan is lying in the intensive care unit fighting for his life, not something to be worried about right now.
Lexa needed to apologize to Scott for her reaction, but not at this moment. Scott unknowingly hit a raw nerve with a sledgehammer. She didn’t quite understand her reaction, so an apology would need to wait until she regained her professional detachment. Her thoughts were interrupted when the doctor entered the room.
Everyone noticed Dr. Markson ambled in with a huge smile on his face. This was gonna be good news. They all gave their attention to the doctor.
Dr. Markson said, “Good afternoon. I have some very positive news. Dan has been stable and improving significantly over the last twelve hours. All signs indicate things are going amazingly well. So well, barring any complications, I’m now considering reducing the sedation much earlier than anticipated.
“I expect to remove all, but one of the chest tubes in the next day or so. If all goes well, the final one will be removed a few days later. Dan will remain on ventilation for at least the next three or four days. His lungs still need the time to recover. When I remove it, and he successfully breathes on his own, I’ll begin to reduce the sedation. That means Dan should be awake sometime in the next five days. I can tell you his progress so far has astounded me.”
Nick asked, “What types of complications?”
The doctor explained, “There are a few, but infection is the biggest worry given he has a compromised immune system with a partial spleen. An infection of the lungs would be most likely. We will watch diligently for that.
“Based on this, I’ll authorize up to three visitors at a time. The nurses will be instructed it’s okay for you to stay unless they need you to step out for any reason. Once he is off the ventilator, we’ll move him to a regular room on the tenth floor.
“I’ll put in standing orders visitors are allowed twenty-four seven even though that is technically against hospital policy. Please keep in mind Dan will need his rest to recover. And even with this progress, I need to remind you Dan incurred serious injuries and it will be a long and challenging path to recovery.”
Relief washed over everyone.
Jon asked the question on the minds of each team member, “What are Dan’s prospects for a full recovery and return to work? Are there any injuries which would prevent him from returning?”
Dr. Markson considered the question for some moments and sighed. “It’s too soon, and I can’t really give you a solid answer one way or the other. Yes, the injuries will mend given time. It’s his lungs I’m most worried about. The damage is significant. Stamina is necessary for your line of work. Only time will tell if his lungs will recover sufficiently. I wish I could be more positive than that, but I expect you would want the truth.”
Alpha Team didn’t let the final bit dampen their spirits. Dan is a fighter. He survived too much too often. Dan thrived when others failed. He would do so again. They would help him recover. And if the worst happened and he couldn’t rejoin the team, they would help him build a new life. But that was for later, for now, Dan was doing amazing.
Nick pulled out his phone to give Gambrill an update. Jon did the same calling Blaze and leaving a voicemail for him. Loki called Patch. Jeff called his dad to report Dan’s status. The group then sat down and determined a plan, so at least one person was with Dan at all times.
While the others worked out the plan, Lexa pulled Scott aside ready to apologize to him. The two stood in one corner. She looked at him and buried the twinge of emotion which tried to escape. “I’m sorry, I—”
Scott interrupted her and said seriously, “No need to say anything. I get it. Dan’s very important to you.” He caught the flash in her eye. Nailhead meet hammer. Wow! That’s an intense look. But Scott continued with no pause, “My words were too similar to Dan’s. They hit you wrong. I’m the one—”
Lexa interrupted Scott. “Yeah, you could be his doppelganger, same look, same walk, same words, same grin, same eyes. You’re even dressed almost like he was the last time we grabbed a burger after work, the red cap even reminded me of Dan’s helmet—same color. It freaked me out.
“It’s uncanny how much you two are alike. There is a strong family resemblance with all of you, but this,” she waved her hands at him, “this is just too weird, almost like you came from the same parents.”
Scott wondered about the comment about getting a burger after work but didn’t ask. He shrugged and said, “The ballcap was my Uncle’s idea. Because Dan and I look so much alike, he wanted me to cover my face in public in case anyone else is after Dan and doesn’t know he was shot.”
“Smart,” Lexa responded understanding they didn’t know if Plouffe or Pletcher were still a danger to Dan.
“As for doppelganger, more like he’s mine, I’m eight years older,” Scott said with a grin. Then Scott decided to pull her leg to make her smile.
Scott dropped his grin and switched to a long-suffering hurt tone of voice, “Yeah, as for having the same parents? The guys have teased us over the years at how much we look alike, too. Many people have suggested that we actually have the same father. It might be true, only me, Dan, and Uncle Will have the golden blond hair. How else would we look so alike?” He sighed deeply like it hurt too much to consider.
Lexa’s mouth dropped open at the implication of infidelity, but she swiftly closed it. “No way!” is all she could get out.
Scott nodded his head yes and put on a hurt look and frown.
She reached out a hand, gently laid it on his bicep, and said kindly, “Your fathers are brothers. Strange as it may be that you and Dan look so much alike, that has to be the reason.”
He started to reply in a pained voice, “Yeah, well it could be, but then again ...” Scott couldn’t keep up the pretense. His playful, mischievous tone came out as he cocked his head to the side and smiled, “but then again it could be because Dan’s mom, Yvonne, and my mom, Ann, are identical twin sisters.”
Lexa slugged his arm hard, spun on her heel, and stalked out of the waiting room to Dan’s room as she seethed, “Oooooo Brodericks … argh!”
Damn, that hurt! Lexa hits hard, Scott thought as he roared in laughter. He liked Lexa, she was a firecracker. She would be a good match for Dan. Too bad they are teammates—it would complicate things for them. He rejoined the group making a visitation rotation schedule for Dan.
Colonel, We Have a Problem
30
July 22
Afghanistan – Base Tarmac – 5:00 p.m. (8:30 a.m. Toronto)
Blaze and Winds each gripped a bicep of the man between them leading him. The man wore a black
hood over his head, his hands restrained behind his back, and his legs were shackled with only enough length to allow him to shuffle along to keep up with their pace. Behind them, Hal, Russ, Angus, and Duncan led two other men restrained in the same manner.
The unit men’s faces firmly set in grim lines as everyone on the tarmac stopped to watch the unusual scene. A young corporal gawked in awe as the Special Forces men led the prisoners to waiting Humvees.
Corporal Levi Melton turned to his buddy and said, “I can’t wait for selection testing.”
“Think you have a shot?” Private Leroy Scovell asked dismissively as he loaded the medical supplies they were taking to a local village.
Melton shrugged. “They need medics. I heard their best one left the unit earlier this year. I have that going for me.”
Scovell tossed Melton a box. “Well, if that’s the sole criteria then you’re a shoe-in. But it ain’t, so we gotta train you on the other shit. Though, personally, I think you’re fucking crazy to go for Special Forces. Those guys,” Scovell inclined his head towards the group getting into the Humvees, “will eat scrawny little guys like you for a snack. They deal with some heavy shit, too.
“My buddy in artillery said several years ago one of those guys actually called a direct fire on his own position, so he could take out a bunch of insurgents knowing he would die, too. That takes cojones you don’t have.”
Melton stacked the box and caught the next one. “I heard the rumors about that also. They say the unit medic was responsible for saving his life. I could be that guy.” As the Humvee pulled away he thought, I can be that guy … one day!
Afghanistan – Interrogation Rooms – 6:30 p.m. (10:00 a.m. Toronto)
Colonel Thomas Sutton stood in the central observation room which looked into three separate interrogation rooms via one-way mirrors. The mission wasn’t the success he wanted, but it netted three key members of an elusive terrorist cell.
