Returning to Eden (Acts of Valor, Book 1): Christian Military Romantic Suspense

by Rebecca Hartt

  “I’m aware of that,” Jonah said. “I spoke with him yesterday. Sorry to whip a dead horse, but I need to hear your version of the story.”

  Theo gestured for Saul to narrate.

  “All right.” Saul propped a muscular arm on the table then launched into his story in his distinct, Oklahoma drawl.

  “At zero hundred hours on 26 July, the boat crew took us from the USS Kearsarge to an inlet just north of the warehouse in Carenero. The sky was overcast, the moon was waning. Two hours later, we cut the lock on one of the warehouse doors and went in. We’d been told there were four boxes packed full of dirty bombs located at the northeast corner of the warehouse. But the boxes weren’t there.”

  Theo shook his head as if recalling their perplexity.

  “We fanned out to look for them,” Saul continued. “Out of nowhere, we started taking fire from two shooters who were hiding all along on the catwalks above us. Lowery ordered our retreat. Taking fire and all, we left kind of helter skelter. No one realized you were still in the building till you didn’t show up at our rally point. We assumed you didn’t hear Lowery’s order ’cause your headset sounded like it was acting up.”

  Experiencing déjà vu, Jonah touched a hand to his ear.

  “Once we saw the shooters leave, we started to go back for you when the whole f—” With a swift glance at Master Chief, Saul cleaned up his language. “The whole freaking warehouse exploded, heat and shrapnel everywhere. No thanks to the arsenal inside, explosions went on for hours. We wanted to wait it out, but the sun was coming up, and the boat crew was on their way to pick us up. The next night we went back to look for you, or what was left of you.”

  Given the look on Saul’s face, the experience had been gut-wrenching.

  Jonah put a hand on the sniper’s broad shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s when I found your tooth,” Saul added on a somber note.

  Eyeing the long faces around the table, Jonah decided it was time to share his theory of what happened.

  “My tooth got knocked out,” Jonah said into the sudden quiet. “I don’t remember it happening, but it explains the brain damage to the front part of my brain, and it explains why I can’t remember.”

  “If you were knocked out, how’d you get out of the building?” Theo asked.

  “No idea,” Jonah said with a shrug. “Maybe someone dragged me out. Maybe I was just conscious enough to get out.”

  “Lucky the shooters didn’t end you,” Theo commented.

  Jonah skimmed the faces around him. “You don’t think the shooters were locals,” he realized.

  “Would the locals blow up their own warehouse?” Saul countered.

  El Jefe’s question echoed in Jonah’s head. Who blew up my warehouse? “No, they wouldn’t,” Jonah realized. “I thought maybe it exploded because of the arsenal inside. Wasn’t it packed full of weapons?”

  Theo, who was their explosives expert, inclined his close-shaved head. “Yes, but I’ve never seen gun powder explode in a neat line like that, not even when bullets are stacked in rows. Only C-4 does that. You want my opinion, that explosion was rigged.”

  “Now it makes sense,” Jonah muttered to himself.

  “Master Chief has a theory,” Theo said, recapturing Jonah’s attention.

  Jonah looked at Rivera, who took a sip of his diet Coke, then put his glass down lightly.

  “My theory is we stumbled across The Entity that’s been stealing weapons faster than we can get to them. They drove us out of the building because they were planning all along to blow it up.”

  “Why would they want to destroy it?” Lucas asked.

  “To cover their tracks?” Rivera suggested. “Maybe to destroy the rest of the weapons.”

  Jonah cocked his head, considering. “Why not kill us instead of driving us out?”

  Rivera traced a line through the condensation on his glass. “Perhaps they don’t consider us the enemy,” he replied obliquely.

  Jonah stared at him, wondering who he imagined The Entity might be.

  But Rivera didn’t elaborate. “Explain about the dream,” he prompted, looking back at Jonah.

  Turning his attention to the others, Jonah relayed the memories of his captivity that had returned to him the other night.

  “I couldn’t remember why I was there, so I must have lost my memory right before I was captured. Also, I was asked over and over again who blew up the warehouse. The question made no sense at the time, but now it does. I think you’re onto something with your theory, Master Chief.”

  “Tell them the last thing you remember,” Rivera said.

  Jonah braced himself for a prick of pain behind his left eye, but it never came.

  “It was right around Blake LeMere’s death which was, like, a year before the op to Carenero ever took place.”

  Three men regarded him with bemusement and pity.

  “That long ago?” Theo asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Lucas looked confused. “Wasn’t Blake the guy I replaced?”

  “Yes, and I remember being introduced to you,” Jonah added, thinking back. “I showed you around Headquarters. I don’t remember anything after that.”

  Saul, who had fallen silent, murmured, “Blake was my best friend. Nicest guy you’d ever want to know. Smart,” he added.

  The others concurred.

  “What happened to him was weird, though,” Theo reflected.

  “Effed up,” Saul agreed.

  “I was with him when we jumped,” Jonah reminded them. “First me, then him, then Lowery. Just the three of us. I don’t see how Blake could’ve lost consciousness after jumping. He’d jumped dozens of times before without incident, and there was nothing different about him in the lineup.”

  Though they’d moved away from discussing the operation, the sudden urge to share his suspicions of Lowery overcame Jonah suddenly.

  “I think Lowery turned on me in the warehouse, guys,” he stated baldly. “I think he left me there for dead.”

  Deafening silence followed his assertion. The men gaped at him, clearly taken aback by the seemingly random accusation. Jonah couldn’t blame them for their shock. Betrayal wasn’t a word that even existed in a SEAL’s vocabulary.

  Finally, Rivera asked on an even note, “Why do you think it was Lowery, Jaguar? Why would he do such a thing?”

  Doubt assailed Jonah. What evidence did he have for his suspicions? Pressured by the men’s doubt, he focused on the vase of flowers, thinking.

  “I don’t have any proof,” he admitted. “It’s just a feeling. I get that same feeling when I remember Blake LeMere’s death. It’s like betrayal. I felt it overcome me when I ran into Lowery at a restaurant today. By the way, he seemed less than happy to see me.”

  Saul narrowed his hazel eyes at Jonah. “Are you sayin’ Lowery had something to do with Blake’s death, too?”

  Jonah swept his gaze around the sea of hard stares. He hadn’t been saying so at all, but he realized with a start that, yes, he suspected Lowery in that situation, too. After all, Lowery had been alone with Blake just prior to his jumping.

  “I don’t know.” He qualified his accusation. “All I know is how I feel. Lowery was alone with Blake right after I jumped. He could have done something.”

  “Listen.” Master Chief cut into the conversation on a soft-spoken note of authority. “Let’s talk about what we know for sure versus what we’re speculating. We think the warehouse was rigged to blow. If so, we can only guess what motivated The Entity to destroy it. We think someone knocked Jaguar in the face. Who that was, we have no idea. We think Jaguar got himself out of the warehouse, avoiding death when it exploded, but he ended up in the hands of the locals. Beyond that, all we have is speculation.”

  An ache started to build behind Jonah’s left eye. Ignoring it, he apologized. “Look, I’m obviously out of line to suspect Lowery. I’m sorry. I just feel like I know something about him, and I have to warn people. But I can’t remember
why or what for.”

  Master Chief studied Jonah. “Maybe NCIS will have more luck than us at discerning the facts,” he suggested.

  Jonah recalled what Elwood had told him, along with his precaution not to reveal what he knew. “Yeah, actually, he told me something I don’t think he’s told any of you yet.”

  Four sets of gazes sharpened. Elwood had asked him to question his teammates without letting on as to why, but that was impossible. “I’m going to tell you something that doesn’t go beyond this room.” He was certain he could trust every man present to be utterly discreet. “Someone in the strike force placed a call on the sat phone in the area of the ship we occupied that night. Whoever it was called a cell phone in Carenero.”

  He looked at Theo and then Saul. “Was that either of you?”

  Both men frowned and shook their heads.

  “Could it have been you?” Master Chief gently suggested.

  “Me?” Jonah blinked. “I don’t know anyone in Venezuela,” he said, though in all honesty he couldn’t remember whether he did or didn’t. “You guys know me,” he reminded them. “Do you think I could be party to weapons smuggling?”

  He was relieved when they all answered in the negative.

  “Okay, then. So, if I didn’t place the call, and neither of you did, that leaves the ops officer, one of the boat crew guys, or Lowery.”

  The men’s skepticism seemed to waver. Leveraging his advantage, Jonah added, “Suppose Lowery had a reason for wanting me gone.”

  “Like what?” Saul prompted.

  Jonah hesitated. “Eden said Lowery called her constantly after my disappearance. He even showed up at the house a couple of times.”

  The men looked startled to hear that—all except Master Chief.

  “Maybe he wanted a chance with her,” Jonah suggested. “If Lowery placed that phone call, he could have been warning the shooters we were on our way.”

  Master Chief’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying Lowery wanted you out of the way badly enough to try and kill you? Just so he could have a shot with Eden?”

  “No.” Jonah gave one more thought to Elwood’s precaution. “I’m saying Lowery might be leaking intel to The Entity.” A chill of certainty raced over him as he awaited the men’s reactions. “Maybe I was on to him. Maybe I confronted him, and he turned on me in order to keep me quiet. Now that I’m back, I’m a threat to him again.”

  Four sets of eyes regarded him with skepticism bordering on consideration. It was clear they wanted to believe him, only they couldn’t overlook his disabled state.

  Growing hot with frustration, Jonah sought to convey his certainty. “Look, since I’ve been back, I’ve sensed that I’m in danger. Elwood thinks so too, or he wouldn’t be watching my house the way he’s been doing.” He caught himself from mentioning how a police car nearly ran him over, as that just sounded bizarre and completely unrelated. “If Lowery comes for me, I want to be ready. Anyone have a pistol they can loan me?” he finished on desperate note.

  Saul put a hand on his arm. “I’ve got you covered, sir. I’ve got a spare Sig in my trunk.”

  “Thanks.” Jonah pictured all the weapons he used to own. “Are my firearms still in my locker at Spec Ops?”

  Everyone looked at Master Chief, who grimaced apologetically. “Your locker was emptied.”

  “On whose authority?” Jonah thought immediately of the CO.

  “Dwyer,” Master Chief confirmed.

  Jonah gave a bitter grunt.

  “Because he’s retiring soon,” Rivera added, quick to defend their leader. “He doesn’t want to leave any loose ends for his replacement.”

  As conversation shifted to who might take their commander’s place, Jonah fell into reflective silence. Master Chief’s theory that they’d run into The Entity left Jonah wondering who they could be. Were they modern-day pirates selling their booty to the highest bidder? Whoever they were, they had a contact on the inside telling them where to find the goods.

  It has to be Lowery, Jonah thought.

  The more he thought of Lowery as the traitor, the more certain he became. As squad leader, Lowery had the authority to call for a retreat, getting the others out of the building which he would have known was about to be detonated. Once Saul and Theo weren’t around to witness his attack, he had turned on Jonah—possibly just to keep him silent, possibly so he could have Eden to himself, enjoying Jonah’s life insurance money to boot.

  In other words—murder.

  A humming filled Jonah’s ears as his suspicions solidified. He glanced around the table, wondering if anyone could tell what he was thinking. Should he persist with his theory Lowery had tried to kill him, or had he said too much already?

  Listening to his teammates’ lighthearted banter, he decided he had said enough on the subject. Master Chief had made it clear the evidence was scanty.

  Wiping perspiration from his brow, Jonah cursed the missing memories that made it impossible to connect the dots between LeMere’s death and his own experience. Aware that his silence was likely being viewed as anti-social, he forced himself to rejoin the conversation regarding the Labor Day weekend, which was fast approaching.

  “You’re all invited to our place for an afternoon barbecue. I’ll be done sanding and staining the deck by then.”

  The men accepted his offer with enthusiasm. Making plans to see each other then, they thanked Lucas for his hospitality and got up from the table. At the door, Lucas clasped Jonah’s hand gently but firmly.

  “We’re keeping the oil lamps burning for you, sir.” His gray eyes brimmed with compassion.

  “Thank you,” Jonah said, struck by the man’s sincerity.

  En route to their parked cars, Jonah glanced back at Lucas’s modest townhome. A curtain twitching at a second-story window let him know Monica was watching their retreat, Jonah’s in particular.

  Saul led him over to the trunk of his midnight blue Camaro, where he displayed the arsenal he carried there, including his Weatherby hunting rifle and several pistols.

  “You can have this one,” he said, handing Jonah a Sig Sauer P226, neatly stored in a paddle holster. “She’s about ten years old but as accurate as ever.” Along with the pistol, Saul handed him extra ammo.

  Dropping the ammo into his pocket, Jonah drew the pistol out of the holster and examined it.

  “Nice,” he said, feeling safer already.

  “You need anything else, sir, just let me know.” Saul’s hazel eyes glinted in the darkness, reminding Jonah of all the nighttime ops they’d done together.

  “Thanks, bro.” Jonah clapped him on the back before heading toward Master Chief’s antique Ford Falcon. The old clunker had been covered in primer for as long as Jonah could remember.

  As they drove away, chasing Saul’s taillights, Jonah ventured to ask, “Santiago, did you notice the way Monica behaved toward me?”

  The whites of Rivera’s eyes betrayed his sidelong glance. “I noticed,” he said with a hint of disapproval.

  Jonah wrestled with uncertainties regarding his own behavior. “You would tell me if I was ever…friendly with her, wouldn’t you?” He was grateful to the darkness for hiding his furious blush.

  Rivera chuckled. “Trust me, there’s nothing to tell, Jaguar. Monica did her best to entice you, but she never succeeded.”

  Jonah didn’t bother hiding his sigh of relief. “Thank God. I mean, I know I wasn’t the best husband to Eden, but I’d have to have been out of my mind to cheat on her.”

  “You didn’t cheat,” Rivera assured him. “Monica doesn’t know when to quit, that’s all.”

  Jonah watched Saul’s taillights disappear. “Doesn’t Lucas mind that about her?”

  “I don’t think he’s notices,” Rivera replied with a shake of his head. “I’ve thought about pulling him aside, but it’s not really my business whom he chooses to marry.”

  Jonah cut him a curious glance. “You didn’t advise me not to marry Eden?”

  “Why
would I do that?” Rivera countered. “She’s the best thing that could have happened to you.”

  “Yeah,” Jonah agreed. Picturing her at their home, spending time with their daughter, his heart billowed like a sail filling with wind. Strange how he couldn’t remember their first year together. At the same time, he was kind of glad he couldn’t. He didn’t want to think of himself ignoring Miriam or hurting Eden with his drive to be a SEAL first, a husband second.

  “How are things between you two?” Rivera asked.

  Jonah thought back to her kiss the other day, the way she’d held his hand at church. A hopeful smile tugged at his lips.

  “Good, I think, though I screwed up this afternoon, acting jealous of Lowery. Eden didn’t like that.”

  “You’ve no reason to be jealous of Lowery,” Rivera assured him. “Eden’s only got eyes for you.”

  “I hope you’re right, Master Chief.”

  Rivera’s smile reflected the light of his dashboard. “I told you, God’s got your back, Jaguar. He’s not going to let your marriage fall apart.”

  “When you stop to think about it, that’s amazing,” Jonah reflected.

  In the past, he’d relied strictly on himself to make his future work out the way he wanted it to. And look how that had turned out. He’d alienated his wife and ignored his stepdaughter. Without God teaching him what a loving father looked like, he still wouldn’t know how to treat either of them.

  “It is amazing to be known and fully loved,” Rivera agreed.

  Jonah pictured everything working out. Then the cynic in him asked how that was going to happen. Eden had told him in no uncertain terms she was leaving in a year. A few gestures over a couple of days might mean nothing. Then, too, there was the question of whether Lowery was a traitor. How was Jonah supposed to prove the man had turned on him? Worse still, what if he went after him again?

  “Do me a favor?” Jonah asked Rivera as they neared his home by the rear gate of the Navy base.

  “Of course.”

  “Don’t stop praying for me.”

  Rivera’s curious look prompted him to add, “My psychologist thinks I have PTSD. So, either I do, or there’s something evil coming for me.”