When the Smoke Clears, page 22
A bullet zipped past Brenden as he heard the sound of agony ricochet behind him. The resistance was fiercer than expected. He and his men took out a few enemy soldiers, but not enough. These rebels were ready for the Black Smoke and seemed intent on putting it out tonight. Months of planning and training, wasted.
Black 2131 had been compromised, again, and it was time to get out.
“Abort,” he said with all his authority, hearing the blades of the Black Hawk close in. “Get Rod to the bird. I’ll cover.”
A barrage of gunfire continued as Brenden and the team began retreating. He watched as the majority of enemy soldiers ran back into the camp, then glanced over his shoulder to see that Rod was being loaded onto the chopper in the distance. His attention then went up to the second story, where he saw a man lifting a rocket-propelled grenade.
It all made sense why so many across the line had sought cover and why the few who remained were now retreating. However, his brothers would not be any man’s sitting ducks.
“Cover me,” he called as he darted toward a sand hill on higher ground. He set his feet and took the shots. The rocket fell, as a sigh of relief escaped him, knowing his brothers could make it to safety.
Shots rang out, and then he saw two men running full speed toward them strapped in bombed vests. Brenden leveled a few shots and took off for the chopper. “Go…go…get off the X,” he panted, hurtling forward. His feet left the ground as heat engulfed him. He saw black, and the last thing he heard was his own whispered, “Paige.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“In sickness and in health…” Paige choked back the burn crawling up her throat while still turning her wedding ring around and around.
She closed her eyes. For a second, she reminisced to that moment two months ago when seagulls flew high overhead and the sun dipped slightly behind the horizon. There, in the backyard of the Jaspers’ palatial beach retreat, along the shoreline of Gasparilla Island, she stood face-to-face with Brenden underneath flowing silk draped from a driftwood arch.
“I vow to love you in sickness and in health.” Brenden’s hands clutched hers, eyes sparkling a brilliant blue.
Paige then repeated those same words mere seconds before saying, “I do.”
The sacred vows she pledged to Brenden had never been more true and real than they were right now. She looked over to where he lay. He was too still. Tubes running from his mouth, IVs in his arm, and the bandage wrapped around his head brought her to her feet again.
Paige paced the edge of his bed, hugging herself hard to keep the lingering chill away. No warmth came, and none would. Not as long as the constant beeping and pumping of machines monitoring her husband echoed within the room.
Tears weren’t allowed to fall. Paige palmed the sockets of her eyes and remained strong for Brenden. But her attempts to thwart the inevitable wetness crashed when the nurse entered the room. She watched the young brunette check the monitors, change the intravenous bag, and then stand over her love. Everything was so sterile and white. Even his skin, which had been perfectly tanned three months ago when he stripped to reveal the pain of his wounds before asking her to be his wife.
The floodgates broke, with tears sprinting down her cheeks. Paige didn’t bother to stop them. She needed them because they reminded her of what she still had to fight for. With slow, steady steps, she moved opposite the nurse. She dabbed her finger in a small container of lip salve before spreading it across Brenden’s dry lips.
Paige prayed he would wake and kiss her again, the same way he had before this dreaded deployment. Of all the times she had come to watch him don his black-on-black gear, she had never seen him more reluctant to leave than he was with this last mission. Brenden hadn’t wanted to desert her so soon after moving her in. And she hadn’t wanted him to leave just after getting a taste of married life.
But he had orders. Orders he should have confessed when he proposed. Instead, he’d waited until they were high in the Swiss Alps on their honeymoon debating boy names. Skating between knocking the shit out of Brenden or an evening cuddled by the fire, she chose neither and walked away to digest the fear that tightened her belly.
“Oh Brenden.” Paige broke down with trembling hands.
“Mrs. Jasper, let me help you sit.” The young nurse rushed to Paige and helped guide her into the seat at Brenden’s side.
Needing to occupy her shaky hands, Paige began finger-combing the tangles of her black waves that had not been brushed in three days. Her fairy tale had become a nightmare. The sight of Brenden lying tucked into a hospital bed connected to more tubes and machines than she had ever seen before was sucking the life from her. Despite the risks of his missions, she never expected to see him so frail and empty.
“Mrs. Jasper, I’m done for now. If you need anything, just ring the nurses’ station.”
Paige nodded, then reached for Brenden’s hand and brought it to her lips. His knuckles were ice cold, but she kept them there, hoping he would feel her lips, their love, anything, and wake from the coma he had fallen into.
Again, she kissed his fingers while her free hand rested upon her four-and-a-half-month baby bump. “Daddy will be fine. He’s a fighter. He’s not leaving us.”
“My boy’s not going anywhere.” Robert entered with Joan by his side, both wearing the same tired faces and black circles under their eyes. “You, however, need to get some rest. You’ve been here three nights straight. My grandchild needs you strong.”
“I’m okay,” Paige whispered, releasing Brenden’s hand before pulling the covers up on him.
“Paige.” Her mother-in-law came to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You need to rest and eat. There is another life besides Brenden who needs your attention.”
“I did eat!”
Joan pulled Paige into a tight embrace, petting her through sobs and sniffles. “Sweetheart, saltine crackers and cranberry juice is not a meal. Not to mention, this chair you’ve camped out in is a far cry from a bed. Let Robert take you to the hotel. When Brenden wakes—and he is going to wake—you want him to see you strong and at your best.” Joan’s lips trembled into a half smile. “Please, Paige.”
Paige agreed then cut a sideways glance, hearing both her in-laws sigh with relief. She grabbed her purse, kissed Brenden, and proceeded down the hall with her father-in-law.
In less than ten minutes, Paige and Robert exited the chauffeured car and ducked out of the cool September air of the Rhineland-Palatinate into the hotel vestibule. Any other day she would’ve taken the time to question the extra security detail or even linger in the charming lobby of the quaint hotel. None of that was possible with her mind focused on taking a shower, catching a nap, and getting back to her husband’s side.
“You’re here, Paige,” Robert said, unlocking a room door. “Joan and I are right next door.” He gestured to another door as she passed him and went inside the room.
Paige scanned her surroundings before setting her purse on a small Amita chair.
“Order some food, get some rest. When you’re ready to go back to the hospital, call me.”
“The menu is in German, not a language I speak.” She walked to the window and posted up against the side.
She began tracing the landscape separated by glass with her index finger. A part of her knew what a piece of paper and colored pencils could do for the uneasy spirit wreaking havoc upon her soul. Only, that other, more logical half knew the devastating effects of her attempting any medium of art at a time like this. She wasn’t ready to reveal the darkest thoughts forming chaos within her mind because if they became reality, she would never be whole again.
“I’ll order for you. What do you want?” He picked up a menu and began reading its offerings.
Paige pulled her cardigan tighter, swallowing hard. “I’m not hungry.”
“Darlin’, you need to eat.”
“I need Brenden!” She whipped around and faced her father-in-law.
His large hand wiped his face before dragging through his unusually disheveled blond hair. He took a step closer to her. “Paige, Brenden will be fine. He’s strong, and never before has he had so much to fight for. You, the baby…some would say men in Brenden’s line of work lose their marbles when they go off and get married.
“I like to believe the women we leave behind are our reasons to come back home. Have faith in him and your love. The smoke will clear. All will be right soon.”
She huffed. “He says that all the time. What if it doesn’t?” she shouted. “No one ever told me where he was or what happened downrange to land him in Landstuhl.”
“He was on a mission—”
“When is someone going to tell me what happened to my husband?” She took a step, closing the gap between herself and Robert. “How did Brenden get injured?”
“That information is classified.” His lips pressed tight as he looked her in the eyes.
“He’s my husband,” she cried, clutching her chest. “The man I love has been lying unconscious in a hospital bed since before I got to Germany three days ago. Classified, Paige, is easy for you to say because you know what happened, where he was, and why he was there.”
Robert held her by the shoulders, unafraid to meet her hard stare. “Listen to me. You don’t want to know where he was or what he was doing. You will never know. It is for yours and his safety. The things my son and the other men of Black 2131 see and do are not for the faint of heart. It is the very reason why only a select few fall within the ranks.”
“They are not superhuman. Me being in Germany, waiting for Brenden to wake from a coma, proves as much. And let’s not forget poor Tia, who nearly suffered a breakdown waiting for Rod to come out of surgery. I’m certain the others will need some sort of counseling even if they weren’t physically wounded.”
“They are the best at what they do—originals. No team in the world is better, more lethal, braver than Brenden, Rod, and the five who serve alongside them every mission.” He swallowed hard. “Which is how I know their mission was compromised. What happened to them doesn’t just happen. Whoever betrayed us—”
Her eyes went wide. She thought of all the extra men outside Brenden’s hospital room. The extra car following them from the hospital. All of a sudden she remembered thinking how strange it was that Luke and Carlos would have on caps and hoodies with shades when they came to the hospital. Even more weird was the way Trent, Linc, or Josh would tiptoe into the room during the wee hours of the morning and then vanish before morning shift workers arrived. They never came at the same time and never by themselves, always in pairs.
“Is that why there’s so much security?”
Robert hugged her tight as she sobbed. “I’ve said too much. Promise you’ll never repeat anything I just said.”
“I won’t.”
“Now, what would you like to eat? Joan will be upset if I leave without making sure you and my grandchild have a good warm meal.”
“Do they have bratwurst and kraut, maybe fries?”
“I’m certain. Run along and shower. I’ll stay until you get out and the food arrives.”
“Thanks.” Paige left his embrace and started toward the shower. She stopped. There was one question she was burning to ask. “Answer this, and don’t sugarcoat. Do you really think he will come out of the coma?”
“I’d bet my life on Brenden waking up.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“The end.” Paige sighed and switched off her Kindle.
“That was a great idea. Brenden loved Maniac Magee when he was little. My boy took that book everywhere until it was finished. Maybe three times over.” Joan smiled up at Paige and then went back to knitting a pair of yellow booties.
Paige huffed a laugh. “That’s what he said.” She swallowed. “My brother, Brad, the doctor of the family, told me to read to Brenden. He said it could help.”
“He hears you, Paige. Just how Maniac, the little white boy who ran around Two Mills, heard Amanda, the little Black girl from the East End, despite the racial divide in the story. I guess that’s why I wasn’t exactly surprised the night I first watched Brenden fawn over you. He’s never been blind to color, but friendship and love are. Sort of like Maniac Magee,” she chuckled.
“I don’t think it was easy for him and Elizabeth, given the many scars of racial intolerance our ancestors managed to fill history books with. However, Robert and I never allowed our heritage to compromise progress. I raised Bren and Liza to respect all people. You and he, as man and wife, prove I did a fine job.”
“You did.”
“Yes, well, how’s that coming with your father? He still had reservations during the wedding. The man will have a biracial grandchild soon.”
Of course the good admiral let it be known that he had concerns surrounding the marriage. Even after he had given Brenden permission to seek her hand in marriage. Of course, she knew race had very little to do with her father’s uptight demeanor during the wedding festivities. However, this situation with Brenden laid up unconscious in a hospital bed validated Dad’s skepticism toward their marriage.
Paige couldn’t say that to her mother-in-law. The woman had already lost a daughter, and now her son’s life was hanging by a thread. Paige knew from the raccoon eyes Joan’s concealer failed to cover that her favorite in-law was keeping appearances only for her and the baby’s sake. Therefore, she would return the favor and tell a little white lie, because divulging recent conversations with her father and his I-told-you-so attitude would not provide aid to either of them in getting through this rough patch.
“My father has accepted Brenden for who he is.” Paige looked to her husband and then moved closer to his side until she was able to clasp his hand.
“Good. I was worr—”
Both women turned their heads at the sound of the doorknob clicking. Morning rounds happened an hour ago, and ever since learning of the extra security detail, Paige had been even more alert. A second later, Amanda entered the room. Paige wasn’t surprised to see her. Amanda was like their handler and the general’s right hand. She took care of everything concerning these men’s affairs, and she was like a sister to them.
The woman’s gaze went from Brenden, to Paige, and then Joan. Sadness filled Amanda’s eyes before she wrapped her arms around Paige and then moved to Joan. She hugged Brenden’s mother for more than a few minutes and then took slow, measured steps toward the bed.
Amanda stood opposite Paige, apologizing as tears filled her eyes. “Hey you,” she whispered, looking down at Brenden.
“Well, since you have some company, I’m going to go stretch my legs,” Joan said, walking to the door.
“Okay,” Paige replied, sinking into the chair at Brenden’s bedside.
Amanda raised her head, studying Paige while wiping her tearstained face. “You’re the reason he’s here.”
“What!” Paige jumped to her feet.
“I’m sorry”—she shook her head—“but it’s true.” Amanda began walking around the bed to where Paige stood. “Never before had he had so much to worry about before deploying, until you. He was anxious about getting you moved in, the baby, your safety, and making sure his legal affairs were in order just in case… His mind was a million places it shouldn’t have been before a mission like the one he was on.”
Paige could feel herself shrink under the woman’s words. If Amanda felt this way, it was possible everyone did.
“You’re everything he ever wanted,” Amanda whispered, “and deserved, but Bren’s obsession with keeping you safe has made him vulnerable to men like your ex.”
Paige recoiled. Ever since Brenden and the Jasper family had declared their intent to fund the new art wing at Andover, Richard’s name had never come up. Unless Brenden checked to ensure the pig maintained his distance. The thought of Richard somehow affecting Brenden generated a fresh wave of nausea.
“Oh my God, he didn’t tell you?” Amanda cast her gaze in the opposite direction. Paige felt her heart harden. There were still more secrets. “And not because he couldn’t. He didn’t want you to know. I’m so sorry.”
Amanda shrugged. “I don’t understand why he didn’t want you to know. He should’ve told you how that ex-fucker of yours had been fishing around for information on him. Especially after someone from your camp posted pics of the wedding, leaving cyber crumbs for that asshole to gather the information he sought. Had any of you understood why no wedding photos of Bren and the boys were to be published on social media, we wouldn’t have needed a hacker to go in and wipe identity tracers clean. Zero recognitions means we don’t leave anything to chance. Unfortunately those pics did.”
“No one on my end posted photos. All guest phones and cameras were confiscated, the grounds swept.”
“You don’t know the world you’re living in, do you? And Richard Lowell has made enemies. If he had anything to do with this mission—”
“What the hell, Manda!” Josh burst into the room with Linc on his heels, his green eyes wild, chest rising and falling as if he just sprinted a marathon. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
“Jas would blow a fucking gasket if he heard you.” Linc’s tawny skin flushed as his razor-sharp words sliced the air. He then scanned Paige before turning a cold arresting stare on Amanda. “Don’t make me pull rank. Whatever happened before we got here will never justify what we heard coming in.”
“I know,” Amanda sniffled. “She has a right to know. You both can admit that.” She apologized again to Paige then fled the room.
Only the beep of Brenden’s heart monitor filled the room. An air of uncertainty swirled around, reminding Paige of all the many secrets Brenden was bound to keep.
Secrets… Secrets… Secrets…
Paige balled her fists and battled the urge to scream. She knew Brenden didn’t tell her everything. He made it clear he never would. That was her trade-off to be with the man she loved. But this thing with Richard was different.
