14. Nora
Chapter fourteen
Nora
I watch Chase pace the length of the room up and down, his thick brunette hair tousled from having run his hand through it many times. I'd woken up to warm arms wrapped around me, which felt strange yet peaceful, but Emma's impending call cuts the feeling short. Emma’s potential findings were enough to get him worked up like this.
“Hey, come on, Take a seat. Emma should call soon.”
“But what’s taking her so long?” He drags the swivel chair across the room, joining me at the desk where I’m looking at his laptop screen.
“She has to take her time to scan through before she sends it,” I reply, clicking the downward key on the keyboard and reading the details of his previous mission.
“I can see this information says that you need to find a lady. The hostage, right?”
“Yes...” he replies, trying to get his thoughts together.
“Who exactly are we looking for? It’s not exactly a private mission since it went awry so I need all the information I can get.”
“A lady.” He replies then goes quiet for a moment.
“Who is she?” He tilts the laptop towards him and opens different files, clicking through until he arrives at a picture of a lady with wavy, dark brown hair.
“Samantha Patel.” He expands the tab to show more information. I skim through the information beside her picture, taking it all in slowly.
“Why exactly did she need saving?” I ask.
“She needed extraction because she has information that can help prevent a potential terrorist attack. There is an imminent terrorist plot targeting a high-profile event in Dallas.” He opens a tab and shows me a flyer.
“That’s the annual International Business Summit.”
“Yes, exactly. Although the location wasn’t publicized, we know it’s taking place at a prominent hotel. Now, we need to get access into their security system and connect to their security cameras so we can monitor the event.”
“That’s easy. We can get started on that.” I say eagerly, looking at the hotel details.
“It’s not that easy. They know of our whereabouts. There’s a bug in the system. Unless we can find it, they’ll know our every step.”
“What do they plan to gain from this?”
“We don’t know their plan well enough to stop it without them figuring out our plan. What we do know is that this will disrupt international trade and diplomacy. The regular terrorist plan for their selfish gains.” I make a quick search on the summit to check the numbers and Chase is right.
“Over a thousand esteemed leaders from the United States and beyond are set to attend this summit every year. Lives are at stake here, Chase.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it.” The telephone rings, and Chase snatches up the receiver.
“Hey Emma, what’s the update?” He listens to her for a few minutes, notes some address on a sheet of paper and hangs up.
“She got a lead. She was able to connect to their system, and she says that there's something suspicious going on in Dallas. They plan to meet tomorrow. We have to get there before them.”
“Yes, I agree. Let's join Emma at the intelligence center to see what more we can find. Which terrorists are we dealing with, here?”
“The terrorists belong to a group named Nightshade Network. It’s a group operating in the shadows, with intricate connections and a wide-reaching influence.”
“Samantha is a part of a government operation, and she happens to know the exact location and timing of the planned attack. She has details about the terrorist cell members, blueprints of the event venue showing potential entry, and exit points for the attackers, not to mention financial transactions linking the terrorist group to external sponsors.”
“I’m guessing she went undercover to get all this information.”
“Yes. She’s an FBI agent and has been on this for about six months now.”
His phone dings again, and he types a response with a light smile before tucking it into his pocket. He looks up, and I avert my eyes quickly.
“That…” He hesitates and moves closer to me. “That was Joseph checking on me. He said Emma told him about the false lead we got yesterday.”
“Emma picked it up too, but you don’t have to tell me who messaged you, you know. I didn’t think anything of it.” I reply.
“Well, it seems like you thought…” He trails off at a loss for words. “Never mind. He just wanted to know if we were alright.”
“No.” I give a quick shake of my head. “I thought nothing of what you might be thinking.”
“Okay. If you say so. He was just checking on us.” He rubs his neck sheepishly.
Will things be normal after last night? I wonder.
“You and Joseph are really close.” I remark.
“Yes. We are.”
“You know what? Tell me about you two.” I’m unable to hide my curiosity as to how these two formed such a strong bond.
“What about us? What do you want to know?”
“Anything. Everything. How you met.”
He shifts, looking uncomfortable. “It’s not that interesting.”
I feel a burst of irritation. He’s holding back on me. “So we’re fake married enough for sex but not a conversation?” I snap.
Immediately, I feel bad. I know I’m being sensitive because of how little I feel like I ever knew Ethan. But I don’t want to try something with Chase if it’s just physical. I don’t want to waste my time or my heart again.
His eyes search my face, and I know he can tell at least a little bit of what I’m feeling when he nods once, sharp and small.
“We used to be four, you know.” He says, voice casual, but his eyes are hard. He grabs a bottle of water from the table and takes a long drink of it.
“Four?” I probe gently. His brows furrow at the memory as he tries to hide the pain from the past. He stands and looks at the screen intensely at a particular location, squeezing his eyes shut many times as if willing the memories to go away.
“Yes, four,” he finally replies. He pockets both hands, but the fabric stretches taut from his clenched fists. How much pain is this man hiding? I tug on his hand, and he looks at me, his eyes filled with different emotions that I’m unable to recognize, but they’re enough to make my toes twitch from the intensity.
“Come on.” He looks surprised as I pull him to a couch in the corner. “Sit down. Let’s talk.”
He sinks into the couch, his shoulders filled with tension. I gently massage his shoulders for a moment before taking his hand in mine. He grips my hand tightly and stares off into the distance.
“I let everyone down. Again. Just like the last time.” He confesses his voice strained.
“What is it that you’re not telling me?” I squeeze his hand to offer comfort as he shares the painful memories that haunt him.
“That same mission, the one I told you about, where we lost a lot of our comrades,” he says, his voice barely a whisper. “It haunts me every day. We lost good people that day. Jacob, Maxwell—those two people I cared about the most. I wish I could make up for it.”
I listen as he bears his heart and soul, offering whatever comfort I can. With each word he says, I find myself drawn to him in a different way, like my heart is connecting to his.
“I already lost those two. Jacob... he was like a brother to me,” Chase says, his voice breaking with grief. “I watched him fall, and I couldn't do anything to save him.”
My heart aches for him as he continues to share his ordeal.
“And Maxwell... he shielded me from a blast when trying to cover our escape. He almost never made it out. He left because he felt betrayed by the system. We haven’t been in contact since then.”
“Chase, you did everything you could. Sometimes things don't go according to plan, but that doesn't mean it's the end.”
He looks at me, his eyes searching mine for reassurance. “You don't understand, Nora. I don’t want to lose anyone else. We have to solve this case.”
“And we will!” I affirm, cupping his face.
He looks at me, shaking his head. “But they're gone, Nora. And I can't shake the feeling that I let them down. If only I had been quicker, smarter, stronger... maybe things would have turned out differently. I blame myself for their losses,” he whispers, tears glistening in his eyes.
“It wasn’t your fault. Forgive yourself.”
He shakes his head and tries to free his head from my hands, but I tilt his head towards me again refusing to let him wallow in self-pity.
“Chase, listen to me. You’re not alone. We’re in this together. I’ve told you that multiple times and I’m saying it again. I’m with you. We’ll get through this together as a team.” I wipe a tear from his face before continuing. His eyes meet mine, searching for reassurance and I feel a pang of sympathy. “But only if you’ll let me and you’ll open up to me. I do not judge you. You’re a great leader and anyone in your shoes could not have done any better.” I watch as his expression changes and a glimmer of hope shines in his eyes.
“Look on the bright side and focus on those who are still with you.” He looks confused for a second and I continue. “Joseph and the rest of your team.” I say with emphasis. “Tell me about Joseph.”
The corner of his lips quirks in a familiar fashion bringing out the signature smile I know, and I make a mental fist bump.
“Joseph.” He starts reminiscing. “We’ve come a long way. We go way back, right from our college days. He always had my back, has always come through for me. He’s not just a friend, he’s a brother. He is as close to me as my sister, Lauren, is.”
“See. You still have someone. Focus your attention on that. Not on what is lost.”
“Yes, you’re right. You know, he risked his life to save mine. I’ll never forget that.”
“And he’s still here; he’s not going anywhere. Just like me.”
“Nora,” he says softly.
I squeeze Chase's hand, feeling the weight of his past lifting with each word. “Chase, you're not alone in this. You have friends who love you and support you, no matter what.”
I feel something inside of me change. It doesn’t feel like I’m trying to reassure him or cheer him up—it’s like a vow. It’s like what I felt on our wedding day dialed up to one hundred.
His eyes are blazing when our gaze meets. I think he can tell.
I draw him closer, sealing my vow in a slow, passionate kiss, saying what can’t be communicated with words.
When we pull back, we’re both breathing heavily. His hand cups my cheek gently.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Nora,” he confesses.
“I’ll always be here for you, Chase.” I place my head on his shoulder with the assurance that, no matter what challenges lie ahead, he'll face them head on as a different person. One free from the shackles of the past.