SEAL’S Secret Vows

15. Chase

Chapter fifteen

Chase

T aking Nora's suggestion from earlier, we walk into the intelligence center, my eyes scanning the room for Emma among the other analysts. Spotting her in front of a computer screen, I make my way over.

“Hey, Emma, any luck on something new?” I ask, my voice edged with curiosity.

She looks up, her expression grim. “Not yet, but I've traced the calls to a location in Dallas. It could be a lead.” Nora is looking through her findings.

“Are you sure it's not just a hoax like yesterday?” Nora asks, sounding wary of Emma's discovery. “They misled us. If it wasn't for the storm, we would have wasted our time and potentially gotten into trouble.”

“This one seems to be correct. Whoever is guarding their system must be taking a break. At least, that's what I'm hoping.”

“Chase, what do you think?” Nora asks.

“Let's check it out,” I reply, burying every fear. “We can't stay back because we were misled. I'll tell Joseph to get the car ready.”

“Emma,” Nora taps her shoulder motioning for her to stand up. “Let me take a closer look, just to be extra sure.” For the next few minutes, they pore over maps, and the calls, trying to connect the dots.

“It looks like there's a pattern,” Nora murmurs, her brow furrowed in concentration. “And the location corresponds to recent activity in the area, but we need to move closer to the location to dig deeper.”

I nod, a sense of anticipation building in my chest. “Let's go and see what we can find.” Nora puts the laptop in a bag and follows me as I head outside.

Nora is quiet on the drive over. I glance at her a few times, but mostly try to stay focused. Everything with Nora has felt… different… since that day in the cabin.

I know what it is, but I don’t know what to do about it.

You care about her, I think to myself harshly, and then promptly push it down.

I pull into a parking lot by the address she gave me. It’s an abandoned building just like the last one.

“Anything yet?” I ask, my voice low as I lean closer to her.

Nora looks up, a hint of excitement in her eyes. “I'm close. Just a few more minutes,” she replies, her fingers flying across the touch screen. “I can get into the surveillance system to monitor their movements and interactions, without their knowledge.” She types some commands, bringing up an overview of the Dallas map in an enlarged format.

“I'm going to check it out.” I tuck my gun into my back pocket and head into the building. Nora jumps out of the car, coming behind me.

“You should stay back. It might be dangerous.” I warn her.

“No, I don't want to stay back, and if it's dangerous, I want to be able to help you.”

“I'll be fine, I don't think there's anything there, anyways.” I push the door open, our senses on high alert for any signs of trouble.

“That's strange. Why did the door open so easily?” I pull my gun out, taking measured steps inside. “Nora, stay close. You really shouldn't be here.”

“Well, since the place is empty, coming with you is a much better decision, don't you think? What if I stayed outside and they came for me there?” she whispers, looking around warily. “I hope you have some fighting skills.”

Even though she's right, I'm amused at her stubbornness to stay. We reach a large space in the center with nothing but chairs and a shelving unit with some papers on it.

“What do we do now?” Nora asks looking perplexed. “Maybe we can look for evidence— anything that can give us thumb prints.”

“Yeah, you're right.” A light bulb clicks on in my head at her idea. “Come on. Let's move the shelving unit forward. There could be something behind it.” In two pushes, we move the shelving unit to find clothes stuffed behind it.

“Looks like female clothing.” Nora comments, looking at me before her eyes grow wide. “Chase, look out!”

Nora's warning comes too late as gunfire erupts around us, forcing us to take cover behind the shelving unit.

As the bullets rain down, I feel a surge of panic rising within me. I tap my pockets for my radio and try to connect to base.

“Lena, Joseph, do you copy?” The radio glitches for a few seconds and stops. I shake my head as the gun shots start again, breaking through the shelving unit.

“Nora, we need to take cover somewhere else.”

“Where? There's no other place.”

“Stay here. I'm going out. Take the radio. Keep trying to connect.” My heart is in my throat, fear and regret for her being here nearly choking me. “Stay hidden.” I turn before she can protest against the idea. I start shooting the figures I can make out without hesitation till I reach the door. The gun shots stop, and two bodies are on the floor. I'm sure it took more than two people to shoot that much. I look around the entrance, fully convinced the coast is clear when I see no one outside.

“Nora, we should go.” I turn, but suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of movement. Before I can react, a figure lunges, striking with deadly precision.

Pain explodes through my head as I stumble backward, my senses reeling. For a moment, all I can see is a blur, the face of my attacker hidden behind a mask, but those eyes are too familiar.

“Chase!” Nora's voice shrieks through the haze as he lands another blow on me. I return with hits of my own, and we both tumble to the ground. I wish my attacker would say something, just to confirm if it's him.

“Why aren't you shooting?” I ask, trying to make him talk. He doesn't respond and tries to grab my neck, choking me. Nora moves closer and hits his head with a stick, but it's only enough to loosen his hold. It’s not enough to get him off me.

Just as I pull his mask halfway down, a hand lifts him off me and tackles him to the ground. I stagger to my feet feeling all wobbly, my head spinning. I try to find something to steady myself, but Nora grabs me just in time and swings an arm around me.

Suddenly, my team bursts in.

Joseph is on the attacker, his fists a blur of motion as he delivers blow after punishing blow. I feel a sense of relief now that I’m free from being pinned down under his weight, but as I look closer, I realize something isn't right. The attacker seems like he’s toying with us, not like he’s hitting to kill. He isn’t even trying to shoot.

He rolls Joseph over and jabs him in the stomach before running out. Joseph chases after him while I’m still trying to get up.

They both disappear, leaving behind only questions and uncertainty.

Questions I think I already know the answers to. Questions that should never be asked. But why did he come back? Or could it have been someone else? It’s possible that it isn’t him. He wouldn't come back to attack me except for one reason.

As the truth dawns on me, a chill runs down my spine. The attacker's eyes are all too familiar to deny, even if I barely got a glimpse of them. A ghost from my past has come back to haunt me.

Joseph comes back in, a grim look on his face. “I lost him,” he admits. “I can’t—I’m sorry, Chase.”

I shake my head. “Don’t be. We have to regroup.”

As I stand there, battered but alive, I can't shake the feeling that things are about to get a lot more complicated. But, with Joseph by my side, I know that whatever lies ahead, we'll face it together.

“Chase, Nora, are you two alright?” Joseph's voice cuts through the tension, his expression grim, as he looks at us both.

“We were attacked, but we'll be fine,” I reply, my voice tense with adrenaline. “We need to get out of here.”

“Yeah, I should check the cars. Let's hope he didn't tamper with them.”

“Thanks, Joseph,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “I don't know what we would have done without you.”

“Don't mention it. You need to get treated. I'll drive you two. I’ll call Lena and ask her to return the car I brought to base,” Joseph says, his voice firm as he looks me over from head to toe before swinging my arm around his neck.

“Can you walk, Chase?” Nora asks, unable to hide her distress.

I nod weakly, my gaze flickering between them. “My house. Take me to my house.” My ghosts have come to haunt me, but this time it's not a dream. It's reality.