Chapter 4
4
ONE YEAR AGO
Logan stepped out onto the porch, a steaming mug of coffee cradled in his hand, the warmth seeping into his chilled fingers through the ceramic. His gaze swept over the transformed vista before him, a testament to the changes in the past two years. His new, much larger home perched closer to the edge of the rolling hills at the base of the mountains. The house was more than he would ever need by himself, but he’d listened when Mace told him it would be better to start large and have the space when needed. Logan could have sworn he saw a twinkle in the eyes of the otherwise stoic man. Even though he disagreed, he bowed to the expertise and experience of his partner.
The expansive front porch offered a panoramic view of his sprawling land. Behind him was a two-story, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house with a full basement and attic space. A sigh left his lips at how he’d overdone the house. But both Mace and Carson had convinced him that it would not only provide a place for him to work since the basement extended into the hills behind the house but also just in case he started a family.
They’d sprung that little tidbit on him, and he’d nearly choked on his drink at the time. Now, he waited for the deep chuckle to end before taking a sip of coffee. He was glad his sister and her husband had children because he was afraid that particular life event would pass him by. Even though he was starting a new career where he would be leading again, his personal life was still very much alone, and he was fine with that.
This life was not for the faint of heart. He knew most of Mace’s and now Carson’s employees were married and wondered how the hell they managed, but then the coastlines of Maine and California were a lot different from northern Montana. Yeah… ’fraid that’s not for me, and probably not for the people I’m hiring. So far, the former special ops he had now employed were rougher, tougher, and a lot more stoic than many. They’d have to be to make it out here.
As his gaze roved over the landscape, it landed on his hangars. They were expanded to house the newer helicopters there. He no longer flew tourists but still completed rescues when needed. But his main job, for which he was well paid, was to get LSI Montana up and running. Mace had projected that it might take a full three years, but Logan was ahead of schedule.
Casting his gaze toward the old house he used to live in, he was in awe at how it had been expanded. It was now a bunkhouse, complete with six bedrooms, a common area, a kitchen, and three large bathrooms, ready for Keepers needing lodging.
As two men emerged from the bunkhouse, he grinned. Two of the best men he’d known as a SEAL walked toward him. When he’d thought about his former teammates, the only two who immediately struck him as potential Keepers were Sisco and Devil. Sisco had served as their medic, and Mace had advised having someone with medical experience. Sisco had been excited to hear from him—so much so, that Logan felt guilty that the past years had passed by, and he’d let everyone from his former Navy life just fade away.
Sisco was out of the Navy, now living in Texas, working as a paramedic for the city of El Paso. He reported he liked his job, but now that his parents had passed, he no longer felt any ties to the area, considering his brothers and sisters were dispersed all over the country.
When Logan informed him of his new change in career paths, Sisco encouraged him. “There’s no one better to take this on than you, man!” he had enthused.
And when Logan asked him if he would consider coming on board, which included moving to Montana, Sisco informed him he was already looking into flights. Logan thought he was joking, but Sisco showed up at the ranch a few days later. They’d talked long into the night while sharing whiskeys, and by sunrise, Sisco had agreed without hesitation that he was all in on becoming a Keeper. And for Logan, it was the affirmation he hadn’t even realized he was searching for.
Devil was a different matter. Hard to track down and elusive to get hold of when Logan finally had an address. Logan was dumbstruck to discover Devil was living in Montana on the Flatfeet Reservation. It is one of the Indigenous American reservations that allow non-tribal members to live there. When Logan finally got Devil to answer his phone, his old teammate cried out, “Preacher? What the fuck, man? Where the hell have you been?”
Logan had laughed, having thought the same thing about his teammate. When he told Devil he was in Montana, too, more exclamations followed. He’d invited him to visit, and much like his time with Sisco, he and Devil let the years of separation float away as they reminisced and caught up. It turned out that Devil was still making deals, only now to aid the residents on the reservation. On their team, Devil had been able to get just about anything they needed… extra or better food, a specialized weapon, a vehicle repair, fixing a broken transmitter, or acquiring a state-of-the-art radio. Someone once said that all it took was to make a deal with the devil and Devlin could get it. Thus… he became known as Devil.
He’d discharged from the Navy about a year after Logan did and spent time moving around the States, living and working as he traveled. He finally ended up in Montana. He spent time on the Flathead and the Blackfoot Reservations, finding their need called to his sense of helping.
After Logan and Devil had enjoyed a sunset evening of sipping beer on the front porch, Logan felt the same connection with Devil that he’d continued with Sisco. He told him of his new endeavor and asked if he was interested in joining. He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth before Devil shouted, “Hell yeah, man! I’m all in!”
“You know it’ll never be for the glory?—”
Devil’s eyes had narrowed. “When the fuck did I ever go all out for the glory?”
Logan chuckled. “Never.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Logan reached over to shake his old teammate’s hand. “Welcome aboard, Devil. You and Sisco make my first employees.”
“You once saved my life. I’ve spent years trying to figure out if there was any kind of meaning in that. I’ve done some good, and I’m still close enough to the reservations to keep helping. I’m not joining you out of a sense of duty, but you’ll get my promise that you won’t regret this offer, boss.”
Logan had nodded, but he didn’t need the reassurance from Devil… he already knew he was getting the best.
Now, as the two men approached, Logan’s attention snapped to the arrival of a large black SUV. It’s arrival was followed by a cloud of swirling dust. He was no longer surprised when someone arrived. Between the construction workers and Mace’s visits, there were often people around… sometimes too damn many. He hadn’t included a gate yet, but his new security system at the lane entrance let him know exactly when someone arrived.
The SUV appeared first, and he wasn’t surprised when Mace and Carson exited the vehicle, but the three-row SUV emptied three more men. Standing straighter, Logan remained on the front porch as the five men approached, with the two from the bunkhouse not far behind. He recognized the three new men from their résumé photographs. Looks like I’ll need more coffee.
He greeted Mace and Carson, having met Carson a year ago when he made a trip with Mace. Logan had the chance to assist with a mission Carson was involved in and had as much respect for the LSI West Coast leader as he had for Mace.
After greeting his partners, he turned to the others and shook their hands, needing no introduction. He’d video-conferenced with these men but had never met them in person. Cole Iverson. Frazier Dolby. Todd Blake.
Leading them inside, he waved them toward the large, informal living room and then turned, saying, “I’ll get coffee.”
The soft sound of wheels met his ears, and he looked down at the woman in the wheelchair with a tray fitted to the arms filled with coffee mugs. At a glance, he noted she had the exact number of mugs needed, including for the two men coming from the bunkhouse. He could never figure out how she managed to be a step ahead of him at all times. Lifting his gaze, he caught the frustrated expression aimed at the back of her head, coming from the man walking behind her with another tray of coffee fixings.
Focusing his attention on the woman, Logan said, “Mary, you don’t have to serve?—”
“I’m here. Coffee’s here. Not much of a hardship to bring it in.”
He clamped his mouth shut, having learned that Mary did things her way, and they were usually right. He stepped to the side and watched Bert set his tray down and then turned to take the tray from Mary’s wheelchair.
He turned and watched as Mace and company all came to their feet when Mary entered. Logan said, “I’d like to introduce you to Mary Smithwick. She’s local. She served in the Army and worked logistics for a colonel I know and trust his recommendation. She’s agreed to work support for LSI here, was available, and is already taking charge of most things around here… including me.”
Mary shot him a glare, then turned to the other men, shaking their hands with introductions.
“And this is Bert Tomlinson. He’s former Navy who worked support for my team’s SEAL missions, and he has agreed to work support for LSI here. He’s in charge of the physical compound, equipment, and weapons.”
The front door opened, and the two men from the bunkhouse entered the room. They glanced at Logan, who nodded and then turned to the gathering. “Sisco and Devil are two comrades from my former SEAL team who have also agreed to become Keepers… Sisco Aguilar and Jim Devlin.”
Mary and Bert left the room, and as they all sat down, Mace continued the more in-depth introductions.
“Carson and I flew in with some of the men who have made it to the interview portion of the recruiting process you have in place. These three also have our recommendation. Of course, you have the final say. It’s your team, and the fit has to be right. I know you already have your hiring system in place. Take time with each of them to discover what works for you.”
For the next several hours, while Sisco and Devil showed Mace and Carson around, he interviewed the three men, one at a time. The experience was a bit unnerving… in the Navy, he had no say over his team members.
As a new LSI partner, he’d easily reached out to Sisco and Devlin, and once they’d heard what he had to offer, both were in. Mary and Bert had also been easy employees to choose, and their acceptance was filled with his gratitude. He’d talked with quite a few who hadn’t made the final cut. Some were more interested in seeking adventure, and a few gave off an angry, aggressive vibe that would have spilled over to the other Keepers or even their missions.
Now, he sat opposite exceptional men with impeccable backgrounds and experience. He’d already studied their résumés and had a video chat with each of them, but face-to-face was different.
He should have known that Mace and Carson would not have recommended prospects if they didn’t already know they were a fit.
Cole Iverson was a current Keeper with Mace in Maine. He was also a pilot, serving with the Air Force Special Operations. When Logan talked with him, he discovered that Cole loved the work he did for Mace and the camaraderie of the other Keepers, but he’d been raised in North Dakota, so Maine never felt like home. Logan realized Cole’s experience would be invaluable as they got LSIMT off the ground.
Logan bonded quickly with former SEAL Frazier Dolby but was surprised to hear that Frazier’s youngest brother worked for Carson in California. “You didn’t mention this before.”
“No, sir. I wanted to be considered on my own merit, not the fact that my brother works for Carson.”
“And you don’t want to work in California with your brother?”
Frazier smiled and shook his head. “Jonathan is already established out there and loves the California life. Me? I’m interested in making my own mark after the Navy and don’t mind being landlocked while I do it.” He then lifted a brow and added, “You might as well know that there’s another brother. Dalton is the middle one and currently a Marine. He just might show up on your doorstep sometime.”
Logan chuckled. There was a time when anyone showing up on his doorstep would have made him twitchy, but in the past two years, he’d learned that he never knew who might appear. “It’d be fine if he did.”
Next was Todd Blake. Career Marine. RECON. The man didn’t smile much, but then Logan had spent his career with few smiles, so he understood Todd’s demeanor. He also had no problem realizing the qualities that Todd would bring to the missions, but his connection to LSI won the day. His brother had been Army Delta and now worked for Mace. His sister had been in the Army and then recruited by the CIA. She now worked for Carson, and ws married to another of LSI West Coast Keepers.
By the end of the interviews, Logan had no problem agreeing to hire Cole, Frazier, and Todd. They acknowledged that they’d be ready to assist with the continued building of the company as soon as Logan could use them. With a firm handshake, he said, “I can use you now, so welcome to LSI Montana.”