Chapter 17
How was it that Paul was in the hospital so soon after he had just recovered the first time? Taylor rested her head against the wall behind her, keeping an eye on the rise and fall of Paul's chest. A small reminder that he was, indeed, still alive.
The surgery had taken two hours and the doctors said the next twenty-four hours were the most critical with a recovery that could take up to two months.
Nalani had dragged the large plastic cushioned chair, intended for those who stayed overnight, next to the bed.
How anyone could sleep in one of those things was a mystery to her.
Nalani had one hand holding a blanket to her chin and the other holding on to Paul.
Paul had woken up a few moments ago, but drifted back into sleep, mumbling incoherent words. Taylor continued to silently pray for her friend. She saw how the first hospital stay haunted him, to come so close to death a second time would mess with anyone.
A cup of coffee appeared in front of her, filling her nose with the nutty smell of her favorite brand.
"You snuck out to get this." She took the offered cup from Davin.
The rich flavors danced across her tongue as she took a fortifying sip of the Americano.
"I thought you weren't supposed to leave me out of your sight. "
Davin took a sip of his own brew. "I figured you wouldn't leave Paul's side until we knew he was out of danger." He was right. There was no where she would be until Paul woke up and she saw for herself that he would be okay. "Besides, I thought you and Nalani could use a distraction."
He handed his coffee to her to hold while he pulled the bedside table over in front of her then proceeded to get two computers out of his bag. "I know you can't go chase down leads, but we could use your skills in finding those leads." Davin opened the computer and turned it toward her.
He took his coffee from her and nodded towards the computer. "Do what you do best. Find him."
Taylor's eyes stung, but she swallowed the well of emotion down. She could do this. She'd find Kam and prove to Hollands that he was wrong.
"Would you like some help?" Nalani stretched from her perch next to the bed.
"I wouldn't turn it down. Kam has perfected the art of not being seen unless he wants to be. Let's just hope that we find him before Katarina decides to kill him." Taylor started with the few public cameras they had in Seward.
An hour later she had nothing. How could God not give her something?
Anything. There was grit in her eyes and exhaustion weighed her down.
The pixels were starting to blur and caffeine was of no use anymore.
Taylor rubbed her eyes, maybe she should set up a scan and take a quick power nap.
She was no good to Kam if she was too tired to even look at footage.
"I've got something." Nalani sat up in her seat. Davin stirred in the chair next to her. "Pull up the camera footage for the docks at 0500."
"The only cameras we have there are private owned. The best I can do is in and around the National Park Office." Taylor pulled up the cameras. "What did you find?"
"There was a radio call from a fisherman about a man adrift on a jet ski. They were bringing him in at 0500 this morning."
Taylor's eyes were focused now. "Come on. Come on," she whispered.
At 0530, a man dressed in dark clothes appeared from the ramp behind the visitors center.
He looked straight at the camera. Kam was alive, but why didn't he contact her?
Kam's attention went to something off screen.
He exchanged a few words then looked right back at the camera.
"I love you. Trust me," he mouthed the message before slipping into the shadows.
"You're not going to find him." Davin flew to his feet putting himself between the visitor and the rest of the room.
"Relax, Davin." Nalani stood behind him. "This is Amelia. The one who we told you about on Unalaska."
"If you know where he is, you need to tell us. He has some questions that he needs to answer." Taylor winced at Davin's words.
Taylor stepped around her boss. "Can you give us an update on Kam, please? I just need to know." Her voice broke on the last word.
Amelia's eyes softened, but her body remained on high alert. "He is alive and working to track down Katarina."
"So, she got away?" Davin interjected.
Amelia turned slowly towards Davin, "Unfortunately, Kam pushed his jet ski too hard and the engine choked out. He was adrift for hours before a fishing charter found him. She was last seen heading toward Fourth of July Beach."
"But where is Kam now?" Taylor folded her arms across her chest.
"Kam King died three years ago." A woman dressed in all black walked through the door behind Amelia.
"Who are you?" Davin asked the question burning in her own throat.
The woman looked right at Taylor, "I was there. His convoy was completely destroyed. If you were wise, you would let the ghosts of the past go."
"You must be Monica." Taylor curled her lip.
Amelia gave her a slight shake of her head, but Taylor wouldn't stand down.
Not this time. "You took him from me once.
I won't stop until he's free from you." Amelia narrowed her eyes as if trying to communicate a secret message.
Taylor smirked. "You don't know where he is, do you? "
"I'm sorry for your loss." Monica turned abruptly and left.
"Great. You just made my day harder." Amelia turned toward the door. "We need to move quickly. Are you willing to leave right now?"
Taylor's mind raced. "To go where?"
Amelia sighed. "My company, Second Watch, has an opportunity to help Kam start over, but he is refusing to leave without giving you the option to go with him.
It's not usually how we operate, but I've seen you both together and I'm bending the rules this once because Music Man would want me to allow you two to be together. "
"I've got to get a bag together. " She scrolled through the list of things that she needed to do, but stopped when her gaze hit Davin.
"Go. We'll sort everything out with Hollands."
Tears smarted her eyes. "I…"
"You don't have to say anything. I'd do the same in your shoes."
"Tell him, I owe him one." Taylor whipped around at the sound of Paul's voice. "It was his idea to wear the Kevlar."
Taylor came to his side. "You're going to have to take it easy for a while. No dancing at Seward Brewing."
Paul chuckled then winced. "I promise. Davin and I will figure it out."
Taylor looked at Davin who had his arm around Nalani. He gave her a nod. She started towards the door. "Take me to him."
Amelia led her down the hallway of the surgical ICU. Taylor wasn't sure what life would look like, but they'd do it together.
The wait was killing Kam. Amelia had only been gone for forty-eight hours and already he had helped Ted rebuild the greenhouse that was damaged last year in a storm and organized the tools in the barn.
Twice. Did Taylor say no? Was that why they were delayed?
Kam pushed himself harder as he climbed the mountain behind the homestead.
His legs and lungs burned from the exertion, but it felt good to burn off the extra energy.
The wildflowers swayed in the breeze as he tried to avoid hidden rocks along the path he was blazing.
The tundra was harsh and unforgiving, yet life still found a way to flourish here.
Kam slowed to take in the view from a flat outcropping.
The cabin and barn sat in a cocoon of spruce trees the previous owner had planted to make a profit off of the lumber market for the islands.
In a place where no trees naturally grew, having a grove of spruce trees made them a wealthy person.
Now, they served as a protective barrier for Second Watch.
A plume of dust rose behind a vehicle on the road towards the homestead. Kam squinted. It looked like it was Ted's truck. Kam stretched one last time and took off down the path; Ted could have news, or even better, Taylor herself.
Kam broke through the line of trees and sprinted toward the back door. Ted sat on the deck sipping his favorite orange cream soda from a glass bottle. Kam stopped at the foot of the stairs with his hands on his hips taking deep breaths to get his heart under control.
"She's not coming, is she?" Kam forced the words out between breaths, even if part of him didn't want to know the answer to the question.
Ted took another swig. He was calm, which was the opposite of how his brother always seemed to be, bursting with energy.
Ted tipped the neck of the bottle toward the stack of papers on the table next to him.
"This is everything you'll need. A new name.
A new life. There's a homestead we use sometimes as a safe house off of Sterling Highway near Quartz Creek.
We're in need of a gatekeeper. Someone who can protect those we send your way and make sure no prying eyes get too close. "
A sense of purpose settled over him, but Ted didn't mention anything about Taylor, which put a knot in his stomach. What if she said no? Logically he heard her confess that she'd follow him anywhere, but when it came to leaving everything behind, would she really make that choice?
Kam flipped the file folder open. His picture was clipped to a profile sheet. Kam's eyebrow winged upward. "The CIA was good with you using one of their aliases?"
Ted smirked, "Amelia can be persuasive."