Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dinner went surprisingly well. Sadie had thought she might be uncomfortable with Ghost and Fletch, but they were down to earth and reminded her a lot of the operatives who worked for McKay-Taggart.
She had friends, but sitting around watching Rayne and Emily interact with each other and their men was refreshing.
They showed their love for one another openly.
They teased and laughed together, but it was absolutely done out of affection and respect.
Too many times in college Sadie had lost friends because of petty jealousies and perceived competition on their part.
But it was obvious Emily and Rayne weren’t envious of each other.
Maybe it was because they were older, maybe it was because they were with soldiers who they knew could be killed on any of their missions.
Whatever it was, Sadie liked them. She enjoyed being a part of their inner circle.
She wanted to have that true intimacy with another woman, or a group of women.
She felt as if she had it with Milena and had missed relaxing and chatting with her over the last month.
It was always great to have a boyfriend, but there was just something different about knowing you had women you could count on no matter what.
They were sitting around relaxing and talking after dinner when Ghost’s phone rang. He obviously recognized the number and didn’t care if the others overheard his conversation, because he didn’t bother getting off the couch to answer it.
“Ghost here. Hey, Fish, how are you? How’s Bryn?” He smiled at the group as he listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the line.
“Really? She said that? Shit, I love your wife, man. She’s awesome.”
Sadie felt Chase stiffen next to her right after Ghost began speaking, but she didn’t know why.
Chase had the hand of his injured arm sitting on her thigh, as if they sat like that all the time, but for whatever reason, when Ghost started talking to his friend, his fingers dug into her leg almost painfully.
She looked over at him—and he was staring at Ghost with a gaze that was as intense as she’d ever seen. “Chase?” she asked softly, getting concerned.
Ghost was still talking. “When you get that new prosthetic, let us know. I’m interested to hear how you like it and if it’s as high tech as it’s purported to be.
Annie says she misses you. She’s upset we got to come out and see you not too long ago.
After she heard all about Bryn, she can’t wait to meet her. ”
“What’s his last name?” Chase asked loudly, making Sadie jump. He wasn’t trying to be polite; he’d barged into Ghost’s conversation as if he had every right. He sounded pissed too. As if he was angry that Ghost was on the phone in the first place.
Sadie looked at Chase. His teeth were obviously grinding because she could see his jaw flexing.
His lips were pressed together and his eyes were narrowed.
He was still gripping her leg hard enough that she’d probably have bruises.
Sadie wanted to do something to help him, but she wasn’t sure what was wrong in the first place.
Ghost went from relaxed and jovial to irritated—and possibly a little angry—in a heartbeat. “Hang on,” he said into the phone, then held it against his chest and stared at Chase. “What’s your problem?”
“You called whoever you’re talking to ‘Fish.’ What’s his last name?”
Ghost didn’t answer immediately, and the two men stared at each other for a long moment.
Rayne finally broke the tense silence. “Munroe. Fish’s name is Dane Munroe. Why? What’s going on, Chase?”
Sadie watched as all the blood drained from Chase’s face, as if he’d just seen a ghost. She didn’t understand what in the world was going on, but it was something big.
As if in a trance, Chase held out his hand to Ghost, obviously asking for the phone.
“Chase?” Rayne asked again, sounding extremely concerned now.
Ghost hesitated for a second, but whatever he saw in Chase’s face made him lean forward and hand him the phone.
Everyone in the room was silent, aware that something big was happening, but not sure what.
Sadie reached over and put her hand on Chase’s leg, but she didn’t think he even knew she was there. Hell, she didn’t think he was aware of anyone around him.
He slowly brought the phone up to his ear. Sadie could hear the man named Fish on the other end; his voice was loud and easily heard through the speaker of the phone since she was sitting right next to Chase.
“Hello?” Chase said tentatively.
“Who’s this?” Fish asked.
“Captain Chase Jackson. Who’s this?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then Fish asked, “No shit? Jackson?”
“Yeah. Please tell me you are who I think you are.”
“Fuck me. Goddamn. I can’t fucking believe this!”
Sadie’s eyes widened at the amount of swear words coming from whoever Chase was talking to. He sounded almost as shaken up as Chase looked.
Finally, when he’d apparently run out of dirty words, he simply said, “I thought you were dead, man.”
Chase huffed out a breath and closed his eyes. “I thought you were dead. Is there anyone else?”
Fish cleared his throat. “No. I’m the only one.
Ghost and his team came across the convoy and saved my life.
Lost my arm, but if Truck hadn’t clamped my artery for the forty minutes it took to get to a medic station, I would’ve lost my life too.
Shit, Sir…if I had known…I… They would’ve gotten you out too. I thought you were dead.”
The emotion on Chase’s face was clear for everyone in the room to see. No one said a word; even little Annie was quiet as they all watched whatever was happening play out in front of them.
“They did the right thing. I passed out and when I woke up, you were gone. Thought the locals had gotten ahold of you,” Chase told Fish. “Jesus, Munroe. I just can’t… I can’t believe you’re alive.”
A tear fell down Sadie’s cheek, but she didn’t wipe it away.
The mixture of joy and sorrow on Chase’s face was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
She knew Fish must be one of the soldiers from the group who were going to rescue the hostage.
She remembered Chase’s anguish when he’d talked about how all the men had died in the explosion, and how he hadn’t been able to find any information on them.
“Where are you?” Chase asked.
“Idaho.”
“Idaho? What the hell are you doing all the way out there?”
“Long story, but basically, I needed to get away from everything. Can’t be around large groups of people anymore. Loud sounds bother me. It suits me out here. Best decision I ever made. I met my wife after I moved.”
Chase’s eyes closed and his head bowed. He struggled with emotion before opening his eyes and staring over at Ghost and Fletch. “Fucking pleased, Munroe. You have no idea.”
Belatedly, Fletch put his hands over Annie’s ears as if he could block out the word she just heard.
“Yeah, Sir, I do,” was Fish’s response.
“I’d like to come visit sometime…if that’s all right,” Chase said hesitantly.
“Yes. Absolutely, yes. You can meet Bryn, my wife. She’s hysterical and super smart.
I mean, really smart. But don’t get any ideas…
I know you work in counterterrorism. I won’t let her get into that shit.
You’ll understand why when you meet her.
She gets too into it and doesn’t know when to let stuff go. ”
“I can’t wait to meet her. I’m gonna give you back to Ghost now.”
“Okay. Sir?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re not dead,” Fish told him.
“Right back at’cha,” Chase replied. Then he held the phone out to Ghost. The other man took it, and he and Fish had a short conversation before he hung up.
“You were there that day?” Ghost asked in a low tone.
Chase nodded. “I’d been assigned to the team on a special mission. It was all hush-hush. A part of counterterrorism intel gathering. We were supposed to go in and rescue that female truck driver who’d been taken hostage.”
Fletch spoke next. “Jeez, man… We checked everyone. How did we miss you?”
Chase shrugged. “When I came to the first time, I realized that the truck seat had landed on top of me. I had to literally dig my way out later. I think with my brown hair and the way I was covered in dirt…I just blended into the landscape. I’m not surprised you missed me.”
Ghost shook his head. “I can’t believe I left my future brother-in-law there to die. No. Not acceptable. We fucked up. You could’ve been captured by the same people who took the truck driver.”
“But I wasn’t. Quit beating yourself up.” Chase’s gaze met first Fletch’s then Ghost’s. “That’s an order,” he said. Then his voice lowered. “Munroe is alive. It’s a miracle. I thought I was the only one.”
Rayne asked, “How in the world did you not know about Fish? I mean, he was around when that shit happened with Kassie. He was even at Emily’s wedding. I know you didn’t go, but still. He was here. And haven’t I talked about him around you? It’s not like you’re living in a bubble.”
Chase looked over at his sister. “I don’t know.
We talk, but I haven’t told anyone about that mission…
well, except for Sadie, and that was really recently.
I don’t hang out with Ghost and the others too often because of fraternization rules.
The Army doesn’t think much of enlisted soldiers hanging with officers. ”
“Well, that’s just stupid,” Rayne said under her breath.
Chase smiled but went on. “Thank you,” he said, looking at both of the Delta Force operatives. “Thank you for finding Munroe and getting him out of there. Thank you for what you do, and especially thank you for helping me keep Sadie safe.”
“Fuck that,” Ghost said. “You don’t have to thank us. This is what we do.”
“Exactly,” Fletch agreed.
“And Fish would’ve done the same exact thing if the roles had been reversed,” Ghost said.
“Damn straight,” Fletch agreed.