Page 4 of Logan

“Consider being a business partner of LSI as an owner. You’d be the leader, the one calling the shots, and the person the others would report to.”

“And where would this proposed LSI business be located?”

“Right here.”

“Here?”

Mace and Jack looked at each other, and both men smiled. Mace turned back to Logan. “I don’t figure you plan on moving. You have a great location, and it seems you do a lot more here than anyone knows.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed again, but he remembered Jack telling him that Mace had checked him out. Nodding, he said, “Got some land?—”

“You’ve got almost two hundred acres that extend from here to the base of the closest mountain,” Mace interjected.

“Okay… and I have a couple of birds?—”

“You’ve got more than just two helicopters in your hangars.”

Logan snapped his mouth shut. He hated to be interrupted, but Mace wasn’t just shooting at the target, hoping to randomly hit something. Mace had his facts right. Heaving a sigh, he said, “What about this place? Not exactly like your setups, is it?”

“Plenty of time to work on that. You’d get the money necessary to build the kind of place that would work for you and the business.”

The three men sat in silence for several long minutes, all finishing their beer as Logan pondered the bizarre situation. He finally said, “This proposition is interesting, but I’ve only worked alone since getting out.”

“And not just flying tourists around,” Jack said, re-entering the conversation.

Logan looked over at Jack, knowing he’d only come on the visit to be the familiar face to connect him with Mace.

“You’re not the only former SEAL trying to settle into a life that isn’t very rewarding,” Mace said. “I find the men and women who I think are right for the job and make an offer. Carson is starting this process, too. A lot of former special operators out there… but not everyone is right to work for LSI. It takes someone special.” He cocked his head to the side, his gaze never leaving Logan. “Bet you know of a few yourself who would fit the description of a Keeper.”

Logan’s first thought slid to some people he’d worked with and lost touch with. The idea that they might work with him again lit a tiny spark. The second thought had his chin rear back. “Keeper?”

“The idea of the lighthouse keepers of old. My base is underneath the ground in the caves of the Maine coastline, directly under an old decommissioned lighthouse. Carson is near one. Keepers guide people to safety. They protect and rescue when necessary.”

Logan barked out a rough laugh, evidence that he rarely laughed aloud. “I hate to be the one to point it out, Mace, but there are no lighthouses in Montana.”

Mace turned and looked out the window toward the mountains close by. “What’s that?”

Logan bent slightly to see what Mace was indicating. “That’s a light tower. Keeps aircraft from slamming into the mountainside in the dark. It can also be used for rescues, giving someone a directional point.”

Mace turned back, his lips curving slightly. “You’re a pilot. You know how necessary that tower is to keep people safe. Just because you’re landlocked doesn’t mean your existence isn’t that of a Keeper.”

Logan fought to keep the air from audibly rushing from his lungs, but his chest felt tight. He’d felt the importance of his job every day that he was a SEAL. But now, there were days he struggled to get out of bed and face another group of tourists. His bottom lip pulled in, and he bit down as his mind sifted through everything Mace suggested. “Why me, though?”

“You’ve already got some kind of setup here. Or is my information wrong?” Mace asked.

Logan paused, his thoughts carefully pondering his next actions. Then he took to his feet. “Follow me.” Without any explanation, he walked toward the kitchen and stopped at a closet. He didn’t turn but could hear Jack and Mace following. He opened the door, revealing a set of stairs, and offered one word as an explanation for now. “Basement.”

He led the way downstairs, flipping the light switch as he went. At the bottom, he entered a code into a security panel and walked through the door that opened. Inside, several computers lined two walls of the small room. A white screen filled the third wall, ready for maps, computer images, and intel to be projected.Turning around, he faced the two whose eyes were not showing surprise.

Logan’s revelations unfurled. “I work missions… predominantly rescues. At least overtly. But at times, I get called in for my expertise in strategic planning or oversight in critical situations. Other than using my computer skills for planning and my pilot skills for rescues, I only take a few active cases… sometimes for a termination that never goes on the books… usually for Homeland Security. But I haven’t led a team since I got out. So I’m not sure what you think I can do for you.”

Standing before him, Mace seemed undeterred, his conviction unwavering. “You’re just the person. You can’t tell me that you’re not twitching at night with the restless tug to want to lead a team again. You wake up wishing there was more to your retirement than flying tourists around and rescuing dumbass hikers who have no business climbing mountains they didn’t prepare for.”

He sucked in a deep breath and looked around his room. Mace’s words struck a chord deep inside. He had sometimes sat in here alone, planning a mission for someone else to go on while he forced down and nearly choked on the desire to get back out. But what Mace proposed was life-changing, forcing Logan to a crossroads he was not prepared to navigate. Logan had already lived through a change in career trajectory he hadn’t planned on. He scrubbed his hand over his face.

With his hands on his hip and his eyes on his boots, he thought over how his life would change. Finally, lifting his head, he looked Mace in the eyes. “I need to think it over.”

Mace nodded, acknowledging Logan’s hesitation. “I can give you that. I know it might take longer than a night, but I’ll have to start looking for someone else if you’re not interested. We’re staying at the Glacier Hotel tonight. We’ll meet you at the bar in town for lunch to see what you think before we head out. You canlet me know by the end of the month.” With nods, Jack and Mace turned and headed up the stairs.

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