Page 56 of Dangerous Mission

Epilogue - Ginger

“It meansa lot to me that you came to Hawaii,” Casper said before he sipped his beer. “I know you still feel like you don’t fit in.”

Ginger ran a hand through his short auburn hair and stared out at the ocean, knowing the deep-blue water had taken so many lives. He was stuck in the past, and it had caused the men who relied on him the most to question his motives. He still hadn’t told his team everything. Some things were too embarrassing.

“We’re a brotherhood, which I’ve sucked at lately. I’m trying. This is a step forward.”

“Fuck yes, you are. Don’t ever think we aren’t here for you. That shit with your last team was fucked up, and I understand why you’re cautious.”

“It’s in the past, and I need to leave it there. Once I have my vengeance, things will be better.”

Casper set his bottle aside and ran a hand through the white sand. “What will you do once you have vengeance?” He held up his hands. “Most of us who have been in the military for over ten years and seen the shit we do overseas have demons. We try to think they will go away on their own, but that’s not the case most of the time. I don’t mean to overstep, but I looked into a few things you said.”

Once again, his team didn’t trust him. But he didn’t blame Casper.

“Jesus, man. You have some major trust issues. I didn’t look into what you said to make sure you weren’t lying. I wanted to see if I could help put some of your demons to rest. It won’t happen overnight, but in time, you’ll see we’re all here for you.”

Ginger winced. “How did you know what I was thinking?” He glanced over his shoulder toward the crowd of people near the rocks. It still felt foreign even after a year to be part of a team. He’d worried that after he explained his background, they wouldn’t want him to be part of the team. He shouldn’t be. At no point did he have to go through what those men had to get a trident. He was a fake.

Casper sighed again. “Dude, it’s written all over your face. You need to stop with the self-hate. Terri might not be alive if it weren’t for you. You saved a lot more than her that day. Get it through your head. You are part of our team.” Casper scrunched his nose. “Even if you’re a former Green Beret.”

“Fuck you, man!” Ginger laughed. “I would’ve made it through BUD/S even if the CIA hadn’t pulled me out. I hate working for them, and I’m not sure how they get away with putting people on teams. And I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be with you guys.”

When he got back from California, he had a meeting with Commander North to go over what would happen with his career.

“Never know what will happen. Hell, man, you assisted with saving the president's daughter. With Axel leaving the team in a couple months, it will put us two men down if they pull you from us. But we’re getting off topic. Do you want to know what I found out?”

“Carter killed the woman I loved a long time ago.” He looked out at the ocean and winced. Ginger loved the water and hated it at the same time. It seemed Carter had figured out his secret and the real reason he’d run straight into the ambush.

“What?”

The CIA had told him there was no chance she’d lived. They recruited him away from BUD/S to assist in a mission to go after Carter, only to put him on a team he wasn’t worthy of. Each time they went on a mission together, he put their lives at risk.

Brittany wasn’t supposed to be in Europe, but she couldn’t handle it when he left for long periods of time. He told her to fly over, and he would sneak away and see her. Then Carter sent him a photo of Brittany. His team rushed in to save her, and Carter had no thoughts of letting her live.

“I have a couple of people doing more checks on the mission. We always think we can do more and can’t look at FUBAR missions with open eyes when they are under our command, but Brittany is alive.”

Ginger’s body went numb. “She’s being held captive. It’s been years, and I haven’t looked for her.”

Casper winced. “Man, I’m don’t think she’s being held. I’m working on pulling more information, but from what I found, she was sent to seduce you.”

“Fuck!” Ginger looked over his shoulder at the men he’d worked with for the last year.They might say they consider me one of their own, but how can they when I let a woman trick me?

“I haven’t told them anything,” Casper continued. “None of what I said will make any of those men think of you differently. It’s ingrained in us to help.”

Ginger felt dirty, knowing that the woman he’d put on a pedestal, loved, and slept with was doing it as cover. “I really hope Commander North lets me stay around long enough to kill Carter.”

Casper nodded. “I’m sure he will, but there is a long list of people who want to kill him. The government also wants him back so that they can get information out of him. But sitting here tonight, we aren’t going to figure out the world's problems. It looks like it’s close to wedding time, and they can’t start without me.”

“I’m happy for you guys.”

Ginger and Casper both stood, and Ginger fiddled with his tie. In the distance, music played.

With a sigh, he walked up and took a seat in the back row of chairs. He was distancing himself again, but he needed time to think.

The wedding was beautiful, and Ginger was happy for the couple. It seemed everyone on the team was settling down, one by one. Three were already committed. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Angel and Casanova finally fell. But something was holding them back. Maybe if he spent more time with his team, he would know what it was.

In time, it wouldn’t matter. Ginger would be off the team and sent somewhere else. The one thing he’d learned was that he could never trust his heart again.

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