Page 11 of Digit's Deflection
“Lame, dude.” But still, I laugh along with him. “But seriously. How?”
“It’s pretty simple, actually. I just know you guys well. That’s part of my job. I know your personalities and quirks, what motivates you, what pisses you off. It’s easy to see when you’re off your game, and that tells me something’s wrong. And an unhappy, distracted SEAL is a dangerous SEAL. So you see, it’s a matter of survival.”
I laugh again. “Yeah, now it’s my turn to call bullshit. I may not be nearly as observant as you when it comes to noticing when someone’s having an off day, but I know that you being our support is more than just a job.
“You’ve got a big heart, man. And it shows. That’s why every last man on this team would be willing to lay their life down for you. ‘Cause in a world that doesn’t give a shit about us, we know you do.”
Silence hangs heavy in the air for long moments. Knight, the man that has an answer for everything, is mute. Eventually he clears his throat. “I – this conversation isn’t about me. It’s about you and the fact that I can see something’s weighing on you. I’m here to listen without judgment if you need me. Okay?”
Rubbing the back of my neck, needing to talk to someone about the goat rodeo that is my life at the moment, but not ready for that conversation, I simply nod. “Thanks, Boss Man, I really do appreciate it. I’m just not ready, you know? There’s still so much that I need to work through, but I promise I won’t let it distract me. You guys rely on me, and I won’t let you down.”
“I never doubted that for a second. I’m here whenever you’re ready, yeah?”
“Yeah.” He squeezes my shoulder and turns to leave. “Knight?”
He stops. “Yeah?”
“Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate you checking in on me.”
“Anytime, brother.” With a pat on the arm this time, he disappears back into the dark.
Going back to monitoring my equipment, I force all other thoughts out of my brain and lose myself in the data. Soon enough the guys are stirring, and before you know it, it’s go-time.
Gator will remain at camp with me, while the others proceed to Armatrout’s compound that we’ve unearthed. There they’ll do recon to see if anything’s been left behind that’s of any value information-wise, and then, once every last avenue has been exhausted, we’ll raze the place to the ground. Blow it to hell, making sure it’s nothing more than a smoking pile of rubble when we’re done.
We’ll make damn sure this is one bolt hole he won’t be able to slither back into. Wolf and Merlin’s teams will do the same at their locations, effectively wiping out three of his “safe havens” at once.
Despite all the crap going on in my life right this second, that thought makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Sticking it to Armatrout brings us immense satisfaction. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when the little fucker finds out what we did.
Although, the one flaw in the plan is, what he’ll do to Indigo’s dad when he does find out. William Armatrout is not known for being a kind, gentle, or forgiving man. I just hope the commander can hang on until we track him down and can extract him.
7
DIGIT
As always, Aces is loud. It’s busy, and tonight there’s live music, which is always popular. Just needing to blow off some steam, we’ve headed straight here from base. The debrief was intense, the exhaustion brutal, and yet, as tired as I am, I won’t sleep.
It’s times like these that the repressed memories and thoughts bubble to the surface to plague my dreams. So rather than submit to the mental torture, I stay awake and either game online or watch some mindless crap to distract myself.
Checking my watch for the millionth time, I see it’s only fifteen minutes later than I last checked – a little before one o’clock in the morning. I look around the room, taking in the guys hanging with buddies at the bar, the groupies trying their level best to snag a sailor even if just for a night, and the groups of friends laughing around the table.
For just a second, the planet seems to shift on its axis, and I feel out of step with everyone around me. It’s like I stumbled while the world went on about its day, leaving me to catch up or get left behind. And I definitely got left behind. With yet another quick glance at my watch, I decide to head for the quiet of home.
Draining my glass, I get to my feet, and Bear looks over at me. “Everything okay there, bud?”
“Yeah, all good. Just had enough, you know? So I think I’m just gonna head on home.”
He nods. “Yeah, I’ll probably head home in a bit too. Eloise is on duty tonight, so I’ll grab some shut eye before she gets home.” His grin tells me all I don’t need to know about what happens when she gets home, and he’s had a couple hours of sleep to recharge.
Scooter notices I’m on my feet. “You out of here?”
“Yep, headed for the peace and quiet of home.”
“Sounds like a solid plan. I think I might do the same shortly,” he replies.
Saying my goodbyes, I head out into the cool, dark morning. I insert the key into my bike’s ignition and feel a sudden pull to take a ride along the coast. This funk I’ve been in lately has me feeling completely out of sorts, and I hate it. The idea of riding beside the ocean to clear my head appeals enormously.
I’m just about to pull out of the parking lot when I spot Lucky, Scooter, and Gator coming out of the pub. With a quick goodbye wave, I ease onto the road. In minutes I reach my destination. Stopped in a bay beside the beach, I lift the visor of my helmet and take in a lungful of fresh ocean air.
