SOLACE: Behind The Shield (Beauty 0f Life Book 2) Read online

  Solace

  Behind the Shield

  Beauty of Life

  Book Two

  Laura Acton

  Copyright © 2017 by Laura Acton

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise except for use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN: 9781520799605 (paperback edition)

  Solace: Behind the Shield is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  By Laura Acton

  Beauty of Life series (in order):

  Forsaken: On the Edge of Oblivion

  Solace: Behind the Shield

  Belonging: Hope, Truth, and Malice

  Outlier: Blood, Brotherhood, and Beauty

  Purgatory: Bonds Forged in Hellfire

  Serenity: A Path Home

  Guardians: Mission to Rescue Innocence

  Acknowledgements

  A very special thank you to five wonderful ladies

  who helped make this book possible.

  Kate, Martha, Julianne, Lisa, and Venetia.

  Thank you so much for your continued

  support, inputs, and awesome editing skills.

  Contents

  1) Second Chance?

  2) Worth the Fight

  3) Corn Maze

  4) Of Geese and Men

  5) Catnap

  6) Weather Forecast … Abysmal

  7) Undeniably Miserable

  8) Found Dan … It’s Bad

  9) You Stubborn Idiot

  10) Escape Through Misty Dreams

  11) Mood and Food

  12) Embracing the Rookie

  13) So, Is He a Comin’?

  14) Welcome to Our Home

  15) Christmas Morning to Cherish

  16) Time with Family

  17) Hope and Understanding

  18) Changing Tactics

  19) Cake Knife Fight

  20) Warming Up and Mail

  21) Reaching Out

  22) Never Saw It Coming

  23) High as a Kite

  24) Burgers, Beers, and JD

  25) Cupid’s Arrows and Snares

  26) Surprised, Perplexed, and Befuddled

  27) Portals to a Man’s Soul

  28) Vhivalry Isn’t Dead

  29) Keeping Tabs

  30) No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

  31) Unacceptable Nap Locations

  32) A Fantastic Dream

  33) Price and Perks of Being General

  34) Missing Rookie

  35) Sound and Fury

  36) Tinker, Toka, and Tonka

  37) My Safe Harbor

  38) Impressive Move and Cheap Shot

  39) Gangs, Gumballs, and Glass

  40) Taking Care of Our Own

  41) Pride Goes Before the Fall

  42) New and Old Friendships

  43) Emotional Pendulum

  44) Today of All Days

  45) Introspection and Grief

  46) Saving Dan

  47) Welcome to Alpha Team

  Sneak Peek – Belonging: Hope, Truth, and Malice

  About the Author

  Solace

  Behind the Shield

  Second Chance?

  1

  October 25

  TRF HQ – Gym – 6:30 a.m.

  Constable Lexa McKenna ran on the treadmill at a grueling pace in pursuit of coming to terms with what Alpha Team had done. They hurt and drove away their newest teammate with resentment and inconsiderate actions. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was now six thirty and Dan had not shown up. In the past three months, their ruggedly handsome rookie always came in early. At five o’clock when they arrived, he was already here and punching the hell out of the heavy bag. But now he was not here, and they were to blame.

  As Lexa’s petite, five-foot-two frame pounded the thread relentlessly, to keep up her pace, she glanced over at Boss working out on the elliptical machine. Their sergeant appeared weary as he wiped the sweat from his brow. It might be her imagination, but more of his dark brown hair turned white at the temples in the last few months.

  Her keen, hazel eyes scanned her teammates assessing them. Loki appeared distracted and upset—the team’s techie and bomb expert was easy to read. Both Bram and Ray wore composite expressions, a mixture of sad and angry as they lifted weights. Jon appeared ticked off, but she acknowledged the tactical lead’s anger was directed at himself, not Dan. Lexa couldn’t believe all of them acted in such an atrocious manner and she didn’t blame Dan one damned bit for not giving them a second chance.

  She only hoped for his sake he would heal—that he could recover. Being the one to kill his best friend in a friendly fire incident shattered Dan’s heart and scarred his soul. The visualization of his pain five days ago made the team realize the additional damage they inflicted with their casual indifference and sometimes vindictive behavior. Dan appeared broken after telling them why he left Special Forces.

  Lexa worried they might’ve pushed Dan off the edge and into oblivion. They all seriously messed up, and she hoped to start making amends today. As a peace offering and a form of apology, she baked Dan cookies, but she may never get a chance to give them to him. Increasing the treadmill’s speed, she felt the burn of her muscles which helped quiet her self-loathing thoughts.

  Loki pedaled slowly on the stationary bike, not giving his workout proper attention, only going through the motions this morning. His eyes kept glancing towards the door with a view to the locker room entrance.

  Apprehensive, he hoped Dan was only running late and would arrive soon. The daily pre-shift workout was technically not the start of their workday, participation although not mandated was expected by Jon. So, Loki held out hope Dan only decided not to work out with them, and he would be here when shift officially started at seven.

  However, the closer it came to seven, the unhappier Loki became, as he got the gut feeling Dan planned on leaving the team. Boss said Dan might not show up today. If Dan didn’t come in and decided instead to quit TRF, Loki realized he must come to terms with the fact his actions harmed another person. He desperately wanted to make things right, to offer friendship, and learn about the real Dan, the man behind the stoic, soldier mask.

  “Loki, your Ma’s on the phone. You can take the call at my desk,” TRF dispatcher, Tia Walsh, said as she passed the gym on her way to the records room to get a file for Bravo Team.

  Hopping off the bike, Loki grabbed a towel, wiped his sweaty face, and trotted over to Tia’s desk. He hoped everything was alright with his ma because she never called him at work except for emergencies.

  TRF HQ – Dispatch Desk – 6:45 a.m.

  Loki hung up and sighed as he stared at the phone. How am I going to confess to Ma? She will be so disappointed in me.

  Tia returned from getting a report and noted Loki’s distressed expression. Ordinarily happy and humorous, his chestnut brown eyes held such sadness today. Loki, being such a decent and caring guy, it pained her to see him this upset. With genuine concern, she asked, “Everything okay with your ma?”

  “Yeah. No. Yeah.”

  Tia reached out a hand and placed it on Loki’s forearm. “What’s wrong?”

  Loki took a deep breath and regarded Tia. His heart fluttered. Oh boy, Tia is so far out of my league—she is stunning. He often got tongue-tied when talking to her. He nervously raked
one hand through his wavy, black hair. “Ma’s okay. She only wanted to tell me she is making lasagna tonight and suggested I invite Dan over for dinner.”

  “And that’s a problem? I thought you all were starting to accept him.”

  “It wouldn’t be … except Dan’s not here.” Loki raked the wayward lock of hair from his forehead again—it never stayed in place.

  “He never misses a workout.” Tia’s expression became a mix of worry and a tinge of anger. She liked Dan, he was a friendly guy, even if Boss’ team didn’t want him and treated him poorly. Dan shouldn’t be blamed for the way he got fast-tracked into TRF.

  “He didn’t show up this morning like normal. We hoped he would, but it appears we messed up too badly.”

  Hearing the elevator door ping, Tia glanced towards the entrance of TFR headquarters and the object of their conversation stepped out. Surprised he took the lift, habitually he arrived via the stairs, she took the time to study him. He didn’t appear quite so pale and gaunt today. As the golden-blond haired hunk of a man approached her, Tia smiled and greeted him warmly. “Morning, Dan. Missed you around here the last couple of days.”

  Dan noted Tia behind her desk. Always kind to him, he made an effort to give her a small smile, though it didn’t reflect in his eyes. “Morning, Tia. Is the commander in?”

  “Not yet, but he should be in by seven.”

  Loki turned when Tia greeted Dan. Instead of his regular workout apparel, the rookie wore faded jeans, a long-sleeve hunter green pull-over, and running shoes. He noted Dan was not carrying his go bag, and feared the worst. Dan’s quitting.

  Wait, no that was not his worst fear. The worst one was put to rest with Dan standing here. He feared they pushed Dan too far and he fell off the edge of the cliff. That factor alone nagged at Loki over the past five days.

  After a quick visual inspection, Loki noted the dark smudges under Dan’s eyes were not as noticeable, nor his face as pallid and drawn. Still far from healthy looking, but at least he didn’t have the same death-warmed-over appearance he possessed several days ago.

  Loki brightened up thinking he might still be able to right his wrong. “Morning, Dan. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Ma’s making lasagna tonight and I want to invite you to dinner.”

  Dan blinked. What? Why would Loki want me to have dinner with him? He answered in a monotone, “Thanks, but I have other plans.”

  Loki’s face fell a little. What did I expect? Dan to immediately jump at the chance to dine with someone who treated him like crap. An optimist, he tried again. “You sure? My ma makes the best lasagna. She’s also baking fresh bread. It’s to die for.” Loki cringed. What a stupid euphemism to use.

  Dan noted Loki’s low-spirited expression. Unlike him, but I do have plans. If the commander approves my transfer, I’ll be working.

  “Okay. Another time. You heading in to gear up?” Loki assumed a friendly smile, and his face transformed showing hopefulness.

  “No. I need to meet with Commander Gambrill. Excuse me.” Dan turned to Tia. “I’m going up to the roof. Would you text me when he arrives?”

  “Absolutely.” Tia grinned.

  TRF HQ – Commander Gambrill’s Office – 7:10 a.m.

  Force of habit had Dan standing at rigid attention after he entered the commander’s office.

  Walter Gambrill took a few moments to inspect his godson. There appeared to be a slight improvement. The hollows of his cheeks were not as pronounced, and some color returned to his complexion. The mandatory days of rest had been beneficial for him. “Please, sit down.”

  Dan moved to parade rest. “I prefer to stand, sir.”

  “What can I do for you?” Walter stifled a sigh at the rigidness exuding from Dan. Damn William’s quixotic method of raising Danny.

  In a flat tone, Dan said, “Sir, I came to a decision. I would like to stay with the Tactical Response Force. However, I don’t think Alpha Team is the right fit. I am requesting a transfer to Echo Team, effective today. If you cannot grant my petition, I will submit my resignation.”

  Surprised by Dan’s request, Walter considered his options. Walter believed if given a little more time, Sergeant Pastore would be able to set things right. Sergeant Winter is a decent man and excellent officer, but he didn’t possess the talents necessary to furnish Dan with what he needed.

  Nick Pastore, an exceptional man blessed with abilities to empathize, had created a unique team. Dan needed the support Pastore’s team would give him. Walter was all too aware appearances could be deceiving, and although Dan gave the impression of being on the mend, he remained lost, his pain still evident in his eyes. He understood Dan craved a place to belong and to be surrounded by people who cared. Without the foundation the team could provide Dan, Walter remained fearful for Dan’s life.

  He witnessed the tragic effect of Sara’s death on Dan. The nine-year-old boy shut down entirely when his little sister was killed in front of him. Afterwards, Dan dwelt for a decade in a self-constructed world of loneliness. According to Dan’s mother, Yvonne Broderick, the light in his eyes returned only after Dan befriended Brody Hunter in boot camp.

  General William Broderick, Walter’s oldest and dearest friend and Dan’s father, entrusted him with Dan’s care during this bleak time. Walter understood ending Brody’s life devastated Dan. He worried his godson would return to self-imposed isolation … or worse.

  Walter realized he must convince Dan to give them one more chance, certain Pastore and the rest would provide solace and help heal Dan’s emotional trauma. “I’ll give your request due consideration. It isn’t a change I want to make hastily. You realize, there will be times you’ll need to work with Alpha Team when multi-team incidents arise?”

  “Yes, sir. That won’t be a problem. I am a professional, and I’m sure they can be professional too.”

  “Tell me, why you want to move to Winter’s team?”

  Dan didn’t want to share his real reason. It would make him sound like a whiny brat. He couldn’t say because they don’t want me. “I believe Echo Team is a better fit. Sergeant Winter indicated he would like to have a seventh member and they also work the night shift.”

  The last part seemed odd to Walter. “What does working nights have to do with this?”

  Again, Dan couldn’t tell Gambrill his motives. The gloom of night allowed his fears to escape from his dreams and haunt him. He figured his nightmares would be less oppressive and easier to cope with when waking to the light of day. Dan offered a truth, but not the whole truth. “I’m well versed in working in the dark. Most of my missions were conducted under cover of darkness.”

  Walter nodded as he threw a monkey wrench into Dan’s thinking process. “You do realize all teams rotate all of the shifts, right?”

  Aw crap! “No, sir. The team’s been on the same schedule for the past three months.”

  “True, but that is an anomaly. We’ve had some scheduling issues lately preventing the standard rotation. In fact, in November, Alpha will be moving to the seven p.m. to seven a.m. shift and Winter’s Team will be taking over the day shift.”

  “I see.” Crap, my only non-whiny argument nosedived and crashed.

  Walter noted brief disappointment cross Dan’s face. “I’ll consider your transfer request thoroughly as I would for any of my officers. I’ll decide within two weeks. Does that sound fair?”

  Unaccustomed to being asked if something was fair, Dan simply nodded. His godfather dealt with him without favor, which he respected, so he decided to wait for his decision. Not like I have any other options at the moment.

  Standing, Walter walked around his desk and placed a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “One more thing. You appear more rested, but I want you to take one more day to relax. I’ll inform Pastore I ordered you to take the day off. We’ll expect you back here tomorrow.”

  Coming to attention, Dan stated, “Yes, sir.” He did a crisp about-face and strode out of the office. Just what the heck am I going to do today?
<
br />   TRF HQ – Near the Locker Room – 7:35 a.m.

  Bram De Haven spotted Dan striding down the hall and jogged to catch up with him. “Hey, Dan, hold up.”

  Dan stopped at Bram’s voice. The only team member to befriend him and live up to their motto, Bram would be the only member of Alpha Team Dan would miss if he transferred. As he waited for the huge man to come to a stop, Dan had a weird thought. If Bram had long hair, and carried a wooden shield and sword, he would resemble a Viking warrior. Though in reality, Bram’s light brown hair was a short buzz cut, and they carried guns and ballistic shields.

  Bram grinned. “Missed you in workout, but the extra sleep seems like it did you good. You on your way to the lockers to change?”

  “No. I’m heading out. Gambrill ordered me to take another day off.”

  Catching sight of something in the intense blue eyes again, Bram tried to decipher the meaning. Dan’s feelings were always fleeting and easy to miss, but Bram discerned emotions ran deep behind the protective shields Dan erected to hide a severely wounded soul.

  His deduction became undeniable when Dan broke down five days ago. Dan’s anguish over killing Brody poured out in buckets of tears as Bram held him. He glimpsed the man hidden behind a thick shield. Bram felt like the lowest of the low for not protecting Dan. All his fatherly instincts failed him previously, but he would not fail now.

  Bram’s emotions began to rise, and he cleared his throat of the lump, so he didn’t sound like a frog when he spoke. “Dan, I’m very sorry I didn’t do more sooner. I’m sorry we treated you so shabbily and made you feel unwelcome. I apologize for not stopping Jon’s tirades and attitude.”

  Dan let a small harrumph escape before he caustically said, “His rants are tame compared to some of my COs, and he has nothing on General Broderick. The general can slice you open with a few choice words and ice-shard glare. After surviving twenty-seven years of General Badass, I can deal with Hardy.”