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Art followed Killian out of the room. He gasped when he saw the dead insurgents, but whispered, “Good. I’m glad they’re dead.”
Outside, the team reassembled. Thankfully, everyone was safe.
The group had a two-hour window to arrive at the extraction point. The jeep they arrived in was parked a click away, then they had a half-hour trek to the helicopter.
No one stirred as they left the village. It was as if they were ghosts in the night—which they were.
During the journey home, Killian breathed a sigh of relief.
He had a lot of time to think about this mission and was grateful it had been easy. Not all were. This time, the hostage and the SEALs all got out alive. One of these days, their luck would be out the window.
* * *
“Welcome.”
A gray-haired woman seated at the reception desk in the middle of the brick building greeted Killian with a broad smile as he walked into the offices of KnightGuard Security in Black Pointe, Florida. He told Marcia, whose name was on the placard, he was there to see Sam Knight. She pointed him towards the front of the building, telling him Sam expected him.
Killian inhaled, exhaled, and repeated. He was both nervous and excited to be working for KnightGuard Security. After leaving the service six months ago, he’d been searching for his place in the world.
His friend Mark Stone, Sam’s fiancé and a former SEAL, recommended he come on board, as KnightGuard could use his skills. Killian did his due diligence and found the security company enjoyed a stellar reputation.
He’d only walked about ten feet when he heard a familiar voice. Joe “Shadow” Harkin emerged from a cubicle and hailed him.
“Shadow.” Killian stopped, leaned in, and gave him a man-hug.
“Not Shadow anymore,” he said. “KnightGuard is a mix of military, ex-cops, and other security people as well as spouses, so it’s easier to remember formal names.”
Mark had mentioned Joe worked here. He glanced at his old friend. For a stoic man, Joe looked content, almost happy. Although his dark brown hair was longer than Killian remembered, he remained as buff as ever.
“How long have you worked here?” asked Killian.
Joe shrugged. “It’s been about four years. What brought you here?”
“When I left the teams, I searched for a place to use the skills I have. Mark Stone suggested I come here.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Joe glanced around the office and then at Killian. “Sam offers a combination of paid and unpaid security jobs. Plus, we do pro bono work at a shelter for abused women. KnightGuard also offers self-defense lessons to women and kids at the shelter.”
Killian nodded. “Perfect.”
The job was precisely what he was looking for—a way to use his skills and a way to give back.
He wished his mother had had someone watching her back. No one had, and she was too afraid to leave his dad—not that it would have made a difference.
The only time she’d had enough of the abuse and summoned up whatever dignity and courage she had, she left him, walking away with Killian and his sister. Killian was six, and Gina was only three. They didn’t get far, especially without a car. His father picked them up about a mile from the house. Twenty minutes later, his mom was crying on the kitchen floor with ugly bruises on her body, cuts on her face, a black, swollen eye and a broken arm.
That was the last time she tried to leave. His father warned Killian and his sister they’d get worse if they ever left with her again. Then he kicked his wife in the gut and told her to stop whining, get her ass up, and make dinner.
Killian closed and opened his eyes. Damn—not going down nightmare alley today. He was here for a job.
“Sam asked me to stop by for a tour.” Killian looked at his watch. “Damn, gotta go.”
Joe gave Killian a chin-up. “Catch you later.”
Sam’s office was at the front of the old warehouse. The transformation from warehouse to office building amazed Killian. Large glass windows let in lots of natural light. The reddish-brick walls gave the office a warm and welcoming atmosphere. There were multiple cubicles, and echoes of conversations and laughter filled the air.
Killian arrived at Sam’s office at the end of the building.
“Knock, knock.”
