"Kam King died three years ago." A woman dressed in all black walked through the door behind Amelia.
"Who are you?" Davin asked the question burning in her own throat.
The woman looked right at Taylor, "I was there. His convoy was completely destroyed. If you were wise, you would let the ghosts of the past go."
"You must be Monica." Taylor curled her lip. Amelia gave her a slight shake of her head, but Taylor wouldn't stand down. Not this time. "You took him from me once. I won't stop until he's free from you." Amelia narrowed her eyes as if trying to communicate a secret message. Taylor smirked. "You don't know where he is, do you?"
"I'm sorry for your loss." Monica turned abruptly and left.
"Great. You just made my day harder." Amelia turned toward the door. "We need to move quickly. Are you willing to leave right now?"
Taylor's mind raced. "To go where?"
Amelia sighed. "My company, Second Watch, has an opportunity to help Kam start over, but he is refusing to leave without giving you the option to go with him. It's not usually how we operate, but I've seen you both together and I'm bending the rules this once because Music Man would want me to allow you two to be together."
"I've got to get a bag together. " She scrolled through the list of things that she needed to do, but stopped when her gaze hit Davin.
"Go. We'll sort everything out with Hollands."
Tears smarted her eyes. "I…"
"You don't have to say anything. I'd do the same in your shoes."
"Tell him, I owe him one." Taylor whipped around at the sound of Paul's voice. "It was his idea to wear the Kevlar."
Taylor came to his side. "You're going to have to take it easy for a while. No dancing at Seward Brewing."
Paul chuckled then winced. "I promise. Davin and I will figure it out."
Taylor looked at Davin who had his arm around Nalani. He gave her a nod. She started towards the door. "Take me to him."
Amelia led her down the hallway of the surgical ICU. Taylor wasn't sure what life would look like, but they'd do it together.
The wait was killing Kam.Amelia had only been gone for forty-eight hours and already he had helped Ted rebuild the greenhouse that was damaged last year in a storm and organized the tools in the barn. Twice. Did Taylor say no? Was that why they were delayed? Kam pushed himself harder as he climbed the mountain behind the homestead. His legs and lungs burned from the exertion, but it felt good to burn off the extra energy. The wildflowers swayed in the breeze as he tried to avoid hidden rocks along the path he was blazing.
The tundra was harsh and unforgiving, yet life still found a way to flourish here. Kam slowed to take in the view from a flat outcropping. The cabin and barn sat in a cocoon of spruce trees the previous owner had planted to make a profit off of the lumber market for the islands. In a place where no trees naturally grew, having a grove of spruce trees made them a wealthy person. Now, they served as a protective barrier for Second Watch.
A plume of dust rose behind a vehicle on the road towards the homestead. Kam squinted. It looked like it was Ted's truck. Kam stretched one last time and took off down the path; Ted could have news, or even better, Taylor herself.
Kam broke through the line of trees and sprinted toward the back door. Ted sat on the deck sipping his favorite orange cream soda from a glass bottle. Kam stopped at the foot of the stairs with his hands on his hips taking deep breaths to get his heart under control.
"She's not coming, is she?" Kam forced the words out between breaths, even if part of him didn't want to know the answer to the question.
Ted took another swig. He was calm, which was the opposite of how his brother always seemed to be, bursting with energy. Ted tipped the neck of the bottle toward the stack of papers on the table next to him. "This is everything you'll need. A new name. A new life. There's a homestead we use sometimes as a safe house off of Sterling Highway near Quartz Creek. We're in need of a gatekeeper. Someone who can protect those we send your way and make sure no prying eyes get too close."
A sense of purpose settled over him, but Ted didn't mention anything about Taylor, which put a knot in his stomach. What if she said no? Logically he heard her confess that she'd follow him anywhere, but when it came to leaving everything behind, would she really make that choice?
Kam flipped the file folder open. His picture was clipped to a profile sheet. Kam's eyebrow winged upward. "The CIA was good with you using one of their aliases?"
Ted smirked, "Amelia can be persuasive."
Ryan McNite's information stared back at him. Of course, Kam wouldn't have the fake money to back his name, nor the impressive degrees, but he'd find something to do. The last two days, he discovered that he enjoyed homesteading and building something with his own hands. Kam shook his head then turned the page. The next few were pictures of the homestead and surrounding area. It was a nice piece of land. Close enough to apaved road, yet far enough into the bush that it would be easy to stay under the radar.
The name on the last page stared at Kam who blinked a few times trying to allow his brain to process the dossier in front of him. Emma McNite, wife and web designer. Taylor's picture stared at him.
"What do you think?" Taylor stood at the back door in a flannel shirt and cargo pants. Kam hadn't seen a more beautiful sight.
He dropped the papers and leapt to the deck in one bound, crushing her against him. He was drenched in sweat, but he wouldn't waste another minute without her in his arms. She held on to him as if she was as desperate to never let him go as he was with her.
