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Nate
Morning comes too soon, especially since I barely slept. Shawna stayed until after midnight, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about her after she left.
To say I was surprised when she showed up at my hotel room door would be an understatement. When she knocked the first time, I thought it was another strange occurrence, like the tapping I heard in the bathroom before. When she knocked the second time, I was relieved to see her through the peephole when I went to investigate. I was half-expecting to see no one there and chalk it up to another strange experience in The Pioneer.
It’s a relief to know she’s willing to try having a long-distance relationship. I know it’s going to be hard, but I can’t say goodbye to her and not at least try. Just thinking about what could’ve happened to her and Noah if we didn’t find them makes me sick to my stomach. I’m so relieved we got back here in time, and things turned out the way they did.
I drag myself out of bed. Rob, Smith, Nelson, and I have a meeting with the Port Townsend police and FBI this morning to debrief on what happened yesterday before we leave town. As soon as the meeting’s over, we’re driving to Seattle to catch our flight back to San Diego.
I send Shawna a text to say good morning. She doesn’t reply right away, but I figure she’s probably still asleep. After I shower, I pack my stuff and get ready to go. I meet the guys in the hotel lobby, and then we leave for the police station. As Rob drives us there, I get a response from Shawna.
Shawna:Good morning. I enjoyed myself last night, too. Please come back here soon so we can do it again. ;-) I hope your meeting goes well. Call or text me when you can.
Me:Thanks. I plan on coming back as soon as I can. I need to make you come again. ;-) I’ll text you when my meeting is over.
Our meeting with the police and FBI goes well. We explain everything that happened on our end and how it all played out, and they thank us for our hard work. As we get up to leave, the police chief offers to walk us out.
“How long have you all worked for Cole Security?” he asks as we walk down the hall toward the exit.
“Three years for Smith, Nelson, and me,” Rob replies.
“Two for me,” I reply.
“Well, if you’re ever interested in working in law enforcement, don’t hesitate to give me a call. We could use experienced guys like you to come work with us here in Port Townsend.” We reach the exit, and he holds the door open for us. “Here’s my card,” he says, holding four business cards in his hands for us to take. “Call me if you’re interested.”
We each take a card and thank him, then we head to our Tahoes. Did he really just offer us all the opportunity to work for the Port Townsend police? I can’t deny that it sounds intriguing. I’ve been happy working at Cole Security, but this would bring me here, near Shawna. I slide the card into my pocket.
We get in the SUV, and Rob throws the business card on the dash. “Nice guy, but leave Cole Security to work up here? Nah.”
“It would be different, that’s for sure,” I say with a chuckle. “Probably a much slower pace.”
“That’s for sure,” Rob says. “I’d go crazy.”
As Rob drives us back to Seattle, I consider what it might be like to move here. It seems crazy to be thinking of this. I’ve only known Shawna for about a week. This is crazy, right? The weird thing is that it doesn’t seem crazy to me. Is it a coincidence that I was given a job opportunity right after deciding to have a long-distance relationship with Shawna? Moving here would mean we could actually be together. It’s not as if I’d have to move in with her right away. Now that would be crazy.
But what if things don’t work out? If Shawna and I break up, then I’m stuck in Port Townsend until I can find another job and move away. Or what if I hate working for the police department? There was a time, back when I was still a SEAL, I considered being a cop someday when I retired from the Navy, but I haven’t thought about it in years. Would I be able to find another job if I decide being a police officer isn’t for me?
There are so many what-ifs and things to consider before I mention this to Shawna or make a decision that will change my entire life.
* * *
When we get back to San Diego, Jackson wants to meet with us, so we head to Cole Security right after we land. As we walk into Jackson’s office, he congratulates us on a job well done.
“Have a seat, guys. Can I get you a drink? You did excellent work apprehending Jarred Feldman,” he says as he stands at the small bar in the corner of his office and opens a bottle of whiskey.
We all accept his offer, so he pours us each a glass. After he passes them out, Jackson lifts his glass in the air. “To getting another fucker off the streets!” We raise our glasses to toast.
For the second time today, we retell all the events surrounding the capture of Jarred Feldman. Jackson acknowledges Rob’s excellent detective skills that led us back to Port Townsend after we thought we were at a dead end. If it wasn’t for him, we never would’ve caught him … and Shawna and Noah would both be missing.
After our meeting ends, we all stand to leave, but Jackson asks me to stay. I say goodbye to the other guys as Jackson walks them to the door, and I sit back down. Jackson sits in the chair across from me.
“Are you doing okay?” he asks, cutting right to the chase.
Surprised by his inquisition, I answer his question with another one. “What do you mean? Do I not seem okay?”
Jackson leans back in his chair, puts his elbows on the armrests, and folds his hands together. “You seem distracted. What’s going on?”
I should’ve known Jackson would pick up on how I’m feeling. Actually, I’m shocked none of the other guys did. As Navy SEALs, we’ve all been trained to read people’s emotions and basically be human lie detectors.
