Calum’s Contact Page 3

  “Well, for the moment, he’ll stay there, but I really hope it won’t be for too long,” Terk stated. “I might have to find somebody to pull him back out.”

  “Who would that be?” Calum asked.

  At that, Terk gave him a lopsided grin. “You all have partners,” he noted, “or at least all of you had partners you’d walked away from or kept at a distance.”

  “Jesus, Rick too?” Wade asked. The men stared at each other and then back at Terk. “That’s one hell of a set of secrets that we’ve kept from each other.”

  “It absolutely is.” Terk nodded. “And that’s part of the reason it’s so important for all of us to get this dealt with, so everybody can get back to having a life again.”

  “And then what?” Calum asked. “I had initially planned on retiring.”

  “And is that still how you feel?” Wade asked, turning to look at him. “We get that you’ve got a son. You’re the only team member who has a child at the moment. But that also gives you more reason to help protect the world from some of these organizations.”

  “Exactly,” Calum agreed, “so, yeah, I’m not sure about it yet.”

  “And you may not want to make that kind of decision without somebody else’s input either.” Wade gave Calum a lopsided grin.

  “I think she has given up on trying to convince me to do something other than what I say I’ll do.”

  “Sure, but she can be a huge support, or she can be a huge draw on your time—and energy,” Damon noted. “Having somebody there supporting you is special. Somebody who understands who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing is priceless.”

  Calum stared at him for a long moment. “No, you’re quite right, and Mariana is very patient.”

  “So you have something that’s even more precious.” Tasha stood up, then walked over to Damon, slipping her hand into his. “We both deliberately held off on developing any kind of relationship, thinking it would not be a good thing as coworkers. But we were wrong. I think it was important just to have that balance in our lives. To have something in our lives that makes us smile at the end of the day is awesome,” she stated simply.

  Calum looked at her beautiful grin, and, with a nod to Damon, Cal smiled. “Well, I’m glad you finally got him convinced that it’s worthwhile. We all saw it, but he was a little bit on the slow side.” He was clearly teasing them, and she was smiling, clearly happy.

  “Sometimes he still is slow, but I’m working on it,” she added gently.

  Calum laughed at that. “Good, I’m really glad to hear it. I always knew you two were meant to be together.”

  “So did he. He was just being stubborn.” She laughed.

  “Hey, do you guys mind? I’m right here,” Damon called out in protest.

  “Yeah, you sure are.” She gave him an eye roll. “Now, if only you weren’t quite so stubborn about staying here.”

  At that, he kissed her hard, “Ha-ha, funny.” Then he looked over to Terk.

  “Considering your advice from earlier,” Wade said, coming back to the main topic, “I’ll go spend some me time to check your theory and to see if I can power up.”

  “You do that,” Terk replied.

  For the first time, Calum realized how exhausted Terk was. Cal frowned as he turned to Damon. “Has Terk been giving us all our energy, all this time?”

  At that, Damon immediately nodded. “Yeah, that’s why we need to take more responsibility.”

  “Jesus, I hadn’t even considered what I was doing. It felt good, and I was doing better, so I just let it all ride. But, of course, it’s a drain on him.” Calum frowned, pivoting to face Terk.

  “And it’s a drain I’m happy to have,” Terk stated immediately. “But energy needs to happen individually now, and it needs to happen fast.”

  “Yes, it does,” Calum murmured, “and it will probably be faster than you expect it.”

  At that, Terk stared but didn’t say any more.

  Life was like that, and living with the team included a lot of things that were easy to deal with, and then there was all the rest. And none of it was easy at this point in time.

  As Wade left, Damon looked over at Cal. “If you can recharge,” he noted, “the best way to do it is with that family of yours.”

  Cal nodded. “In that case, I’ll go see them.” And he spun on his heels and left.

  *

  Mariana woke from a deep sleep but with a sudden sense of impending doom. She wanted to rise from the bed, but a sweaty little boy weighed her down. She also couldn’t figure out exactly what she was sensing. When the door opened, she gasped, only to recognize immediately that it was Cal.

  “It’s all right,” he whispered. “I just came to get some rest.”

  She smiled. “Well, that’s better than a lot of things I’ve heard recently,” she murmured.

  He walked over, studied the small double bed, then shifted the sleeping boy off to the side, and crawled in on the other side of her, facing his wife. “That’s much better.”

  She chuckled, as he wrapped her in his arms. “Well, I’m certainly not against it,” she murmured, “but it’s not exactly the way I thought today would go.”

  “Nope,” he replied. “I don’t think any of us did. The question is, are you okay with it?”

  “I’m okay with it, and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

  “You, and all the rest of us too.” He smiled.

  “Any answers?” she asked.

  “Not particularly. An awful lot is going on in our world that we can’t sort out just yet. We have feelers out everywhere, and it will all come together, but it might take a few more days.”

  She felt a jolt of surprise at that. “Just days?”

  “I would hope so,” he said, “but I can’t honestly swear to it.”

  “No, of course not,” she murmured. “It would be nice to think it would get resolved that quickly.”

  “You’re right. I suspect it’ll be a lot longer than that.” He shrugged. “But … maybe not. It’s really hard to know what’s going on, but we obviously are under attack by somebody, and trying to keep everyone safe is the priority.”

  She agreed with that. “So, do we stay, or do we leave?” she asked bluntly. “Are we safer here with you or away from you?”

  “For years, I’ve kept you away from me to keep you safe,” he admitted, “and you were still taken anyway.”

  She smiled, but he looked distraught, like the darkness had an arm around his neck. “In that case, I hope we stay with you. Yet it’s not a life for our son.”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, but what if it’s longer?”

  “Well, Little Calum would rather spend time with his father than be locked away somewhere, where we don’t have any kind of a life,” she murmured. “And I can see that being your next option because, given a choice, you just want to keep us safe, where nobody can get near us.”

  He laughed. “That would be a choice, … but obviously not a good one. I know that that’s not something this little guy would like, nor is it healthy for him.”

  “Nope, it absolutely is not,” she agreed cheerfully. “That doesn’t mean that I still don’t know you though.”

  He smiled. “What I don’t understand is how I ever thought I could live without you.”

  “Did you tell them all about me?”

  “Terk already knew, and the others found out when they rescued you,” he shared. “But they knew the decision I made wasn’t made lightly. Whether they agreed with it or not, I don’t know. Obviously something has changed within the team dynamic too.” And then he explained about the other relationships.

  “Interesting,” she noted. “I love it, as a romantic, thinking that love conquers all. But I’m also a realist, and, after being kidnapped and our son put in danger, I’m not sure I can believe that kind of stuff anymore.”

  “Of course not. It’s about real-life loving and making sure that you still are as safe as can be.”

/>   “Agreed,” she murmured. “So where is that point with us?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I mean, if you want, I can send you home, hire some security, or maybe send you to your family.”

  “But then if anything happens—”

  “Right. If anything happens, we’re even farther away. No civilian will know what to do, and it could be an even worse scenario.” He was talking to himself, rambling mostly, trying to reach a decision. “Maybe, or it could be a much better one. Yet we can’t assume it’ll be a worse one.”

  “I don’t know. I tend to feel really pessimistic when it comes to this stuff. I didn’t enter into a relationship with you lightly, but having a child has changed some things. I need to keep him safe,” she stated. “I’m no longer as convinced as you that being apart is safer.”

  “Well, that’s because you were just kidnapped.” He rubbed his nose against her cheek. “Something I would have done anything to have stopped. I’m so sorry.”

  “And I know that,” she told him gently. “I don’t hold you responsible.”

  “You should. Almost anybody else would.”

  “So, it’s decided then.” She smiled. “We’re staying with you because it’s safer and because, if time is short, I don’t want to lose any more of it.” He hesitated, and she shook her head vehemently. “No. Enough. We tried it your way, and we were still taken. So now we’ll try it my way, and hopefully it will go much better.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  She looked at him. “The one thing that you have to understand is that this is about trust. And I trust that you will keep us safe.” He winced at that. “Does it seem like I’m being unfair?” she asked.

  “No,” he replied instantly, “but it won’t help me to sleep better at night.”

  “But how could you possibly sleep at night anyway?” she asked. “At least when we’re here and under your wing, we all know that we’re safe,” she explained in a reasonable tone of voice. “And when you’re away? Well, it is what it is.”

  He pulled her close and just held her.

  “I’m not leaving, at least not now, so don’t even mention it.”

  He groaned. “How did you know I was trying to figure out how to say that?”

  “Because I know you. We’ve been together a long time.”

  “We have. … It hurt me a lot to send you away.”

  “And I get that,” she noted, “but I’m done with being sent away. It wasn’t just you who was hurt by that. You hurt me too. I thought you didn’t care.” When he snorted at that, she smiled against his neck. “And, therefore, this way, everything is fine. This living situation may or may not continue—and your work after this may or may not continue.”

  He was startled by her announcement.

  “Do you think I’m a fool? I certainly recognize that you’re doing important work, and I understand that, at some point in time, you’ll be ready to walk away, but I’m not sure that time is now. And, if other couples can make it work, why can’t we make it work as well?”

  “But are they making it work?” he asked in an almost desperate tone of voice. “If things go wrong, the repercussions are terrible.”

  “They are,” she agreed quietly. “I get that, and I know you will do your utmost to look after that. But, if things go wrong for you, it’ll be bad for us, no matter where we are.”

  “I understand that Ice and Levi have started a family,” he stated, “but that’s different.”

  She looked at him, her gaze flat.

  “Well, maybe it’s different. I don’t know anymore,” he murmured. “It seemed like it was different.”

  “But see? I don’t think it is,” she argued. “I don’t think it’s different at all. I think it’s all about doing the best you can and realizing that evil people like these after the team will always be out there in the world and that you are part of the team who hunts them down,” she explained. “Can you choose not do that anymore? Maybe, but, if it would crush you to walk away before you are truly ready, that’s not a good answer either. And that’s just a completely different aspect that we must look at.”

  “What about you?” he asked in a challenging tone of voice. “Don’t you want to have a career or something else in your life?”

  “Maybe at some point in time,” she replied, “but right now? No. … Motherhood is my career. I know for a lot of women that doesn’t work, and others would laugh at me, but I don’t care. You need to do what you need to do. I will do what is needed to be done to keep Little Calum safe.”

  She wasn’t making a big deal of it all, and she had her priorities straight. She also knew that she would take some flak from other people, who thought motherhood alone didn’t define her enough or that she was living through her child or not even attempting to support herself. She wasn’t too bothered by what other people said, as long as she got to stay with her husband and carve out some kind of a family life. “There has to be some way,” she whispered, “for us to have more family time than this.”

  “I haven’t talked to the others about it yet,” he began, “but I would think that everybody is looking for more of it as well.”

  “So that’s good, and whatever you guys do to rebuild needs to take that into account. And whatever you do decide,” she stated in a firm voice, “I’ll be here.”

  He smiled. “You might change your mind,” he noted, “when Little Calum gets older.”

  She looked up at her husband, amused, a twinkling set of mischief in her eyes. “You might too. And, sure, we might have to change location, and we might have to do all kinds of things. Maybe we’ll set up something similar to the compound Levi and Ice have,” she added. “Do you really think all the couples in your team out there won’t have children themselves at some point in time?”

  He frowned, as he thought about it. “I know that is something Tasha has always wanted.”

  “And Tasha will get it,” Mariana stated softly. “These are natural instincts for a lot of women. It’s something that’s really important, and not everybody is willing to walk away without them.”

  “But, given the danger, it seems crazy,” he muttered.

  “I get it, but there must be a way to handle this … balance, and the more of these bad guys you get rid of now,” she suggested, “the less we have to worry about down the road.”

  He chuckled. “The only problem with that thinking is …” And he looked down at her, with a sly grin.

  “I know. More bad guys are always coming out of the woodwork. I get it. So let’s just table this discussion for a moment,” she said firmly. “Rest. You need it.” When he opened his mouth, she placed a finger against his lips. “No arguments, cowboy. Time for a snooze. Let’s just drift off into a peaceful empty space, where you can rest and recharge.”

  Her use of the word recharge was a bit on the nose, and he almost laughed at how she had chosen it.

  “You need to let it go for now,” she added. “I know perfectly well a lot is going on in your world.”

  “Funny, when did you become so bossy?”

  “I didn’t spend all these years with you and not realize you have some abilities you don’t talk about.” He looked at her in surprise, and she shrugged. “And, no, we’re not talking about it now. Just know that I know, and it’s fine. I guessed quite a bit, and Tasha had some answers for me. Right now, you need to recharge and to rest. You’ve been hurt, and you’re pretty well whacked out from whatever happened to you and to your team,” she admitted. “You can’t help any of us if you’re not up to snuff yourself.” Her tone spoke volumes. “Now, close your eyes. I’ll stay here while you sleep.”

  Calum knew it was futile to argue, so he settled in and almost instantly drifted off to sleep.

  She smiled, as she looked over at their son. She meant what she had said. She had fought long and hard to get to this point, and she wouldn’t be stashed away again, like last time. Somewhere safe and out of sight hadn’t in itself kept them safe. They were a fa
mily, and she wanted to live like one. Knowing everything now, she could then do what was she needed to do to keep them safe, and she wasn’t planning on her and their child being sent away again.

  Chapter 2

  When Mariana woke up, she was surprised to find Little Calum still sleeping, tucked up beside her in the bed. Cal was gone. That man moved like a ghost, and sometimes she wondered if he wasn’t one. She could hear him—and many times sense him—in ways that she knew no normal person could.

  She toyed with the idea of it just being the closeness that they shared, but more recently she had realized it was something completely different. Something that nobody could really explain. She’d almost given up on Cal. They had been separated for so long, and she wasn’t sure if that even mattered to him. Once their son started struggling to remember that his dad even existed, Mariana knew she was in trouble.

  Instead she decided to talk to her husband and to figure out what was going on. They had hoped to reconcile after he retired, but, when all hell blew up, with the dismantling of his team and the attack on them shortly thereafter, she figured she’d lost him. At that point in time everything became crystal clear. She would do whatever she could to keep Cal close, to keep him safe, and to avoid getting caught up in that mindset of losing versus not losing.

  She had never doubted that he was trying to keep her safe—but at what cost? She understood the price now, and she was no longer willing to pay it. She understood that so much was going on that she couldn’t begin to fathom, but she had to make him realize that, even if they only had a little bit of time left together, it was still worth it. Being together was the key.

  He would do everything he could to keep them safe, she was certain of that. And maybe he would even be more careful himself, knowing they were here and waiting. She didn’t know for sure, and she didn’t think he took unnecessary risks anyway, but, when he had contacted her out of the blue, with the news that the group was being disbanded and that he wanted to talk to her, she’d been overjoyed. She had planned on not giving him a chance to talk at all, just pulling him back into her world and keeping him there.