Pid kneeled so he was eye-to-eye with the boy. “It’s going to be all right,” he said.
“Monica,” the boy said in a shaky, scared voice.
Pid frowned. “What?”
“Monica’s not here.”
“Who’s Monica?” Pid asked.
“Our nanny. Daddy said there wasn’t time to go back to the house but I don’t want to go without her. She’s waiting for us and probably scared!”
Pid patted the boy awkwardly on the shoulder. “We’ll find her.”
“Promise?”
He hesitated just a second before nodding. “Promise.”
The boy gave him a plaintive look just as his mom grabbed his hand, fast-walking him toward the chopper as if afraid someone would change their minds and they wouldn’t be able to leave.
Pid stood and turned to Slate. “You hear that?”
Slate nodded. “We’re not supposed to be running all over the city looking for stragglers. We have orders,” he reminded Pid.
“I know, but it sounds as if she thought they were coming back for her.”
“We don’t even know if she’s American,” Slate said reasonably.
Pid nodded, even as he frowned. He didn’t know why the boy had struck a chord in him. Maybe because even though the kid was scared, he’d loved his nanny enough to brave talking to Pid. “Once we get this chopper loaded, it’ll be a while before the next one arrives. I know from studying the maps that the ambassador’s house isn’t far from here…”
Slate stared at him for a beat, then nodded. “I’ll talk to Mustang and go with you.”
Pid mentally sighed in relief and he gave Slate a chin lift. They’d dash to the house, talk to the nanny. If she was American, they’d bring her back here for extraction. If not, they’d inform her that the family was safe and she should lay low. They could be there and back within twenty minutes. Thirty, tops.
Monica Collins paced anxiously back and forth. Where were they? The family should have been back by now.
Desmond Laws, the US ambassador to Algeria, and his wife had left with their two little boys two hours ago on an errand, and hadn’t returned. It was her morning off, so she’d stayed behind. It wasn’t exactly smart to go anywhere with the protests going on, but Desmond had told her not to worry and left anyway. And now they weren’t back, and the protestors were creeping closer and closer to the house.
She was scared to stay, but even more scared to leave. Growing up, her dad’s mantra was, Stay put. Protect what’s yours. But Monica didn’t think the house was the safest place to be right now.
The crowds had gotten more and more unruly as the protests continued. She’d watched on the news as people broke windows of businesses and homes, looted stores, even burned cars and buildings. The house the US government had provided for the Laws’ was in a neighborhood that was usually very safe. But nothing was as it had been when Monica had first arrived in the country.
A sound at the back door startled her—and she turned to see a man standing on the other side of the glass. He wore green camouflage pants and shirt, his sleeves rolled up. He had material over his mouth and nose, and black paint smeared on his face above the covering. He also had a rifle slung around his chest, and she caught a glimpse of a black tattoo on his forearm.
They stared at each other for a moment before the man smiled. She knew he was smiling because she could see wrinkles form around his eyes. But something in their depths said he was trying to put her at ease…
More like he was excited about whatever he was planning to do next.
Military men weren’t her favorite people in the world. After her childhood, that was to be expected.
“It’s okay!” he shouted so he could be heard through the glass. “I’m a Navy SEAL and I’m here to rescue you. Open the door.”
When she didn’t move, the man frowned. “My friend is circling around to the front. We’re here to help you. Come on, open the door so I don’t have to break it.”
Instead of moving toward the glass sliding door, Monica spun and ran for the stairs.
Instinct and the years of conditioning as a child told her to hide. To get away from the military man.
Flashbacks of her dad in his camo uniform ran through her brain, making her even more desperate to get away.
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the house, along with the sound of glass breaking.
A deep voice called out, “I’m a SEAL! You can trust me!”
Nope. Monica was the queen of hiding, and with the way her skin crawled at hearing the man’s voice, and remembering the look of interest in his eyes when their gazes met, she had a feeling her life depended on getting to her hiding spot and not making a sound. Navy SEAL or not, she didn’t trust him.
She didn’t trust anyone.
She’d been shown time and time again that most people were extremely untrustworthy and unpredictable. She only let her guard down fully with children. They were untainted by life. They were honest to a fault. They said what they were thinking, instead of hiding their disdain and disgust.
Just after she slipped into her hiding spot, she heard the familiar creaking of the floorboards on the landing.
She held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. She hadn’t heard the man coming up the stairs. He’d gone into stealth mode.
He was a hunter now—and she was his prey.
Closing her eyes, Monica did her best to slow her heartbeat. If he found her hiding spot, it wouldn’t go well for her. She knew that down to the tips of her toes.
As the SEAL entered the room, Monica prayed harder than she ever had before.
Don’t let him find me. Don’t let him find me.
Monica looks like she’s in big trouble…or is she? Pick up Finding Monica today!
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Also by Susan Stoker
SEAL Team Hawaii Series
Finding Elodie
Finding Lexie
Finding Kenna
Finding Monica (May 2022)
Finding Carly (Oct 2022)
Finding Ashlyn (TBA)
Finding Jodelle (TBA)
Eagle Point Search & Rescue
Searching for Lilly (Mar 2022)
Searching for Elsie (Jun 2022)
Searching for Bristol (Nov 2022)
Searching for Caryn (TBA)
Searching for Finley (TBA)
Searching for Heather (TBA)
Searching for Khloe (TBA)
The Refuge Series
Deserving Alaska (Aug 2022)
Deserving Henley (Jan 2023)
Deserving Reese (TBA)
Deserving Cora (TBA)
Deserving Lara (TBA)
Deserving Maisy (TBA)
Deserving Ryleigh (TBA)
SEAL of Protection Series
Protecting Caroline
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future