Inundated with tourists, the island had many shops and restaurants to keep them amused and relaxed with the western end of Orange Avenue, the main hub, anchored by Hotel del Coronado, or just Hotel del, as it was called by locals. The elegant hotel boasted royalty, movie stars, including Marilyn Monroe and presidents as some of the honored guests.
Shea’s major concern was how open the beaches were. The location was beautiful, but it made it a challenge to secure the area. She asked a lot of questions about security that didn’t allay her concerns. If someone wanted to get explosives on this part of the base, it would be a logistical nightmare to cover every inch of the area.
But lives were on the line, and she intended to do her best. No one was going to die on her watch.
O-course, Naval Base Coronado, Coronado California
“Move your ass!” Bowie “Ruckus” Cooper shouted as Atticus “Hemingway” Sinclair approached the weaver, a set of pipes in a wood frame that came to a peak, requiring a weaving in-between them to the next pipe to progress. He was about halfway through the course as one final run through before he had to report for BUD/S.
Present were all of Ruckus’s team, as well as, Will “Shadow” Blackmoon which was fitting. They had been instrumental in helping him to prepare for the beginning of his journey into becoming a SEAL. He knew he had an advantage over the other men who were entering his class—163 of them—to vie for a coveted position of special operator.
He moved faster onto the Burma Bridge—a bridge made of rope—the Hooyah logs and the rest of the course to finish in seven minutes, twelve seconds.
“You shaved off a full minute,” Ruckus said as Hemingway made his way toward the tight-knit team. They converged on him with fist bumps and slaps on the back.
“He might not suck at this,” Jude “Hollywood” Lock said with a grin.
“Lunch at the All In on Ruckus,” Ashe “Kid Chaos” Wilder said, laughing when Ruckus gave him a scowl.
Over lunch, the guys talked about missions and combat, all the times they’d saved Kid’s ass.
“Hey, I saved your asses too, especially Cowboy when he’d been wounded, and we were running through the jungle.” Wes “Cowboy” McGraw was the number two man on the team and their master chief.
“Right. Wasn’t that when you stole the drug runners’ jeep and got them gunning for you too?” Wicked asked.
“Yeah, yeah, small details. I still saved him.” Kid waved his hand in a dismissive motion.
“Then there was the time we needed transportation, and Kid showed up with donkeys,” Ocean “Blue” Beckett said. All the guys started to laugh and shove each other. Ruckus shook his head.
“Bunch of animals.” He turned to Hemingway and raised his beer to his lips and drank. “I’ve only got one piece of advice for you, kid.”
“I’ll take whatever you got, sir.”
“Be better than anyone there—faster, stronger, smarter. Stay off the instructors list by always being a winner any way you can. When the hell of Hell Week wears you down, boost the others. It will make you feel like you’re part of something…because you are. I’m proud to have had you as a trainee, and we’re rooting for you.”
“Hoo-yah!” The team sounded as one.
Hours later, Hemingway dropped his bag by the front door of the house he shared with his dad, intending to get a hotel room closer to the base before reporting to Coronado the next morning. His sister Paige, niece Chloe, brother-in-law Ashe and dad trailed after him. Paige was still pensive and in a mood all morning. He knew she was worried about him going off to the next leg of his SEAL journey, but all he could do was reassure her that he was going to be fine.
Turning toward his family, Paige passed Chloe to Kid and said, “You’ll be careful, won’t you, Atty?”
“Christ, Paige, don’t get crazy on him.”
She turned to her husband and said, “I have every right, and you close your smart mouth, Ashe.”
“Yeah, or she’s going to kick some Ashe.”
His dad chuckled and Kid rolled his eyes. “That was so lame,” Kid groused, looking at his niece, who babbled her opinion. “Yeah, what she said.”
Paige dashed at her eyes with the back of her fingers, and Hemingway pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, no. No waterworks. I’ll be okay, sis. I promise.”
“I love you, Atty. Be careful, and we’d better see you when you have a break in the training,” she demanded in a watery voice.
“I will. As often as I can,” he hedged. He had no idea what kind of time he would have to come home and didn’t want to get her hopes up it would be on a regular basis. He wasn’t unaware that his life was going to change drastically. He had no idea where he was going to be assigned after BUD/S. He felt a pang of sadness for leaving his family behind, but the excitement, anticipation, and his need to prove himself overshadowed his sorrow.
He’d had a taste of what it would be like in combat when he’d saved his sister from the Cortez Brothers’ compound only a few weeks ago. An adrenaline rush mixed with triumph and relief that he’d not only held his own but was instrumental in saving Paige. He smiled softly remembering Oliver “Artful Dodger” Graham and his antics during that whole ordeal.
Chloe started fussing, and Hemingway took her from Kid, kissing her baby soft cheek, making her giggle. “I think she needs changing,” Kid said.
“I’ll do it. I don’t want to see him leave,” Paige said.
Kid reached out suddenly, brushing her arm, shooting her dad a pensive look. His father-in-law acknowledged it and reached out and hugged Hemingway unexpectedly. “I think I said my piece. Be yourself, Atty. Everything else is just not important.”
“Thank you, Dad, for everything.” Hemingway hugged him hard, then let him go. His dad went after Paige, but not before Hemingway saw the soft gleam in his eyes.
“Damn,” he said softly under his breath.
Kid watched Hemingway’s dad go after Paige and his shoulders relaxed. “She’s going to be all right, Kid. She’s stronger than you are.”
Kid turned back to him, his eyes haunted. “She needs to be. It’s a lot to handle, and I feel guilty that she’s giving up field work.”
“Don’t. She loves being a mom to Chloe, and I think it’s a good thing she’s dropping down to part time.”
Kid sighed as his wife disappeared down the hall. “She is a great mom. She records everything for me, so I don’t miss anything.” Kid cleared his throat.
“She shows Chloe your picture and talks about you all the time.” Hemingway rolled his eyes. “Your daughter is going to know you, Kid. Stop worrying and do what you do best.”
“Be a menace?”
“Yeah, that.”
Kid smiled, the shadows gone from his eyes, but in their place was a shining gratitude. “I wasn’t there for her when she needed me the most. That will never sit right with me, Atty.” Kid swallowed hard. “But you were. My brothers were and her colleagues were. It will always be the case that I will be deployed often, and I’ll have to juggle both being a SEAL and my precious family.” He closed his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets. He took another hard breath and opened them, his voice subdued. “Thank you for being there for her, Atty. I’ll never forget that you jeopardized everything for her.”