Page 38 of SEAL's Paradise
“Very funny.”
Wyatt stood and moved across the room, shutting the door to the bullpen.They were still waiting for their CO, but he clearly didn’t want anyone to overhear their discussion.“We still don’t have a match as far as facial recognition.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Hudson assured him.
Sawyer sucked in a breath, feeling frustrated.No doubt his teammates realized he was pissed they didn’t have a name to go with the face yet.And as for Riley talking to the mystery man in the SUV?He was just the damn driver, paid to bring the tattooed man to the massage parlor.
“We damn well better figure it out.I didn’t like watching Riley walk right into danger last night.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows.
“It could’ve been dangerous,” Sawyer insisted.He briefly explained the original reason Riley had been here on the island—hunting the man who’d hurt her sister.
“No shit.He attacked Riley, too?”Hudson asked in disbelief.
“I wonder if that’s when she was out for a week,” Ryan assessed.
“Huh.I hadn’t considered that, but it’s possible,” Sawyer said.“I assumed at the time her child was sick—her fake child,” he added.“She got away from him, and the dick’s in jail now.Still, I could tell she was slightly wary last night.I think it jarred her more than she was willing to admit.”
“So, what’s the deal with the wedding plans?That happening or not?”Wyatt asked.
Sawyer eyed his team leader.“It might not need to happen.Ironic since I just got some of the paperwork as far as benefits yesterday.We have a lead now, and as soon as we ID the guy, we’re going to stop him.Riley planted a bug on the SUV he was in, but that was hired help.I put a tracker in his jacket.Looks like he left it at Coconuts, either accidentally or not.When he goes back for it, hopefully we’ll have means to track him to his place.”
“Nice,” Hudson quipped.“Riley brings you on board and shit is happening.”
“Some of it was just dumb luck,” Sawyer admitted.“She had an intercepted message about the meeting last night, and the idiot had a huge ass tiger tattoo on his arm.Made it easy to ID the perp.”
“Except we don’t know who he is,” Ryan said with a frown.“If Riley put a tracker on the SUV, couldn’t you follow it?”
Sawyer shook his head.“Tiger boy didn’t leave in the same vehicle.Riley and I watched from my truck, but he never came back out the front door.The SUV drove away without any passengers.Bro was suspicious no doubt.They know the messenger delivered the address to the wrong person at Coconuts.”
“I’m surprised he showed up at all in that case,” Wyatt said.
“It was gutsy,” Sawyer admitted.“I’m guessing he wanted to see who showed.Or he was ballsy enough to go anyway.Maybe he really wanted to get laid.”
“It seems weird,” Austin said with a frown.“Even if this guy is a total prick, Coconuts is crawling with women who want a Navy guy.I’m sure he could’ve easily found a woman to sleep with there.”
“Yeah.I don’t know what to make of it,” Sawyer admitted.
The door to the conference room suddenly opened, and Commander Harrison “Harley” Madden stormed in, looking irritated.“Let’s get down to business.We’ve got to go over the situation brewing in Syria.And you,” he said, pointing at Sawyer, “I need to have a word with later.”
***
“GOOD LUCK, SAINT,”Hudson said, clapping him on the back as he exited the bullpen.The other men filed out behind Hudson, and Sawyer remained, waiting to see where his commander wanted to meet.
“In my office.Now.”
Sawyer rose to his feet and followed him, striding down the long corridor.Commander Madden shut the door behind him once they were inside, eyeing Sawyer with a cool gaze.“What’s this about you getting married?Some type of stunt you’re pulling?”
“Yes and no, sir,” Sawyer admitted.
“Explain yourself.”
Sawyer assessed his commanding officer for a moment.At the very least, he should tell him what was going on.Sawyer trusted his CO just as he did his teammates—with his life.But would his commander then feel obligated to report it up the chain of command?
Biting back a curse, Sawyer gave him the rundown on what was going on.The commander listened carefully, a look of disbelief on his face when Sawyer had finished.
“And no one in Navy Command is aware of this?They don’t know that missiles have gone missing?”he asked incredulously.
