Chris gave in to calm him. “Okay, if you say so, it was a miracle.”
“I say so,” Kapua said decisively.
They rode south and switched vehicles in a small town before crossing the border back into Iraq. The sun set as the driver gunned the gas pedal. Kapua had become uncharacteristically quiet, so Chris attempted to engage him: “You remember in Ramadi when we raided that hut and that dude sprayed us with automatic AK fire?” Chris asked. “Not one shot hit us.”
Kapua seemed less irritated now. “Maybe that was a miracle, too, and I just didn’t notice. You know what we say about complacency.”
“It’s a killer.”
“The thrill is gone,” he said in a deep, bluesy sing-song voice that he used when trying to make a disappointment seem less disappointing. “The thrill is gone, baby.”
Chris was saddened. “We were going to reenlist together.”
“Sorry, brah,” Kapua said with sincerity in his voice.
“What’re you going to tell the skipper?”
“I’ll tell him what happened.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Chris said.
“Serious as a heart attack.”
“What’ll you do out in the world?”
Kapua appeared to think for a moment. “I’ll figure something out.”
Operating in separate platoons and with the high operational tempo, Chris already saw less of Kapua, and if Kap left the Teams and went home to Hawaii, Chris would see much less of the jolly giant.
“I’m still committed to the Teams a hundred and ten percent. Until my contract runs out. I know I’ll never find a brotherhood like this again, but when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”
Chris wanted to tell him to stay, but if that resulted in Kapua’s death, Chris didn’t know how he could live with himself. On the other hand, he didn’t want to encourage Kapua to leave, either.
Chris just sat there in silence. He still wasn’t convinced that surviving the explosion was a miracle, but it did give him pause to think that he’d shrugged off their survival too easily. He was in danger of becoming complacent, and in his line of work that often led to a tactical arrogance which resulted in death, and maybe his spiritual well-being was in danger, too. Even so, Najeeb was providing them with a flash drive full of intel, and Chris and his Teammates would likely be asked to act on the information before it expired.
The driver took them southeast into the desert before circling around in a nebula of sand floating in the air. As the taxi accelerated, the nebula faded and the base lights came into view.
About the Author
Since elementary school, STEPHEN TEMPLIN felt a need to write, dreaming of becoming a novelist. Today, he is a New York Times and international bestselling author, with the movie rights to one of his books purchased by Vin Diesel. Steve’s work has been translated into thirteen languages. He is a “hybrid” author who maintains active book contracts with top publishers such as Simon and Schuster and St. Martin’s Press, while also publishing independently.
After high school, he completed Hell Week, qualified as a pistol and rifle expert, blew up things, and practiced small unit tactics during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. Later, Steve left the Navy and became a missionary. He earned his PhD in education, and for fourteen years he lectured as a tenured professor at Meio University in Japan, where he also practiced the martial art aikido. Currently, he lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
To connect with Steve and for updates about new releases, as well as exclusive promotions, visit his website at: http://ww.stephentemplin.com