I couldn't help myself! I just had to put up another chapter today!

Chapter 2

"Katie! Where are ya?"

Katie, Darrin's wife, came down the hall and into the kitchen where Darrin and Jake stood. The couple lived in a small ranch house with three kids. Judging by the disarray in the kitchen, they were jammed into the small structure. Having a houseguest, however brief his stay, would be a burden. Jake took a step back.

"Darrin, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Oh, come on!" Darrin grinned and held fast to his arm. "I know it's kind of a disaster in here, but it ain't 'cause Katie's a bad housekeeper or nothin'. We just got no room for all this stuff."

"But that doesn't mean we don't have room for you, Jake." Katie said with a warm smile and a deep drawl. She held out her hand. "It's a real pleasure to meet you. I've never met a real hero before."

Jake's face fell. "You know about that?"

"I told ya, Jake! It's probly all over town by now! You know, we got these things called telephones, and cell phones, and the internet! Everybody's called, texted, and tweeted everybody else in town by now."

Jake snorted. "Great. Who needs a newspaper?"

"Exactly!" Darrin grinned. "That's why we don't have one. Now, come on in to the living room. Take off yer boots, put up yer feet, and Katie can get ya somethin' to drink."

Sam would have asked for a beer, but Jake was a teetotaler. In a town where beer flowed with near abandon at every social occasion, it was a hard thing to do. But Sam Axe needed to stay hidden, and if not drinking got the job done, he'd force himself to quit.

"I'll get ya a Coke, hon. Be right back." She soon returned with a glass filled with ice, soda, and a wedge of lemon stuck on the rim.

"Thanks, Katie." Jake took the glass, squeezed the lemon juice into the soda, and she took the wedge from him. He nodded his thanks again. The first sip was cold, a little tart, and bubbly, and it went down really good. He leaned back into the couch and grimaced. "Oh, that's a bad idea."

"You might have to lay down on yer side and keep away from the couch back fer awhile," Katie said. She took the glass from him and set it on the end table on the opposite side of the couch. Over her shoulder, she said, "Darrin, I can handle things from here. You go get that shop open, and maybe in a couple days Jake can be back on the job helpin' you."

Darrin nodded and gave her a smile full of love. "Yer in good hands, buddy. Katie's a nurse. I'll see y'all tonight, darlin'." He gave her a kiss on the lips, not caring that he had an audience, and his eyes smoldered as he backed off and left the house. It didn't escape Sam's attention, and for just a moment he felt a stab of jealousy. He wished again that he'd brought Elsa along. She would have taken care of him and he wouldn't have had to bother these nice people.

Katie guided Jake down on the couch until he lay on his left side. He looked around at the living room. It would never win any design awards, but the furniture, though a little worn, was comfortable and inviting. A flat screen TV hung on the wall and a dark walnut cabinet sat below full of stereo equipment, a game console, and other electronics. Unlike the kitchen, the room was spotless. He expected it to be a mess, given the fact that they had three kids.

"It's so quiet. Where are your kids?"

Katie smiled and replied, "The two oldest are out playin' with their friends. They'll be home in time fer lunch."

Jake gaped at her. "You don't know exactly where they are?"

Katie flapped a hand in the air. "Why worry? It ain't like they're goin' anywhere!"

Ah, the naivete of small town life! "What about the baby?"

"She's sleepin' in her crib right now." As she spoke, Katie examined the hole in the back of his t-shirt and the bulge created by the bandage. "It would probly be best if ya took this off, give that wound a chance to breathe more."

"I'd rather not." Jake closed his eyes, weariness taking him over bit by bit.

She snorted. "Ya don't have to worry about me! I've seen lots more skin than that on my patients!" She pulled on the side of his shirt, which was tucked into his jeans. He grabbed her hand and stopped her. Disengaging from him, she moved to his arm and rubbed it gently. "Okay, have it yer way. Did the doc give ya somethin' fer the pain?"

"Yeah." Jake reached into his pocket, pulled out the small bottle of pills, and handed it to her.

"Okay, then, looks like you're gonna be joinin' Fiona for a little nap, Jake. Just relax, and don't fight it." She set the bottle next to his glass.

His eyes flew open. "Fiona?"

"Yeah, that's our little one." She smiled. "We gave her my great-gramma's name."

"Oh," He replied and his eyes slid closed. He couldn't keep them open any longer.

Ever since he took on his new identity, Sam was afraid of falling asleep in someone's presence, because it left him vulnerable and at their mercy; and sometimes, if he talked in his sleep, he left himself even more open to danger. He learned that lesson long ago in a country far away, when he trusted a woman who said she was an ally. He'd been injured then, too, and he fell asleep in her arms, lulled by her soft words and caresses. When he awoke, Sam found himself in a dungeon like prison, and he was tortured for nearly a week before a Spec Ops team found him and rescued his sorry butt.

But this was different, wasn't it? He was among friends. Still he fought it. The pain meds eventually kicked in, he was helpless to fight against the fog, and he went to sleep at last.

Katie watched him struggle, and she got down on her knees next to the couch, put her hand on his upper arm, and whispered a prayer for his healing. She went back to trying to put the kitchen into some order, but she couldn't help but hear the mumbled words and muffled cries coming from the couch. Darrin knew so little about this man and yet he trusted him enough to bring him home. Katie saw in the man's eyes that he was good, but something sinister was behind him. Maybe Jake would learn to trust them enough to reveal what it was, and if they could help, they would.

After awhile, Jake stopped making noises, so Katie moved to the couch to check on him. His vitals were good, and it appeared that whatever plagued him earlier left him alone at last. She touched his arm, but he didn't move. She noticed the pointed tip of a tattoo peeking out from under his t-shirt sleeve. Her curiosity piqued, Katie carefully peeled back the sleeve and studied the intricate design. Was this what he wanted to hide? It depicted an eagle in attack mode, its talons grasping an anchor. She had no idea what it stood for, but it obviously was something military, perhaps Navy.

Jake stirred. She quickly pulled his sleeve back into place and scurried down the hall to the couple's bedroom. She pulled her laptop from a shelf on the night stand, started it up, and opened the web browser. It didn't take long for her to find that the design was popular among Navy SEALs. Her breath caught. The man was an every day hero! She typed his name into the search engine, but had no luck. Hopefully if she added Navy and SEAL to the search, something would pull. What she found shocked her.

"Darrin, I think you need to come home. Now."