"Watcher 1 to Bravo 6 how copy? Watcher 1 to Bravo 6 how copy?"
Everyone was looking at each other listening to comms.
"Damn it Bravo, Echo 3-1 where is Bravo?"
"Kate, AQ got him. We were ambushed and separated." Alex said.
"I want to know everything as soon as you land Alex clear?"
"Crystal ma'am." Alex said.
"Watcher 1 out."
"That was not how I wanted to tell her." Farah said.
"Me either, cuz." Alex looked over at her.
The heli landed and they slowly made their way to the briefing room. Laswell was there already waiting for them.
"What in the hell happened?"
"We got ambushed and the Captain got separated from the group. We didn't realize what happened until we saw them shoving him into a truck," Farah said.
"Did you track them and see which direction they went?" Kate asked, looking at Kyle and Nikoli.
"They went west into Al Mazrah." Nik said.
"Anything else?" Kate asked.
"Sorry, Laswell that's all we have." Kyle said.
Everyone watched as Kate tried to process everything. She left the room and went back to her office. Alex, Kyle, Farah, Soap, Nik, and Ghost looked at each other. Kate closed the door to her office and went over to her desk. She sat down, opened the drawer, and pulled out a picture of her and John on the beach with his arms around her. She put the picture down and took a deep breath willing the tears threatening to fall to quit. There was a knock on the door, she tried to pull herself to mentally push the fear and emotion into a box she knew she would have to open later. She took three deep breaths, wiped her eyes, and faced the door.
"Come in."
Farah walked in,
"What Farah?"
Farah sat down and paused, she and everyone else knew John Price and Kate Laswell were together even though they thought it was a secret. This was going to be a tricky conversation she realized.
"You and the Captain are close."
"We work well together."
"You do, but you are closer than you let on," Farah said as there was another knock.
"Come in."
Gaz walked in.
"Anything?" Kate asked.
"Ghost, Soap, and Nik are checking into something, Alex is checking in with what I guess is some CIA contact the way he went to his room on his phone and shut the door."
"I'm going to see if any of my fighters have seen anything close to the border or if they went over into Al Mazarah."
"It would be stupid of them to cross the border," Kate said.
Her radio came to life and she answered. After speaking to them she said,
"They saw Captain Price in the van passing over the border, as we were on our way back. They will be going back over the border tomorrow with or without support. I was hoping you would let Alex, Soap, Ghost, Nik, and I go."
"What about me?" Kyle said.
"We were told by Price if anything ever happened to him you two would stay out of it in a safe location and the rest of us would come for him or take care of you two if something were to happen to him."
"But we want to help." They both said in unison.
"You two are his family."
"We're all his family." Gaz said.
"Alex, Nik, Ghost, Soap, and I are his extended family. You two are like a wife and son to him in the way he acts and treats you both. Stay here so we can keep our promise." Farah said as she left the room.
Kyle and Kate looked at each other. Kyle could see something was bothering her besides the obvious. But proud of what Farah had said, he was honored that Price thought of him that way after his family abandoned him when he joined the SAS.
"How are you holding up?" Kyle asked.
"I'm okay."
Kyle sighed, looking her in the eye.
"Kate I know you two are together, like Farah said I see that look in his eyes when he speaks to you or about you it's deeper than friendship. I could also tell when AQ took you on the boat."
Kate smiled.
"How upset and worried was he?"
"He was beside himself with worry, he outran me to where Nik picked us up and we were wearing ghillie suits so not easy to do. Instead of staying on the helio, he was on the ground with Farah's army trying to get you back. He was a man on a mission, only you mattered." He got up and pulled the chair over to the other side sitting down, Kate turned toward him.
"You are doing an amazing job of keeping it together but I know you too well to miss the signs."
"I don't know what you're on about, but I'm…."
"So tense you can barely move. You're so in control of yourself you've pulled away from everyone instead of letting us support you. When you let yourself look me in the eye I can see how upset and terrified you are. You are in here hiding in case you lose your control, even slightly, or someone sees what I see and finds out how much John means to you. Newsflash, I already knew and everybody else is just waiting for proof. We're all happy for you, so stop worrying about us finding out."
Kate subconsciously turned back toward her desk and put her hand on her stomach. Kyle noticed the subtle movement and wondered if she was doing that for the same reason his mum did in the months before his little sister came. Kate saw this,
"Got something on your mind sergeant?"
"No ma'am."
"I see the way you are looking at me. You know I'm pregnant."
"When were you two going to tell us?"
"John doesn't even know. I was planning on telling him but this mission came and now." Kate whipped the tears coming down her cheek.
Kyle hugged her.
"I'm going to see if I can get hold of Nik. If you need anything just come find me, okay?"
Kate nodded, he got up and left her alone.