Primordial Threat by M. A. Rothman

Author:M. A. Rothman [Rothman, M. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: novel
Publisher: M.A. Rothman
Published: 2018-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

It was nearly 11:00 p.m. when Stryker, hefting a large duffle bag over his right shoulder, approached the door to his midtown apartment, praying that he didn’t wake the kids. He was going to get enough shit from Lainie as it was for not calling ahead of time.

The last three days had been a whirlwind of activity.

It started with him nearly being blown to pieces by an old man bent on committing suicide and taking anyone he could with him.

Stryker remembered scrambling out of the building, carrying Mia’s limp body on his back, but that was about it. The next thing he knew, he’d woken up at the hospital in a really sour mood and with stitches along his hairline from the explosion.

The army docs at Madigan kept him under watch for twenty-four hours and he’d made himself as much of a pain in the ass as possible. After enough grousing and just a little bit of begging, they finally let him out. After all, despite the cuts and bruises he’d received, they didn’t really have any other excuse to keep him. He was fine.

In fact, he’d felt a lot better the moment he’d learned that Mia hadn’t been killed.

Her death had been weighing heavily on his conscience. Evidently, she’d been struck by several pieces of shrapnel coming off the old man’s suicide vest and needed some surgery. Nobody would tell him where she was or any other details, aside from that she’d eventually be okay.

After the doctors at Madigan cleared him for duty, he reported back to his commanding officer, and that’s when he was told that he was being redeployed to New York City. He had less than a day to square away any loose ends and catch the first C-130 heading east.

He’d boarded that transport nearly twelve hours ago, and finally he was home.

Stryker put his key in the lock and slowly opened the door.

He was expecting the place to be dark, but almost immediately, he saw Lainie’s wide-eyed expression as she stood midway between the living room and the door, staring directly at him.

Shit.

She approached with a stormy expression and whispered, “You—”

“I know, I know. I should have called, but I didn’t know I’d be here nor did I have a clue they’d let me bunk at home.” He shrugged off the big duffel bag and began rotating his shoulder, trying to work out a kink he’d developed.

Her expression softened as she approached. Lainie reached up and touched his temple. “You’re hurt.”

Stryker touched the bruised area where the ball bearing from the suicide vest had creased his skull and shrugged. “It’s not bad.”

Lainie’s face clouded up with emotion, and Stryker stiffened, preparing himself for the lecture he knew was coming.

Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his chest, pressed her head against him and squeezed. “They sent you back because you’re hurt worse than you’re letting on, I know it.”

He sighed and rubbed her back as he felt hot tears against his fatigues.

“Lainie, I’m not lying to you.

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