25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Meghan

I almost begged Ryder not to go.

It would have been selfish of me to ask, and that's why I didn't, but still…

Falling onto the couch, I turned on the television and found a reality show about housewives how to occupy my mind. Sometime later, Kirsten and Ashely came home. We caught up on our days and then changed into our pajamas before tuning in to one of our favorite hospital drama shows.

As we watched the intense sitcom, my mind kept returning back to Ryder at work. I tried to tell myself that he was just busy walking around the Port, watching to ensure no thieves stole from the crates that were arriving. Still though, in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but worry.

Around one in the morning, Kirsten and Ashley retired to bed, but I couldn't sleep just yet. My mind was focused on Ryder and my body was still in need of his touch. In my bed, all I did was toss and turn. Not wanting to disrupt Ryder, I sent him a quick text to let him know that I was thinking about him.

Me: I know you are busy, but I wanted to tell you to have a safe shift.

I didn't expect him to respond, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him text back.

Ryder: Thank you. I can't wait to see you again.

My heart fluttered reading over his words. I wished more than anything that he could be here right now, but until he could, I would keep myself busy with work.

Pulling out my laptop, I decided to work on my article. Reading over my work so far, I was happy with what I had accomplished.

When war is raging, the first sign of hope comes from the men and women who bravely risk their lives to save others. Recently, Sunnyvale was awarded with a new company--Salvatore Security Forces. Owned by Lance Salvatore, this branch comes from the success of his East Coast firms. However, when searching for the perfect candidates to help keep our city and businesses safe, he looked no further than his own brothers and sisters in arms: The SEALS.

Now, Ryder Rawlings, Matt O'Connor, Cooper Jenkins, and Lance Isaacs are bringing their military expertise to the table. Throughout this feature, we will get a raw and honest insight into the lives of these men. We will uncover what motivates them to continue to fight for safety and what influenced their lives.

Pausing, I smiled to myself. Melanie and I had gathered incredible information from our interviews with the guys. While at first, it was clear they were uncomfortable being in the spotlight, once we got them talking about their time as SEALS, they quickly began opening up. The light from the screen began to burn my eyes and I knew it was time to stop working.

I must have dozed off because when I woke sometime later, it was late into the night and my phone was buzzing.

Glancing down, I saw Ryder's name flashing across my screen. I had to rub the sleep from my eyes to make sure I was seeing things clearly. It was almost four in the morning and Ryder was still at work. Why on earth would he be calling me now? He knows I have work. Answering, all I heard was chaos on the other end of the line.

Bolting up in bed, I began pushing the phone closer to my ear, as if that would help me hear better.

"Ryder!" I yelled out, my voice very frantic.

What sounded like gunshots followed by screams echoed through the phone. Bangs and scrapes were heard and all I could tell was that whatever was happening on the other side of this phone, wasn't good.

Fearing the worst, but hoping for the best, I pinched myself.

"Please be a dream," I begged. For the first time in very long, I prayed that I was having one of my nightmares.

When I felt the stinging bite of the pinch, I knew that I wasn't dreaming, but this awful moment was a real moment.

"Kirsten, Ashely," I wailed, jumping out of my bed.

My feet pounded on the hardwood flooring as I rushed out of my bedroom. Kirsten's door swung open and she was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What is going on?" she asked.

Ashely ran out of her room holding her phone out like a gun. "Is there an intruder?" she yelled.

Shaking my head, I felt the tears pouring down my cheeks. "It's Ryder. He just called but all I could hear was a commotion," I cried out.

"Maybe he just dropped his phone," Kirsten suggested, as she leaned up against the wall.

"Something in my heart tells me that isn't the case. I think something bad happened," I continued.

"I have an idea. Let's go into the living room and I will Google to see if anything has happened at the Ports tonight," Ashely recommended, holding up her phone.

We all nodded and followed her into the living room. Seated on the couch, I watched as she began typing into her phone. I watched her face as she went from serious to startled and alarmed. As her eyes grew in size, I realized she had found something.

"Turn on the television," Ashely ordered.

Kirsten fumbled with the remote until she finally turned the television on. A news reporter shined as a broadcast played. It was well into the early morning hours and my heart dropped at the scene before me.

"Viewers, if you are just joining us, we are at the scene at the Ports here in Sunnyvale. Sometime early this morning, a blast was heard. Local authorities report that a bomb had gone off and a fire is still raging. All but two employees have been accounted for. While rescuers search for the victims, we will continue to keep you updated as information comes in. However, officials tell us the search and cleanup could last well into the day. Expect major traffic delays," the female reporters announced.

Behind her, the sky is filled with an orange and red blaze as the fire races through the Port. Ships are seen moving away from the docks and firefighters are running to put out the fires. I can't seem to tear my eyes off of the horrific scene.

"Meghan, call Ryder again," Ashley says, breaking my trance.

I fumble with my phone for a minute, before dialing Ryder's number again. It rings and rings, but no answer. I try texting, but again, nothing.

Standing, I begin looking around the apartment. "What are you doing?" Kirsten asks me, concern dripping from her eyes.

"I need to go to the Ports. I have to see if Ryder is ok," I say.

They both glance at one another before turning back to me. "I will drive," Kirsten says.

We quickly dress and in no time, we are in Kirsten's car and heading toward the ports. The stench of smoke fills the air and the closer we get to the water, the more the fire becomes visible.

All I can do on the car ride over is to pray that Ryder is alright. Because if he isn't, I just know I will never overcome this.