Protecting Caroline (2014)

== Series ==
SEAL of Protection, Book 1
Originally published on September 2, 2014
== Official Blurb ==
How far will one man go to save the life of a stranger? 
More importantly to Caroline... will he do it twice? 
Matthew “Wolf” Steel hated flying commercial.  As a Navy SEAL, he didn’t have to do it very often. Luck was on his side today, though. The woman with the aisle seat was willing to switch seats with him. Settling in and hoping for a relaxing flight, Wolf was pleasantly surprised by the good conversation and sense of humor of his seatmate as they flew 36,000 feet over the countryside. 
When Caroline boarded the plane to Virginia to move across the country for her new job, she couldn’t believe her luck to be seated next to the hottest guy she’d ever laid eyes on.  She knew he’d never be interested in talking to her if he hadn’t been trapped in the seat next to her, but he was easy to talk to and it was a nice way to spend a long plane ride. 
Neither Wolf nor Caroline were prepared for a terrorist hijacking of their plane, but if Caroline thought that would be the last time she’d see, or need, Wolf, she’d be sorely mistaken. 
== Characters ==
=== Main Character(s) ===
* Matthew "Wolf" Steel
*Caroline "Ice" Martin
=== All Characters (in order of appearance) ===
*Matthew "Wolf" Steel
*Christopher "Abe" Powers
*Hunter "Cookie" Knox
*Faulkner "Dude" Cooper
*Sam "Mozart" Reed
*Kason "Benny" Sawyer
* Adelaide
* Michele
*Caroline "Ice" Martin
*(Wolf and Caroline's seatmate)
*(The flight attendants)
*Smythe (terrorist)
*(The co-pilot)
*(The pilot)
*Brandy (passenger)
*(The EMT)
*(The FBI agent)
*John "Tex" Keegan
*(The dirty man)
*Patrick Hurt (not by name)
=== Characters Mentioned (but not appearing) ===
* Avery Reed
* (Their previous commander)
* (Wolf's father)
* (Wolf's mother)
* (Caroline's father)
* (Caroline's mother)
== Synopsis ==
=== Prologue ===
Matthew "Wolf" Steel and his SEAL team (Abe, Cookie, Dude, Mozart, and Benny) are on a plane, headed back from a two week long mission in an "undisclosed location." As the rest of his team sleeps, Wolf reflects on his team members.
=== Chapter 1 ===
Wolf, Abe, Cookie, Mozart, Dude, and Benny are at Ace's (not named in this book, but they return to the same place later). They just got back from a mission, and have some leave time before their next mission departs from Norfolk in roughly two weeks. They look at the women at the bar, and while his teammates discuss which women they'd like to take home, Wolf finds the scene uninteresting. He, Abe, and Mozart leave early so they can catch their morning flight.
=== Chapter 2 ===
Caroline Martin is sitting in her aisle seat on a plane, waiting for the boarding process to finish and avoiding eye contact with others. As she's watching the other passengers' shoes as they walk past, she notices a pair of boots stopping next to her. Caroline looks up to find Wolf waiting to sit in the middle seat next to her. Caroline is instantly attracted to the muscular man, but stands so he can scoot past her.
Wolf tries to relax in his seat, but remains hyperaware of his surroundings. He feels uncomfortable in the middle seat, and ruminates on the options he and his friends had when choosing that flight. Wolf thinks back to the night before and how he isn't interested in the bar scene. Just as he's relaxing into sleep, he feels a hand on his arm and starts. He notices that the "ordinary" Caroline is trying to tell him something, and patiently waits for her to speak.
=== Chapter 3 ===
Caroline thinks about her lack of self esteem as she builds the courage to speak to Wolf. When she does, she asks him if he'd like to switch seats with her. Wolf appears to be confused by her offer, but Caroline assures him that it's only because she noticed how uncomfortable he was, and that having the aisle seat would allow him room to stretch out. Wolf decides to take the offer, and they brush past one another as they change seats. Caroline offers Wolf extra room when she encourages him to leave his backpack in the footspace of the middle seat.
=== Chapter 4 ===
Wolf considers Caroline, as Caroline reflects upon herself. She smiles, thinking of her father's loving support, before noticing Wolf looking at her. Touched by her generosity, Wolf introduces himself to Caroline. He gives his real name (Matthew) and offers his hand. She shakes it; they both are pleased with the other's handshake. As they turn their attention to the front of the plane, Caroline notices that one of the flight attendants looks even more bored than expected. She distracts herself by flipping through a copy of SkyMall magazine.
Once in the air, Caroline and Wolf both have difficulties relaxing. Wolf strikes up a pleasant conversation about where they're headed (to Norfolk), why they're going there (Caroline for a new job, Wolf for a vacation), and what their jobs are (Caroline is a chemist, Wolf is a SEAL). They are enjoying their chat when the seemingly bored flight attendant comes to them and takes their orders. The other person in their row, an overweight man who had been snoring in the window seat, wakes up and requests a vodka on the rocks. Caroline asks for a diet soda, and Wolf requests an orange juice. As she is about to take a sip from her drink, Caroline pauses, smelling something unusual in her cup. She quickly invades Wolf's space to prevent him from drinking.
=== Chapter 5 ===
Wolf is initially annoyed that Caroline would prevent him from drinking his juice, but notices that she appears scared, with goosebumps appearing on her arms. He waits patiently for her explain that she smells something wrong with the ice in their cups. He lifts his cup to his nose to investigate, but can't detect anything strange. He asks Caroline to explain, but she can't quite put her finger on it; she just knows something is unnatural with the ice. He allows her to sniff his drink, and she confirms that the chemical compound is in his ice as well.
Contrary to his nature, Wolf fully trusts Caroline's opinion. He can tell she's genuinely concerned, and can't conceive of why she would lie about this. Wolf begins thinking about the possible reasoning for tainted ice, and comes to the conclusion that there must be a terroristic plot occurring. He stands up, pretending to find something in his bag in the overhead compartment, and manages to signal "to Mozart and Abe that there was danger and not to eat." Wolf returns to his seat, takes Caroline's hand, and thinks about his next moves. 
Wolf comes to the conclusion that he needs Caroline's help, despite his instincts wanting to protect her. She agrees immediately, which touches Wolf. He mentions that he doesn't want to draw more attention to himself, and asks if she would pass a coded note to Mozart (in seat 18C) while heading for the bathroom, and upon her return, give a nonverbal signal to Abe (in seat 24D). Wolf demonstrates to Caroline the nonverbal signal: to "grab his shoulder instead of the seat and press your second and fourth fingers down hard." Upon her confirmation of the plan, Wolf kisses the back of her hand. As he writes the note for Mozart, Caroline gives herself a pep talk. Wolf puts his hand on Caroline's waist to guide her past him.
Caroline focuses on Mozart's seat (18C), though she notes that his stature sets him apart anyway. As she approaches him, she pretends to trip, apologizing as she presses the note into his chest. She continues to the restroom, where she decides she may as well use the facilities while she can. While in the restroom, she overhears a conversation between two of the flight attendants, and hurries to get back to Wolf. She holds onto the seat backs as she heads up the aisle, and subtly gives Abe the nonverbal signal as she passes him. When she returns to her seat, she informs Wolf of the conversation she heard: "They said everything was in place and as soon as the passengers were out, they'd start."
=== Chapter 6 ===
Wolf is concerned about the conversation Caroline overheard. He once again takes her hand, in an effort to comfort them both. He considers what could be in the works, before praising Caroline for her stealthy mission. As Wolf thinks about what to do, Caroline surprises him by suggesting they both pretend to be passed out from the poison in the ice. He agrees, and they both spend the next 30 minutes considering their situation.
As the noise of the passengers gradually dies down, Wolf notices two passengers and two flight attendants taking stock of which passengers are still awake. One of them notes that Smythe will take control of the plane, as soon as the other passengers are secured. Wolf hears the terrorists gathering up the few passengers still awake and forcing them to the galley in the back of the plane. Two of the terrorists head to the cockpit, and as the fake flight attendant gets the pilots to open the doors, he and one of the fake passengers kill the pilot and beat the copilot. The other "flight attendant" terrorist takes the copilot into the back galley with the awake passengers.
Wolf considers his next moves. Since he is the furthest forward in the plane, he knows that he will head to the cockpit to take control of the plane, while Mozart and Abe will take care of the other terrorists. Wolf doesn't want to leave Caroline alone, and squeezes her thigh in support. She returns the contact before noiselessly wishing him good luck. Wolf leaps from his seat and sprints up the aisle toward the cockpit. He looks over his shoulder to see one of the terrorists barreling toward him. Wolf is beginning to think about how he can fight off two terrorists (one in the cockpit and one heading toward him), when he sees Caroline trip the terrorist. He surges forward, hoping that she's safe, but knowing that he needed to get control of the plane.
=== Chapter 7 ===
Caroline reels after tripping the terrorist, but doesn't have time to reflect. The terrorist immediately jumps up and runs toward the cockpit. To buy Wolf time, Caroline jumps on the terrorist's back. They tussle in the aisle, until Mozart appears, slitting the terrorist's neck before continuing toward the cockpit. Caroline takes in the scene, ignoring her pains and focusing on what she can do for the situation. She decides to clear the terrorist's body from the aisle, and drags him to the galley at the front of the plane, where another body lie.
Wolf and Mozart are now flying the plane. Wolf notices Caroline near the cockpit, and calls to her, asking if she's okay. She is clearly in shock, but he asks her to find the co-pilot and bring him to the cockpit. Caroline sets off for the back of the plane and lets Abe know of Wolf's request. She then returns to her aisle seat, attempting to clean the terrorist's blood off herself with unused cocktail napkins. As Mozart returns to the back of the plane, he stops by Caroline's seat and asks if she's okay. She doesn't think Mozart believes her, but he continues toward the back of the plane anyway.
After 30 minutes, Wolf and the co-pilot are able to land the plane in Omaha, Nebraska. At the co-pilot's request, Caroline leaves her seat and goes to the back of the plane, where the other conscious passengers wait. She notices that two of the other female passengers have attached themselves to Abe and Mozart. As first responders and the FBI move through the plane, taking in the scene and checking on the unconscious passengers, Caroline overhears Mozart telling Brandy (another female passenger) that the EMTs likely have other concerns, and that he'll take care of his apparent knife wound later. Caroline agrees with this thought, deciding to do the same with her side, which she believes was just scratched.
After the unconscious passengers are removed, the authorities allow the conscious passengers to deplane, making sure to direct them to EMTs. Caroline is about to give in to receiving medical attention, but Brandy interrupts them, and Caroline can see that the EMT is distracted. She requests some alcohol wipes before allowing Brandy to take his attention. The remaining nine passengers, including Caroline, are shuttled to the terminal. As Caroline sits on the bus, she sees Wolf, Mozart, and Abe leaving in a separate vehicle, without looking back. She is disheartened at this, hoping that they would have "acknowledge[d] her in any way." After a two-hour interrogation by the authorities, the airline offers to put up the conscious passengers in a hotel for the night, as flights won't begin until the following morning. Caroline notices the intimidating crowd of reporters and vehicles at the entrance, and decides to stay in the airport overnight.
=== Chapter 8 ===
After an hour-long conversation with their commander, followed by an hour-long interrogation by the FBI, Wolf, Mozart, and Abe are at the hotel bar, comparing notes about the incident. Wolf informs his teammates that Caroline was the one who noticed the poisoned ice. Mozart discloses that Caroline had been fighting with the terrorist in the aisle, which gave Wolf time to go to the cockpit. Abe wonders what Caroline told the FBI about the incident, which leads them to a discussion about how the agents seemed suspicious. Wolf looks for Caroline at the bar, but Abe assures him that she's likely getting some sleep. They all head to their rooms to rest, as Wolf focuses on Caroline and hopes to see her again.
Back in the nearly empty airport, Caroline attempts to clean her faces and arms in the restroom. She turns her shirt inside-out to hide some of the terrorist's blood. She notices that her side is still bleeding, even after wiping it, but she disregards the pain and plans to see a doctor in Norfolk. Caroline stuffs some paper towels to her side and ends up lying on the ground by some seats, so she can spread out. She attempts to sleep, but the day's events replay in her mind.
=== Chapter 9 ===
Wolf, Mozart, and Abe are eating breakfast in the hotel before catching a military plane to Norfolk. Abe muses to his teammates about how he feels like they abandoned Caroline, who he now dubs "Ice." They quickly gather their belongings and head to the airport in search of her.
Caroline stands against the wall of the airport, waiting for the customer service line to go down so she can get on a replacement flight. She got little sleep the night before, and feels as though the wound on her side is infected, which has made her light headed and weak. After getting her purse, she buys a bagel and a bottle of water, but is too nauseous to finish the meager meal.
After 10 minutes of searching for Caroline, the SEALs are almost ready to leave when Wolf spots her leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Wolf approaches Caroline, who startles and brushes her injured side against him. The men greet Caroline, asking if she's okay and whether or not she has a replacement ticket. Caroline is overwhelmed at the attention the men are giving her, particularly when she notices others looking at them. She formally meets Abe, who kisses her hand. Feeling uncomfortable and defensive, Caroline politely dismisses the men and goes to the customer service line to wait. She justifies her actions to herself, deciding she "had to leave now before her heart decided it wanted more."
Dejected and slightly angry, Wolf storms toward the stairs to board the military plane. Abe and Mozart follow, but the latter notices a smear of blood on Wolf's shirt. He realizes it must have been from Caroline. He lets Abe know he'll be along shortly, and reenters the airport to gather Caroline. Wolf boards the military plane and feels upset that Caroline blew him off. He looks up to see Mozart leading Caroline onto the plane. Mozart gives him the sign to "wait," which only gives a frustrated Wolf time to brood about her dismissal.
Caroline, still sick and in pain, is upset that Mozart dragged her onto the plane. She stiffly sits in her seat as the plane takes off. Once they reach a safe altitude, Mozart signals to Wolf and Abe that Caroline is "injured," and the men approach her. Wolf's anger dissipates as he attempts to get Caroline to join him in the medical area in the back of the plane. She begrudgingly follows. As the medic of the team, Mozart begins to examine her side, while Wolf distracts her by asking her to recount the incident. Caroline feels inadequate about her role, whereas the SEALs are shocked at her perseverance and quick thinking.
Mozart informs Caroline that she'll need stitches. She begs not to be sent to a hospital, but Wolf assures her that Mozart can perform the procedure. Caroline admits that she doesn't want them to think she's "a wuss," a notion which Abe quickly disavows. The continue to distract Caroline from Mozart administering the anesthetic by asking her what she did after the incident. After she informs them she stayed in the airport, Wolf asks why Caroline didn't simply ask a man for money. Caroline asks them when they first noticed her, which they admit was on the plane. She then reminds them that she met all of them before boarding the plane. Caroline explains to each of them that she often goes unnoticed."You asked why I didn't ask for help, Matthew," Caroline continued after a beat, "it's because I'm not the kind of woman people notice. The three of you all talked to me, but still didn't remember me. I'm not the kind of woman people recollect or go out of their way to help."Mozart announces that Caroline is numb and ready for stitches. Wolf helps her lie down as Abe prepares a sedative to help Caroline sleep. As she's drifting off, Wolf asks Caroline what she told the FBI about the incident. She says she let the others do most of the talking, as she didn't want the SEALs to get in any trouble. Caroline sleeps while Mozart finishes giving her stitches. The three men fell into silence, contemplating Caroline and her strength.None of them wanted to see Caroline disappear from their lives. She'd become important to them by just being herself. She was unassuming and they were so damn proud of her they couldn't stand it.
=== Chapter 10 ===
Caroline wakes in a hotel room. She uses the toilet, brushes her teeth, and takes a shower. She looks around the hotel room, noticing her suitcase on the floor and a note sitting next to the bed, which she reads. It's from Wolf, who lets her know that she slept all night, but that he'll come back after he reports to base to speak with her. He has put food in the hotel fridge and prepared the coffee maker for her. Caroline is stunned by the thoughtfulness of the letter. Noting it is 11:00 AM, she gets dressed, makes coffee, and eats a snack before Wolf arrives.
Shortly afterward, Wolf arrives at the hotel room. He informs Caroline that he had to report to the commander on base and divulge her identity. She offers to help any way she can. They share their first kiss. Wolf suggests that they sightsee. First, though, he takes Caroline into the bathroom and checks her side wound. Wolf takes Caroline onto base and shows her around, including a guided tour of one of the ships. Noticing that Caroline has become tired, Wolf suggests picking up take-out and heading back to the hotel. They eat, then settle in to watch a movie. They joke about Wolf's nickname before Caroline falls asleep. Wolf carefully puts Caroline in bed before retreating to Tex's house for the night.
=== Chapter 11 ===
Caroline awakes and realizes that she fell asleep on Wolf the night before. She makes coffee - which Wolf had prepared - and watches TV. Wolf calls, startling her. Caroline apologizes for falling asleep, but Wolf responds with an innuendo about joining her in bed soon. Caroline muses that Wolf could have anyone but he seems to want her, to which he agrees. Wolf informs Caroline that he'll be picking her up in an hour to bring her to Tex's house for a get-together.
Later, at Tex's house, Caroline enjoys getting to know Wolf's friends. After, Wolf takes her to the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where he buys her a bouquet of flowers. Back at Caroline's hotel room, they order room service and settle in. They discuss taking their relationship slow, as they recently met. They make out before turning on a movie.
Wolf awakes to see Caroline having a nightmare. Caroline dreams that she's fighting the terrorist on the plane. Wolf wakes her after they tumble to the floor. Caroline is upset about her dream, but Wolf assures her it's normal and encourages her to speak with a therapist. Caroline tells Wolf about her dream, which causes him to make her promise not to put herself in danger for his sake again. Caroline falls asleep, and Wolf once again carries her to bed. Wolf hears his phone ringing, thinking he's getting called out.
Caroline wakes to find a note on her pillow from Wolf. In it, he explains that he had to leave for his mission. He reiterates that he wants to explore a long-distance relationship between them, giving her his number. Caroline packs her belongings and goes to check out of her room, adding Wolf's number to her phone on the way.
=== Chapter 12 ===
Two weeks later, Caroline has started to settle into life in Norfolk. She has called Wolf a few times, but he hasn't picked up, which she attributes to him still being on a mission. Caroline stopped watching news reports about the airplane incident on television after they suggest that the terrorists hijacked the plane in preparation for a larger attack. Caroline mostly spends her time at work or exploring the area. She has started to feel paranoid, feeling as though someone has been watching her.
One evening, Caroline leaves work late. She pulls out her phone for security as she walks three blocks to the bus stop. On the way home, Caroline can almost feel someone watching her. She quickly disembarks the bus at her stop and heads to her apartment building. Caroline enters her apartment and heads to her bathroom, when she hears someone attempting to open her front door. Instinctively, she opens her bedroom window, hoping the intruder will think she used the fire escape to leave the building. Then Caroline rushes to her bathroom and into the shower, closing the curtain halfway to prevent it from seeming suspicious. 
Standing in the tub, she calls 911 and reports the situation to the dispatcher, who helps keep Caroline calm. Caroline hangs up, then immediately calls Wolf. She leaves him a message letting him know what was going on, and in case she didn't make it out of the situation, she wanted to assure him that she had been interested in him. Caroline then turns off her phone and quiets, listening to the intruder root around in her bedroom before using the toilet in her bathroom. They both hear sirens. The intruder quickly but quietly leaves her apartment, while Caroline stays frozen in the tub. Soon after she hears police officers enter her apartment, and she calls out to them to inform them of her presence.
=== Chapter 13 ===
Wolf and his team are on a ship, headed for shore. He reflects on how he's thought of Caroline constantly over the past two weeks, and how he can't wait to see her again. When they come in range of the cell towers, he opens his messages and listens to Caroline's panicked voicemail. Wolf rushes to his team, who are relaxing in the day room. Abe grabs Wolf's phone and plays the message for the team to hear. They notice the message was left 24 hours ago. They were on course for the shore, but wouldn't get off the ship for another four hours.
Wolf returns Caroline's call, hanging up and redialing when she doesn't answer the first two times. She finally picks up, and a frazzled Wolf demands to know if she's okay. Abe takes the phone and asks if Caroline is okay. Caroline confirms and requests that she speak with Wolf again. Abe silently notes Wolf's clenched fists, denying Caroline's request and asking her to tell him what's going on. Caroline evades his question, speaking generally about how she just hadn't gotten around to calling Wolf back. Abe pushes, and Caroline finally gives an abridged version of events. When Abe informs Caroline that they'll be at her apartment within five hours, she says she isn't there, which causes Abe to demand where she is.
Dude takes control of the phone, asking Caroline where she is. Caroline refuses to answer his questions, saying that she doesn't know him and therefore can't trust him. Dude hands the phone to Mozart, who continues the questioning. Caroline lets slip that she isn't allowed to tell them where she is, which causes Mozart to become agitated. Having calmed down considerably, Wolf regains control of the phone. Caroline reiterates that she isn't allowed to tell him where she is. Wolf puts the phone on speaker, then asks Caroline to tell her version of events. During this retelling, she informs him that the FBI came to her house after the break-in, informing her she needed to be put into Witness Security for her safety. 
Wolf assures Caroline they are going to find her, and that she can trust anyone on his team. Caroline questions how she'll be able to tell who Benny, Cookie, and Dude are. Abe pipes up, telling Caroline to use the hand signal she used on the plane to inform him of danger. Caroline appears overwhelmed with the clandestine nature of their conversation. Cookie is quick to tell her that they're going to keep her safe. Caroline hears someone walking down the hall and hangs up quickly, but not before Wolf can assure her they're going to find her.
=== Chapter 14 ===
Caroline sits in her room in a cabin in the woods, thinking back to the conversation she had with Wolf and his team a few days prior. After they hung up, her phone was confiscated by an angry FBI agent. Caroline hears voices and goes to her bedroom door to investigate. She finds the agent speaking with Wolf at the front door.
In the past few days, Wolf has been working to find Caroline. He enlisted Tex's help, and convinced his commander that he and the team needed to be there to investigate the situation. They have surmised that there must be a mole in the FBI, as no one else could have connected Caroline to the incident. As a result, the terrorists want to kill Caroline and the SEAL team who foiled their plan. Wolf thinks about how scared he is for Caroline, and how grateful he is that his team has set up protection as well.
Caroline, still shocked at seeing Wolf at the door, retreats to her room. After a few minutes, Wolf knocks on her door and enters. Caroline expresses surprise at his appearance, but Wolf reassures her he is there to protect her, and that he still wants to explore their relationship. Overwhelmed, Caroline starts to sob, reflecting on the past week. Wolf holds her and soothes her. The tender moment leads into a make out session. Wolf ends the kiss early, holding Caroline as she falls asleep in relief.
=== Chapter 15 ===
A few days after Wolf and his team began watching over her, Caroline awakes in the middle of the night to Wolf tense behind her. He whispers for her to remain quiet as he slips on his boots and heads for the door. Caroline puts her shoes on as well, confused but wanting to be prepared. As Wolf creeps down the hall to listen for signs of danger, an explosion rocks the cabin, knocking Wolf to the floor. He tries to make it back down the hall to Caroline's room, but he is already suffering from smoke inhalation, and finds himself passing out.
Caroline hears the explosion, then runs for her bedroom door. She ignores the flames and smoke and focuses on Wolf trying to crawl back to her before he passes out. Caroline rushes forward on her knees, dragging him back to her room before stuffing towels under the door gap. She then rushes to her bathroom and wets two t-shirts, putting them over Wolf's and her faces. Caroline rushes to the window to escape when someone shoots out the glass, seemingly attempting to make sure she can't escape. Caroline takes a moment to evaluate the situation, then grabs Wolf's gun and sneaks to the side of the window. She uses it to shoot blindly at the trees, hoping to scare away her potential attacker.
Caroline soon hears her and Wolf's names being called from below the window. Mozart has arrived, gotten rid of the other threat, and is there to help save them both. Caroline turns to drag Wolf to the window, forcing Mozart to save his teammate before Caroline escapes. The window frame has already heated, so Caroline puts down a pillow to help protect Wolf's stomach. She and Mozart awkwardly manage to get Wolf out of the window before Mozart hauls Wolf over his shoulder, ordering Caroline to follow. As they run away from the cabin, Mozart asks Caroline why she didn't leave early. She simply responds, "SEALs don't leave SEALs. . . . I couldn't leave him. I just couldn't."
Caroline and Mozart come to an abrupt halt at the sound and appearance of a group of terrorists. One of the men, who Caroline assumes is the man in charge, lifts his gun and grazes Mozart's head. Mozart falls to the ground with Wolf, who he had still been holding. Mozart wants to get up to protect Caroline, but his injury has impeded him, and he soon loses consciousness. Caroline struggles with the terrorists, who restrain her arms behind her back and hit her. When the man in charge threatens to kill Wolf and Mozart, Caroline begs for their lives, offering to go with them freely if they let them live. The man agrees, but first takes a knife and slices Mozart's face before stomping on it. He orders his men to beat the SEALs as Caroline is chloroformed and dragged away.
=== Chapter 16 ===
Six hours later, Wolf is conscious and pissed that Caroline is gone. He is still suffering from smoke inhalation, as well as a beating he received while he was unconscious. He has no idea what happened after the explosion; just that they made it out of the building, he and Mozart were beaten, and Caroline was missing.
Caroline awakes tied to a chair, bleeding from the tight zip tie bonds around her wrists. The man from earlier storms into the room, spitting in Caroline's face and berating her for ruining his plans. He begins to question her as to how she knew about the ice. She refuses to answer. The man continues to beat Caroline, torturing her for information. She remains silent and takes the punishment. The man leaves the room, after threatening Caroline with sexual assault.
Alone with her thoughts - and reeling from the beating - Caroline tries to gather information about her surroundings. She can hear seagulls, but soon her mind goes blank and she passes out. She awakes some time later to someone else walking into the room. This man is dressed in a perfect suit. He doesn't say a word; just sets up a tripod. Caroline starts to panic, thinking they're going to film the sexual assault.
Wolf and his team are gathered and waiting for news about Caroline. Cookie hangs up his phone, informing Wolf that their commander wants him to check his email. Wolf pulls up his inbox to find a video of Caroline tied to a chair, with men beating and interrogating her. She refuses to comply. A voice floats up behind the camera, taunting Wolf and pointing out Caroline's injuries. After getting knocked to the ground, Caroline finally opens her mouth and agrees to tell the kidnappers what happened. 
"Well fuck you. You and your army of gullible terrorists can get back on whatever party boat you sailed here on and go to hell!"
The video cuts off, leaving Wolf reeling. Abe demands they turn back the last part of the video, replaying Caroline's words. They repeat this a few times before Wolf realizes Caroline has left them a message. She mentioned gulls to show they were near the shore, and she referred to boats instead of ships, which they had recently discussed. Armed with this information, the men and Tex rush to narrow down Caroline's location.
=== Chapter 17 ===
Caroline, who has been on the floor since she was pushed over, hears the men returning to the room. She muses about the hints she gave the SEALs, particularly that she couldn't hear any large ships, which is why she used the term "boat." The men lift her from the floor and taunt her as they cut her bindings. One man lifts her over his shoulder and carries her out of the building. Caroline is in incredible pain, likely due to broken ribs, and tries to focus on her breathing.
The team has located the warehouse where Caroline is being held. A contact of Tex's reporter suspicious activity 30 minutes after Tex put out the BOLO. Tex used his tech prowess to verify Caroline's likely location. The team heads to the area. They are all affected by Caroline's bravery and resistance to interrogation techniques. Wolf has put Abe in charge of the team, as he doesn't want them to make any mistakes, and he can't trust himself to be unaffected emotionally. Wolf considers that even after they save Caroline, he may end things with her, in order to keep her safe in the future.
The team watches as two men leave the warehouse, one carrying Caroline. Benny sits near the dock, disguised as a fisherman cleaning his catch. Acting intoxicated, Benny makes a comment to the two men about Caroline having too much to drink. They continue past. Caroline looks at "the fisherman" and tries to signal that she's in trouble. Benny lifts his hand in a signal for "help is coming," but realizes Caroline likely didn't understand him. He packs up his gear and heads back to the team.
Caroline is thrown to the bottom of a small motorboat. She considers her options for leaving. The man dressed well and the man who interrogated her step onto the boat. The aggressive man slaps her. Caroline believes she will die soon. Meanwhile, the SEALs are on a boat, following after the terrorists as the sun sets.
Caroline hasn't had a chance to escape, as she has focused on her breathing and the pain she feels. The boat comes to a stop, and two men attach weighted chains to Caroline's ankles. The man dressed well holds a camera and gives Caroline a chance to reveal what she knows. Caroline refuses to speak. The man promises to send Wolf the video of her dying, nodding to three men to toss Caroline overboard. Caroline treads water, feeling the chains start to weigh her down. The terrorist again offers to save her if she talks, but she refuses. Another man raises a gun, preparing to shoot her. Caroline ducks underwater, hoping the bullet deflects. She allows the chains to pull her farther down.
The SEALs rush toward the terrorists' boat. Abe shouts at the men to put down their weapons, but the terrorists refuse. Wolf considers the camera filming their mission from their boat. The team backs off as the terrorists rush to leave. Within seconds, the terrorists' boat has exploded, killing the men onboard. Wolf ignores the wreckage, focusing instead on where they last saw Caroline.
Caroline continues to sink. She attempts to swim back to the surface when someone grabs her from behind. She is struggling to get away when her breath runs out, leaving her gasping for air. To her surprise, the person behind her has attached a mask to her face, allowing her to breathe. Before Caroline can panic, the person behind her presses his second and fourth fingers down on her hand. Caroline realizes the signal and relaxes, taking the unspoken clue to focus on holding the mask to her face. Cookie holds Caroline tightly as he swims them away from the terrorists' boat, which he knows Dude will soon blow up.
Wolf continues to search the surface for Dude, Cookie, and Caroline. Abe notices Dude and takes the boat to pick him up. Back underwater, Cookie continues to move Caroline away from the wreckage. He surfaces, noticing his teammates about 500 yards away. Before he signals for them, he checks with Caroline to make sure she's okay. Caroline continues to hold the mask to her face, not realizing they have surfaced. She hears Cookie soothing her, which leads her to open her eyes and look around. She finally removes the mask and clutches at Cookie, thanking him for saving her. He turns on the signal light and waits for the team to pick them up.
Benny notices Cookie's signal light. Abe turns the boat toward Cookie and Caroline. Cookie warns Wolf about Caroline's fragile condition. Wolf nods and gently lifts her out of the water. Wolf lies them down on the bottom of the boat, holding her and soothing her. Caroline passes out as Benny and Dude cut off her chains and Cookie wraps a blanket around her. As they head back to shore, Wolf concludes that Caroline was hurt because of him.
=== Chapter 18 ===
Caroline wakes in the hospital, feeling sore and swollen. She looks around, realizing she's alone, before again falling asleep. Meanwhile the SEALs have reported back to their commander. Tex shows them a screencap of the terrorist, who they identify as a dodgy FBI agent they spoke with in Nebraska, after the plane incident.
Wolf has given up on Caroline. He feels as though she was only in trouble because of him. His teammates argued with him, acknowledging that Wolf loves Caroline but refuses to see her in the hospital. Wolf recalls Caroline's injuries: two broken ribs, cuts (including one on her head that needed eight stitches), bruises, scrapes, and dehydration. He remembers that on the way to the hospital, Caroline kept repeating that she didn't tell the terrorist anything.
Cookie, Benny, and Dude enter Caroline's hotel room as she sleeps. Wolf forbade them from going to see Caroline, but they ignored him, wanting to meet the woman who thoroughly impressed them all. Caroline wakes, startled at the presence of three large men. One of them introduces himself as Dude, and gives her the hand signal from before. Caroline relaxes, realizing he's Wolf's teammate. Benny extends his hand as well, kissing the back of it as they meet. Cookie leans over and gives Caroline a comforting hug. She again thanks him for saving her.
Caroline admits she can't remember much about being saved. Dude recounts the explosion, promising Caroline she's safe. Caroline asks about the rest of the team, including Mozart, who is still in the hospital. After exchanging some chit chat, Cookie reveals that Wolf didn't know they were visiting her. Benny calls Caroline one of their team members. She attempts to blow this off, but Cookie reaches into his pocket and pulls out his SEAL trident pin. He explains the significance of it to Caroline, promising that they'll always be there for her. Caroline begs the men to get her out of the hospital.
Abe approaches Wolf, telling him Mozart's account of what happened in the cabin. Wolf realizes that Caroline did everything she could to make sure he safely got out of the building before considering herself. Abe chastises him for abandoning Caroline in her time of need, and especially because Wolf loves her. Wolf continues to argue that Caroline was hurt because of him. Abe denies that, praising Caroline's bravery and fortitude, and encouraging Wolf to do the same for her. 
Abe informs Wolf that Benny, Dude, and Cookie visited Caroline the day before. He mentions Cookie giving Caroline his trident pin, and that they took her home from the hospital. Wolf blows up, arguing that Caroline hasn't healed enough to be discharged. Abe tells Wolf he asked Tex to look into Caroline's background. When she was 22, she was in a car accident, which left her in the hospital for three months with virtually no visitors. Abe again chastises Wolf, telling him that even if Wolf doesn't want to fight for Caroline, the rest of the team will be there for her.
Caroline hears her doorbell ring, but ignores it, cocooning herself in a blanket on her couch. Wolf picks Caroline's locks and sees her on the couch. He unintentionally startles her awake. She grumpily asks him what he wants, to which he replies, "You." Wolf apologizes for leaving her alone at the hospital, and pledges his devotion to her. He lifts her onto his lap, settling back onto the couch, and encourages Caroline to fall asleep. Wolf watches her for another hour before putting her down and heading to her kitchen to prepare dinner.
Caroline awakes, seeing Wolf still in her apartment. He settles her at her table for a dinner of soup. She questions his motives for being there."I'm hoping you'll always need me as much as I need you." -Wolf to CarolineWolf again pledges to be loyal to her, asking her to continue a relationship with him. Caroline tearily accepts, telling him she loves him. He says it back, before demanding that she return Cookie's trident pin to him. Caroline smiles and agrees.
=== Epilogue ===
Caroline fusses at Cookie for taking a box from her hands. She reflects on her relationship with her new "brothers" (Wolf's teammates). Caroline reminisces about the first time she saw Mozart after he was attacked. Mozart refuses to allow her to feel bad about his scarred face. In turn, Caroline promises to find him some cream to help the scarring.
Five months have passed since then, during which time Caroline and Wolf have been dating long-distance. Caroline is annoyed with the distance, and tells Wolf that she contacted her old boss and arranged to transfer back to San Diego. Wolf contacted a real estate agent, who found them a small house with a full basement. Caroline reflects on her love life with Wolf. She struggles with them leaving on missions, but Wolf has promised to do everything he can to return home to her. Still, Caroline wants close friends. She thinks about some of the women Wolf's teammates date, such as Adelaide, who appears to be haughty. Caroline hopes that Abe will find someone who deserves him.
Wolf approaches Caroline, asking if she's okay with their new house. She reassures him before they kiss. Dude playfully yells at them to chip in and help with the move. Caroline laughs.
== References ==
* Protecting Caroline (2014) also appears in:
**Duty, Honor & Love
**Hearts in Danger
**Saved by a SEAL
Category:Full Bibliography
Category:SEAL of Protection
Category:US Navy