He chuckled, warmth filling him instantly at the sound of her voice. “Slow down, Madz. What’s happened?”
“The new book, Alex — it’s hit number seven overall on Amazon. Number seven! It’s been in the top hundred for three straight days now!”
“That’s incredible!” Pride swelled in Alex’s chest, almost overwhelming. “I told you, didn’t I? Always knew you had it in you.”
“Because you never stopped believing in me,” she replied, her voice softer now, earnest and deeply grateful. “You know I couldn’t have done this without you. Everything you’ve sacrificed… the late nights, the marketing lessons, the nanny—”
“It was worth every moment,” he assured gently, picturing her face, eyes sparkling with triumph and tears. “How are my girls and my little dude?”
“They miss you terribly. Haley and Holly keep asking when Daddy’s coming home, and Alex Jr. points at your picture and babbles something suspiciously close to ‘Dada.’”
Alex’s throat tightened, emotion thickening his voice. “I miss them so much. I miss you.”
“We miss you too,” she whispered, voice breaking softly. She gathered herself quickly, laughing lightly through fresh tears. “But listen to this — I checked what it says I’ve sold, and you won’t believe it, Alex. I’ve sold an entire year’s worth of your captain’s pay in just four days. Four days — can you believe it?”
He nearly choked, astonishment flooding him. Never in a million years had he thought her hobby would turn into such a goldmine. “Madz, are you serious right now?”
“Dead serious,” she laughed, triumphant and a bit mischievous. “And when all of this is over, I’m going to retire you from the Army, soldier boy.”
Alex laughed softly, shaking his head, still amazed. “Oh, I don’t think we’re quite there yet. Let’s wait and see how the rest of this series turns out, OK?”
“Ha-ha, you’re jealous. You watch, buddy,” she said firmly, the smile evident in her voice. “Ah, I hear junior crying. I gotta go take care of this, but you stay safe out there and hurry your butt home. I’ll need to put you back to work marketing my next book.”
He swallowed hard, the thought bittersweet yet enticingly real. “Will do. I’ll stay safe. I’ll be home to you and the kids before you know it.”
“You’d better,” she said softly, heartfelt urgency underscoring her words. “We need you home.”
“I love you, Madz.”
“Love you more, Blackjack Six,” she teased gently. “Stay safe.”
As Alex ended the call, he took a deep breath, carrying her words like armor against the uncertain days ahead.
Captain Alex Mercer took a moment to stretch as the vehicles came to a halt. Today marked the eighth day since his advance party had arrived on Gotland. They were nearing the end of their familiarization tour, finalizing potential positions for equipment from the 1st Battalion, 59th Air Defense Artillery Regiment that was now steadily arriving. Major Zachary Holt, the battalion’s S3, had joined them the previous night, eager to scout precise locations for the launchers, radar stations, and supporting infrastructure.
The final area Mercer still needed to see lay along Gotland’s rugged eastern shore, where limestone cliffs plunged sharply into the Baltic, creating a natural barrier that had witnessed Viking longships, Hanseatic merchants, and invasion fleets alike throughout history. The strategic importance of this coastline was unmistakable, even in peacetime.
Captain Elin Boström, commander of the Gotland Regiment’s IRIS-T battery, had taken point for today’s visit. Mercer had found Captain Boström impressive from the moment they’d first met eight days prior, struck by how seamlessly she and Bertil combined sharp tactical knowledge with a deep appreciation of the island’s storied history, interspersed with casual wit and easy humor.
Today, Boström and Bertil had guided Mercer, Holt, and the rest of their small team to an overlook near Smöjen, several kilometers south of Kyllaj harbor. From this vantage point, the Baltic stretched out before them, glittering in the sunlight, with the hazy outline of Latvia faintly visible along the horizon.
Captain Boström gestured toward discreetly camouflaged equipment positioned nearby. “Right there is one of our IRIS-T radar installations,” she explained confidently. “It covers this entire sector, giving us excellent visibility toward the sea and early warning against threats coming from the direction of Latvia or mainland Russia. From here, we track every vessel and aircraft crossing into Swedish waters.”
“Impressive setup, Captain,” Sergeant First Class Holloway remarked, clearly intrigued. “What’s the radar’s operational range?”
