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  We at the Christian Writers Guild are proud of Kariss and wish her the best with this worthy launch of a promising career. Kudos!

  —JERRY B. JENKINS

  NOVELIST AND BIOGRAPHER

  OWNER, CHRISTIAN WRITERS GUILD

  Shaken paints a very real picture of how faith and foundation are both touched by war and catastrophe. Kariss captures not only the heart of a warrior but also the bonds of brotherhood in the SEAL Teams and the adversity relationships face in the midst of our most dire moments. Kariss shatters the Hollywood, too-cool, immortal depiction too often misportrayed of our nation’s Special Operators. This book shows what it looks like when a life of service collides with personal struggle and seemingly impossible circumstances.

  —NAVY SEAL

  A thrilling read! Suspense and romance that will shake your world. This writer is on her way up!

  —DIANN MILLS

  AUTHOR, FIREWALL AND THE SURVIVOR

  CHRISTY AWARD WINNER

  Drama, love, hope, and a spotlight upon a future generation . . . Lynch weaves a tale that has it all. It’s been awhile since a story has so fully immersed me into a hub of societal ills yet left me brimming at the end all the same. A job well done for Kariss Lynch.

  —HEATHER JAMES

  AUTHOR, UNHOLY HUNGER AND HANDS OF

  DARKNESS, LURE OF THE SERPENT SERIES

  Most CHARISMA HOUSE BOOK GROUP products are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. For details, write Charisma House Book Group, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone (407) 333-0600.

  SHAKEN by Kariss Lynch

  Published by Realms

  Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group

  600 Rinehart Road

  Lake Mary, Florida 32746

  www.charismahouse.com

  This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society, used by permission; the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, used by permission.

  Copyright © 2014 by Kariss Lynch

  All rights reserved

  Published in association with the literary agency of WordServe Literary Group, Ltd., 10152 S. Knoll Circle, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130.

  Cover design by Bill Johnson

  Author photo by Shanna Russell @ www.srussellphotography.com

  Back cover photo collage credits:

  NOAA/NGDC, Red Cross

  NOAA/NGDC, Logan Abassi, United Nations

  U.S. Navy photo by Chief Gas Turbine System Technician

  Mechanical Charles Thomas/Released

  U.S. Navy photo by Culinary Specialist 2nd Class George

  Disario/Released

  Visit the author’s website at www.karisslynch.com.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

  An application to register this book for cataloging has been submitted to the Library of Congress.

  International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-535-8

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62136-537-2

  To Dad, Mom, Toby, and Chasya for reminding me that “no” is simply a prelude to God’s better “yes”

  And to the friends and family who prayed for me throughout this journey

  Contents

  Note From the Author

  Prologue

  Part One

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Part Two

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Part three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Part four

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  IN JANUARY 2010 I sat as a substitute teacher in a third-grade classroom in Lubbock, Texas, while the scratch of pencils filled the room. News of the Haiti earthquake still rang in my head. So many hurt, so many lost.

  My pen hit the page and began to fill the lines with the story of an American nurse standing amidst the debris in Haiti wondering where God could be found in the chaos. I intended to turn it into a short story. But it sat in my notebook until I signed up for a writing class in September.

  One thing led to another, and the page turned into a chapter, then ten chapters, then a novel. I began to research, watch videos, read books, and interview people about Haiti, the earthquake, and the people there. Slowly I fell in love with a people I’d never met and a place I’d never been. The story built in my heart until it spilled onto the page. Then I waited for someone else to fall in love with what I had—the story of a resilient people, the heart of an American young adult, the hope found in Christ no matter the circumstance, and the love of two people in the midst of struggle.

  While I waited, I had the opportunity to go to Haiti with a team from my church. We partnered with Mission of Hope, a ministry seeking to transform lives in Haiti with the power of the gospel. They are educating children, building homes, helping adults establish business plans, teaching job skills, providing health care, and teaching Christian values. And things are changing! Voodoo priests are coming to Christ or moving higher into the mountains. Teenagers are stepping up to lead and share the gospel in their villages. Children are learning that they can dream big for the first time in Haiti’s history. They have a future!

  I truly believe there is hope for Haiti. I believe the vicious cycle of poverty, disease, and death can change. I believe young adults can change the world. I believe change happens one life at a time, and I believe Mission of Hope is helping this happen. If you would like to partner with them to help Haiti, please visit www.mohhaiti.org.

  I hope you fall in love with Nick and Kaylan’s story as much as I have. I hope the people of Haiti grip your heart. But most of all, I hope you discover the goodness of the God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.

  Journeying with you,

  www.karisslynch.com

  “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

  I took the one less traveled by,

  And that has made all the difference.”

  ROBERT FROST

  Prologue

  DUST SETTLED OVER Kaylan like a shroud. The ringing in her ears pulsed with the b
eat of her heart, and her face stung as though needles pricked her skin. She swiped at the stinging. Blood. She glanced around the small space. Chunks of cement cocooned her underneath the twin bed. She squinted, trying to remember.

  A sliver of blue sky, the only thing not cracked or bleeding, peeked through a hole in the wall, discolored in the chalky air. Within seconds, dust enveloped the beacon. Rolling in a space no bigger than a sleeping bag, she winced as her shoulder scraped the bottom of her bed. She sucked in a breath and coughing seized her, cement dust choking the air more with each passing moment.

  Where was Sarah Beth? A shriek rent the air outside the broken house, and Kaylan jerked, her head banging on her bed with a crack. Blood pulsed and her head throbbed as she massaged the spot where a knot bloomed.

  Through the cracked walls of her makeshift cell, she searched for any sign of life beneath the chaos. A body lay twisted in the street, bloody, tattered green shorts and flip-flops still in place. A woman bent over the tiny frame, clutching it to herself and crying. Kaylan’s stomach convulsed, and panic built in her gut.

  “Sarah Beth? Oh, God, she needs to answer me.”

  The floor beneath her began to buckle.

  “Sarah Beth!”

  It was happening again.

  PART ONE

  Chapter One

  ON THE EVE of her biggest decision Kaylan Richards’s biggest regret walked back into her life. She should have been celebrating. She had crossed the stage and graduated from the University of Alabama just two hours earlier, December class of 2009. Her dreams stretched endlessly before her, beckoning her toward an unknown future. And now, he was back: the one who had turned his back on her. Pain from that time in her past returned with a dull ache.

  Her oldest brother, David, walked into the kitchen, loosening his tie. “Mr. Fight-and-Flight just pulled up. Did you know he was coming?”

  The blood drained from her face, and she slumped against the kitchen cabinet as her mom bustled around them. “Nick’s here? Now?”

  Ever the faithful older brother, David’s mouth stretched in a tight line, and his hazel eyes raked her face. Her heart sank. He wasn’t joking.

  David nodded. “Micah just went out to meet him. I guess he didn’t tell you. Sorry, sis.” He reached for a chip in the sea of goodies multiplying on the island counter. Their mom slapped his hand away as she added spinach dip to the mix.

  Kaylan groaned. “Why today? I have too much on my plate to deal with this. What was Micah thinking?”

  “He’s Micah’s best friend, and he doesn’t have any family.” David pulled her into a hug, crushing her graduation cap. “Be confident, Kayles. It was his loss, not yours.”

  His statement fell flat. It had been her loss. Nick’s decision and her heartache.

  Decisions . . . Nick’s had changed her life. What of the ones she had yet to make? Had yet to tell her family about? What about Haiti?

  Her mom dusted her hands off and placed her arm around Kaylan’s shoulders, as tall as her daughter in her heels. “You okay, honey? You want me to ask him to leave? We can help him find a hotel.”

  Kaylan popped a peanut into her mouth to hide her emotion. “I can handle it. I think.” Her heart took off at a gallop at the thought of facing Nick. “Excuse me for a minute?”

  Kaylan dashed upstairs to her room, pulling off her cap and gown and heaping her graduation regalia on the bed. What had consumed and defined her for three and a half years had taken less than two hours to conclude, and all she had to show for it was a piece of paper and a robe she couldn’t wear again. She almost wished she and Sarah Beth had taken their time and graduated in May with the rest of the class. At least it would have given her one more semester to figure out what she really wanted to do with her life.

  She ran her hands through the tassel, enjoying the silky, cool feel. Absent the cap and gown, a different weight settled on her shoulders, one of expectation and years of plans. She was being kicked out of the nest and told to fly with no further direction. Her first “adult” decisions loomed on the horizon, and already she was floundering. From now on, her choices would split between the familiar and the unknown.

  Nick fit both of those categories.

  Rushing to the window, she lifted the edge of the curtain. Nick lounged against a black Ford truck, his breath evident in the chilly December afternoon. What was he doing here? He’d made his choice. He’d chosen the road that took him as far away from her as possible. She lifted the curtain higher just as he looked up and caught her eye. She dropped the silky fabric like a hot plate, backing away a step. Those eyes, smoky blue like the ocean in a fog, pierced her like a bullet.

  Physically, he hadn’t changed much: tall, muscled, blond, ever the California beach boy. Even in the chilly weather, she wouldn’t be surprised to find him in board shorts and flip-flops as if to will the weather to warmer days.

  She threw open her closet door and chose her favorite red sweater. If she had to see Nick today, she might as well look her best.

  Nick pushed off the truck to meet Micah, his wide grin infectious. Micah met him with a back-breaking hug. Together the two had weathered college at the University of Southern California, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, the death of Nick’s father, and a deployment in Afghanistan. Their bond was thicker than blood, and Nick considered Micah his brother in arms and in life.

  “Hey, Bulldog, you sure this is all right? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Kaylan said it was fine.” Micah shrugged.

  “Hmm.” Nick studied his friend. “In other words, you didn’t tell her so she couldn’t be upset about it.”

  “Why do you have to be so perceptive? It gets really old.”

  “Well, the team didn’t give me the name ‘Hawk’ because I have a beak and feathers.”

  “And they don’t call me ‘Bulldog’ because I take things lying down or avoid confrontation.”

  “They haven’t seen you with your sister. She has you wrapped around her finger.”

  “I guess that makes two of us. Speaking of confrontation, you have a lot of humble pie to eat with Kaylan, my friend. But I have an idea . . . ” A sly grin spread across Micah’s face.

  “Oh, so I take it that I have your blessing with the sister I crushed by my stupidity?”

  “Yeah, Hawk, about that. I know you’ve changed a lot over the last couple years. And you’re my best friend, but if you break her heart again, I swear I’ll break your neck.” He locked eyes with Nick, and Nick recognized Micah’s serious, combat mode that surfaced only when the situation deemed it necessary. Apparently this was such a situation, and Nick smothered a smile at the irony.

  “Believe me, I have no intention of doing that again.”

  “Well, she can’t do better than you. If you behave, I’ll even put in a good word for you.”

  Nick held up his hands in mock surrender. “Lead the way, matchmaker.” Despite his calm demeanor, Nick’s heart raced. Would she forgive? Could she? Nick first met Kaylan when her family visited Micah for a couple days before BUD/S training began. She’d been a kid, barely out of high school, and his best friend’s baby sister. He hadn’t been far from his party days at USC and new in his faith, girls the last thing on his mind as he grew in his relationship with the Lord.

  Nick powered through BUD/S, intent on finishing and becoming a warrior for his country. He’d never experienced pain and the desire to persevere as much as he did during Hell Week. His dad lived to see him complete that phase of training and then passed away. With no family left, Nick threw himself into conditioning his body and mind to become a SEAL in every sense of the word. After completing almost three years of SEAL training, he finally took a mini-vacation. With no family and nowhere to go, he went home with Micah to spend a few weeks in Alabama. But he hadn’t counted on Kaylan Richards. She’d been on the cusp of twenty-one and about to launch her third year of college at the University of Alabama. Beautiful, intelligent, and sweet, her innocence had bee
n a breath of fresh air, a welcome change from the girls he had dated before coming to Christ.

  He fell hard and fast. She was everything he wanted and never thought he could have. They’d spent a few weeks together on the lake, swimming, picnicking, and enjoying family game nights. Mornings with her had never been sweeter, talking about the Lord and their dreams.

  Then he’d left to rejoin his SEAL team and experienced the most difficult season of his life as he began a year and a half of work up to his first deployment. The realities of combat preparation broke his body, drained him mentally and emotionally, and left nothing for Kaylan. So he’d made the call. After months of long-distance phone dates, he ended the relationship and pressed on to deployment. He couldn’t be a warrior for his country, couldn’t give his everything if she was constantly on his mind. He hadn’t seen her since. And today, the day of her graduation from college, was probably not the best time. But he was different, and he would not blow this again.

  “Hey.” Micah slapped Nick’s back, taking him away from lingering sweet memories of that distant summer. “You ready for a whole lot of party food seasoned with a bunch of not-so-subtle questions?”

  Nick groaned. “I’m slightly more worried about the look I’ll get from your sister when she sees me.”

  Laughter filtered through the door as Micah opened it. “I’ll pave the way for you. But you’re on your own with the family.”

  “Gee, thanks. I think I’d rather face the barrel of a gun right now.”

  “Speaking of which, I better go hide those.” Micah’s laughter joined his family’s as Nick entered the lions’ den.

  A knock sounded on her bedroom door as Kaylan finished retouching her makeup.

  “Who is it?”

  “Your favorite middle brother. Can I come in?”

  Kaylan pulled the door open and faced Micah, hands on her hips and ready to breathe fire.

  “That mad, huh?” Micah slipped past her into the room and closed the door. “Okay, now you can yell at me.”