“I’m glad you did.” His deep timbre meant to sooth her concerns.
“I know you won’t be saying the same thing if Gethsemane is dead. I’m sorry, Josh. I really am.”
In her head, she heard her father. You’re a stain on this family. Evil will follow you.
How right he was.
Their food arrived, but Josh pushed his plate away and excused himself to go to the washroom.
Dix had lost her appetite as well. When the server returned, she asked for take-out containers.
She’d thought her life was confusing before. Today felt like a ride inside a wooden barrel, catapulting over Niagara Falls.
Chapter Eighteen
Dixie argued like hell when they arrived at her place. Josh wanted her to pack a bag, but she wasn’t budging. Prior to a second attempt to change her mind, he did a quick perimeter check around the house for infiltration.
Joining her in the living room, Dix put her slender, size-eight-foot down before he had a chance to say a word.
“I’m going to bed, Josh.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she shoved their take-out into the fridge. “Marg’s place is thirty minutes away. That’s too far if you need me.”
She dug through a junk drawer and withdrew a spare key, which she pressed into the palm of his hand. “Do what you have to do. I had a long day. It’s time for ten thousand winks.”
Dixie walked past him like he wasn’t there and into the living room. Near the couch, she pulled her t-shirt over her head as she aimed for the hallway that led to her bedroom.
“This better be the key to your front door or I’m breaking in,” he warned.
She paused at the corner. Seeing her ample breasts cupped in the black lace bra and her naked curves, his pulse fired on all cylinders. Was it an invitation? Or a diversion?
“I recognize that steamy look in your eyes, CDR Hunter.”
He swallowed thickly. “Were you expecting a different response?”
“I expect ten hours of undisturbed sleep. Maybe more.”
Perching his hands on his hips, he exhaled slowly. Dix looked exhausted. The bags under her eyes grew darker each day. She wasn’t sleeping enough. “I’ll be back to check on you.”
“Find your friend, Josh. She’s the priority.”
Thirty minutes later, Josh walked into Marg Cobbs’ kitchen. The team guys, Admiral Austen and Kayla waited. He glanced toward the backyard, the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the pool. The kids splashed and yelled, having a good time while Nina and Lumin kept an eye on them.
Ditz handed him a scrap of paper. “That’s the number for the Duty Officer at Little Creek, but I made contact to save you some time, Commander. Told him we have an active mission. You should hear from a guy named Berrywhite. He’s the civilian in charge of Gesem’s department.”
“Thanks.” Fingering the scrap, he said, “Thanks to all of you. Means a lot.”
A whisper of a grin slid over the admiral’s mouth before he downed a long swallow from the beer in his hand. Marg’s gaze swept behind Josh, probably looking for Dixie. When he didn’t comment, she refilled a glass pitcher with lemonade and headed out to the patio.
If Kallis had taken Gesem hostage, they’d be rounding a corner and Josh wouldn’t allow the men’s involvement any longer. “Ditz, locate Gesem’s phone again. See if it’s still active.”
Ditz placed his attention on his laptop. “Yes, sir.”
Gesem was the type of woman who thrived on routine. “She likes staying at Violet’s Hotel chain. Det. Dean can investigate if she booked a room here in San Diego.”
“Mace,” Lt. Bach called out.
“Yes, sir.”
“Still have Dean on the line?”
Mace nodded.
“Good. Ask him if he can confirm whether Captain Reynolds booked a room at Violet’s, downtown.”
Mace gave him the thumbs-up and walked a few paces toward Marg’s living room.
The rest of the team followed and found plenty of seating on her comfortable, upscale furnishings. Framed photos of Patrick Cobbs and his family lined the fireplace mantle. Obviously devoted to the memory of her husband, Marg hadn’t hooked up with another man. Her home far outweighed a SEAL’s pay grade, which meant the fancy digs had to come from her side of the family.
Josh placed his cell on the armrest of the couch. Seconds later it rang.
“Hello, I’m looking for CDR Josh Hunter.”
Josh switched the call to speaker. With the identity of Dixie’s stalker known, he had to tread carefully from here on in. “This is CDR Hunter.”
“Good evening, this is Arnold Berrywhite. I was contacted by the Duty Officer at Little Creek. They said it was urgent that I call you.”
“Yes. I’m the commander of the West Coast SEAL teams in Coronado. A woman by the name of Captain Gethsemane Reynolds works for you.”
“She does,” Berrywhite confirmed, his tone professional.
“Was she at work on Friday?”
As the pause stretched out, Josh gnawed on his lip. Shit.
“No, Commander. She asked for a few days off and left on Wednesday. Said she needed to visit a friend in San Diego.”
Josh withheld a groan. The gaping hole of unknowns widened. He’d hoped the rental car was a ruse by Kallis. Since that appeared to not be the case, Josh could bring in Lt. Manchester and NCIS.
He pointed at Ditz. “Can you confirm Gesem’s number hasn’t changed? She has a Navy-issued cell.” Ditz pulled up the trace he’d done on her phone. “The number is 304-555-0101.”
“May I ask what this is about?”
“Unfortunately not. Is the number current?”
Mr. Berrywhite cleared his throat. “Yes, that’s her number.”
“If you hear from Gesem, I need to speak with her.”
“I understand Special Forces deal with covert operations. If there is an issue of concern, I may be able to help.”
Josh hadn’t spoken with Gesem since moving to San Diego. Once he knew she wasn’t interested in coming with him, their relationship had ended. Gesem had been torn but opted for her new position with the Office of Naval Intelligence. If she had come to San Diego to see him, had she changed her mind as Chandler suggested? If she had come to see someone else, then maybe Kallis was sending them on a wild goose chase. He could have stolen her vehicle and her phone.
“I’d like to know what Captain Reynold’s was working on.”
Berrywhite hesitated. “An intelligence project with a special committee in Washington.”
“What was the scope?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t divulge that unless I know more of why you called me on a Sunday evening, asking her whereabouts.”
“I understand, Mr. Berrywhite. You’re on speaker, by the way.” Gesem’s boss wouldn’t release information without Josh giving him details, which was little to none, but he had an idea. “Admiral, this is above my security level, but not yours.”
Ghost accepted the phone. “Mr. Berrywhite, my name is Admiral Thane Austen.”
“Thane Austen?”
The echo of familiarity in the man’s voice prompted Ghost. “Yes, have we met?”
“Yes, sir. You most likely don’t remember me, but I was at the White House when General Caufield was arrested during the virus outbreak.”
Ghost nodded. “I see. No, I’m afraid I don’t remember. We were a little short on time.”
“Yes, imagine you were. Why are you looking for Captain Reynolds?”
The admiral’s blue eyes roamed across the faces of his old team. “We have information that leads us to believe she may be in danger. It’s possible—in fact, probable—this has nothing to do with her project, but CDR Hunter wants to confirm there’s no link.”
The cell remained quiet. Obviously, Berrywhite deliberating on what he could and couldn’t tell them. “Captain Reynolds is working with the Special Advisory Council on human trafficking to improve best practices.
Her involvement represents the Navy’s work in supporting the combat against trafficking, including the sex trade and child slavery.”
The admiral’s expression darkened. “Any politicians involved in the project?”
“I believe so. The senators of New York and Florida are part of the advisory group.”
The admiral shook his head and snapped a look toward Josh. “Senator Kallis?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
Tick. Tick. Boom! The revelation landed like an IED in the middle of the room.
The admiral wrapped up the conversation with Gesem’s boss. “Thank you, Mr. Berrywhite. You’ve been helpful. We’ll keep in touch.”
“I’d appreciate that, Admiral. By the tone of your voice, I’m assuming Gesem won’t be showing up for work on Monday.”
“I hope she does,” Ghost said. “If not, know that local police, and soon NCIS, will be actively searching for her. If you make contact, please let us know.”
The admiral disconnected the call and placed the cell on the wooden coffee table. “Fucking convenient participating on a trafficking prevention council when you’re trafficking humans,” he said with complete disgust.
Josh agreed. “Gesem’s an extremely intelligent woman. She’s also a digger. If she suspected Senator Kallis of something, she’s the type of woman who would have confronted him. I’ll call Lt. Manchester at NCIS and give him an update on Gesem.”
Fox, who had the instincts of the intelligent creature he was named after, growled low in his chest. Ghost nodded as if he had an ESP connection with the Master Chief. “Yeah, I know, Fox. Someone’s buried on the senator’s estate. The question is who.”
Mace had left the room and returned, slipping his cell into his pants pocket. “Det. Dean got a call from the downtown PD office. They sent a patrol car over to Violet’s Hotel. Captain Reynolds checked in Wednesday afternoon. Housekeeping said they didn’t have to service the room on Thursday morning. Bed wasn’t slept in.”
Josh closed his eyes. The news just kept getting worse and worse. “Anything else?”
Kayla leaned against the wall near the entrance to the living room. Mace and the other men swung their attention to her.
Ghost shook his head. “I told her,” he admitted. “Everything.”
With her arms crossed, Snow White leisurely stepped away from the wall and placed her hands on the back of the chaise lounge where Tadpole and Fox sat. “Kallis said Dixie would come to him of her own free will. I’ve learned after several years that SEALS are incredibly intelligent and action-oriented, but since they’re men, they often don’t correctly anticipate a woman’s priorities.”
Josh’s brow crushed together, not following the admiral’s wife. He darted a look at Ghost.
“This is the way she works.” The admiral grinned. “Three steps ahead of anyone in this room. She’ll put a theory together you’re not seeing at the moment.”
Kayla’s combat analysis abilities were well-respected, but Josh had never seen them in action, so he was willing to listen. “You think I’m missing something?”
Kayla smiled sadly. “I know you are. What I can suggest is you step out of your combat boots and broaden your view. Your priority is protecting Dixie, and now finding your girlfriend Gesem.”
“Not my girlfriend.” He paused. “Not anymore, but carry on.”
Kayla rounded the couch and sat directly in front of him on the coffee table. “Commander, I asked you to bring Dixie, but she didn’t come.”
“She’s tired. She needs rest.”
“Does she?” Kayla asked. “Or did she send you away with an acceptable excuse?”
A tingle of discomfort ignited in his belly.
Snow White’s eyes were so dark, they hinged on black. Mesmerizing. As was the sexy, bedroom timbre of her voice.
“She feels responsible for Gesem’s disappearance, doesn’t she?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Only one of us has a direct link to Chandler Kallis, and that’s her. When you got in his way, he quickly used his assets to hack into your life. He found a playing chip. Something to barter.”
The blood in his veins chilled to sub-zero.
“Commander, I can assure you that Chandler’s family is well aware of his dysfunction. Aware of his psychopathy. They’re not ignorant of the fact he rapes his own sister. They turn a blind eye because of political image. There are two games at play here. I surmise we will learn that Gesem found a link between the human trafficking and Senator Kallis. Her demise would eliminate the problem. But Chandler wants your old flame as a bargaining chip, and Dixie will walk right into his hands.”
Josh shook his head. “Dixie’s smart. She wouldn’t fall for that.”
Ghost cleared his throat. “It’s not falling for anything, Commander. My wife has a point. SEALs have a tendency to underestimate the courage of a woman. I learned that the hard way.”
Josh rose to his feet. “You think Chandler has Gesem stashed somewhere and he’s going to force Dixie to trade her freedom for Gesem’s?”
“No, Commander.” Kayla shook her head, wearing a sympathetic smile. “I don’t think she will. I know she will.”
The idea was ludicrous to Josh. “Why would she do that?”
Kayla clasped her hands together and sighed. “Because you’re not willing to see the truth.”
“What truth?” he shouted. “If I’m so daft, clarify!”
The admiral’s low chuckle attracted his attention, and the other men in the room joined in. He didn’t see anything funny about this.
Mace slowly raised his hand, mimicking a kid in a classroom. “We’re laughing because your response to Kayla used to be the same as ours.” He shrugged. “With all due respect, sir, shouting at Snow White because you’re running blind right now is exactly the point she’s trying to make. We charge in, guns blazing. Offensive. Women, when truly threatened, use finesse and cunning to thwart the enemy.”
Josh glared at Kayla, frustrated. Worried. She tilted her head as if waiting for him to figure something out.
Kayla rose and went to stand by her husband’s chair.
Ghost wrapped his sizeable arm around his petite wife. “Commander, when it came to my wife, I was so far gone, it took me forever to join two ends of a circle. What Kayla’s trying to tell you is that there’s a missing piece. Just as I suggested.” The brief moment of humor dissipated. The admiral’s expression dead serious. “Ask yourself why a man, even a psychopath, would hunt a woman for twelve years without touching her?”
“It’s a fetish. A fantasy.” Josh shrugged.
Kayla shook her head. “No, Commander. A sport fisherman becomes obsessed with the hobby after a catch and release. Not before.”
Josh’s legs weakened. Luckily, he hadn’t moved far from the couch when his ass hit the cushions.
“No,” he said harshly. “She would have told me. At the police station, she gave Det. Dean her dating history. She mentioned nothing about…”
Kayla resumed her seat on the coffee table and covered his hand. “If you understand what I’m trying to say without betraying Dixie’s confidence, then you need to understand the aftermath. I can only describe how I saw the world and myself for many years. It doesn’t mean Dixie is the same, but…”
Ghost crossed the carpet and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, as if he knew his wife needed his touch of reassurance.
“After living through the abuse by my uncle, then my first husband, I was broken. Literally rotting from the inside out.” Kayla cleared her throat and continued. “Shame was my biggest enemy. When Thane wanted to protect me from the Blood Shark, he didn’t know about my past or that I didn’t see myself as worthy of saving. You see, most people think I’m cold and unfeeling. This is the mask I hide behind. Emotions are my worst nightmare.” She sighed. “Or I should say, they used to be. Trust did not exist in my vocabulary. In a moment of clarity, I saw that Thane actually cared about me. When that happened, I wanted to sacri
fice myself before I’d allow him to die protecting me.”
Josh glanced toward Tinman and Mace and, if he didn’t know better, could have sworn he saw tears in their eyes before they lowered their heads and looked away.
“When the Shark hunted me, those were terrible days. I don’t know Dixie very well, but I can see she’s a survivor like me. She’s strong. Those are two ingredients that can lead to disaster. Yet, the one that poses a fatal outcome is that she loves you. If she’s anything like me, in her heart, she sees herself as expendable. Dix knows Gesem was part of your life and you cared for her.” Kayla’s voice lowered to almost a whisper. “There’s only one person she can go to who will make this right in her eyes. The only man she thinks will accept her scarred soul—and it’s the predator that wounded her to begin with.”
Josh’s pulse slowed. The thud of his heart drummed in his ears.
“A word of advice, Commander.”
He looked up at Ghost, who stood beside his wife, and nodded for him to go ahead.
“No matter how much you say, or what you say, none of it will penetrate the damage. You can never heal that. It exists and will always exist. The only thing you can do is catch her when she falls. Put yourself between the enemy and her. She has to believe and trust that you are her strength and no matter what happens, you’ll never quit on her.”
Kayla smiled and tipped her head back to stare up at her husband.
In the next instant, a gaggle of screaming girls came running into the living room, each of them darting toward their fathers. Gabbs ran to Mace. Two girls ran to Fox.
“Daddy!” Sloane screeched and ran to her father.
Ghost swooped up Sloane, who looked like a miniature version of her mother, into his thick arms at the same time Kelsey, Marg’s daughter, pinned herself to the admiral.
Not far behind was the Austen’s son, who stopped at the entrance to the living room, the knees of his jeans caked with dirt and a large smudge on his cheek.
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