Saving Olivia (Team Cereberus Book 1)

by Melissa Kay Clarke

  As the message ended, he grinned. Olivia was so perfect for him. Supportive, feisty and so beautiful. Pushing the return call button, he waited for her to pick up. Instead, it went to voice mail. "Hey, sweetheart. Things went well today. I got out with a slap on the wrist. I'll tell you all about it tonight. The team and I are going to grab a beer to celebrate. I'll be at Auntie's by seven. See you soon. I miss you like crazy, too."

  Tucking his cell into his pocket, he drove home with thoughts of his Olivia on his mind. He smiled. Now, finally, they could get on with their lives. He was ready for that, ready to take their relationship to the next level. He couldn't wait until he saw her tonight. He knew all she had gone through had made her a little skittish. He would continue to be careful with her. She deserved to be happy, and he knew if given a chance, he would be the one to ensure she kept a smile on her beautiful face.

  An hour later, Bruiser locked his SUV and looked at the building sitting on the sand by the bay. Dirty Dan's was not at all what he thought it would be. The newly opened establishment was bright, with a welcoming facade painted in tones of teal, white and splashes of coral. The floors were hardwood buffed to a bright shine, and light gray painted exposed rafters. A long bar ran along one wall. The highly polished acrylic top had sand, shells, and pieces of driftwood buried into its surface. The base was painted the same gray as the ceiling. They had scattered tables around the room in varying shades of complimentary colors carefully distressed to give an aged patina. Tucked in one corner was a small raised stage and the area directly in front was open, creating a dance floor.

  The team was already sitting at one table near the bar and called Bruiser over as he entered. Taking a seat, he looked around again. "Looks like a nice place."

  A middle aged woman with dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail high on her head approached them. She was wearing a teal shirt with I like it diiiiirty in white letters over the picture of a one eyed pirate. Dirty Dan's Pub was written underneath. She smiled, revealing lots of bright white teeth and a pair of dimples in her cheeks. "You must be the guest of honor they were waiting on." She stuck out her hand to Bruiser. "I'm Danielle, or Dan to my friends. Welcome to my pub."

  Bruiser's eyebrow shot up at the Australian accent. "Nice place. Welcome to the neighborhood." He shook her hand. "I'm Bruiser."

  "Nice to meet you, Bruiser. What can I get you?"

  "Whatever you have on tap."

  "Coming right up," she promised with a wink.

  Bruiser noticed Toad watching her walk away with a grin. Kicking him under the table, he hissed at him. "Don't get us thrown out before we even get a chance to try the place."

  Toad shrugged and took a drink of his beer. "I appreciate the female form, and she has a nice one. So I'm appreciating."

  Cowboy groaned and rolled his eyes. "How you haven't been sent to harassment training by now, I'll never know."

  The grin on Toad's lips split his face in two. "Nobody complains. The ladies enjoy spending time in my tender care."

  "One of these days, a boyfriend, husband, or brother is going to catch up with you," Finch told him seriously. "Then, you'll be spending time in traction."

  Before Toad could retort, Dan returned with a large mug of amber brew and set it carefully down in front of Bruiser. "Anything to eat? We have a great menu with everything from snacks to rib eye steaks cooked to order." She passed out menus.

  They looked them over and ordered a few appetizers to share. Once Dan had left, Railroad turned to Bruiser. "Let's talk about Madison."

  Bruiser put his mug down. "Thanks for curdling my beer."

  "Are you taking his threat seriously?" Finch asked as he sipped on a soda. Bruiser wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. Normally Finch enjoyed a brew or two as well, but he hadn't drunk anything harder than the sugary, carbonated offering in his hand in days.

  "He's just pissed wasn't thrown out of the service. It's a temper tantrum, nothing more. He'll brood about it a few days then find someone else to piss off. I'm glad to be done with him and the whole damned situation."

  "Are you going to at least report it?" Hick asked.

  "To who?" Bruiser asked. "Seriously, what do a few words mean? Forget it, boys; Madison is just a bad memory."

  The conversation turned to more pleasant things. When the appetizers appeared, they enjoyed sampling the different offerings. Bruiser's favorite was called 'Strings and Things.' It consisted of a bed of piping hot fries covered in a nest of deep fried shredded crab meat and topped with string cheese and a thick sauce. It was gooey and delicious.

  A little after five, Bruiser pulled out his telephone and noticed there were several missed calls. He had forgotten to turn the ringer back on after the hearing that morning. Connecting to his voicemail, he listened to the first one from Auntie Nat asking him if he had heard from Livy. He frowned and backed it up to catch the time stamp. It had was left hours ago.

  Each of the subsequent messages sent off alarms and he sat up straight. At once, the rest of his team went silent, watching him as his posture took on one of alarm.

  Bruiser, we can't find Livy. She left work a little after noon today. I've tried to call her several times, but it goes to voice mail. Please call me when you get this message.

  Bruiser, it's Natalie. Please call me as soon as you can.

  Hello. Bruiser? Please call me. Livy is missing.

  Bruiser, it's important. We need you, please.

  He looked up and saw his team tensed, watching him. Punching the buttons, he stood and started to pace.

  "Hello?"

  "Nat, it's Bruiser. I just got your messages."

  "Bruiser, thank God. Is Livy with you?"

  Something in Bruiser's stomach clenched. His voice hitched. "No, I haven't seen her since last night."

  Auntie's voice took on a tremble. "She should have been home hours ago. I asked her to stop at the market on her way, but she never came home. I called the market; they haven't seen her either. Her boss said she left around noon today."

  "I'll find her." He tossed some money on the table and started toward the door. Without looking, he knew his team was right behind. "If you hear from her, call me immediately."

  "Find her, Bruiser, please."

  "I will, Auntie."

  He hung up and stopped at his SUV. The team gathered around him. "Sit-Op?" Cowboy asked succinctly.

  Bruiser raked his head with his hand. "Olivia's missing. She was last seen around noon today. She left me a message at 12:18 saying she was going to the store. Her aunt hasn't heard from her all day and messages are going to voice mail." He stabbed at his telephone and called her number again.

  Hi! This is Livy's voice mail.

  He punched the button, swore under his breath and dialed again. Muttering, "Olivia, pick up... Pick up the phone," he snarled as her voice mail answered again. Resisting the urge to throw his cell against the wall, he tried her number again. This time, after three rings, someone answered. He punched the speaker so the team could hear.

  "Hello?"

  The voice wasn't Olivia's sweet tones. "Who is this?"

  "It's Margo. Who is this?"

  "Margo, this is Bruiser, Olivia's boyfriend. Is she there with you?"

  "Hi, Bruiser. No, I just stepped out into the alley behind the shop on the way to my car after my shift when I heard her cell phone ring. It was under the trash can. The screen's shattered." Her voice stuttered. "Her...her purse is here, along with one of her shoes."

  Bruiser swore. "Go back to the shop and call the police. I'll be there in a few minutes."

  When the call disconnected, he stared down at the phone in his hand.

  Cowboy gripped his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine, Bruise."

  The others voiced their agreement. He disagreed. Livy was too responsible for taking off like this. She would never worry her family, intentionally. He climbed into his SUV as plans started to formulate in his mind. First, the team needed to get to the coffee shop and talk
to the police. Afterward, they would start searching. They would find her because there were no other options. Olivia was a friend, a sister-in-arms, and most importantly, she was Bruiser's and that made her theirs as well. She was one of them, and SEALs never left SEALs behind.

  Chapter 12

  Finch, Railroad, Toad, and Hick stood in one corner of the coffee shop while Bruiser spoke with the police. Philip had closed the shop as soon as it became obvious that Olivia was missing. He, along with a detective, was in the alley behind the shop. Cowboy had stopped by Olivia's house to bring Aunt Natalie to the shop and was currently entertaining Jayden. Or, as was most likely, Jayden was entertaining Cowboy. He had his sketchbook out and was drawing everyone in the room. They could see the amazement on Cowboy's face as he watched the child prodigy render blank pages into incredibly intricate portraits.

  "Ma'am, are you sure she didn't run off with a boyfriend?"

  That cop was about to eat his teeth if he didn't stop asking the same stupid questions over and over. Bruiser tamped down his temper and stared Officer Lanes in the face. "How many times do we have to tell you? Olivia didn't run away with her boyfriend because I am her boyfriend. She is a sensible, responsible young woman with deep ties to her family, her job, and her community."

  The cop eyed Bruiser and smirked. "Maybe she doesn't like overbearing men. Maybe she was ready to go on with her life, and you wouldn't let her. I've seen the news channels about military relationships. You guys think you own the world and can do whatever you want. I bet she took off to get away from you."

  Bruiser stiffened. "Are you insinuating I would hold her back? That I would do something to hurt her?"

  Auntie Nat put her hand on Bruiser's arm. "Officer, Grayson Titus is an outstanding young man who serves this country and cares for my niece deeply. I'd be more inclined to believe you would cause her harm than him."

  Bruiser's heart swelled at Nat's kind words. He did care deeply for Olivia. He would face down the hounds of hell to ensure she was safe and happy.

  "Grayson Titus? You have two first names?" Officer Lanes smirked.

  "Can it, Lanes." The second officer, a detective named Coopersmith walked back into the room with Philip trailing behind. "There's signs of a struggle back there. I called in a forensics team. We've got blood."

  The hand on Bruiser's arm tightened, and the color drained from Nat's face. One hand pressed trembling fingers to her lips, and her eyes widened in fear. She looked up at Bruiser and then over where Jayden sat drawing next to Cowboy.

  Bruiser lifted his chin toward his team, and Hick nodded in understanding. Walking over to the table, he squatted down. "Hey, Jayden. I was wondering if would you draw my picture? I would love to send one home to my parents. Maybe outside in the park down the road?" He smiled warmly at the boy.

  "Okay." Jayden gathered his things and stuffed them in his backpack. Together, he and Hick left the shop.

  Lanes watched the scene with a frown on his face. "What the hell was that about?"

  "Jayden is Olivia's brother," Bruiser answered. "He's developmentally challenged. Intense situations upset him, so I asked one of my men to get him away from here for a while."

  "He could be a witness..." Lanes started.

  Auntie Nat shook her head. "Jayden was in school until 2:45. I picked him up, and he's been with me since."

  The officers took down statements and questioned Margo and Philip extensively. Bruiser's attention was piqued when Philip mentioned a customer who seemed overly interested in Olivia. Unfortunately, he had paid with cash and Philip could only give a vague description. When they rewound the interior camera feed, the man never looked up. It was next to useless.

  The forensics team arrived and were shown the alley by Coopersmith. Sitting in the shop next to Auntie Nat, Bruiser had his arm around the woman's shoulders giving her comfort and support. In a corner, the team talked softly together in muted whispers.

  The coffee shop, which normally closed at eight, was not emptied until nine that night. After the forensics team had collected all the information they could, they left. Lanes followed close behind, much to Bruiser's relief. If he had to take one more potshot from the smug officer, he was going to lose it. Finch had taken Auntie Nat and Jayden home around seven and was staying with them. Bruiser promised to come by when he left the shop.

  "So now what, Detective?" Bruiser asked.

  Coopersmith took in a breath and blew it out. "Normally, we wait twenty-four hours before filing a missing person report, but with the evidence we have here, it's obvious she didn't leave on her own. There were two areas of blood, one in the middle of the alley next to the shoe and another splatter on the wall beside the door. The evidence by the door is A positive, which matches her. The bloody tooth matches the spots on her shoe. It's B positive, the attacker." He pursed his lips. "Unless I miss my guess, she put up a fight and kicked somebody's teeth in."

  Pride swelled in Bruiser. Hell yeah, his woman was a fighter. "She's former Army, so I'm sure whoever took her got his lunch handed to him for the trouble." He chewed his bottom lip a second. "What do you think happened?"

  Coopersmith lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I'm not sure. It could be she saw something she shouldn't have. It could be any number of things. The world we live in now is nothing like the world of our parents or even our childhood. It's not safe for anyone these days. I suppose that's something you boys know well, being in the Navy."

  Behind them, Hick snorted. "That's for damned sure."

  Coopersmith checked his tablet. With a nod, he turned it off and slid it into its holster on his belt. Seeing their confused looks, he pointed to the tablet. "New policy. They want everything down as soon as possible, so we're tethered to these things." He laughed. "I don't expect it to last much longer. It already costs the department a fortune in lost and damaged units." He walked toward the door where Philip stood with the key in hand. "I know you want to help but leave this to us. Your job is to defend our country. Let us take care of the small stuff. Go home, get some rest. I'll keep you updated."

  Cowboy shot to his feet and opened his mouth, but Bruiser gave him the signal to be quiet. With a glare, Cowboy closed his lips and stared daggers at the detective. Bruiser's team had his back which meant they had Olivia's as well. That "small stuff" remark grated all of their nerves. "Thank you, Detective," Bruiser said simply.

  Once outside and standing by their cars, the team grouped again. "Ok, Bruise. What are we doing?" Hick asked.

  "We're going to find my woman," Bruiser said succinctly. "If we can find one man in a hell hole in some backward nation, we can find one woman in San Diego. Let me see it, Railroad."

  As soon as they had arrived and before the forensics team got there, Railroad snuck around back and took photos of the entire alley, including several minutes of video. Observation was one of his special talents. Not much got past him. He produced a camera and pictures displayed on the screen. One by one, Bruiser touched a picture, expanded it, and examined it carefully. As each photograph filled the screen, Railroad commented and pointed out different items including Olivia's purse, which lay on top of a crushed box with her sneaker laying beside it. Drops of blood splattered the dingy cardboard and Bruiser took comfort in knowing it wasn't hers.

  They watched the video slowly panning around. "Hey, stop," Toad said. "Back up a couple of seconds."

  Bruiser did as he asked then paused the video. "What?"

  Toad squinted his eyes a moment then pointed to the uppermost left corner. "Is that what I think it is?"

  Bruiser grinned. "Good eye, Toad. Cowboy, you think you can go check it out? Toad, Hick, and Railroad, recon. I need to get to Auntie Nat's house and make sure they are alright. We'll meet at my place at 22:00."

  They dispersed, but Bruiser stopped Cowboy. "Did you get in touch with our friend back East?"

  Cowboy shook his head. "I tried. His wife finally answered and said he was out of touch for a couple of days."

  "Dammit,
" Bruiser swore and paced. "We need data."

  "I may know someone who knows someone. Give me a second." Cowboy pulled out his cell and made a call. "It's Alcide. Yeah, long time no talk. Listen, Cindy, I hate to call this late, but I'm in a bit of a jam here. Is your cousin, Ryker around?" He looked up at Bruiser and grinned. "I didn't know he was back in Cali. Do you have his number?"

  Ryker McMillan, known as "Digger" to his friends, stood and stretched. Pulling his glasses from his face, he dropped them onto his keyboard and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His thumb touched the still-sensitive field of scar tissue that bisected his face, starting at his left temple before curving around his left eye and radiating down over his cheek. The contact caused him to wince. Even though it had been almost two years since the accident that ended his career in the Marines, he was still adjusting. Never what one would call handsome, his new looks guaranteed he wouldn't be getting dates anytime soon. It was rather ironic that his job with Starpower, Inc. had him working closely with some of Hollywood's most beautiful and talented. Of course, he worked mostly behind the scenes, handling their clients' digital presence. It was something for which he had a natural talent.

  A chirp sounded from the center drawer of his desk. He frowned. Who would be calling him on his phone this late at night? Grabbing it, he checked the caller ID and saw it was an unknown number in San Diego. "The plot thickens," he murmured to himself.

  "McMillan."

  "Hey, Ryker, I don't know if you remember me; this is Alcide Montgomery. I used to date your cousin Cindy in high school."

  "Alcide? Yeah, I think I remember. You both graduated a couple of years ahead of me, right?"

  "Yeah, man. Look, I was wondering if you were still working in computers?"

  "Yesss?" Digger frowned, not exactly sure where this was going. "Why?"