Save Me

by Heidi McLaughlin

  It takes every ounce of control not to pick up the desk in front of me and throw it across the room. That fuck touched my daughter and Frannie led him right to my baby.

  “Doe—” I clear my throat and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Does it say anything else?”

  “Just the date.”

  “When?”

  “August fourteenth, two thousand and nine.”

  The date isn’t lost on me. I know, from Ryley, it’s the day before we died.

  “Does that date mean anything to you?”

  I nod, reluctantly. “I died on the fifteenth of August.”

  I sit there, trying to comprehend and make sense of the report Marley read to me. I take it from her, reading and re-reading the words over and over again. Penny filed a report with base and was brushed off, so she filed a report with the local police.

  “Did they investigate?”

  “Sgt. Doyle brought Lawson in for questioning, but didn’t have anything to hold him on so they had to release him.”

  “Was Claire drugged?”

  Marley nods and slides another sheet of paper over to me. “Her blood had traces of a sleep aid and cocaine.”

  “Cocaine? Why would he give a baby coke?”

  Marley seems uncomfortable as her eyes wander from my file to her computer and to me. “I asked the same thing, so I did some research and found out that in children so young it relaxes them beyond control. Pedophiles use it—”

  I hold my hand up, silently asking her to stop talking. I don’t need to know that this piece of shit was going to rape my daughter.

  “I’m trying to wrap my head around this. I … uh …”

  “I know, me too. Unfortunately, Sgt. Doyle had a massive heart attack last night, only hours after he sent that report.”

  My eyes snap up to hers as the color drains from her face. She’s smart. She must know what I’m thinking.

  “I understand if you want to quit this case,” I tell her, even though if she does I’ll never find my family. However, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing something has happened to her because of me.

  “I’m not quitting. Why would you think that?”

  “Because people are dying, people who know the truth. This woman, Frannie, she pretended to be our friend only to make our lives hell. She’s behind all of this and we don’t know where she is and why she’s doing this. Lawson is her brother and their father is Admiral Ingram. Lawson is in jail and hopefully not coming out anytime soon. Now you’re telling me the sergeant you were speaking with is dead?”

  “Sgt. Doyle was over seventy and obese. I think his heart attack is a result of age and an unhealthy lifestyle.”

  I let her words sink in and my only response is a joke. “Those donuts will get you every time.”

  She smiles for the first time since our meeting started, and oddly enough that takes away a small bit of stress.

  “The hospital report, which I was able to dig up, showed no signs of trauma to Claire. It’s my best guess that he didn’t get as far as he planned or it took the drugs longer than he expected to work.”

  “I’m going to kill him.”

  Marley glances up at me with shock and slowly shakes her head. “He’s locked up.”

  “I’m a sniper and a SEAL. Do you really think a prison is going to keep me from putting a bullet in his head? He touched my daughter and threatened my wife. And after she reported it, we’re all dead. He’s the reason we were deployed.” My voice is rising, and it’s only after I realize I’ve given out classified information that I shut my mouth. I hang my head, in shame, discontent. I’ve said things I shouldn’t have and wish I could take them all back. All except for saying I’m going to kill Lawson because I am. He’s going to die and so is Frannie.

  “My wife ran,” I state, and Marley nods. “She didn’t leave me, she ran. If the police didn’t listen and I’m dead a day later, she ran for her life and for Claire’s.”

  “She’s protecting your daughter from these people.”

  “And from me.”

  When Ryley picks me up, I’m quiet. I’m afraid to tell her what I’ve learned, for fear of her reaction. I know she’s already upset that she can’t provide more information, and telling her this about Penny and Claire will likely make her feel worse and I can’t do that. Ryley doesn’t deserve any more heartache.

  Back at their house, I stand outside and look for any signs that this place is booby-trapped. I see none except for the basic security camera. What the potential intruder doesn’t know is that it’s taking a full body scan when you cross the line and Evan will know if you’re armed when you come to his house. He’s not taking any precautions. I don’t blame him.

  I step out on the deck and see that he’s out here teaching EJ how to scale the rock wall the house sits on. Knowing Evan, he’s teaching him in case they need to evacuate.

  Evan isn’t taking any chances when it comes to his family. As I watch him instruct EJ on how to get down, I find myself wondering if I’m going to get the same chance with Claire. Will we be living in fear for the rest of our lives? Or will this shit end? One thing I know is that if Frannie is still around, we’ll never be safe. She’s fucking deadly and crazy. The shit she’s been doing to us, whether she was threatened or not, isn’t right. Singlehandedly destroying lives as if they don’t matter.

  And my daughter? Frannie led her to slaughter and didn’t bat an eyelash. Why would any woman do that? Aren’t women, designed by nature, built to protect children? Just thinking about her standing in my living room, holding Claire against her, cradling her because she’s been sick only to hand her off to a monster who pumped her full of drugs so he could rape her, fills me with rage.

  Rape her.

  If I had known this when I returned, Frannie would be dead. There wouldn’t be an all-points bulletin out for her right now because she’d be buried six feet under with her husband.

  Lawson was going to rape my two-year-old daughter and I’m going to kill him.

  Evan and EJ climb back up the rock formation and onto the deck. I think about helping EJ over the edge, but know that he needs to do it himself. Evan isn’t going let anything happen to that little boy.

  “Wow, EJ, I don’t think even I could do that.” I motion toward the rocks and earn a big beaming smile from him.

  “I’m going to be a SEAL,” he says, and proceeds to make a barking sound causing me to laugh.

  “Just like your dad?” I point to Evan to make sure EJ knows who I’m speaking about.

  “Yep, and you and Uncle Nate.”

  Well at least Nate is sporting the right familial title.

  “EJ, why don’t you run and see what kind of trouble you can get into with Mommy.”

  EJ high-fives Evan and takes off into the house. I say a prayer for Evan that Ryley doesn’t kill him later.

  Once the door is closed, I look at Evan and shake my head. “I want to kill him, Archer.”

  “Who?” he asks as we both sit down to face the ocean.

  “Lawson. The PI informed me today that day before we “died” Penny had filed a police report against Ted Lawson because he was molesting Claire.” I finish the story, recounting everything I learned today for him. I lost count at how many “mother fuckers” he let out during my recollection.

  “I’m going to go see him.”

  “Not without me you’re not.”

  I shake my head, not wanting him involved. “You have a family to think about. I need to do this.”

  Evan looks at me, stone-faced. “We’re a team. I want that fucker to pay for what he’s done. He’s hurt each of us in different ways and needs to be dealt with. He needs to know that his sick lifestyle is going to be the end of his life. And besides, we’re family and family supports one another no matter what.”

  “Thanks, Archer, that means a lot.”

  “Don’t fucking thank me. You know I hate that shit.”

  We sit in silence, watching the ships move in and
out of the Sound. The activity at the Naval yard seems normal—no nondescript cars or people moving around stealthily—although tonight might be a different story.

  “I don’t know where they’re holding him,” I break the silence, admitting that my plan to see Lawson is flawed. I’m assuming he’s in DC or maybe San Diego, but I don’t know.

  “Cara will make sure we get in to see Lawson. She’ll know where he is,” Evan says, confidently. “Maybe Nate can scope out the area and find us a good vantage point.”

  “To kill him?”

  Evan shakes his head. “No, to scare the shit out of him and bring that fucking bitch Frannie out of hiding.”

  I nod in agreement. I’d never hit a woman, but I’d welcome a few rounds with her. Hell, I’d love to see Ryley take her on. I’d pay good money to watch her take that bitch down.

  AS I SUSPECTED, THE arrival of Nate seems to have Evan on edge. It’s either that or what I told him yesterday about Penny is really messing with his mind. He’s trying to protect Ryley and EJ; all while trying to figure out who set us up and help me find my family. He’s pacing more now than on a regular day.

  The last I knew he and Nate were “okay” and Evan was wanting to work with his brother in the security business, but Nate stayed in the Navy to finish his enlistment … or as Ryley likes to say, he stayed to keep an eye on her mom and to be the eyes and ears that we need on the inside. Either way, Nate is pulling into the driveway and Evan looks like he’s about to have a full-blown panic attack.

  Ryley, on the other hand, is excited for Cara’s arrival. She says with her here they can talk wedding stuff, and it’s something us men wouldn’t understand. She’s right, especially where I’m concerned. Penny and I were married in front of a justice of the peace with no witnesses other than the people who were there to get married after us. I promised her a real wedding, but she got pregnant with Claire and we decided to delay it until our fifth anniversary, which happened while I was deployed.

  Giving her the wedding of her dreams is something I still plan to do, assuming she wants to be with me. I can understand if she’s moved on. I probably would’ve. It’s just hard to think of life being like that since this situation is no fault of ours. I now know she didn’t leave me, or choose someone else. I think she ran to protect our daughter. The question I have is did she know of the danger she was facing, or did she figure it out? There are so many unanswered questions that loom and pop up every day, and I’m afraid I’ll never have all the answers.

  The loud knock on the door sends EJ screaming down the hall until he’s crashed into it. He swings it open and jumps into Nate’s arms. I glance at Evan and see the torment on his face. He has to know EJ loves him, but he isn’t going to forget that Nate was there when he should’ve been. I know he’s thankful, but the pain is still fresh. I pray that I’m not in the same situation as him when I see Claire. To find out your child loves another man as their father has to be the worst heartache ever—that and losing your wife.

  “Rask?” Our teammate’s name falls from Ryley’s lips coupled with a gasp. My eyes land on Justin Rask, standing in the doorway with his bag slung over his shoulder and Ryley’s arms wrapped around him. Nate glances over his shoulder, smiling.

  “I thought this guy looked a little lonely on base so I brought him with me,” Nate says, making Rask smile as Ryley disengages herself from his hold.

  While we’ve all dealt with our own personal tragedies, his has been just as difficult and completely different. Rask was a year out of BUD/s when we deployed. He joined our team six-months before we left and was immediately brought into the fold. The bar-be-cues, bonfires on the beach, and birthday parties, he was a part of them from day one. He’s an only child, born later in life to his parents who were retired by the time he graduated from high school, so he chose the Navy to help pay his way through college and found the SEALs instead. All he has is us. In fact, we’re all each other has because our story is so outlandish no one wants to believe it can happen. Hell, half the time I’m pinching myself to wake up from this fucking nightmare.

  “Rask, it’s good to see you.” Stepping forward, I pull him into a hug. He stalls before wrapping his arms around me. He did most of his growing up in Cuba while we were deployed and really needs a family. I’m happy that Nate thought to bring him here.

  “You too,” he replies, patting me on the back. Even when we’d meet at Ryley’s backyard in San Diego, he never said much, but now that he’s had time to digest everything that’s been going on maybe he’ll open up more.

  “Rask, you son of a bitch, it’s about time you left Coronado,” Evan says, pulling him into a quick hug.

  “Yeah well this ugly mug finally told me to get my sorry ass off base and start exploring.” He nods toward Nate who shrugs and is still holding EJ.

  “Well I’m happy you’re here,” Ryley says with a wink. “I didn’t really want Evan to hear the wedding talk with Cara, so with all of you here, you’ll be able to keep him busy.” She pushes Evan, who smiles.

  “Where’s Cara?” Evan asks.

  “Later flight, but she’ll be here. She has a lot to tell us.” Nate puts EJ back on the ground.

  When Evan cocks his head toward the stairs, Nate and Rask both nod.

  “We’ll be downstairs, babe,” he says to Ryley as he kisses her on the cheek.

  We follow Evan down and into the back of the house. I haven’t seen this room yet, but knew there was something he was hiding. He punches the code on the door and waits for it to click. The lights come on as soon as the door opens, and when I step in I feel like I’m in the belly of a submarine.

  “Ready for war?” Nate asks, as he looks around the room. There are monitors along one wall, all hooked up to surveillance cameras outside. One in particular faces the shipyard, showing us exactly what’s going on. Maps line one wall while the other wall is covered in pictures and notes of the people responsible for our deployment and the aftermath.

  “It’s reinforced,” Evan explains. “If someone shows up, Ryley knows to bring EJ down here and lock herself in. This monitor here,” he points to one on the far left, “shows her who is at the door, so if someone is telling her it’s clear, she can see them. If the power is cut to the house, the authorities are alerted and come out regardless of being called or not.”

  “Jesus, Evan, you’re planning for an apocalypse or for a nuclear bomb by the looks of it.” Nate seems worried, maybe even confused.

  Evan nods and points to the monitor that’s trained on the shipyard.

  “Chesley is across the Sound. Now, you tell me why someone like him is suddenly worried about the shipyard. You and I both know from growing up around here, no one pays much attention to this base. They send ships in, get repaired, and move them back out.”

  Nate moves over to the monitor and takes a closer look.

  “What’s going on?” Rask asks, taking a seat at the small table.

  Evan shuts the door, motioning for us to take a seat. “I’m not sure where to start, but I have a feeling we’re being watched. Who knows you’re here?” The question is aimed at Nate and Rask.

  Nate speaks first, “Carole, Cara, and Master Chief York. I had to tell him, plus Poole. He drove us to the airport.”

  “My parents,” Rask says, quietly. “I still call them and tell them stuff.”

  “Do you think Rask’s parents are in Chesley’s back pocket?” I ask Evan, who nods.

  “It makes sense in my head, but right now the craziest things make sense to me.” He shakes his head and looks over at Rask, who has his eyes focused on the table. Evan bumps his shoulder into Rask. “I don’t mean anything bad, but shit, they don’t give you the time of day. Why would they keep your secrets?”

  “They wouldn’t,” Rask admits regretfully, making me feel even worse about his situation. “They never take my calls. Hell, I’m not even sure why I call anymore. I guess I feel like one day my mom will answer and even if she doesn’t say anything I’ll kn
ow she’s listening.”

  The room grows uncomfortably quiet as Rask’s words set in. I feel sorry for him, as I’m sure he feels for me, but I don’t need to tell him that. We’re lost right now. Hell, even Evan is and he has his family back.

  “Can someone please start from the beginning?” Nate all but begs by throwing his hands up in the air.

  “Within days of buying this house, I’m sitting outside minding my own business when a helo shows up and drops off Chesley. Now, I’m thinking it’s not a coincidence, but I’m trying to give the Navy the benefit of the doubt. Except days are going by and Chesley’s not leaving … hell, he’s not even moving.”

  “How do you know?” Nate interjects

  Evan points to the monitor. “I watch there and upstairs on my deck. Plus, the video records so I can watch when I’m bored.”

  “That’s really creepy, Evan.” Clearly Nate isn’t as impressed as I am.

  “Call it what you want, Nate. All I know is that Chesley isn’t leaving that hangar except for the other night when McCoy and I were screwing around with a suspicious trawler. After we scared them into leaving, Chesley and Abigail left in a black car, returning around six a.m.”

  “Isn’t that who we saved?” Rask questions, earning nods from Evan and me.

  “Yeah it is.” I clear my throat and take my turn telling the guys what I learned yesterday from Marley. Between the holy shits and motherfuckers, I think I have them convinced we’re in danger, even if neither Evan nor I can prove it.

  “Who the hell did we piss off?” Nate asks while all of us shake our heads.

  “Wrong CO in O’Keefe? I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t us and someone else,” Rask remarks, throwing out another theory.

  “I can’t think of anyone I’ve pissed off,” I add.