Breaking Free

by Teresa J. Reasor

Hawk studied the shelves of books, CDs, and DVDs on either side of the TV. There was no rhyme or reason to their arrangement. A collection of framed drawings, obviously done by the children, set atop the shelf in an arrangement. It was the normal clutter of family that his house lacked. And it was part of what made the Marks house so welcoming. The place, enjoyed by the whole team, was a kind of hub where they all met, probably more often than Trish would like.

  “This is what I’ve got, Hawk,” Lang said as he hunched over the computer keys. With a click of the mouse, he enlarged the image of a man dressed in hospital scrubs on the computer screen. He then pushed a button on a signal splicer to project the image onto the large forty-eight inch television screen.

  “He has a badge on his pocket but it’s turned to one side, and I can’t get the name. I’ve tried every angle in several images. Even if I could, it could be one already attached to the scrubs before he put them on.”

  “What about the face?” Hawk asked.

  Lang changed the image on the screen. “He has his head down, and the camera only picked up his hat. He’s carrying a basket just like every other lab tech.”

  Damn it, he wanted to know if one of his men was involved, yet dreaded it. Zoe laid a hand on his back in support, and he glanced in her direction.

  “What about the body type?”

  “Nothing stands out. He’s about six feet. Could be any one of the guys. There’s not enough of his hair showing to identify him.”

  Lang rolled back from the computer desk and looked up at him. “There ought to be a schedule for blood work being done. Has security checked it out?”

  “Yeah, but there was some mix up as to who drew blood that day because one of the techs had a family emergency and had to leave. And they’re not certain who filled in for her.”

  “Shit,” Lang swore then glanced up at Zoe. ”Sorry.”

  “I’ve heard the word before. Even said it a time or two myself, Langley,” she said with a smile and a shrug.

  “The initials of the tech should be on the samples. They have to date them and keep a record,” he said.

  “The dates are there but they’re entered under the original lab techs ID.” Hawk raked his hands over his close-cropped hair.

  “It sounds like someone’s going to get an ass chewing when they find out who really drew the blood.”

  “Possibly.” Hawk rubbed a hand over his jaw. “But it doesn’t shed any light on who hit Cutter. Have you thought of any moments of friction between Cutter and any other member of the team?”

  Lang shook his head. “No.”

  “All right.

  Hawk glanced in Zoe’s direction. She wasn’t going to like it, but he had to talk to Doc and try and rule him out once and for all. And he’d have to do it alone. He turned his attention back to Langley. “I have a few more things I have to check out today. Maybe that will clear everything up.”

  “I’m here if you need anything else.”

  Hawk nodded and slapped him on the shoulder.

  “What’s next?” Zoe asked as they left the Marks’ house.

  “I’m going to drop you by the hospital then go over to Doc’s apartment. I need to talk to him.”

  Zoe’s brows drew together in a frown and her expression grew anxious. “I understand why you have to go, but promise me you’ll call me as soon as you get there, and as soon as you’re finished.”

  He looped an arm around her waist. “You got it.”

  “You’ll be careful?” She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than ask a question.

  Was she finally accepting that he could take care of himself? He hoped so. “Always, Zoe.”

  She tucked a long strand of hazelnut hair behind her ear. She looked younger with her hair down, more vulnerable. He tugged her close and kissed her. The kiss, and her response, built from softly comforting to passionate in only seconds.

  “Are you trying to distract me, Lieutenant?” she asked, her tone breathless, her hands moving restlessly up and down his back.

  He rubbed his cheek against hers. “Yeah, is it working?”

  “A little.”

  “A little.” He raised his brows. “I must be losing my touch.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “After I’m through talking to Doc, and you spend some time with Brett, we’ll see exactly how distracting I can be.”

  A smile curved her lips but anxiety was still reflected in her eyes.

  “It’s going to be all right, Zoe.”

  She straightened her shoulders. “Doc doesn’t strike me as the type to turn on a buddy. I mean--he swims around in the pool with the Marks’s kids like he’s one of them. I just can’t picture him doing anything to hurt Brett, or you.”

  “I can’t either, but something is going on with him.” He guided her down the sidewalk again.

  Zoe grabbed his arm stopping him. “And you know this how?”

  “I called Bowie and asked if he’d heard from him. He said he talked to him nearly every day, but that Doc was sticking close to home. Something’s wrong. I’m going over to find out what it is.”

  “I think you need to. If he’s having some kind of health issues, you may need to get him to see a doctor. And if it’s something Bowie’s keeping close to his chest, and didn’t feel comfortable sharing with you, Doc will have to tell you himself.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”