Breaking Free

by Teresa J. Reasor

  ****

  Hawk swore beneath his breath as he hung up the phone. Damn, Flash. He’d gone AWOL before they’d reported for the shortest deployment on record. He’d either known he was suspicious, or something had happened to him.

  Captain Jackson strode out of his office and Hawk rose to his feet. “I need to speak with you, sir.”

  “Has he been found?”

  “No, sir. I’ve sent MPs to his apartment and he’s not there. My guess is he’s in the wind.”

  “God damn it.” Jackson’s brows slammed together and he scowled. “Come into my office Lieutenant.”

  “Did you see this coming?” Jackson asked as soon as the door shut behind them.

  Hawk clenched his teeth in frustration. He’d thought of the possibility but without proof he couldn’t have had Flash picked up or held. And when he hadn’t reported to duty after the call had come in, he’d sent a detail out to find him, while the rest of the team caught a plane for Houston Texas.

  “Sir, all I had was circumstantial evidence and speculation. It’s in my report. There’s no hard evidence that he attempted to kill Ensign Weaver or that he smuggled archaeological artifacts into the country. But Weaver’s mother saw the cylinders when she unpacked his belongings. Weaver’s sister, Zoe, was attacked by someone who broke into the apartment and took the artifacts, without leaving any trace. A flash bang was set up to go off in my house and a warning left for me to back off. All those things fall within our skill levels.”

  “You don’t think Weaver was involved in this?”

  “I’ve looked into all the men’s finances, sir. There’s been no unusual movement in anyone’s accounts but Ensign Carney’s. Carney and Ensign Armstrong packed Weaver’s belongings. I believe that offered him the opportunity to slip the cylinders into Weaver’s bag.”

  “Before the last mission, another team member heard them arguing. He said Carney told Weaver to mind his own business. I believe Weaver was trying to council Lieutenant Carney and get him to reconsider his course of action. Weaver knew about the gambling problem and suspected the money problems.”

  “So where do you think Carney is now?”

  “He’s painted himself into a corner. He’ll be somewhere close to a casino trying to recoup his losses. I don’t think he’ll go to Vegas. He’ll know we’ll be looking for him. Atlantic City possibly.”

  Jackson rubbed his jaw and moved around the desk to sit down.

  “I had hoped to settle this in house. It looks like we’ll have to go outside and turn this over to the criminal division.”

  Hawk nodded, relieved. He hadn’t relished the idea of bringing Flash in to face charges. By taking the investigation out of his hands, Jackson had also removed the probability of his men thinking him a snitch for turning in one of his own men. The investigators would follow the trail of insurance fraud, and other things, and draw their own conclusions.

  “I’ll take care of it, Lieutenant. You’re dismissed.”

  “Aye, sir.” Hawk saluted, turned and left the office.

  Hawk drew a deep breath and returned to his office to complete another report. “There’s a phone call for you, Hawk,” Lang said as he passed him in the hall. “I think it’s Zoe.”

  He’d attempted to call Zoe and tell her they were back several times and each time he’d been interrupted. God, he wanted to hear her voice. He’d wasted so much time sitting outside the apartment complex keeping an eye on her. He could have been with her instead.

  He jerked up the receiver and pushed the button to connect him. “Yes.”

  A silent pause had him drawing a breath. Had she hung up?

  “Hawk, it’s Zoe.”

  Something in her tone sounded--Concern pumped up his heart rate and he frowned. “Are you all right, Zoe.”

  “I’m at the police station with Marjorie.”

  Those few words kicked him in the gut. Jesus they’d barely landed five hours ago. What the hell had happened? “How bad is it?”

  “She wouldn’t let me take her to the hospital. A police woman is taking photos of her injuries now. It looks as though she has some bruised ribs and a black eye. He punched her in the face first, and when she was down, he kicked her.”

  Bile rose in Hawk’s throat. “Jesus.” He took several breaths. “I’ll call the MPs right now to alert them and have him brought in if he comes on post.”

  He flinched. Could he have done more? He’d queried Derrick weekly on his progress with the shrink. And kept an eye out for any sign he was getting stressed.

  But Jesus, they were all stressed. He’d been working hard to get back to a hundred percent himself before deployment. And nursing his own pain over the break-up. Had that caused him to miss something?

  “You couldn’t have seen this coming,” Zoe said.

  “How did you know what I was thinking?” Stupid question. She knew because she knew him. At times, they were so in tune with one another, all it took was a look or a touch to know what the other person needed. God, how he’d missed that. Could they get it back?

  “Marjorie didn’t even see it coming,” Zoe continued. “For the last month he’s been doing great. No blow-ups, no mood swings. He’s had insomnia for the last few weeks.”

  Hadn’t they all? Hawk rubbed his hand over his face and got to his feet to pace the office as far as the line would allow. “Are you going to stay with her?”

  “Yes. She doesn’t have any family close-by. I convinced her to call her mom and she’s on her way from New Mexico, but it will take a while for her to get here. I’ve told her she can come home with me after we’re done here.”

  His gut tightened. What if Derrick showed up at Brett’s apartment?

  Brett was there, he’d watch out for Zoe and Marjorie. He had to talk to Jackson again. He was going to go ape shit over this. “She’ll need to come here first to take out an MPO. That way the MPs can pick him up for assault.”

  “She isn’t his wife. Will a military protective order still apply?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll check with my commander.”

  “She’s pretty shaky. Just going to the police was a huge step for her. She may not want to do that today.”

  “If you go back to the apartment, be careful. Lock up tight and stay there with Brett until I can get there.”

  “Brett’s at the shooting range.”

  Shit. Anxiety hugged his ribs like a tight band. He sat down behind the desk again and leaned forward to place his elbows on the blotter.

  “He was going to do some target practice. I’ll call him and tell him I’m coming to get him,” Zoe said.

  “I’ll send someone to the range to pick him up. You come here and get him before you go home, Zoe. Don’t go to the apartment alone, okay?”

  “All right.”

  “Be careful, baby. Stay alert.”

  She’d be all right. She’d come and get Brett and they’d hole-up at the apartment until they could find Derrick.

  God, he was thinking of one of his own men as the enemy. As SEALS, they swore to defend and protect those weaker than themselves. Derrick had broken the code. As had Flash. His whole team was imploding.

  “I have to go, Marjorie’s coming out.”

  “Call me on my cell and keep me posted. Try and convince her to come here and do the paperwork for the MPO.”

  “I’ll call if there’s a problem. We’ll be there to get Brett in a little while.”

  When they got to the base, he’d insist they stay until he could leave.

  I love you was right there on the tip of his tongue when she said bye and hung up. Hawk swore. Why was that so fucking hard for him? Because every time he said it, it made him more and more vulnerable. Why was it he could deal with people shooting at him, trying to kill him, with a sort of controlled distance, and Zoe could twist him up inside with just a word or a look?

  His finger was poised over the button to call her back when someone tapped on the door.

  Langley poked his head in
. “Captain Jackson wants us in his office ASAP.”

  Hawk rose to his feet and strode around the desk. “He’s just the man I need to speak to. We have a problem.”