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A wicked smile traveled across his lips as his gaze latched onto mine.
“I like it.”
Good.
“But first I get to tell my story.”
Yes, get your glory, and then we get paid.
“My place, seven p.m. this Tuesday.”
I nodded, leaned forward, and tapped my glass to his.
“It’s a date.”
Ivy
I stood back and watched Frank, Ty, and Sergeant Chamness mutter among themselves. Sergeant Chamness seemed like a nice guy. He had come to town from the Dusk safehouse specifically for this meeting, along with Corporal Davie, at Frank’s request. Davie was sweet and was more than pleased to help out.
I tightened the tie around the waist of my coat and scanned nervously around the grounds. The mist was thick, and the fog sat low. It made anything more than a few feet away difficult to see, but the chill I felt in my bones came from more than the temperature. My whole body was on high alert, and I shivered despite myself.
I checked my phone for the time, and when I looked back up, I saw Ty watching me. His eyes were shaded by his ball hat, and his ticking jawbone told me he felt just as nervous as I was.
A light flickered and caught my attention, and a moment later a text message came through.
Unknown: I’m here. Look for the light.
I tapped on the passenger window, and when it went down, I rested my hands on the open sill.
“Hey, Davie?”
“Mm?” He was studying a map.
“I’m going to join Ty for a moment, okay?”
“Okay.” He nodded with his eyes on his screen, and I watched him send off a message. I stepped back as his window went back up then used the SUV for cover and slipped down into the ravine. I made my way toward the light that could just be seen across from a wooded area.
As I drew closer, I saw Jennifer Oliver’s panicked face. She latched on to my arm and looked down at me.
“What are those?” I eyed the bizarre looking rings on all of her fingers.
“Defense rings, one swipe of either hand, and pain will reign.” She gave a dark chuckle. “I got them when I heard Ben was coming home this last tour.”
“Smart.” I, on the other hand, had a phone and a stun gun ready to go. “All set?”
“Show me.” I knew this was about to be the hardest moment of her life, and I only hoped I could offer her some kind of peace. “By the way, I’m really sorry, Dr. Knight.” She kept her voice low as we awkwardly made our way toward the old mill. “Social media was the only way I could think of to get your attention.” She caught my arm to steady me as I slipped on some moss. “No one would listen, and until Ben’s finally caught, I felt like they only cared about him and not what happened to me.” She started to cry.
“I don’t blame you.” I patted her hand that still clung tightly to my arm. “I’m sorry, too. It’s awful that I’ve been told I have to stay quiet and basically allow myself to be hunted just because I tried to help. I never wanted any part of all this.”
“I see that now.” She sniffed. “I blamed you for not reporting Ben and his behavior, but I realize now you did. The truth is he was showing signs of PTSD two tours ago. I begged him to get help, but he said he was. He’d gone to see you.”
“Yes, I only started seeing Ben as a patient on those last two tours.” I moved her hold on me from my arm to my hand, but her rings still hurt. “I could see he had problems, but we only get to see each patient for an hour every week, if we’re lucky. It’s hardly a window into their lives.”
“I understand.” She let out a shaky breath. “Can I ask you something?”
“If it’s for another favor, let’s see how this one’ll go first.” I wiggled my fingers a little, and she took pity on me and let go of my hand and let out a little laugh. Her laugh was cut short when a twig snapped underfoot and the realization of where we were headed sank back in. The damp air that seeped through our clothes had us both shivering.
“I know why you’re doing this tonight, and I’m happy you’re doing it, but isn’t it going against your oath as a doctor?”
