Page 27

"Did you learn anything from the bartender?"

"Jack was working construction for a company renovating an apartment building not far from here."

"We need to talk to the contractor."

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Should I remind you that you're a doctor and not a detective?"

"Actually, doctors are often detectives. We have to put together symptoms, follow patterns, and look for anomalies. Then we have to come to a diagnosis."

"Fair point."

"If that building is only a few blocks from here, why don't we check it out now?"

"Okay. But I need to remind you that this isn't a puzzle. It's not a mystery game. That bomb was real. We could have been badly hurt or killed, even if we weren't the targets."

"I know it's not a game, Tyler. And I can still feel the power of that explosion. You don't have to worry about me taking this too lightly."

She might be right about that, but he still had a lot to worry about, and some of that worry involved her.

Chapter Eight

"Do you think the construction crew is working today?" Rachel asked as they walked toward the address Kyle had given him. "It's a Saturday."

"There's probably someone on-site, but it may not be the owner or the foreman. We'll have to see."

She nodded, hoping that they wouldn't arrive at an empty site, because they needed to get answers. "Are you surprised Jack was working in construction and at the bar?"

"No. He has done both before. And his former girlfriend told me he'd been gambling a lot since he left the Army, apparently to distract himself from his headaches and insomnia, so I can see how that addiction might have gotten out of control, and why he might need money." He paused for a moment, his gaze reflective as they stopped at the corner to wait for the light to change. "Jack grew up in a tough neighborhood in South Carolina. He never had much, and fighting and drinking were part of his persona. But…"

"There's a but?" she asked, sending him a surprised look. "Are you going to actually say something positive about Jack?"

"Are you going to let me say it?" he retorted.

"Go ahead."

"Jack was a good soldier. He was an excellent sniper. He was fearless when it came to battle. He was quick to cover the man next to him. When he was focused and controlled by Evan, Jack was one of the best. But he never should have been given leadership of the team, and, quite frankly, we shouldn't have followed him into the battle that took TJ's leg."

"What exactly did Jack do wrong?" she asked, curious to hear more of that story.

"It was a culmination of things, but impatience and the lack of a coordinated approach ended in disaster. Jack was hurt that day, too. To his credit, that happened when he was trying to get to TJ. We're lucky TJ survived, and so did the rest of the team. But after that happened, I couldn't keep following Jack."

She could understand that. "Did you ever consider just trying to get reassigned?"

"Sure. But the idea of starting over with a new team was also daunting, and I was ready for a change. Jack felt betrayed when I told him I was leaving. He probably suspected that with TJ gone, and me on my way out, command would disband our unit, which is what happened, and Jack lost his leadership role."

"I can see why that would be hard for him."

"I have a better perspective on it now than I did then," he admitted. "And the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that I don't want the worst days we had to negate everything else that happened. There were more good missions than bad. And Jack was like a brother to me, an annoying-as-hell brother, but we were family."

"Did you ever tell Jack that your leaving wasn't just about him and TJ, that you also needed a change of career?"

"No. I just left," he admitted. "He never really gave me a chance to explain, and I was angry back then about the last mission. We weren't in a place to have a meaningful conversation."

"Maybe you could be now."

"I'm more concerned about finding him than talking to him."

"Have you called Evan?" she asked. "Every time you talk about your team, it feels like Evan and Jack had a strong connection."