Gabe (In the Company of Snipers, #8)(69)
Zack’s brows lifted. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
Gabe paused, unsure how much to share. What the hell? Mark deserved the whole story.
“Because Landon’s a sonofabitchin’ liar. He had the balls to tell Alex he’d worked with Maverick in country, only the bastard never did. Yeah, he was in Afghanistan, just didn’t serve with Maverick or us when everything went bad. That’s how he got the job, though, by making it look like he was tight with Maverick, Taylor, and me. Now he’s stepping out on Maverick’s ex with Channing.”
“With Lisa?” Mark asked. “Shit. That explains a lot.”
Gabe crouched to Mark’s level, one knee to the patio. “Listen, I hate to talk about my buddy behind his back, but you need to know what’s going on. Maverick’s fiancée was a gal named Kimberly. They had their wedding all arranged and invitations in the mail. Hell, he’d asked me to be best man until Landon went home early. Next thing Maverick knew, he got a Dear John letter. Kim said she’d found someone else. She said a lot of other crap, too, but the real kicker is her bullshit letter came the day Maverick’s brother was killed in action. It messed Maverick up good. That’s why Taylor and I recommended him to Alex. Maverick’s a time bomb, but he’s a damned good operator. Don’t be too hard on him. He needs the job or he’s going to blow.”
Mark closed his eyes, stress etched into the wrinkles on his brow. “He’s tight, I’ll give you that. No wonder.”
“Then he’s right where he needs to be,” Zack said. “Keep him busy. Hell, send him over here to assist us. We’ll keep his ass buried so deep in work he won’t have time to worry about Landon. Who knows what other bastard Gabe will apprehend?” He nudged Gabe. “Huh?”
Gabe sneezed, not the best answer he could’ve given his senior agents. At least now they were talking together instead of swearing at each other.
“I might do that,” Mark said. “Are you okay? Sounds like you’re coming down with a good stiff cold.”
“I’m good,” Gabe replied, despite the nasal twang he’d developed. He sucked in a raspy breath, hesitant to bring up what he’d just taken a verbal beating over. “Umm, I need a favor, though. Could you ask someone to run over to my apartment and retrieve the pants and shirt I wore the day Alex got killed? They’re in the hamper in my bathroom, maybe on the floor. I’m not trying to be obstinate, but Zack and I were talking, and I’m not so sure it was blood coming out of Alex that day. Maybe I’m remembering things wrong, but could you at least get Mother or Ember to get it analyzed?”
Mark offered a bleak smile. “I guess. Why do you think it’s not blood?”
“It didn’t feel right and there wasn’t as much as there should have been. I think.” And I should have thought of this in the first place.
“No problem. Maybe then everyone will stop looking for ghosts.”
“You know me and Zack are behind you, don’t you?” Gabe retrieved his keys from his jeans pocket and handed Mark the one to his apartment. “We just need to be sure what really happened. There are too many unanswered questions.”
“Yeah. I get it. I understand.” Mark slapped his palms to his knees, aggravated but resigned.
“You never know,” Zack said. “Gabe might just have solved the whole case for you.”
“God, I wish.” Mark shrugged both shoulders. “Zack’s right. Maybe the police will let me interrogate Becker tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe hell will freeze over, too.”
Gabe pushed up from the patio and offered his boss a hand up off the concrete step. “It already has. Now we just need to figure out how to live through it.”
“Kelsey. What’s wrong?” Shelby bolted down the hall, following Kelsey, who ran to her bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
Shelby came to a dead stop. The wretched sounds coming from beyond the door explained everything. Kelsey was not only sick at heart, but also sick to her stomach as well.
Tears flooded Shelby’s eyes at what this sweet woman had gone through.
Damn Mark for upsetting her.
Damn that Sam Becker.
Damn everyone who’d hurt Kelsey!
She would’ve damned Alex too, if he hadn’t just been declared dead again. God. How much could this poor woman take?
Shelby knocked at the door, listening for any sound from the other side. Only the toilet flushing answered. “May I come in and help you?”
The saddest voice answered with a squeaky, “No. Please. Leave me alone.”
Shelby didn’t have the heart to walk away. She turned the knob and peered around the door. Her heart melted. Kelsey sat cross-legged by the toilet, her head in her hands and a wad of toilet paper at her feet.
“You poor thing.” She knelt at Kelsey’s side and pulled her into her arms, tears falling over her cheeks.
Kelsey buckled. She had no words. She just held onto Shelby while the storm let loose and sobs shook her. Gabe was so right. Death was a hellacious sucker punch, only it kept knocking Kelsey down and stomping her into the dirt every time she got to her feet. It never let her get a handle on living without the man she’d loved.
It came as easy as breathing. Shelby held Kelsey to her heart and began rocking back and forth. “I don’t know what to say, Kelsey, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. And I’m so sorry.”