Page 38 of Hurting Hunter
The air was heavy, filled with the must of decay and mildew. Hunter's team moved like ghosts, room to room.
In the second room, they found a terrified naked woman bent over the bed. A man —cargo pants around his ankles—was slamming into her from behind. Her sobs and pleas were muffled by a gag.
Hunter's stomach lurched as he took in the scene. The woman on the bed was trembling, her eyes wide with fear. The man behind her didn't even see Thomas coming. The butt of the rifle connected with his head with a sickening thud, and he collapsed onto her, unconscious.
Hunter moved to the woman's side. His hands were steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. He worked the gag free from her mouth and her sobs turned into gasps for air. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, they were having an entire conversation without saying a word. She was pale, and her body shook, but there was spark of determination in her gaze.
Thomas returned with a bundle of clothes. They were dirty and torn, but the woman grabbed them with a nod of thanks. Hunter held her arm as she dressed, his eyes never leaving hers. When she was done, she looked up at him, her chin lifted.
"Thank you," she said, her voice husky but steady.
A wave of admiration washed over him. This woman, despite everything, was strong.
"Where are the others?" Thomas asked
"In the basement," she replied. "Let me show you."
Confined to his apartment, Ethan paced a hole in the floor.His shoulders were hunched as if expecting a blow.
His eyes darted to the clock on the wall every few minutes, but the hands seemed to barely move. Darkness had settled over Seattle and his eyes were bleary from watching CCTV footage.
Mumbling half-formed thoughts under his breath, his mind looped back to the last time he heard from Hunter. Every scenario, good and bad, played out in his head, making his stomach twist with each step.
His hands kept finding their way into his pockets, then out again, as if unsure where they should be.
He almost stumbled over his own feet when his landline rang, and he lunged for the phone with more haste than grace.
Dani is rubbing off on me, he thought cynically.
He answered without his name. "I want good news."
"I have some." Dani sounded a bit out of breath. "The captain has been arrested and he's talking."
Ethan's entire body seemed to jolt awake. Warmth surged through him; his heart pounded so hard he could hear it. A rush of energy coursed through his system—a sensation of being incredibly alive. His thoughts scattered, too excited to focus on anything specific. He gripped the phone tighter, a grin breaking out despite himself.
Belatedly he realized Dani had been speaking to him.
"I’m sorry. I missed that. Can you repeat?" he managed to say, his voice trembling with the effort to stay calm.
"The captain wasn’t in it for personal gain. They got his wife and daughter."
"Fuck me." Ethan sank into his desk chair. He ran a hand over his face, trying to process the information. "That's the same way they got the Sergeant at Arms from the ECOs involved. Not with his wife or daughter, but his baby sister."
"Yeah." Dani sighed. "Let's hope Hunter's team is successful in releasing them."
"They will be." Ethan's words came out with a steely resolve. He straightened in his chair, his back stiffening and his jaw setting in determination. He could feel his muscles tensing, readying himself for the next steps. "They have to."
Beneath his brave words, the worry lingered. Ethan’s eyes flicked to the clock again, and he rubbed his temples, trying to push the anxiety away.
“The captain also explained the accusations against you are bogus. Internal Affairs are on their way to take off your ankle bracelet. Ethan, your charges have been revoked, and so has your house arrest."
For a moment, Ethan absorbed the information. Elation surged through him. A grin spread across his face, too wide to contain. His heart raced, a drumming beat that echoed in his chest. He felt warmth radiate through his body, his skin tingling with excitement.
"Yesss,” he hissed under his breath. He felt rejuvenated, every nerve buzzing with adrenaline.
Ethan could barely think straight, his thoughts scattering in the whirlwind of emotion. He wanted to run, to jump, to hug everyone who had helped him get to this moment.
As the tension left his body, his muscles trembled with the release.
