Page 67 of Dauntless

“Why?” I asked.

“We’ll let it leak to the department, but we need to make sure we have our team running checks on the whole team first. Whoever it’s might still be there or had taken off,” she replied and sighed heavily. “It gives us something to go on. Thank you, Gia.”

She packed up her stuff and was at the door when I called out to her, “Wait.”

“She turned back.

My eyes watered. For Elliott there were tears. For what we had and for what we could be. I couldn’t lose him now. “Please. If I can help. Be bait…anything for Elliott. Find him.”

She nodded quickly. “You won’t need to. We’ll find him. Now give a statement to my temporary partner. He has questions on what Dimitri told you about The Agency.”

I had been through this all before and told my story over and again. I needed and wanted to help Elliott. They kept going over the information until the nurse came in and finally chased them away. When they left, she told me that I was suffering from a poor reaction to the drugs in my system when they brought me in. I also had been given a full detox from the drugs. She told me I was delirious with the flu and concussed, all of which I didn’t remember. It wasn’t important now. Elliott was gone.

***

I was more conscious and alert the next day, though I couldn’t sleep, I had company. Dane had slipped in when he thought I was asleep. And I must have drifted off because when I awoke again, Astrid was on the other bed across from me. Both had people to care for and shouldn’t be here, though I was grateful. When Dane woke up having dozed off on the chair in the corner of the room, I called over to him. “You’re here,” I rasped.

“You’re awake,” Dane replied. He brought over his chair and took my hand. “We’re going to have to stop meeting like this.”

I sighed. “We do, but I’m glad to see you. Any news on Elliott?”

He shook his head, and I closed my eyes.

“Elliott’s tough,” Dane said softly. “He’ll be back.”

We went silent for a few minutes. I then asked him, “How are Angel and Melinda?”

“Fine, resting at Nella’s,” he replied with a smile on his lips. “The second I heard, I came for you. I understand you want to be with just Elliott now, but I’m still your friend, and I care about you. I’ll always be here for you. That, you can always count on.”

My insides warmed. “Thank you, Dane.”

“Astrid is really sweet,” he said. “Tove is around too.”

“Best footage of the day was watching Patrick try to avoid answering questions about you,” Astrid blurted out alerting us that she was awake. “I recorded it for us to watch on repeat over drinks when you feel better.”

I coughed a laugh. That, I had to see, but there was something I wanted to do. “Could you help me find out about Kevin’s family? Please. Whatever I can do—I want to help them. I know it won’t be enough or bring him back, but…”

“I’ll do whatever I can to find out, and I promise we’ll help, but please try to rest,” Astrid said and smiled at me.

My heart swelled. “Thank you.”

Dane touched the bandage on my head. “I’m hoping Dimitri rots in jail, just like my father. All The Agency members will pay for their crimes. I will make sure of that.”

I smiled. “You sure you’re an architect?” I joked.

“Around you, I find myself in many things,” he said and kissed my cheek. “Now rest.”

I had almost missed it: Dane said he hoped Dimitri rots in jail. “Has Dimitri been found?”

“Yes,” he answered. “But that’s all I know. Please try to rest now.”

I couldn’t. I stayed up afraid to sleep. Afraid this was all a dream until my body gave out, and I fell asleep.

When I woke up again, Trish had joined Dane and Astrid in my room. She was still in the suit she had on yesterday.

Trish must have noticed that I was awake and approached the bed, “I’ll get to the point. We have who we suspect to be the mole on the SWAT team. He was on the raid and was trying to take off on an unplanned vacation when we surprised him at home. We discovered Dmitri’s cell number from checking his phone records. He’s being held for questioning, but he’s not talking, and we have little evidence to go on with.”

“But you’re here,” I said. “You must know something.”

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