Page 5 of Her Faithful Protector

Just as the sun sinks behind the horizon, I fold the sketch and tuck it back into my wallet. I’ve accepted that she will never be a part of my life. Sooner or later, I’ll need to erase her from my thoughts or face the consequences of holding onto a hope that will never come to fruition.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes. Sam. Why on earth would my older brother call me at this time? Most likely, he’s going to try persuading me to come to Helena again and join his company, Red Mark Rescue & Protect. It’s an organization specialized in rescuing missing children. A cause close to home and the reason why my brother founded it. While I’ve been considering the idea, for now, I still feel I belong to the Corps.

“Sam, brother, wassup?” I answer.

“Hey, you’ve got a minute?” His tone is neither persuasive nor friendly. “Morgan wants to talk to you.”

This is unusual. Morgan and I rarely speak to each other. In fact, I haven’t talked to her at all this year, and it’s the end of summer already.

“Jack?” She’s only calling my name, but I can tell she’s really shaken up.

“Morgan, what’s going on?” Warning particles flutter in my gut.

“Ava is missing.”

My stomach buckles. “What do you mean she’s missing?”

“She left her fiancé and was supposed to meet me here in Helena yesterday. I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer.”

She left her fiancé? I don’t know much about him, only that he’s an asshole.

“How about Quinton?” I ask.

“Quinton was with her the last time we spoke. At the time, she was just outside L.A. She should have been here ages ago. Ty has been searching with a few Red Mark guys, but there’s no sign of her.”

Tyler Hunt, Morgan’s husband, is the head of operations at Red Mark. If he hasn’t found her, that means Ava isn’t in Helena. Besides, Morgan and Ava are like sisters. They seem to be able to sense each other.

My answer is easy. “I’m on my way!”

I speed back to base. Fortunately, the traffic flows smoothly despite the bustling activity of both tourists and locals as dinner time approaches. I manage to catch my captain just as he’s leaving.

“Please, sir. This is an emergency.”

The captain flashes a displeased smirk, but he about-faces. “Come on in.” He opens his office door. “What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”

“I request a leave of absence, sir.”

“Have you uncovered another lead about your kidnapper in Florida?”

I was only transferred to Hawaii a year ago. I spent most of my career at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The captain has obviously heard about my pursuit.

I have made several requests for leave in order to uncover the truth about what happened to me, but my efforts haven’t yielded any results.

“No, sir,” I answer.

“If you need to be in that part of the country, I can put in the good word so you’re transferred to Panama City. You’re a trained combatant diver, are you not, Lieutenant?”

“I am, sir.”

“They surely need a diving instructor like you there.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I must go to Montana.”

The captain’s expression turns perplexed. “Montana?”

“It’s an emergency involving a friend, sir. A very good friend.”

In the eye of the military, ‘a very good friend’ is not a compelling reason to call it an emergency, and I can sense my captain’s disapproval through his gaze. Ava is more than just a dear friend, but I’m at a loss when it comes to explaining this to him.

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