Page 12 of Inevitable Dream

Muffins turned into lunch, and I was heading out to pick up burgers for the four of us when the door chimed, and Bull and Maya joined us, bringing enough food to feed an army. With Hubert and Gertie in one corner and on the journey of how the world has gone to hell since they were young, and Maya and Sadie getting to know one another on the couch, Bull and I disappeared into the den.

“It’s gonna be a full house in here soon,” Bull warned me. He saw my confusion and said, “Trail’s going to get cold if we don’t get a description of the guy who attacked Sadie. The cops have hit a dead end. If it’s the same guy, he’s hit multiple times and always at a bus stop. The only difference is your girl put up a fight.”

“Did he hurt any of the other women?” I asked.

“Threw them to the ground, but that’s about it. Sadie fought back and got the brunt of his frustration,” he replied. “None of the other victims can identify the man who took their purses. They said it all happened so fast. He was there, then he wasn’t.” Bull shrugged.

“When are the guys due to arrive?”

“In a couple of hours.”

“I hate having her go over it again and again,” I confess.

“He’s still out there. He’ll do it again and again until he gets caught. Wire’s been trying to clean up the video. He’s hoping to catch a break and get a clear photo of the tattoo. It’ll be a starting point. At least we can hit the tattoo parlors and see if anyone recognizes it.” Bull was hopeful, making me feel better about our odds of getting this guy.

I changed the subject and asked, “How’re things with Maya?”

Bull grinned huge, showing his pearly whites. “Fucking amazing, man. She’s my everything,” he said. “Never thought I’d find it.”

“It?”

“Love, brother.” Bull bumped his shoulder against mine. “I didn’t believe someone like me could find someone as sweet as Maya. Doing what we do for a living is a lot for someone to take. I can’t say I wasn’t worried that Maya wouldn’t be able to deal with it. But she does and encourages me to be the best man I can be. A good woman doesn’t want to change you. She just wants to be part of your life.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Sadie, does she understand your job?”

“We talked about it. Shit! She’s the one who looked after me when I was shot. She knows I work in dangerous situations. I was up-front with her. This is who I am.” I threw out my hands in a “here I am” gesture.

“And she’s all right with it?” he asked.

“So far.”

From the other room, Maya called us. “Hubert and Gertie are leaving.” Bull and I rejoined the group. Hubert was already at the door, holding it open for Gertie.

“I’ll walk Gertie to her apartment,” he said, then hugged Sadie goodbye. “I’ll call you in a couple of days to see how you’re getting on.”

“Thanks for coming, Hue,” Sadie replied. She was clearly sad to see him leave.

I jumped in, immediately wanting Sadie’s frown to disappear. “Sadie’s going to be spending a lot of time with me, Hue. You come anytime, you hear? You’re always welcome.” I was rewarded with a bright smile from Sadie and an even bigger one from Hubert.

Gertie latched onto my arm, pulling me down to her to whisper in my ear. “You’re a fine man, Rebel, and Sadie is just right for you. I know what I’m talking about.”

Before I could utter a word, she let me go, then hooked her arm through Hubert’s, and the two of them sauntered down the hall.

That was only the first part of the day. Then came Falcon, Wire, Phoenix, and Kailyn. I took Sadie aside before they arrived and explained the situation. I could see she wasn’t thrilled to go over all this again.

“Babe, this guy is going to keep doing what he’s doing until he’s stopped. The next time, he could hurt someone like Gertie. Gertie won’t give up her purse either. Can you imagine him beating on her? The last thing I want to do is cause you any more pain, but you’re our best chance at catching this guy.”

“I didn’t even see his face,” Sadie said. “I’m not going to be much help.”

“Then we’re no further behind than we are right now.” I put my hands on her hips and tugged her flush against my body. “I swear to you, I will catch this guy, but I could use a little help.”

Sadie rolled up on her toes and kissed my chin. “I’ll do my best,” she said.

Phoenix and Falcon were gentle with their questions. Wire sat at the kitchen table and took down anything he thought was important or could be a lead.

“You have scratches on your elbow. Did that happen when you fell?” Phoenix asked.

Sadie looked at her elbow. “Yeah. I elbowed him in the jaw first, though. I don’t think I did any damage with all that beard muffling his face.” Instantly, we became more hopeful. Sadie never mentioned a beard before then. By the time we were done, Sadie was spent, but we had a better description of the guy who hurt her.

Our best guess is that he’s between five feet ten to six feet, with a long, dark beard, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, but his hands are inked. There are spiderwebs on the back of his hands, with letters inked on his knuckles.

---