Page 86 of The Flame of Carson
“Honestly, detective, I hurt, and I’m confused.Why the hell am I in the hospital?”Stacey gritted.
“I was rather hoping you could tell me.What is the last thing you remember?”Wilson questioned gently.
Stacey let out an aggravated sigh and thought back over the morning.“Gage and I woke up, grabbed a shower.Had breakfast at my house and then he headed to Blackout, and I headed for the office.I...”she fell silent when everything came barreling back.“I...I was getting on the loop when someone hit me from behind.I looked back and there was a dark green SUV.It looked like a Dodge Durango.I couldn’t see much of the driver except it was a male.I remember he smiled then hit me again and my car was spinning.I don’t know what happened after that.”
Grant reached over and took her left hand in his.“Doll, from the few witnesses there, this guy executed a PIT maneuver and you spun into the divider.After he hit you, he sped off.No one saw his plates or even what he looked like.”
Stacey’s fear melted into pure rage now as she pieced together what this meant.“That cowardly son of a bitch.He finally grows a pair and chooses to come at me in a freaking car!Oh, get me the hell out of here.I need...”
“Stacey, calm down...”Grant started.
“Calm down?Fuck that, Grant.This guy just crossed a line with me.Again.I’m not going to sit here like a frightened deer.I want out of here.You make that happen Grant and get me to Blackout or I swear to God, I’ll do it myself.”Stacey ordered.
“Grant, I’ll go hunt down the doctor.Stacey, please try to calm yourself.If you’re in this state when the doc comes in, he or she won’t let you out.Okay?”Wilson replied softly.
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Ethan stood at hiswindow waiting to hear from Grant.That morning, as he was finishing up reading over Gage’s file, red flags started waving and he received another delivery from Major McCandles.He wanted Gage here to confirm his suspicions.Before he could call him, Morton called and filled him in on Gage’s situation and that they were on their way back.Then that damned call about Stacey came in not ten seconds later.He knew the moment Gage heard about this; his second-in-command was going to shoot out of orbit.
“Ethan, are you going to tell him?” Danny questioned from his chair beside Lance.
“I’m not going to have a choice, Danny.I’m hoping Grant will text before I have to tell him, so I have more information for Gage.”Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair.At that moment, Ethan’s phone buzzed.“Shit.Grant says Stacey’s awake and pissed as hell.They’re leaving the hospital now and coming right here.If traffic is light, they’ll be here in fifteen tops.”
“Well, hell.”Lance grunted as Danny got two more chairs for when Grant and Stacey got there.“Then we start with whatever you found in Gage’s file.After that, we either tell Gage about this morning or we wait until Grant and Stacey get here and let her fill him in.”
Before any of the three could speak, there was a knock and the door opened to reveal Tony, who was sent to wait on Gage.Gage followed Tony and just looked at his teammates.Something had happened but he doubted it had to do with what happened at Nick’s office.Then he saw his file on Ethan’s desk opened and what looked like multiple post-it tabs in assorted colors sticking out.He also saw a second file similarly marked with tabs.
“You found something in my file.”Gage stated.
“Yeah, or I think so at any rate.Take a seat and let’s see if my hunch is right.”Ethan nodded.
Gage and Tony sat down.“Hit me with it then.”Gage hoped that what happened was because of whatever Ethan had found.
Ethan sat behind his desk and opened the file.“My first red flag was when I got to the portion dealing with your recruitment for MARSOC.You and another member of your unit were considered at the same time.”
“Yeah, me and Anderson.Can’t remember his first name, I only ever called him Anderson.”Gage answered, a little confused.
“That’s right, Oscar Anderson.On paper, you both looked the same, then MARSOC started digging into you guys’ files.That’s where it was clear Anderson was out.Do you recall anything else about those last few months for you in your old unit?”
“Yeah.Major McCandles told me that I was selected, and my re-enlistment papers were being updated for MARSOC.I was to start training in about two or three months I think it was, after he told me.Two days later I started having problems with Anderson.It was weird because I never had a beef with the guy.Hell, I barely knew him.He didn’t really spend his off time with the rest of us.I recall he had a friend in another unit he hung with but can’t remember which unit or the guy’s name.Not sure I ever heard it.”Gage explained.
The door to Ethan’s office opened.When Gage glanced back, he was on his feet in a blink and a rage that he had never felt before surged through him as he saw Stacey.Her right hand was in a brace and he could see some bruising along her collarbone and face forming.
“What the fuck happened!”Gage growled.
