Page 33 of Silent Dust
Hank studied him, sensing how much of Wally’s fear fueled everything. “So what was that something big?”
Wally’s voice dropped to a whisper. “She wanted me to attack Flora at a convention at Walter Reed Hospital. She wanted me to kill her, like a mugging.”
He hesitated, eyes darting downward. “Charlotte said if I did this, everyone would see how brave I am. I’d finally matter.”
Hawk felt disbelief and frustration wash over him. “And you believed her? You thought killing Flora would make Bear notice you?”
Wally nodded, shame and desperation etched on his face. “Thought if Flora wasn’t around, maybe Bear would see me differently. I just wanted to be someone who mattered.Charlottesaid if I got rid of Flora, then I’d be the one Bear cares about. I didn’t want to hurt nobody.”
Hawk picked up on Wally’s dependence. “What happened when you didn’t kill Flora? What did Charlotte do?”
Wally’s gaze remained distant. “Charlotte always tells me I got potential. I’m special. I do this, I’ll be someone Bear will notice—and then everything’s different.”
Hank leaned in, his voice steady. “What did Charlotte do when you didn’t kill Flora?”
Wally sat as if he were the only one in the room, a sad tilt to his head. “I wanted to believe she was lookin’ out for me. She said I had to do it to prove I was tough. I wasn’t enough yet, but I could get there.”
Hawk leaned forward, slamming his hand on the table. “Answer the question!”
Wally’s eyes widened, snapping back to reality. “What question?”
Hawk’s jaw clenched. “What happened when you didn’t kill Flora?”
“Oh,” Wally laughed nervously, “she told me to send the pictures I took of Bear, tell her I could get him any time, that he wasn’t safe.”
Hank leaned forward, skepticism in his expression. “So, you’re saying Charlotte planned this whole thing, and you just went along with it?”
Wally nodded, clutching his trembling hands. “Yeah. She said Bear loved me, but I had to prove myself first. I swear, I didn’t want to kill Flora. I just wanted Bear to notice me.”
His gaze dropped to the table, fingers fidgeting with his sleeve. “She always told me I was special, I had potential. Bear would notice me if I just did something big, to show I’m not just some nobody.”
Hawk exchanged a glance with Hank, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “So you believed her? You thought this would work? How did you get those pictures of Bear that you sent her? You know you’re not allowed to take photos like that on base.”
“Yeah!” Wally exclaimed, his voice rising slightly, a mix of excitement and desperation. “I took ‘em for myself, to look at when I was alone at night, you know?”
Hawk ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration.
Hank leaned back, disbelief mixed with astonishment. “So all of this was Charlotte’s planning, and you thought you’d get Bear in the end? Is that right?”
Hawk felt anger at the manipulation Wally had endured. “So, she exploited your feelings for Bear to control you? That’s sick.”
“Yeah,” Wally agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. “I was like trapped. I wanted to be brave, someone Bear could look up to, but what would happen if I didn’t follow through.”
Hank’s expression softened slightly. “Wally, you need to understand that this isn’t just about you and Bear anymore. Flora’s life is in danger. If Charlotte is as manipulative as you say, we need to find her and stop her.”
Hawk quickly sent a text to his team to increase protection for Flora. Time was running out.
“I know! I know!” Wally cried, tears spilling down his cheeks. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I just wanted to matter!”
Hawk, tired of wasting time on Wally, knew he wasn’t the mastermind here. “Then help us, Wally. Tell us everything you can about Charlotte. Where she hangs out, who she associates with—anything that might lead us to her. This is your chance to make things right.”
Wally wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, nodding. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you everything. Just… please, don’t let anything happen to Bear. I didn’t want this.”
Hank leaned forward again, his tone serious. “Wally, you need to understand that this is far more serious than just a crush. By putting Flora’s life in danger, you’ve hurt Bear. Do you realize that?”
Wally’s face fell, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far! I just wanted to be someone, to make Bear proud. I thought… I thought I could change things!”
Hawk clenched his jaw tighter. The more Wally spoke, the clearer it became that he was a pawn in a game far larger than he could comprehend. A weakling manipulated by someone with darker intentions. Hawk could almost see the gears turning in Wally’s mind, a frantic attempt to distance himself from the horror of his actions.
