Page 75 of Valor on the Move
But he couldn’t find the words. It felt too much like a betrayal of Rafa’s trust to share such an intimate moment. And maybe it was simply an excuse for his own weakness, but Shane would keep their secrets for as long as he could.
Standing inside the rest stop again, this time with a group of investigators in tow, Shane recited the litany of events—of course leaving out the masturbation and his own unprofessional reaction to it. His head pounded, and the dank concrete building felt claustrophobic.
“Valor was upset about an argument with his parents. We discussed it briefly. I convinced him to return to Castle. When we walked out the door, I was hit.” He indicated the side of his head. “I was briefly stunned by the shot. My vision and hearing were temporarily impaired. Valor was taken. I discovered our radios and phones were being jammed. Agent Pearce was seriously wounded.” He mentally shook free the memory of Alan’s pale, frightened face. “I immediately pursued Valor.”
An investigator frowned. “You didn’t hear the van approach?” he asked.
“No.”
“And Agent Pearce didn’t alert you to its presence?”
“The radios were jammed.”
The investigator glanced at the door. “It’s a matter of feet. Surely Agent Pearce could have shouted?”
“I…yes, he could have.” Why didn’t Al shout?
“And you didn’t hear Agent Pearce get shot?”
“Not when I was inside the building,” Shane answered. “I assume it happened at the same time they shot me. There was a lot of noise. Or I suppose they had a silencer.”
Another man asked, “And you say it was Agent Pearce who was tasked with communicating this location to the detail leader?”
“Yes. He was calling Harris when I left the vehicle and entered the building.”
They scribbled some notes, then led him outside. As Shane took them through the next moments, his mind whirled.
Harris insisted he didn’t get the call.
Why didn’t Al shout?
Why didn’t I hear the van?
Why the hell didn’t Harris get that call?
Dread in the pit of Shane’s stomach unfurled, slithering through him.
If they were scrambling the signal when Shane went inside, Alan would have called out and alerted him. And the signal had definitely still been working, since Alan had checked in with him some minutes later—seven or so. Yes, the radio had definitely still worked.
At that point, he’d been talking to Rafa by the sinks. As occupied as he’d been, he would have heard an approaching engine. After the years on the job, it was second nature. He didn’t even have to think about noting potential trouble spots; potential danger. It was rote.
There had been no engine. The van had to have rolled in silently. It had been dark and rainy, but Alan would have seen it. Even without lights, he would have noticed the movement. He’d been out of the Suburban when they’d shot him. Some feet away from it. He should have honked or shouted when they’d approached.
Why didn’t he shout?
Shane finished talking and stood in the rest stop parking lot, which was cordoned off with yellow tape. The investigators made more notes as he waited. As he desperately tried to find answers to his questions that didn’t result in the same terrible conclusion.
“We’re moving on,” one of the investigators said. “Ready?”
Shane nodded, but his stomach roiled as the terrible pieces of the puzzle began to slide inexorably into place.
He wasn’t ready at all.
Chapter Nineteen
“Back in uniform, huh?”
As Rafa came out of his room, he blinked at Matthew in the hall before looking down at his slacks and button-down shirt. He ran a hand over his tamed hair. “I guess.”
“Sorry, that was a dick thing to say. There’s nothing wrong with how you look. How are you feeling?”
“Good,” Rafa lied. “A little banged up, I guess. But I’m fine.” Except for the fact that I need to see Shane again like I need air.
Matthew’s cheeks puffed out as he exhaled and shuffled from one foot to the other, scuffing his sneakers on the carpet. “I’m heading to the airport. Have to get back to training. But I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention. You know I couldn’t wait to get away when I went to college. And I was doing my thing out there, and you were doing your thing here, and I figured you were fine. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“It’s not your fault. I could have talked to you. It’s two ways. Communication, I mean. I made my choices.”
“I still feel like a bag of dicks. You’re my little brother.” Matthew swallowed thickly and tucked a lock of his shaggy hair behind his ear. “You know I love you and all that shit, right? That I don’t care about the gay thing? I think it’s great. So I just want to make sure you know.”
“I do, Matty.” Rafa blinked rapidly. “But thanks for saying it. I love you too. And all that shit.”
