Page 66 of Missing Marcus

The bug bites on his arms itched, reminding him of the two weeks he spent in a jungle waiting for Marghai to show his face. The latest intel indicated he planned to trade the schoolgirls he kidnapped for weapons. Knight lay in the brush, watching and waiting for the man to show. The team assigned with him planned to raid the place as soon as he took Marghaidown.

A message came over the coms to hold as a caravan of cars came into view. The moment he waited for finally came to fruition. He’d take the shot once he got the go-ahead and return home to Gabby. Several men exited the vehicles and entered the building. Fifteen minutes later, screams resounded in the air as girls burst through the doors, only to get pushed back toward the men. He reached for his com and requested to engage.

“Negative,” came the response. The men laughed as they tore the innocent girls’ clothing from them and raped them repeatedly. For three hours, he endured watching the scene unfold before him. Finally, they lined up the surviving women in a row as a truck pulled up. Ordering them into the back, the young women rushed to escape the hell they endured. They picked up the dead bodies and threw them in with the terrified victims, making the girls wail at the sight of their friends or family members dead and bleeding. They huddled toward the back until the men loaded all of them. Again, Knight spoke into the coms. The leader exited the building while another man handed him two bags, resembling drugs. The two men stood side by side, and he only needed to press the trigger. The order came back in his ear. “Negative.” He pressed his lips firmly together, as he lined them up in his sights. These men didn’t deserve to live. Why did they want him to wait?

The other man entered his car and drove off, making Knight curse. His patience came to an end. When the man’s car disappeared from sight, the leader raised his hand. Gun fire blasted in the air and he watched in horror as the innocent women fell to join their friends. Marghai’s men led them to their deaths and then drove off with the bodies as if they resembled mere trash. Their leader entered his car and left. Knight hung his head and cried. He took this job to save his marriage and it crumbled little by little every time he returned. He traded his team for an offer of early freedom. Instead, it took his soul.

“Tell me what you see, Knight,” she encouraged him.

He recounted the story as if a movie played inside his head. Claire didn’t offer platitudes as she listened to his tale. When he finished, Claire took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “What happened when you returned home?”

His voice became monotone as he described what happened.

“Gabby woke up. When she saw me standing there, she ran into my arms. I criticized her about a tree she planted in the front yard and the shrubs near the house,” he admitted, glancing down at his hands in shame.

“Why did the trees and shrubs bother you?” Claire set her paper down and shifted into a more comfortable position. She gazed at him like two friends talking about the weather.

“She put herself in danger. Gabby…she’s so damn independent sometimes. She doesn’t think about all the risks in this world. I returned home from watching innocent young girls get slaughtered for no reason other than drugs, greed, and evil men. When I met her, she pretended the cook stayed in the kitchen and fed me.” He chuckled at the memory. “Her ability to see the good in people drew me to her like a moth to a flame. She saw it in me even when I acted like a jerk.”

“How did she handle it?”

Knight chuckled. “She smiled and told me if I wanted to chop it down, then be her guest. Gabby said she didn’t want to spend our time together fighting. My phone rang and I went into my office. I argued with the CIA agent. The assignment consisted of eliminating the threat. My whole purpose for lying there. Now, I close my eyes and see those girls brutalized and beaten. When I finished my call, Gabby left. I returned to base to keep from fighting with her. I couldn’t control my emotions and chose to stay away.”

“Interesting,” Claire mulled over his statement.

“What?”

“I met Gabby. She said she knew what she agreed to when she married into the military. You seemed surprised when I said Patch and I get through the tough days together. Did you ever share how you felt with her?”

Sitting back in the chair, Knight stared at her. “I can’t discuss ops with her.”

“No. But what about how you felt? How did she feel when you told her about the special assignment?”

He glanced at her sheepishly. “I didn’t exactly tell her about it. I spun up a ton the year before, and I didn’t feel it was necessary to tell her about the op until I received the contract termination.”

Claire laughed. “Gabby seems like a smart woman. She’s an accountant. Did you think she couldn’t put two and two together?”

His mouth dropped, and then he chuckled as he stroked his jaw. “Nice, a doc with a sense of humor. No wonder you can take Patch for longer than five minutes.” He turned serious as he answered her question. “We fought because she said I seemed distant. I returned home and never felt present.”

“Do you agree?”

“At the time, I denied it. Walking away from an argument became easier when I returned home than facing anything. Since I discovered her at the hospital, I’ve seen how much pain I’ve caused. I’d take it all back and be a better man and husband.”

Claire turned and put her feet on the ground. “Can I be blunt?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “I know something’s wrong with me. But I don’t even know how to fix it. If I can’t figure it out, I’ll lose my wife.”

Claire smiled. “I can’t promise you Gabby will change her mind, but I can promise you, if you’re willing to do the work, we can help you.”

“We?” he asked, confused.

“They say it takes a village, but we’ve got something better. We have a mountain, Knight.”

He didn’t know what Claire planned, but he’d do whatever it took if it allowed him to right his wrongs and end the chaos in his head. His heart knew he needed to heal, but he needed Gabby, too. Knight gazed at Claire as she waited for him to decide. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“I’ll make some calls this morning and text you where to meet tomorrow,” Claire instructed him as she picked up the notepad and started a list.

“I’ll be ready.” He rose from the chair and closed the door behind him. Patch, again, stood in the hallway.

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