Page 34 of Clay

Clay should have known. Hell, Cali had even said it. Agnes Foster was a pistol, and if Ivy aged like her mother, she was going to be a stunner for the rest of her life.

“I’m Clay,” he gestured to Cali, “and this is Cali. You’re right, we are protecting your daughter. And we’re going to assign someone to protect you as well.”

Agnes cocked her head and considered him and his words while he waited for a protest or an interruption, but she just stared, her gaze becoming even more considering than it had been. When she finally spoke, it was with the measured, even tones of her daughter. “Well then, I guess you’d better tell me what’s going on.”

He hadn't known what he expected, maybe hysterics or protestations, something other than her calm acceptance. But then again, she’d been an Air Force wife, had seen her husband off on probably dozens of deployments over the course of his career. Had lived with his death. So he should have expected more of her.

“Katie McAlister’s missing.”

That got the gasp he’d expected.

“Ivy hired us to search for her and while we haven't found her yet, we did find someone who was stalking her, someone from her past who is now in Las Vegas. He’s been very clear on the fact that he wants Ivy to bring Katie to him and that he knows exactly who you are and where you live.”

He watched as Agnes’s back straightened as her expression became steely. “What’s this asshole’s name?”

Ivy laughed out loud, and Cali barely held down a snicker. Clay pulled up a picture of Hamilton on his phone and handed it to her. “His name is Greg Hamilton, and Katie dated him for awhile. We’ve discovered he has a history of unreported domestic abuse and is a law enforcement officer in South Carolina.”

Agnes studied the phone. “I don’t think I’ve seen him around, but what do I do if he approaches me?”

“Cali is going to keep an eye on you for first shift, and then another one of our members, Tate, will relieve her this evening.”

Agnes turned her attention to Cali, sized her up, then nodded decisively. “Alright, but you’re not doing it sitting in a parked car. You’ll do it from inside my home. In comfort.”

Clay knew that there would be no swaying her from that, even though they had better mobility on the street.

“Will you be comfortable with having Tate stay inside?” Cali asked reasonably. “He can be… intimidating.”

Agnes looked to her daughter.

“Tate looks scary as hell, but everyone at SMS is legit,” Ivy said earnestly. “I wouldn’t let them near you otherwise.”

Agnes nodded and kept her attention on her daughter. “And what about you, dear?”

Clay looked to Ivy to see if she wanted to answer, but she gave him a nod to continue.

“Because he potentially knows where Ivy lives, we’ve relocated to a secure location. We’re more than willing to move you as well, but at this point I think the main threat lies in him targeting Ivy. We think he used you as a threat to scare her.”

Agnes considered his words. “And you’re the one protecting my daughter?”

Clay nodded. “Right now, it’s me and Jordan Gonzales, who’s prior Security Forces. She was a Phoenix Raven,” he said, wondering if Mrs. Foster understood what that meant. When her eyes went speculative, he knew she did. “All of us are prior active duty or affiliated with the Air Force in some way.”

That seemed to satisfy Agnes, but when she looked between him and her daughter there was a sparkle in her eye. Clayalmost groaned, thinking he was about to get even more of an interrogation, but she merely passed him his glass of tea then did the same with Cali, who grabbed a cookie as well.

“We’ll leave Cali here, if that’s all right.” Clay said. “Tate will be here around eight to take the night shift. In the meantime we’ve got Warren and Dev looking into Katie’s disappearance. We’re hoping we find her before Hamilton does.”

“We’re going to find her before Hamilton does,” Ivy said firmly. She looked to her mother. “Mom, I need you to let them protect you. Please don’t try to slip them, or think you’re being crafty.”

Agnes looked scandalized for a brief moment and then smiled in a way that could only be described as saucy. Just like her daughter.

“I promise,” she said solemnly.

Ivy looked hard at her for a moment then nodded and sipped her tea as Cali went out to the SUV to get her go-bag.

Once his teammate was settled in, Ivy hugged her mom hard, and Clay stuck out his hand for a formal goodbye. “Ma’am.”

Agnes looked at his hand for so long that he started to feel uncomfortable, then pulled him into a hug. It was a mom hug, and something he hadn’t felt in so long it shocked him. Memories assaulted him as he stood in the woman’s embrace, flicker-quick and so real it made the back of his eyes sting.

“You’ll be just fine,” she said in his ear, for his hearing only. Then she released him.

---