Page 25 of Sachie's Hero

The large screen at the end of the monitor flickered to life with the matching desktop image of what was on the computer monitor in front of Hawk and Teller. The display flickered, and the faces of two menappeared who seemed to be talking, though no sound accompanied the movement of their lips.

A moment later, their voices came through loud and clear.

“Can you hear me now?” the dark-haired man asked.

Sachie nodded.

Teller and Hawk joined Sachie and Kalea at the table.

Hawk pulled out a chair for Kalea. She sank gratefully into the seat and reached for one of the sandwiches. “You’ll have to forgive us for eating in front of you,” she said to the men, joining them virtually. “If you were here, I’d offer you a plate.”

“Thank you, Kalea,” the dark-haired one said. “Not much longer, is it?”

“Three to four weeks,” she said. “How are Sadie and the little ones?”

“Sadie’s doing great. She’s on hiatus until the end of the year,” the man said. “Emma’s going to preschool this fall, and McClain is walking.”

“That’s great.” Kalea smiled and turned toward Sachie. “Sachie, the dark-haired man on the left is Hank Patterson. The one on the right is everyone’s favorite computer guru, Axel Svenson aka Swede.”

Sachie dipped her head. “Nice to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so many good things about you andthe Brotherhood Protectors since Hawk arrived in the islands.”

“Glad to hear it,” Patterson said. “We try to provide the help people need.”

Sachie gave the man a weak smile. “Like me?”

Hank nodded. “Yes, ma’am. How’s Osgood working out for you?”

Sachie glanced across the conference table to Teller. “Good,” she said. “He saved my life in his first five minutes on duty.”

“I’m glad he was able to get to you in time,” Hank said. “Perhaps you could fill us in on what’s happened thus far. Start with why you moved from Oahu to the Big Island. Hawk tells us you had issues there.”

Sachie gave Hank a brief description of what she’d experienced on Oahu and her move to the Big Island to escape the threats and start over. “I thought I was past it when I woke up from a bad dream, saw a face in the window, discovered my car windshield smashed and someone trying to break into my cottage.”

Teller picked up from there, relating how he’d come into the house, chased the assailant out the back door and then came back to look for Sachie.

“That’s when I made first contact with your Brotherhood Protector,” Sachie’s lips twisted, “and tried to kill him.”

Hank chuckled. “I’m glad you didn’t succeed.”

“As am I,” Sachie said. “He took a bullet for me a minute later.” She nodded toward Teller.

“Just a flesh wound,” Teller said and continued with the message on Sachie’s cell phone, their arrival on the street where Sachie’s office was burning to the ground, their conversations with the police and fire chief, the message scratched into the side of his SUV and their search on the security camera footage. “And that’s how we came to be at the Parkman Ranch,” he finished.

Hank’s brow furrowed. “Tell me again what the messages said.”

“You failed me,” Sachie said. “On the cell phone and on the car.”

“With the added note ofNow you will payon the voicemail message,” Teller said.

“You’re a counselor who works with troubled teens?”

Sachie nodded. “I’ve worked with teens to help them with PTSD from abusive environments or who have addiction issues. I’ve worked with the police to remove children from unsafe home environments.”

“Could your stalker be one of your patients?” Hank asked.

I wasn’t sure when I was in Honolulu, becausethere was never a message, just actions. I was working through some issues of my own.”

“Hawk told us,” Hank said softly. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

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