Page 77 of Hack
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Archer walked into the coffee shop, looking around for Bryon. He hadn't dared to go to the STK house to meet with him, just in case anyone was watching. He hadn't received any phone calls or anything concerning the case, but he wasn't taking any chances.
News of the rescue of seven girls and one adult woman had hit the news around noon the day before, and Archer had spent the day watching one news clip after another, trying to piece together all the information he could.
Xander had called once he'd gotten back into town and given him a better rundown on what had happened at the house when Carter had killed Lyle, and after what he'd heard, he wasn't shocked at all that Carter needed some time alone. The thing was, it was now over twenty-four hours that Carter had been gone, and he was worried since none of them had heard anything from him.
Trenton had run every fake name that he was aware of Carter having, but that didn't mean there weren't others they didn't know of.
He saw Bryon at a table near the back window and headed that way. "Hi." He sat down, trying to not rush into a million questions he wanted to ask.
"How are you holding up?" Bryon asked as he set his menu down.
"I'm okay. I think I know where he went. I'm just trying to decide if it's wise for me to go after him or if I should stay back and let him work things out." Archer poured water into a glass from the pitcher that was on the table.
Bryon shrugged. "It's got to be your call. Honestly, you know him better than any of us right now. You've spent the last while with him. Going off the Carter who I know from the team, the guy who is always in control and handling everything, he's going to be fine, but from what Xander said about how he was the night of the…" Bryon's voice trailed off as if he didn't want to speak it out loud in public.
Archer nodded.
"Anyway, Xander said Carter wasn't in good shape. He was in shock and physically ill over it all. Knowing that, I want to know where he is and if he's safe."
"Can you get me some information?" Archer asked.
"Probably, what do you need?"
Archer paused as the waiter came over. He ordered a piece of apple pie and waited while Bryon ordered a burger. Once they were alone again, he met Bryon's stare across the table. "Can you get me the name of the cemetery where his wife and daughter are buried?"
Bryon's eyes widened. "Fuck, why didn't I think of that? Yeah, I can have it to you in just a few minutes. I just need to text Trenton." Bryon reached for his phone. "I'm guessing you want to be the one to go?"
"I'd like to. Even if I have eyes on me, my home is in Virginia. It's not going to look odd for me to fly home. Since Carter lived back that way at the time, I'm assuming he buried them around that area."
Bryon's phone pinged with a message. "You're right. A cemetery in Fairfax, Virginia. I'll forward the information to your phone. Do you want me to ask Trenton to get you on the first flight out?"
"Yeah, I'm packed and ready to go. Most of my stuff is at Carter's still, but if I'm headed home, I can just worry about all that later. I'll have everything I need. I've checked out of the motel, and can drop off my rental car anytime at the airport." Archer sighed. "I just hope he's there. It's where I would go if I were him, but the question is, is he still there. He's got a day's start on us. Can you think of anywhere else he'd be?"
"Not unless he's going after the brothers, but we would have known about that by now. The FBI is already talking to them. Trenton and Matt have been following all they can, but since they aren't as good at hiding that they've been in the FBI's system, they've had to be careful. Carter taught them a lot, but no one is as good as he is." Bryon sent another message, then looked up at Archer. "This isn't like Carter. He's always about communication and letting others know what is going on, so if he's maintaining radio silence, he's got his reasons. He might not be happy with us hunting him down."
Archer spoke in a low voice, making sure no one could hear him. "Which is why I think we need to find him. You just said this isn't like him. He promised me that he wasn't going on a suicide mission when he went after Lyle, but killing someone, especially as violently as it was… You heard what Xander said, Carter wasn't okay after."
"Yeah." He closed his eyes. "I don't think he'd take his own life. I know he's still dealing with the loss of his wife and daughter, but I was kind of hoping you were filling that void the last couple of weeks and giving him something to look forward to in the future, but right now, who knows. It could go either way."
"We're close, and I'd like to think we have a chance at something, but we weren't there yet. Carter wasn't going to allow himself to think about anything like that until after he took care of Lyle. I'm not sure I'm enough to save him." Archer's chest ached at the thought. "You know him better than I do when it comes to where he is mentally. He was just starting to let me in."
"I think you're wrong. In the last few weeks, he's let you in more than he has any of us in years of working together. We're all friends, but Carter doesn't let anyone get close to him. He would do anything for those he cares about, but he doesn't let any of us in. He keeps it professional, seldom talking about anything other than work. Even when we have parties or get-togethers and stuff, he tends to keep to himself. You're the first person I've seen him let inside his head."
"I'm not sure about that. I tried, but things are so new. There are boundaries, and as you said, he doesn't let them get crossed. I'm not saying I'm not going to try, but I can't promise he's going to respond to me. I might not even be able to find him. I could be wrong about where he went."
"You're not. I should have thought about there first. He's going to want to be close to his wife and daughter right now. I just hope it's not too close, if you know what I mean." Bryon sighed.
The thought sent a chill down Archer's spine.
"I don't see Carter as the suicidal type, but who knows what might have changed after the other night. Xander went with him because we knew he didn't have the training to handle things if something went wrong, but it ended up being that he needed Xander for a hell of a lot more. I'm not saying he's weak. Hell, what happened in that house would leave any one of us on edge, but Carter, he's not like me, not like Xander. He's always kept his hands clean when it came to that side of things. This is going to be new for him, and none of us know how he's going to process it all." Bryon sat back as the food arrived.
Archer cut into his pie, but before taking a bite, he looked at Bryon. "Which is why I need to find him. If he tells me to fuck off and leave him alone, I will. I just need to make sure that he's okay first. That he's got a grip on things. If he's not, then I'll try to get him to my place or call you for backup so we can figure something else out."
"You've got full support of the team. Anything you need." Bryon dipped a fry into a puddle of ketchup on his plate. "He's saved our ass more times than we can count. We'll do the same for him."
"Well, let's hope I find him. It's already almost noon here, so by the time I get back home, it will be dark. I won't be able to really look for him until tomorrow. Without knowing where he's staying or what name he's using, it's going to be impossible."
