Page 38 of Caged
"Have you met the guy?" D asked.
"Yeah, a couple of times when I pick Danny up. He's pretty casual. Not what you'd expect for a counselor. He's kicked back and easy going. Not all uppity and proper like many you see. He's the type of guy I'd hang out with after work, grab a few beers with."
D nodded, exchanging a glance with Jeremy.
"Why? What's up?" Marshall wondered what the look meant.
"Nothing yet. You know we're looking for a counselor for the team, which isn't easy to find. I've done a background check on Gary, and he could be just what we are looking for. I'm not sure how to go about knowing for sure. He's got a family history of abuse. His sister was raped when she was fourteen by a teacher at her school. Gary was arrested for attacking the teacher before the police got there to arrest him. I'm not sure of the whole story, but charges ended up being dropped after Gary signed up for anger management classes. Hell, you can't blame a brother for wanting to protect his sister," D said. "Just keep your ears open, but don't say anything. In time, we'll approach him if things feel right. Right now, getting Danny better is his and your priority."
"I just wish I knew how." Marshall sighed.
"You're doing great. He just needs time. You've given him a safe place to do everything he needs to. He seems to trust you, and for him, that's a big deal. Does he have issues living next door to where he was held?" Jeremy asked.
"Not at all. He'll sit outside on the deck with me and watch the house. He said it gives him a sense of security to know it's still empty. The police came back two days ago and went in, but I'm not sure why." Marshall had forced himself not to go over and ask.
"There are no new leads on the case. I think we've got farther than they have running photos through the facial recognition software."
"I'll dig into that deeper tomorrow. I haven't had a lot of time since we've been working on our own cases the last week or so. I was really hoping the police would do more, but I should know better. Their caseload is bigger than ours and they're restricted by the law." Marshall turned the cameras back on, making sure everything was as it should be.
"Police are on the way to the site." Jeremy pointed the tip of his pen at the computer monitor with the 911 information on it.
"Looks like that's a wrap." Marshall eased away from his computer but didn't turn it off until he was sure everyone was safe and home.
"Great job tonight. Wednesday I'll be going out on a solo sting, then Thursday Jessica is going out alone. Patrick will be here with you guys as back up, and as always, Rani is a phone call away if he's at work." D rested his forehead on Jeremy's shoulder. "Damn, I'm tired."
"It's been a long week with a ton of information coming in. You can sleep in tomorrow," Jeremy told him.
Marshall listened to the two of them talk about everyday things. It was amazing how they could go from serious vigilantes to basic everyday guys in just minutes. Being able to shut down after a sting took time, and wasn't always easy, especially if there were kids on site. Marshall always wanted to stay and listen to the police scanner until the scene cleared so he knew for sure the kids were safe. But not tonight. Tonight he was going to head home, fix himself a hot chocolate, kick his feet up on the couch, and if Danny was still awake, maybe talk him into another movie until they both crashed out on the couch again.
He needed to be careful. The places his mind was going weren't safe. He should go home and go straight to his room. The last place he needed to be was curled up with Danny again.
He stood up and stretched.
"You can go, Marsh. I've got this if anything changes. Go home and get some sleep," Jeremy said.
"You sure?"
"Yep. Nothing to do here other than debrief. Head on out." D smiled. "Thanks again for all the work you do."
"Nowhere I'd rather be." He meant that. He couldn't think of another job that would be so fulfilling. "See you two tomorrow." He saluted and headed out the door.
As he got in his car, he cursed himself for being so excited to get home because it was the person who was there he wanted to get to, not the house.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Marshall wasn't too shocked to find the living room lights on when he got home. It was late, but he'd expected to find Danny waiting for him. He parked, got out of the car, and headed inside. He found Danny on the couch watching TV. "Hi, sorry I'm so late." Marshall walked into the living room. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just couldn't sleep so I came out to watch a movie. How was work?"
"It was good. Everything went smoothly. I'll have to go in later tomorrow for a few hours, but no more late nights until Wednesday." Marshall set his keys down. "I'm going to change clothes, then make some hot chocolate. Want some?"
"How about I make it while you change?" Danny pushed up from the couch.
"Thanks, that'd be great." Marshall was touched by the gesture. He wasn't used to anyone taking care of him. "I won't be long."
He hurried to his room and slipped out of his jeans and into a pair of sweatpants. He pulled a fresh t-shirt over his head, ran his fingers through his hair, then headed out. Danny was still in the kitchen, so he joined him there. "Any reason you couldn't sleep? No new nightmares, are there?"
"No, I did manage a couple of hours, but then I just woke up. I got up to go to the bathroom and decided to kick it on the couch for a bit and watch TV. I'll regret it tomorrow when I'm tired, but it is what it is."
