Page 178 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“Where were you?” Cole asked and Tony winced.

“I don’t think it’s really my place…” He began. His arm was in a sling. He’d insisted on coming back to work, on being there even though the doctors had pointed out how crazy he was to discharge himself barely hours out of surgery.

Cole shook his head. “I don’t give a fuck what you think, you work for me, you take my orders, now I’m ordering you to tell me where the fuck you both went.”

“Cole.” Brandon said quietly and Cole shot him a look.

The team were outside in the main office and thankfully the room was shut so no one could hear them. So far all they’d found was some grainy CCTV footage from the scene that gave little beyond a few clips of the shootout and then Maddie running as someone chased her. The fact they knew it was Maddie was the only way they could recognise her because the image was so poor it could’ve been any brunette woman.

Max was in ICU, in an induced coma. Jaz was in ICU too though they’d had to cut out her gall bladder and half her liver because of the damage. Everyone else was dead.

They’d gotten little more from the scene. No forensics. No leads. Nothing. The van’s they’d used were on cloned plates and they’d ditched them barely a mile away leaving the burning carcasses in a field.

So now Cole was traipsing through the last god knows how many hours of Maddie’s movements in the hope they might reveal something, anything, that could help them.

“Look I know you’re my boss but it was a personal…”

“For fucksake.” Brandon snapped. “Whatever it is can you just tell us so we can rule out whether it had anything to do with this.”

“It didn’t.” Tony stated.

“How about you let us decide.” Cole replied.

“Fine, you know what, fine.” Tony said shaking his head but feeling like he was betraying Maddie all the same. “She was at a clinic.”

“What clinic?” Cole asked narrowing his eyes.

“It’s called Kings. It’s some sort of women’s clinic.” Tony muttered turning red as he said it.

“What?” Cole replied. “Why was she there?”

“Like I know. She just asked me to keep it quiet. I think she was embarrassed, ashamed almost.” Tony said.

Cole felt Brandon glancing at him.

“Okay Tony, you can go.” Brandon said and Tony half sprinted for the door.

Cole sighed even as his head spun. He pulled his phone out and googled the place.

“What is it?” Brandon asked and Cole held his phone for Brandon to see.

“Shit.” Brandon muttered. “Did you know?”

“Of course I didn’t know. Why would I have asked Tony if I knew?” Cole snapped.

“I meant that she was looking into it?” Brandon replied.

“No.” Cole said. “I had no idea.” He sunk down on the couch. How many secrets was Maddie still keeping from him?

“Maybe she overheard us…” Brandon said.

“Maybe.” Cole said but he wasn’t convinced. “Why didn’t she say anything?”

Brandon frowned. “Maybe it was like Tony said. She was ashamed.”

“Of what?”

Brandon shrugged. “Why don’t you ask her when we get her back.”

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