Chapter Twenty-Six
Landon
Allie wins.
Fucking hell. Not again. I don’t even bother putting my phone away because I know she is going to text me.
Allie : Still telling yourself that I’m cheating?
Landon : You got lucky. I was in the middle of a conference call and got distracted.
Allie : Sureeeee. Whatever you have to tell yourself.
Landon : Start the next game and quit talking shit. I’ll make you eat your words Evans.
Allie : *throws up* sorry. Couldn’t stomach your NEED to win one game out of what was that…6.
A notification pops up from Resilience and I make sure it’s not urgent before swiping it away.
Landon : Just start the game. Your smack talk is giving me more of a headache than my brothers.
I watch as typing bubbles appear and disappear for the next few minutes. Shit. She must really be going hard with the smack talk on this one. But when her text finally comes through, I immediately know something is up.
Allie : Okay.
Landon : Ask your question. Or say what you wanted to say.
Allie : You should really stop assuming that when I go quiet that it’s because I am afraid of saying or asking something.
My brow raises and I look up quickly to make sure my brothers aren’t coming back from scoping out a property of a man that we believe took our captive before I take a swig of my drink. When I see the coast is clear, I take a large sip of my drink and let my body relax as the liquid warms me from the inside out.
Landon : I didn’t. I just know you and know you wouldn’t let me win when it comes to smack talk.
Allie : Fine. Umm…how is the mission going? Are you on track to come home tomorrow or Sunday.
Landon : It’s going. We are set to rescue the captive early tomorrow morning.
If all goes well with the scope out tonight and the rescue tomorrow, we should be back tomorrow night. But it will probably be late.
Allie : Oh okay.
Landon : Why? Miss me already?
When Allie doesn’t respond for a few minutes, panic rises in my chest. Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that. She probably thinks I’m flirting with her and now the one person who is her safe space is making moves on he r.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I stare down at the whiskey and coke sitting on the table next to me and curse it a thousand ways to Sunday for being a means to survive, but also a curse that causes me to say stupid shit.
I am about to type out a message and apologize to Allie when a text comes through.
Allie : The only thing I miss is seeing the look on your face when I kick your ass at Uno in person.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Maybe she said it to save me from spiraling. Or maybe she didn’t think anything of it. Either way, I am happy I didn’t just mess up a friendship that’s foundation is built on trust and knowing that I am not another man who will hurt her.
Taking another sip of my drink, instead of typing out another text, I hit the call button. I have no idea why I do, but for some odd reason, I cannot stand the silence surrounding me.
The phone rings a few times before Allie’s voice comes through the phone. “Hello?” she says, probably confused as hell why I am calling her. When I’m gone, we usually stick to texts.
Clearing my voice, “Hey sorry. I—uh…don’t know why I called.”
Silence fills the line between us, and I wait for her to respond.
“Oh. Um…do you need a distraction?”
I nod, but realize she cannot see me and say, “Sure?”
Rustling sounds through the phone and I try to piece together what she is about to say or do when her voice comes through the line. “Sorry. I was swapping out the ice pack for my hand.”
“No problem. How are you? Any pain?”
“Yeah. But it’s not as bad as trying to survive my mind, so it could be worse.”
Fucking hell . I take another swig of my drink and immediately feel disgusted with myself. I am sitting here talking to this girl that has been through the unthinkable and I am here letting a damn liquid take me down. Anger rises in my chest and I want to throw the damn drink across the lawn, but I know that will only create a problem later when I need to focus on doing my job I have been severely failing at.
“Sorry. Dark humor is how I cope, apparently.”
A laugh escapes me and I take another look at my drink and flip off the inanimate object.
Taunt us all you want, but we know we will always win.
“We all have our ways of coping. Yours just happens to leave people with their jaws on the floor and mine…yeah. Anyway, what’s this distraction you were talking about?”
“Okay. Do you remember back at my parents’ place you said you would answer any question I had when it came to what you and your brothers do?”
I nod again and roll my eyes, remembering that she cannot see me. “Yeah. You know you can ask me anything with the promise I will always tell the truth.”
“I know. So now is a good time to ask something regarding what you do?”
Settling further into the Adirondack chair, I flip open my laptop on the table and load up Resilience. I don’t want to miss a signal from my brothers or someone else if I get too focused on Allie. I want to be in this moment with her rather than be on a mission, but this captive has hours remaining and I need to be on my ‘A’ game.
“Yeah. But I may have to go without a second’s notice, so just be aware of that and know I didn’t hang up on you because you upset me if I suddenly hang up.”
“Okay. So I have no idea how to word this correctly, so please don’t get mad at me for the wording of this question or if my words come out jumbled and rambled.”
A laugh escapes me. “Okay. I promise.”
“So how do you know victims are…well…victims? How do their family members find you? Clearly, they aren’t going through the police, so how do they find you? Are there others besides the ones I know about that work within this field? What happens with the people after you save them? What happens to the assholes?” Allie lets out a long breath and I take in her rapid fire of questions.
I knew she was curious, but I didn’t realize she had been harbouring all these questions inside her mind. And for some reason, I am a little disappointed I am not with her in person to explain everything. I want to see her reactions to make sure I am not going too far with my explanations and accidentally upset her. Because I could give her a surface level answer, but I have a feeling that isn’t what she wants. She wants to know what lies behind the wall that I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into.
An idea clicks in my mind, “You can say no, but can I video call you? I think this conversation is best face to face and I have my computer next to me that may help to explain things better. But if you aren’t comfortable with it, I completely understand and I—.” I am cut off by a ringing from my phone and I pull it away from my ear to see Allie video calling me.
Her face appears on the screen and a small smile spreads across her face when she sees my shocked expression. “Sorry. You were rambling, figured this was easier.”
I take her in for a moment. Her wavy hair is down and a beanie sits on her head. My stomach twists when I see the dark circles under her bright blue eyes. I immediately know she didn’t sleep last night. Allie shifts in her seat and pulls the blanket up to cover her mouth with her sleeve covered hand.
Not wanting to creep her out, I start explaining. “A lot of your questions all come back to one point, and that is a program called Resilience.” Allie nods and I continue. “I started Resilience after a victim’s family offered to compensate us for finding his daughter. I want to be very clear before I explain any of this. This isn’t about money. It never has been and it never will be. The foundation of what we do is built on finding missing people because the police either don’t care enough about or have exhausted all their resources. And once we find them, it is about setting them on the best path we can to recovery. Whether that’s therapy, finding them a job, regaining custody of their kids, literally anything they need or that we can help with, we will do.
“And if we don’t get to them in time, we do everything we can to help the family that survives them. Funeral cost, therapy, custody of their loved one’s children if needed, anything.
“I do not say this brag, but the Hayes family comes from a line of business owners and antique car repairmen. So we do not need the money. My brothers and I have always known what the value of a dollar is because our parents instilled in us that the amount of money in your bank account doesn’t define you or how you should act. Our parents raised us to know the value of working hard and finding a career that fulfils your needs and dreams because money could all go away tomorrow, but your knowledge will not.
“That said, we do get paid, but that wasn’t until two years ago after we hit a goal number in all the accounts that we use to sustain this program. But it doesn’t go directly into our pockets. It goes into our businesses, continuing education, our homes, a large section goes to an inheritance fund for future family members of the Hayes family and whatever is left over goes to help us sustain our everyday lives.”
I wait and watch Allie’s reaction. I feel like I explained way too much, but also nothing at all. This is probably why I enjoy silence. I hate talking about myself, let alone allowing someone behind the walls of something I protect so fiercely.
“So it’s not about the money. I get that. And from the little I know, I think what you are doing is selfless and the amount of care that you provide after is something you all should be proud of. It would be so easy to swoop in and save the day, but the long-term effects are sometimes harder to get over than the ones in the current moment. So the fact that all of you recognize that and do everything you can to help them beyond a rescue is incredible.”
Nodding, I say, “I don’t see it as selfless. We all have our reasonings for doing it. Every single one of us does and I can promise you, it is more for selfish reasons.”
A silence spreads between us and I lock eyes with Allie to see her nodding and patiently waiting for me to continue.
“Resilience is a program that we created when my brothers and I decided that this could be bigger than just the victims of the Pacific Northwest. I wanted to find like-minded people that were just like us all over the US and Canada. It was a lot of trial and error building the software and back end of the program, but when it was up and running, Lachlan was the first to join.
“We went our separate ways after the academy. We tried to stay in touch, but life got busy. And after I got out and put my full focus into Resilence, Lachlan had just come home from the Navy, so he was looking for something to do.”
I am about to continue when Allie stops me. “Why did you quit your job?”
“Um.” Shit. I scrub my hand down my face and try to figure out the best way to say this without it being too much for her, but also wanting to be honest. And she must catch on because she says, “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But if you are worried about it messing with my mind, I promise I will be fine to hear about it.”
I know she will be. This girl is one of the strongest people I have ever met.
“I left because if I stayed, I would have been sent to prison for killing someone.”
Allie’s eyebrows go high on her head and I continue, “I was on late night patrol through the neighborhood when I got a call from my supervisor saying that there was an anonymous call about a woman being kept in a home by someone of the community and that she was being abused.
“I raced over with a few backup officers and what we found was fucking awful. The former mayor of the town had been keeping a woman locked up in his living room and I’ll let you fill in the rest. But it was bad. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands because come to find out she had been missing for months and the mayor had been deleting the records and reports. I tried to get the deputy to do something, but all he said was that he was getting prison time and probation and that’s all he could do. And that he knew the mayor was deleting files, just didn’t know why…even though he had an idea. So it was I kill both of the assholes for ruining this girl’s life or I quit because that isn’t what I signed up to do. I am not a paper pusher or yes man and never will be. So I quit and put my entire focus into the ones that matter.”
I watch as Allie takes in everything I just told her. And it hits me that I never have told anyone the full truth as to why I quit. My family knows that something happened, but they thought it was some disagreement with the deputy because that guy is…was a waste of space on this earth just as much as the mayor was.
“Sorry. That was a lot to process at one time. So what happened with the deputy, the mayor, and the girl, if you don’t mind me asking?” Her voice is level and calm, which brings me an odd sense of comfort and reassurance that I didn’t divulge a secret I had been harboring for years to the wrong person.
“After an anonymous tip, including photos of a secret property the mayor owned was submitted, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. The photos revealed that the incident with the girl was not an isolated event. He had done it multiple times and had detailed plans to kidnap more people, not just women.” Allie’s eyes go wide and I continue, “Yeah. But he didn’t make it to twenty years. He lasted about two months before he was killed in a prison riot. Bummer.” I don’t hide the laughter and smile on my face. And it grows wider when I see the wheels click into place.
“You didn’t…” I wait to see if she shows any sort of anger or fear, but all I can see from here is genuine curiosity and maybe a slight sliver of hope that her assumptions are true.
“Not sure what you are trying to say but if you are asking me if I had something to do with it…I will say that answer lies at the bottom of the ocean right next to the deputy who jumped after being convicted on multiple counts of him being an accomplice in multiple cases with his mayor buddy.”
Allie looks around the room and her face shows she is taking everything in but not in a judgemental way, but in a trying to piece everything together kind of way .
“Well. I mean, they deserved it, right? What was anonymously submitted was horrible and unforgivable.”
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a pack of gum and pop it in my mouth as I say, “Yep.”
Allie’s hand goes to rest on her mouth, and she meets my gaze through the phone. “Well, I hope they made good shark bait.”
A laugh escapes me and I nod. “They did indeed.”
We sit in silence for a moment and I debate whether I should continue when a notification from Resilience chimes on my computer.
“Just one second Al. I need to check this. Sorry.” I wait for her to nod and when she does, I click on the notification.
Missing Person Priority Level 3:
Mission ID #: 75628
Sutton Prescott
Age 31
Last Known Location: Calgary, Canada
Date Reported Missing: 05/08/23
Threat Level: Yellow
Team Activated: Braveheart
Team Lead: Aries
Team Assist: Savior
Team Lead: Lachlan
Need for Team Blackbird: Not at this time.
Team Lead: Landon
Notes: Priority Level increased due to time frame missing. No new developments. Team Assist Activated. Search and Investigation range increased to two hundred-mile radius.
End Report.
Exiting out of the report, I pull up Lachlan’s profile and send him a message.
Landon : Report received. Is this the case you mentioned the other day?
Lachlan : Yes. But I no longer need your assistance up here. Addy agreed to go to a treatment facility in Seattle. I added you as her emergency contact so can you keep an eye on her and check in please?
Landon : Yes. Sorry for not getting up there quicker. This mission came in and we were delayed due to the snow storm.
Lachlan : No need to apologize. You had more important matters to handle. I trust you with Addy so keep an eye on her please.
This case is looking very complex and riddled with so many dead ends that I need to put my full focus into helping Aries.
Landon : Focus on the case. Let Aries know that he can tap Wes or me in if needed. I will take care of Addy and bring Mom in too since Addy loves her.
Lachlan : Thanks man. Stay safe.
Landon : Stay safe.
Picking up my phone, I see Allie patiently waiting. “Sorry. A case got bumped up in priority and I had to make sure the team leads were good to go.”
Allie stares at me with a confused expression and I want to explain everything to her, but I have over loaded her with information tonight already. But I also don’t want her questions to go unanswered and judging by her curious expression, I know she has a ton of questions.
“I can give you the cliff notes version of what Resilience is or I can wait until I see you in person. I have thrown a lot of heavy information at you tonight and really don’t want to pile on.”
“Respectfully, I will be pissed if you don’t tell me some version of what the hell any of this means. I know the why and now I want to know how. Because today is a good day and tomorrow may be back to barely surviving, so I want to take these good moments and learn about what incredible and life changing system you have created.”
My chest fills with an odd sense of pride. I know this system changes lives. I know what we are doing can be the difference between life and death. But I’ve felt nothing other than stress and hurt when I cannot get to someone in time. And right now, I can sit in that rare moment of sunshine and see the good side of what we do.
“It’s going to sound complicated, but it breaks down to a few simple things that trigger a chain of events. It starts with a missing persons report. That can be from a police station or social media outlets, anywhere. That information is given to us either directly from police stations who believe the report needs to be escalated. Or we reach out to the family member that reported on social media and offer to assist.
“Now sometimes, it is simply a matter of search, rescue, return to family. In these instances, it could be because the police didn’t take the report seriously, they didn’t have the resources, or the family didn’t know the full story behind why their loved one went missing. We have had tons of cases of the missing person just wanted separation from their family member and blocked them.
“So that is why we have a tier system put in place. Once that report is added, a small group assesses the case and categorizes it based on the findings. Five being the lowest priority and one being top priority. Cases can stay at priority levels for extended periods of time while more information is gathered.” I pause to make sure she is okay and understanding. And when she shakes her head yes, I take that as my sign to continue.
“We have teams all over. They are made up of ex police officers, ex and current military members, former victim’s family members, really anyone that has a passion, understanding, and drive to do what we do. We divide them into teams based on their region and each team has a team lead. I have appointed every team lead, and that is because I recruited these members and built them into the system. They know exactly how things need to be run. They are great leaders. And they know what it takes to make sure these people get back home. From there, the system assigns cases, teams get activated, and if necessary, myself or Wesley will be activated to help due to our…umm…specialities if need be. But that is the premise of Resilience. I built it from the ground up and with the help of other like-minded people. It has changed the statistics on people coming and going off the missing persons report.”
I take a deep breath and relax into the chair and wait for Allie to respond. I feel like shit throwing so much information at her and probably scaring her or confusing her more than she already was, but like I’ve said a thousand times, I will tell her anything she wants to know.
I watch as Allie sits and stares beyond the phone, and my mind starts to run. What if I said too much? What if she thinks this isn’t the safe space she thought I was? What if she thinks she's just another victim and I am just doing my job? Because if that is the case, how do I tell her it is the opposite? She is the friend I didn’t know I needed. She is the person I can go to and know will not judge me for my mood swings and times where I just need silence.
Dammit.
My arms feel like fire is crawling up them and I grab my drink from the table and take a large sip. The cool whiskey coating my throat sends a wave of disgust through me and extinguishes the burn.
Allie turns her attention back to the phone. “Wow. I never knew it was that…complex. I truly thought you were a bunch of mercenaries that went where anonymous tips sent you. I never thought it would be this complex.” She pauses to gather her thoughts and when she’s ready, she shocks me and locks her bright blues on mine and says a few simple words that go straight to my heart.
“Landon. You should be proud of what you have created. I may not know what fully lies beyond that mask you have secured on so tightly and I know you carry the weight of so many, but I can tell you one thing for certain. If there are teams of people like you out there trying to bring people home, that means there was a team looking for me and my parents before I called Logan. And knowing that means I truly wasn’t alone. We had people coming, and it wasn’t just up to me to get us out. It just so happens that evil outsmarted the good and won this time. And that doesn’t make it okay, but it makes a world of difference knowing that if I didn’t get out, someone was on the other side waiting to come and help me. So never give up because even if you get there too late, know that they put up a hell of a fight and now you can use that anger and fight to fuel your revenge and take one more evil off the streets.”
Words and thoughts fail me. How do I respond to that? What do I do? I feel like I should hug her and thank her for saying everything I have been needing to hear since I started all of this, but she is on the other side of the screen hours away and all I can do is sit here and stare at her like a deer in headlights.
The urge to grab my drink is strong, but I push it away.
No. I need to be clear minded in this moment. I need to let her words sink in and try to find a way to believe them, even if every part of me is telling me they aren’t true.
I try to speak a few times but words fail me every time, so I take a deep breath and try one last time. “You know, for a woman of few words, you always seem to say the most honest and real things. Thank you is nowhere near the words that are good enough to explain how I feel, but they are all I have, so thank you.”
Allie flashes me a smile. “I may be broken, and my mind may be riddled with darkness so thick I can barely see. But it does have moments of clarity and that was one of them.”
Words fail me once more and my mind starts to spiral, but I don’t have to sit and figure out what to say too long because in the distance the sounds of my brother’s voices getting close to the rental pull me out of the moment.
“I have to go, but I will talk to you soon. Thank you again.”
“Be safe and Landon?”
“Yeah?”
“You do great at your job but you suck at Uno.” A devilish smirk spreads across her face and she winks at me before hanging up.
Allison Evans is definitely not what I expected her to be and part of me is happy because the person I have grown to know and what she has done for me as a friend is something I will forever be grateful for.