Chapter 38
Damien
Sheriff Woody (Tony)
Hey, D. I had that APB out on Macher like you asked. One of my officers reported that he saw him about an hour ago, close to the railyard. His partner said he didn’t see anyone, but I thought you might want to check it out.
I read over his text again, trying to decide if I’m a lunatic or his officer is.
We’ve all kept our eyes out for Satori, and there hasn’t been any sign of him.
What are the chances that he’s been hiding under our noses this entire time, and this officer actually saw him?
With how our luck runs, pretty high—which is why we’re scouring the area and checking under rocks for any trace of him.
It’s not often that we operate like this before dark, but it’s close enough and I don’t want to waste any more time.
Satori isn’t stupid enough to wander around at night when we perform at our best. So, if we’re going to catch him, it’ll be when there’s still daylight out.
It started snowing about an hour ago, and that makes it even more plausible that this officer is right.
Satori could’ve been seeking shelter or returning to one he had already found.
But now that it’s snowing even harder than it was, any possible tracks are going to be covered.
“I don’t know how legit this sighting is, D. There’s no sign of anyone breaking into the railyard, none of our ground guys are catching sight of him, and we’ve checked all of the unoccupied homes. If he’s hiding out in the city, it isn’t here,” Zeke says as he steps up beside me.
I scan the area below us like a hawk, eyeing between rail cars, overlooking the fence line, and checking light poles for security cameras.
It looks like Zeke might get what he wanted, and our little peace bubble might explode after all.
I didn’t tell Ashia what was going on, and I kept it out of the system in case she decided to look.
She’s been having contractions on and off all day, and it’s starting to worry me.
We've timed them, and they were very irregular and didn’t last very long, with ample time between them.
But I hate how uncomfortable she is, and her mind is running wild with her nesting instinct.
She doesn’t need to worry about this, too.
“If there’s even a possibility of that asshole being in the city, I want to know about it.
” I clench my jaw, hating how my skin tingles.
I feel useless, like I’ve gone soft, and damnit, maybe I have.
Satori Macher tried to have me killed and take my organization—then he tried to kill my wife, but somehow, he made it out alive.
He never should’ve evaded my sight. “Fuck, I should’ve found him…
I should’ve just searched for him the moment he escaped.
Why the fuck didn’t I do that?” I run my hand through my hair and turn away from the scene, looking down at the other side of the hill instead of at the train tracks.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, D. I get why you didn’t. Hell, we all do. You and Ash deserve some fucking peace. Ash has had enough health issues, and you’re getting ready to have a kid. There are more pressing matters.”
“But I shouldn’t have just ignored it. I’m sure there was some type of happy-medium, or ‘be calm this day and work hard the next’ type shit.” I fling my arms out and pace in the snow, focusing on the crunch beneath my boots instead of the violent thoughts running through my head.
“You and Ashia are happier than I’ve ever seen you be.
It’s okay. We’ve all been looking for him and none of us have any idea as to where he is.
He’s a sneaky mother fucker with maybe two people left in the world who are on his side.
It’s okay to ignore him. He’s ruined—finished.
” Zeke just shrugs it off and shakes his head.
I appreciate his attempt to lighten the situation, but it doesn’t make me feel any better, knowing that he doesn’t actually feel that way.
“Oh, is that how you feel about Avery?” I turn to him and raise a brow. His face falls in realization.
“Good point.”
I continue to pace, the urgency to find him churning my stomach.
“How did he escape from the Attic, again?”
Zeke pulls his phone out and swipes a few times before answering me.
“We don’t know. His car was left there after he ran. So, he must’ve hitchhiked or something. It looks like we couldn’t find him on street cams.”
“And nothing of him from the cameras in the forest?”
“Nope. Not shit. We can see where he made it to the road, and then nothing after that.”
I shake my head and turn back around just to survey the area again. Uneasiness makes the hair on the back of my neck stand, mixing with the freezing air that whips across my face.
“Alex is still at the house, right?”
“Yeah, and he promised to work Daisy today instead of letting Ashia turn her into a potato. So, she’ll be alert and ready for anything.”
I just roll my eyes.
“She’s Ashia’s dog now. She can treat her as good as she wants. Daisy is four years old. She was going to retire eventually.”
“Yeah, but K-9 operatives work until they’re like seven.” Zeke crosses his arms.
“Well, I said four was fine, damnit.”
“Alright, D. Jesus. Calm down, I’m just busting your balls.”
“Do I look like I’m in the mood for that?” I lash out at him, instantly regretting it.
“What’s really going on, D?”
“I don’t know. I just…” I blow hot air into my hands and attempt to gather my thoughts.
“I want everything to be perfect for them… Ashia deserves the chance to deliver her with a clear mind, not worried about an enemy busting through the door. Newborns literally feed off their mothers, and I don’t just mean for food.
They feel their emotions, too. If Ashia is scared, then the baby will be, too, and I don’t want that for either of them… ”
“You’ve done a great job at making her feel safe.
I mean, I know you’re all about honesty and shit, but keeping this from her is a good idea.
She’s at the house, protected. Satori doesn’t have Kade to hack his way in anymore, and even if Daisy is getting lazy and a little chunky, she’s still not going to let anything happen to Ash.
Plus, Ser is coming over tonight, and I don’t think anyone wants to get on her bad side. ”
I chuckle at that. He does have some good points, despite my unwillingness to believe him.
It’s hard to accept that things might actually be okay.
We’ve had so much happen in such a short amount of time that I don’t know if can let it go.
I’m trying for her sake. I really am. But it’s hard to shove my obsessive tendencies aside…
especially when I’m supposed to be out on the street tonight.
“If something else happens to her, I would never be able to forgive myself…”
“Then we’ll just have to do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
I stand in the doorway of our bedroom and take in the marvelous sight of her, trying to silence the thoughts in my head.
This woman is never going to stop amazing me.
To deal will everything she’s had to, and to handle it with such grace—even as she grows the life we created in her body—warms me.
She’s melting my worries without even realizing it.
I had to come home before we started the shift.
There was no way I was going to make it out there tonight without laying my eyes on her.
We searched for as long as we could, but still found nothing.
Tony is currently on the railyard property, politely suggesting that he needs to see their security footage from today.
I had half a mind to storm in and ask for it myself, but there was no way they were going to give it to me—not with how strict their privacy policies are.
Ashia’s sitting up, rubbing lotion on her very swollen stomach as she lounges against the headboard.
I suggested that she take a hot shower to try and relieve some of the pain she’s in.
It seems to have helped some, I think. She still looks a little tense, but at least the pain has eased from her face.
I step up to her and take over, rubbing the lotion in as gently as I can manage.
She has five more weeks to go, but she’s already so exhausted.
Serena said almost all first-time mothers go past their due dates, but I don’t think that’ll be the case for us.
At least I hope not. We knew that with Ashia’s petite size, she would have some difficulty as her belly grew, but seeing her in so much pain is killing me inside.
She’s had it rough this pregnancy between being taken, the car crash, and her blood pressure issues—not to mention all of the stress we’ve both been under.
A part of me still can’t believe this is happening.
My daughter. Our little girl… I wasn’t nearly as scared before I was taken.
I was so sure I could protect her the way she needs, and I thought I was moving past those feelings of doubt.
Until today… The possible sighting of Satori is hanging over my head like a scythe, and I can’t ignore it any longer.
My hands graze the scars that are left on her body, and dread fills my chest. Her screams replay over and over in my head, calling out to the voices and trying to coax them back out.
I can’t spiral, not now. I need to remain levelheaded for her sake and not fall back into old habits.
The last time I left her at home and stormed into battle, she was taken from me, and she’s not feeling near well enough to go to the Attic.
I’m constantly hanging between a thousand possibilities, and they’re all pulling me apart.