Chapter 17 - Hawk
It didn’t take Swede long to track down Flora’s stalker, Wally Mintor, a supply clerk on base. Hawk quickly called Commander Michaels, who dispatched the MPs to apprehend him. Now, Hank and Hawk were face-to-face with the man who had caused so much chaos.
As they entered the small interrogation room, Hawk’s gaze fell on Wally, slumped in his chair like a broken doll.
The slight man had a gaunt, nervous look; his thin frame and passive demeanor contrasted sharply with his role as a military supply clerk.
His dark hair was tousled, and his red-rimmed eyes shimmered with tears.
Hawk noticed how Wally’s shoulders hunched, as if trying to curl into himself for comfort, and how his trembling fingertips fidgeted with the edge of his shirt.
Wally’s face was pale and streaked with tears, showing that he was overwhelmed with guilt and despair.
He appeared vulnerable and uncertain. However, seeing this shy clerk, who usually preferred the calm routine of managing military supplies, break down so completely was almost humorous.
If the circumstances hadn’t been so serious, Hawk might have felt a small burst of sympathy.
“I didn’t wanna do it,” Wally said, his voice soft and hesitant, thick Southern drawl adding to his vulnerability.
He glanced up at the two men. “Charlotte told me Flora was gonna ruin everything for me. Said she was holdin’ me back, keepin’ me from bein’ seen.
That I’d never get Bear to notice me if I didn’t prove myself—show I was tough. ”
Hank shot Hawk a glance, disbelief etched on his face. “This is the guy that tried to kill Flora? Really?”
Hawk’s tone was firm. “Who is Charlotte? Last name? Where is she?”
Wally hesitated, gaze dropping, fingers trembling as they played with the edge of his shirt. “Charlotte Thompson. She lives off-base, near the shopping center. We usually text or I see her when she visits the base.” His voice wavered. “I don’t tell nobody about her.”
Hank raised an eyebrow. “And what does she tell you?”
Wally’s fingers tapped nervously. “She says I’m special, I got potential. I ain’t just a supply clerk. If I do somethin’ big, Bear’ll finally notice me.”
Hank studied him, sensing how much of Wally’s fear fueled everything. “So what was that something big?”
Wally’s voice dropped to a whisper. “She wanted me to attack Flora at a convention at Walter Reed Hospital. She wanted me to kill her, like a mugging.”
He hesitated, eyes darting downward. “Charlotte said if I did this, everyone would see how brave I am. I’d finally matter.”
Hawk felt disbelief and frustration wash over him. “And you believed her? You thought killing Flora would make Bear notice you?”
Wally nodded, shame and desperation etched on his face. “Thought if Flora wasn’t around, maybe Bear would see me differently. I just wanted to be someone who mattered.Charlotte said if I got rid of Flora, then I’d be the one Bear cares about. I didn’t want to hurt nobody.”
Hawk picked up on Wally’s dependence. “What happened when you didn’t kill Flora? What did Charlotte do?”
Wally’s gaze remained distant. “Charlotte always tells me I got potential. I’m special. I do this, I’ll be someone Bear will notice—and then everything’s different.”
Hank leaned in, his voice steady. “What did Charlotte do when you didn’t kill Flora?”
Wally sat as if he were the only one in the room, a sad tilt to his head. “I wanted to believe she was lookin’ out for me. She said I had to do it to prove I was tough. I wasn’t enough yet, but I could get there.”
Hawk leaned forward, slamming his hand on the table. “Answer the question!”
Wally’s eyes widened, snapping back to reality. “What question?”
Hawk’s jaw clenched. “What happened when you didn’t kill Flora?”
“Oh,” Wally laughed nervously, “she told me to send the pictures I took of Bear, tell her I could get him any time, that he wasn’t safe.”
Hank leaned forward, skepticism in his expression. “So, you’re saying Charlotte planned this whole thing, and you just went along with it?”
Wally nodded, clutching his trembling hands. “Yeah. She said Bear loved me, but I had to prove myself first. I swear, I didn’t want to kill Flora. I just wanted Bear to notice me.”
His gaze dropped to the table, fingers fidgeting with his sleeve. “She always told me I was special, I had potential. Bear would notice me if I just did something big, to show I’m not just some nobody.”
Hawk exchanged a glance with Hank, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “So you believed her? You thought this would work? How did you get those pictures of Bear that you sent her? You know you’re not allowed to take photos like that on base.”
“Yeah!” Wally exclaimed, his voice rising slightly, a mix of excitement and desperation. “I took ‘em for myself, to look at when I was alone at night, you know?”
Hawk ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration.
Hank leaned back, disbelief mixed with astonishment. “So all of this was Charlotte’s planning, and you thought you’d get Bear in the end? Is that right?”
Hawk felt anger at the manipulation Wally had endured. “So, she exploited your feelings for Bear to control you? That’s sick.”
“Yeah,” Wally agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. “I was like trapped. I wanted to be brave, someone Bear could look up to, but what would happen if I didn’t follow through.”
Hank’s expression softened slightly. “Wally, you need to understand that this isn’t just about you and Bear anymore. Flora’s life is in danger. If Charlotte is as manipulative as you say, we need to find her and stop her.”
Hawk quickly sent a text to his team to increase protection for Flora. Time was running out.
“I know! I know!” Wally cried, tears spilling down his cheeks. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I just wanted to matter!”
Hawk, tired of wasting time on Wally, knew he wasn’t the mastermind here. “Then help us, Wally. Tell us everything you can about Charlotte. Where she hangs out, who she associates with—anything that might lead us to her. This is your chance to make things right.”
Wally wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, nodding. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you everything. Just… please, don’t let anything happen to Bear. I didn’t want this.”
Hank leaned forward again, his tone serious. “Wally, you need to understand that this is far more serious than just a crush. By putting Flora’s life in danger, you’ve hurt Bear. Do you realize that?”
Wally’s face fell, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far! I just wanted to be someone, to make Bear proud. I thought… I thought I could change things!”
Hawk clenched his jaw tighter. The more Wally spoke, the clearer it became that he was a pawn in a game far larger than he could comprehend.
A weakling manipulated by someone with darker intentions.
Hawk could almost see the gears turning in Wally’s mind, a frantic attempt to distance himself from the horror of his actions.
“Wally,” Hank pressed, his voice calm but firm, “you need to understand the severity of what you’re saying. If Charlotte orchestrated this, she’s a dangerous individual. But you still went along with it. You put Flora in harm’s way.”
“I know! I know!” Wally cried, his voice rising in pitch. “But I couldn’t do it! I just wanted Bear to look at me like he looks at Flora! I didn’t think it would go this far!”
Hawk felt a surge of frustration at how easily Wally had been led astray. What kind of hold did Charlotte have over him? What kind of person could twist another’s affection into a weapon?
Hank leaned in closer, urgency pressing down on him.
“Wally, listen to me. If you help us find Charlotte and provide everything you know about her, I might be able to help you. Instead of facing a court martial for what you’ve done, I could potentially get you an Article 15 hearing.
But you need to cooperate fully. This is your chance to make things right. ”
Wally’s eyes widened, a flicker of hope igniting within him. “You really think so?”
“Yes,” Hawk replied, his tone steady, “but only if you’re honest and forthcoming with us. We need to find Charlotte.”
Wally bit his lip, his brow furrowing as he recalled the chaotic night at the hospital.
“Well, she likes disguises,” he began, his voice trembling slightly.
“Sometimes, I don’t even know it’s her. Like when we were at the hospital the other night.
We were both dressed like doctors, you know, scrubs and everything. I thought we looked pretty convincing.”
Hawk leaned in, intrigued. “Go on.”
Wally continued, his eyes darting around the room as if he were reliving the moment.
“She went into the bathroom while I went to Flora’s room.
I was supposed to inject something into Flora’s IV.
I was nervous, but I thought I could do it.
Then, when that lady yelled at me, I ran.
I didn’t know where Charlotte went, but then I saw her again—this time, she was dressed as a security guard. I almost didn’t recognize her!”
Hawk jumped up and knocked on the door for the MP’s, “That’s why we haven’t found her on facial recognition. We need to get this information back to Swede.”