Chapter 25 #2
I tuck Andi under my arm and quicken my steps, hoping to avoid any more interruptions.
The sky is dark with thunderclouds as we step outside, a fitting backdrop for the mood.
I give Briggs a rundown of what the rest of our day is going to look like, informing him that Dayton and Colsen are out front.
I leave him to look after Andi so I can pull my truck around, in hopes we won’t have to wade through the chaos.
She’s practically catatonic, her fingers cold as ice as I pry her hand from mine.
It doesn’t take long to find the others, their pacing forms sticking out like a sore thumb.
“Thank fuck,” Dayton swears. “What the hell is going on, Raiden? No one will tell us shit, and I’m about two seconds from causing a scene.” His frazzled exterior is mirrored by Colsen, the suspense of being left in the dark making their patience nonexistent.
“Come with me. I’ll explain on the way.” Thankfully, they fall into step beside me, taking me at my word.
I wait until we’re out of earshot before speaking, but it still takes me a few tries to actually get the words out.
“Seth killed Tobias…and then himself.” Colsen nearly faceplants into the pavement, his mouth moving but failing to vocalize his thoughts.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Dayton demands, his grip on my forearm punishing. I don’t fault him for his reaction. There’s no right or wrong way to process the news I just delivered.
“It’s true. I wish it weren’t, but it is.
Andi and Briggs are waiting at the back of the courthouse.
We have to head down to the precinct for her to be questioned.
It might be an all-day event, but you can join us if you want to.
” I exhale roughly, already exhausted but knowing it’ll be hours before any of us can head home.
“Please, please tell me she didn’t witness that,” Colsen chokes out, his face paling as he processes the horror of what that would mean.
“Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I’ve been given just enough information to have a broad idea of what went down, but no specifics.
I can tell you she’s not in a good way, so if you two are coming, we need to go now.
” I don’t wait for their answers, rounding my truck as I hit the unlock button.
The two of them damn near beat me to it, throwing their doors open and sliding inside without another word.
I make quick work of navigating the parking lot, relieved to find Andi and Briggs exactly where I left them.
Dayton visibly stiffens when they finally come into view, a grumbled curse slipping past his lips as he throws the door open before I can even put the truck into park.
I can tell he’s fighting the need to hold her, to promise a million things he has no right to, but thankfully his senses kick in, and he comes to the realization that this is neither the time nor the place.
It doesn’t take long for him to get Andi situated in the back seat, nestled safely between Colsen and Briggs.
The short drive to the precinct seems to take a lifetime, every stoplight we come to turning red.
I steal glimpses of Andi as often as I can, her detached stare making my gut churn with worry.
She’s been through so much, and just when I thought things were headed in the right direction, Seth decides to fuck it all up.
Knowing the gossip mill is in full swing, I take us through the back entrance, avoiding any of the locals who like to listen to our scanners.
They tend to wander in when things go quiet, hoping to pry some information from the newbies working the front desk.
I lead us to a conference room that’s rarely used, hoping to give us a bit of privacy as we sit and wait.
While they take a minute to get settled, I step out to grab us some water and send O’Connor a text.
It’s quiet when I come back in, my arrival barely registering.
I squat in front of Andi, tilting her chin up so she’s forced to look at me.
The sadness in her eyes just about undoes me.
“Drink this.” I place the chilled bottle in her hand, twisting the top off when she makes no move to do it on her own.
I’ll take the lead for as long as she needs me to, but I hope like hell she pulls herself out of this before O’Connor gets here.
She sighs when the icy liquid hits the back of her throat, likely needing a case of it to replenish all the tears she’s cried.
I take in the rest of the room, noting Colsen and Briggs speaking quietly in the corner.
Dayton is swaying from foot to foot, his brows dipped low as he scrutinizes Andi.
“When did you get here?” Her scratchy voice catches me off guard, but fuck am I glad to hear it. “When did I get here?” She gazes around the room like she has no recollection of the past twenty minutes, then shifts her focus back to Dayton.
“Did you really think we’d just go to work and pretend you weren’t facing down the Devil today?” Arms crossed, he shakes his head in mock disappointment, as if the idea of them carrying on like normal is completely absurd. Can’t say I disagree. I wouldn’t have listened either.
“Well, the Devil has returned to Hell,” she whispers brokenly, a single tear slipping free.
“He won’t be hurting anyone ever again.” God, how I wish that were true.
Even in death, Tobias Stillwater is still causing pain.
The list of innocent people suffering because of him is continuously growing, with no end in sight.
“Take the fucking pill, Briggs!” Colsen shouts, cornering the other man threateningly.
His demand is met with silence, my brain struggling to understand what’s happening and the sudden hostility between the two of them.
Since meeting Briggs, it’s become apparent, though never talked about openly, that he’s struggling with addiction in some capacity.
I’m used to their hushed arguments or catching a glimpse of Colsen divvying out his medication sparingly, which is in direct opposition to what he’s demanding right now.
“No,” Briggs snaps defiantly. “I haven’t been taking them as much, and when I do, they make me drowsy. My tolerance isn’t what it used to be. Andi needs me alert, not passed out in the fucking corner.”
“Your hands are shaking, and whether you want to admit it or not, today was triggering,” Colsen placates, trying to appease his sensible side without angering him further.
“Shut the fuck up, Col.” Briggs shoulders past him, his eyes softening when they land on Andi.
“Angel,” he swallows thickly, running his fingers through his hair.
It’s evident he’s been put through the wringer.
Witnessing a murder-suicide is sure to fuck you up in ways only time will tell, but having someone you care about right in the thick of said danger would exacerbate those feelings considerably.
He grabs Andi’s hand and tugs her to her feet, my protest tapering off as he spins her away from us and peels her coat open, searching for any sign of an injury we might’ve overlooked.
When he’s content with his findings, he bundles her back up, holding her close as he exhales raggedly.
Colsen watches the two of them carefully, fingers flexing as he represses the need to force the issue.
There’s a fine sheen of sweat dotting Briggs’ forehead, an outward sign of distress he can’t conceal, despite his best efforts to do so.
“Briggs,” Andi speaks quietly, taking his hand in hers.
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but you are right about one thing.
I need you. And if keeping you here and present means taking your medication, I’m begging you to do it.
At least a half dose.” Her pleading eyes seal the deal, his shoulders slumping in defeat when he comes to terms with being bested.
Colsen snaps a pill in two, handing him a bottle of water to wash it down with.
The moment Briggs ingests the medication, Andi pulls away, a restless energy overtaking her.
“How did this happen?” she mumbles, fingers steepled beneath her chin in contemplation. She’s not looking to anyone specific for an answer, just thinking out loud, but as the person with the most intel on Seth Taylor, it makes sense for me to be the one who divulges some of his history.
“He’s an Army Ranger with a sharpshooter badge.
Believe me, if his mind was set on doing what he did, no one could’ve stopped him.
Based on my brief assessment of the scene, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision he made this morning.
He knew what he was doing, even going as far as to take his own life instead of burdening an officer with the trauma of having to do it.
” Andi’s pained gasp steals all the oxygen from the room, her eyes filling with fresh tears.
“He killed himself?” Her voice is saturated with the sting of betrayal. “I just assumed…” she trails off, unable to finish the sentence. Her logic is sound. By all accounts, Seth would’ve been treated as a threat and disposed of accordingly. He simply beat them to it.
“Where’s Hudson?” Andi chokes out, the tremble in her voice destroying another piece of my resolve.
I’m trying my hardest to remain calm, knowing I'll need a clear head to coax her through questioning, but it’s becoming more difficult with every second that passes.
“Does he know? How do you even explain to a child so small that his father is gone? He can’t possibly understand what that means.
Why would Seth do this? Why?” I swear I can hear the crack of my willpower, my feet carrying me towards Andi before my brain has a chance to catch up.