Chapter 27

It took a few hours to explain everything to Hamilton. He had them walk through the evidence three times. At first, Harry didn’t think he believed them, but then Hamilton called in people who could actually do something about the issue.

One thing Harry had learned in the Navy was that they didn’t always move fast. Arresting a commander and lieutenant wasn’t going to happen without an investigation. But the information on the thumb drive just happened to be the one piece of information the investigators needed. Once the Naval Criminal Investigative Unit showed up, Harry could see the interest in the guy’s eyes before he even spoke after viewing the files as Harry explained the evidence.

“So this woman, Captain Rory Holmes, left this envelope in your home at some point, like maybe last Sunday?” Orin, the NCIS officer, asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“And it’s Sunday now. So you didn’t find it?”

Harry shook his head. “It was between the seats on the couch. I didn’t sit on that part of the couch this week. It was found when one of the guys on my team was at my place.”

“When did Captain Holmes disappear?” Orin asked.

“We believe on Sunday night or Monday morning,” Harry said. “I’ve talked to her sister?—”

“She doesn’t have a sister,” Orin said.

“They grew up in the same foster home. They weren’t biological, but they see each other as sisters.”

“Did you know her sister before this?” Orin asked.

“Yes. Lucia Ochoa is a team member who supports us, but I didn’t know she was her sister.”

Orin blew out a breath. “Okay. I don’t like this, but that’s beside the point. Needless to say, don’t talk to anyone about this. We need to get these two men into custody right now. This is a mess. They are officers. This isn’t going to go over well.” Orin shook his head. “Not good at all. The information on this thumb drive gives us the hard evidence we need in this case. This closes some loopholes we’ve been struggling to fill in.”

“You’ve been investigating this?” Hamilton asked.

“Yes, sir. We’ve been looking for something like this for a while.”

“Can we help with the arrest?” Wild asked.

Orin shook his head. “No. We have a team we use, but I need all of you to stay here. I know you have families you probably want to get back to, but I can’t have anything about this arrest go sideways. It will take a few hours for everyone to get in place.”

Emotions swept through Harry. He couldn’t believe that they were getting somewhere. He’d thought no one would listen, and they’d be stuck having to do something alone. “Thank you.”

Orin met his gaze. “Don’t thank me yet. The shit is going to hit the fan, and you’re probably not going to like how it turns out.”

He nodded. “I don’t care what happens to me as long as Rory is safe.”

Orin squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll do what we can.”

It was hard to stay on base and sit around waiting for news about the arrests. He and his team were men of action, and waiting for someone else to do the action was frustrating. The need to know if they had both men in custody grew with each passing minute. They decided to work out and expend their energy. Maybe his team saw how agitated he was and wanted to help. Harry appreciated their concern.

After they showered, he sat with his head in his hands, trying to stay calm as Rory’s fate hung in the balance. He prayed NCIS could get information about where she was. He couldn’t lose hope, but how could he hold on to good thoughts? His fears were winning, which hadn’t happened in years. If they didn’t find Rory, at least they would have the men responsible, and hopefully, they would face lengthy prison sentences.

They could leave base close to ten that evening but were told not to discuss the issue with anyone. Lucia was still on leave and wouldn’t return for a while. He wanted to tell her something but knew he couldn’t. They just had to hope Rory would be found.

The week dragged on with no information from NCIS or their commander. He wanted to go in and demand answers, but he knew that wasn’t how the Navy worked. They would have to allow NCIS to do its job. That didn’t stop him from searching at night, looking for any mention of her. He started running ragged from lack of sleep, but Wild covered for him.

The guys on his team agreed to meet on Friday evening after work at Wild’s place. He appreciated Wild opening his house and told Ava she was amazing for having them over. She pulled him close and hugged him.

“Harry, I’m praying for Rory. I know you guys can’t talk about the situation. I’m here for you, though. I’ll always have your back. And when she is found and comes home, we’ll be here for her.”

Harry’s throat closed with emotions. “Jesus, I don’t know what will happen if she’s found. What if…”

“Hey, don’t go down that path. She will be okay. And we’ll help her when she gets home.”

Ava hugged him close, and he almost broke down. He knew what happened to women who were abducted. He’d seen it firsthand, and it always disturbed him. Ava, Jessica, and Ingrid had dealt with trouble, and they’d come out okay. He knew they all had demons. Jessica’s were the worst, but they had healed. Maybe they could help. But Rory had to come home alive.

If Rory returned, he would make sure she never felt like he didn’t accept her. He wouldn’t allow some asshole to ruin their lives. And he would fight for Rory until he took his last breath.