Chapter 28

28

DEAN

I woke with a start, the insistent ringing of my phone slicing through the late-night daze. I glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the morning. I didn't have training today. There was nowhere for me to be. I reached for the phone and frowned at the unfamiliar number on the screen. I debated ignoring it, but something compelled me to answer. People didn't call other people at this hour for shits and giggles. Only bad calls came late at night or early in the morning.

"Hello?" I grumbled, my voice thick with sleep.

"Dean?" The voice on the other end was shaky, breathless, and instantly recognizable. It was Sarah.

My heart jumped in my throat. "Sarah? What's wrong?" My mind raced through the possibilities. Had she been hurt? Was she in danger? I hopped out of bed, instinctively knowing I needed to get to her. It was a pull like I had never experienced before. If I could grow wings, I would do it.

She started crying, the sound sharp and desperate over the line. Adrenaline surged through me. Something serious had happened. Sarah wasn't the type to break down easily. I had pushed her to her breaking point and never once had she cried.

"Slow down, Sarah. Take a breath." I tried to stay calm. I scanned the floor for the pants I knew were down there somewhere. I held the phone between my shoulder and ear and jerked my pants on. "Tell me what's going on."

She gasped for air between sobs. "Waterboarding… fight… Rolley…" Her words were fragmented, but I caught enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Where are you?" I demanded.

"In the med bay," she managed to say.

"Okay. Stay there. I'm headed to the airport. I'll be there as soon as I can. Just sit tight."

"Please hurry," she whimpered, her voice breaking.

"I will," I promised, feeling a rush of protectiveness. "Everything's going to be okay, Sarah. I'm on my way."

I hung up, pulse pounding. I threw on a shirt and shoes, grabbed my keys, and bolted out the door. I drove to the airport while searching for a direct flight to Spokane. Thankfully, there was one leaving in twenty minutes. I hit the gas and whipped into the airport parking lot. I sprinted toward the gate after clearing security. I couldn't remember the last time I flew commercial, but I didn't have time to find an Air Force transport. And I didn't want to raise suspicions about why I was flying up to see the general's daughter. This was me on my own.

Sarah's distress echoed in my mind as I took my seat. I couldn't imagine what she had gone through. Waterboarding was no joke, even in a training environment. The fact that Rolley and others had been involved? It made my blood boil.

I wasn't able to get much out of her, but I understood it was bad. I needed to see her and hold her. I had to reassure her everything was going to be okay. I couldn't stand the idea of her crying. I didn't want her in pain or suffering in any way.

I touched down in Spokane, oddly enough only a couple hours after I had left Mississippi. I rented a car and drove the short distance out to the base. I practically sprinted to the med bay. Thankfully, I knew a lot of the people on base and was quickly shown to the med bay. Inside, I found Sarah sitting on a bed, her eyes red and puffy, her hands trembling. She looked up at me with a mixture of relief and pain.

I rushed to her side, my heart breaking at the sight of her. "Hey," I said softly, sitting beside her and gently taking her hand. "Are you okay?"

Sarah shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.

My jaw clenched. "Tell me what happened."

She threw her arms around me, clinging to me as if she desperately needed the reassurance of my presence. I held her close, one hand gently rubbing her back, the other resting on the back of her head.

After a moment, I pulled back slightly to look at her. Really look at her. That was when I noticed Sarah's swollen lip. I took a second to take it in and temper my anger.

"What happened?" I asked again. "Where are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Sarah, dammit, I'm not in the mood for bullshit," I growled. "Where? How bad?"

"I have a bruised collarbone," she said.

I carefully took her right hand in mine and saw the split knuckles. She had clearly been in a fight. As reckless as she was, Sarah wouldn't start a fight during survival training without good reason. She was fiercely loyal. And saw in black and white. Wrong was wrong in her eyes. I imagined she was sticking up for someone.

"You were in a fight," I said.

"It's not what you think," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. She glanced over at the bed where Rolley lay, beaten and battered. I had not even noticed him when I walked in. I grimaced when I saw what kind of shape he was in. Her tears spilled over, running down her cheeks.

My heart broke for her. I knew this had been a rough night, not just for Rolley but for Sarah too.

"How bad is he hurt?" I asked quietly.

She shook her head. "They won't tell me anything," she whispered. "I was settled in bed when they finally brought him in here. I don't know if he was in surgery or what."

"Come on," I said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Lay down and get some rest. I'll see if I can talk to someone and see what kind of condition he's in."

"Please," she sobbed.

"What about Kylee?" I asked. "Clay?"

"Clay washed out a couple days ago," she said.

"Kylee?" I asked, looking around the bay. I didn't see her, but I knew she wasn't as scrappy as Sarah. She wouldn't fare as well.

"Kylee wasn't hurt," she said. "She managed to get away before things got really bad. Thankfully, they didn't hurt her."

I clenched my jaw. Fury rolled through me. I didn't want to freak out, but there was going to be hell to pay. I just needed to know who to collect from.

"Sit tight," I said. "I'll be right back."

I disentangled myself gently from Sarah's firm grip, trying my best to give her a reassuring smile. She didn't return it, but I could see a small flicker of relief in her eyes. I was here now. And I wouldn't let anything else happen to her.

I asked one of the nurses where Rolley's doctor was and learned he was currently in surgery. The doctor, not Rolley, gave me a moment's relief. Rolley had at least been stabilized enough to be left alone for a while.

The nurse told me Sarah was fine. She did say she was very lucky considering what happened to her friend.

"How long does she need to stay here?" I asked.

She grimaced. "Ryker, you can't do that."

"Do what?" I shrugged.

"I know exactly what you're thinking," she said. "We were told to keep her here. They don't want her back in the dorms. Whatever happened was bad. She can't go back there tonight."

I nodded. "I understand, but physically, she's okay? Concussion? Broken bones? Anything?"

"Physically she's fine." She smiled. "She's got the usual injuries from training added with what she got tonight. I imagine she'll be sore, but she's not in any danger."

"Good. I'm getting her out of here. She doesn't need to be here tonight."

"But I don't think you should take her."

"Noted," I said. "But I'm taking her."

"If I get in trouble for this, you better believe I will throw you under the bus so fast your head will spin," she warned.

I winked. "I'll keep that in mind."

I walked back to Sarah, who was sitting on her bed and staring at Rolley as if she was trying to will him awake. It was going to drive her crazy to sit around and wait for him to wake up. She was going to let the guilt eat her. I knew a little something about what that was like.

"Let's go," I said.

"What?"

"I'm getting you out of here," I told her. "Where are your shoes?"

"I don't know."

I looked around and found a bag with her personal things. I squatted down and put them on for her.

"I don't think I should go," she whispered.

"You need to get out of here. There's nothing more you can do for him right now. He needs to rest. You need to rest. You need to eat and sleep. You're not going to get that if you're here."

Sarah nodded, her shoulders trembling with emotion. I helped her out of the bed and guided her out of the med bay. I got her to the rental car, opening the door for her and gently guiding her inside.

As soon as I got in the driver's seat, I could see she was still struggling. Instead of starting the car and driving somewhere, I sat with her. I reached out and took her hand and held it, waiting for her to find the words. She didn't speak. She crumpled and practically fell across the center console and into my arms. I let her cry it out. I murmured soothing words, my hand running up and down her back to comfort her.

After a while, Sarah's sobs quieted to sniffles. She pulled back slightly to look at me. Her eyes were red and swollen, tear tracks streaking her cheeks.

"I had to stop them, Dean," she whispered, her voice ragged.

"You did the right thing, Sarah," I said firmly, looking into her eyes. "You stood up for what's right. I'm proud of you."

Sarah nodded, a small, tired smile crossing her face. "Thanks, Dean."

I brushed a strand of hair away from her face, my thumb gently wiping away a tear. "You're strong, Sarah. Stronger than you know."

She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes briefly. "I don't feel strong right now."

I kissed her forehead gently. "That's okay. You're allowed to feel however you need to feel. I'm here for you."

We sat in silence for a while. I held her close, offering my quiet support. Eventually, Sarah's breathing evened out, her body relaxing against mine.

"Thank you for coming," Sarah said softly, breaking the silence. "I didn't know who else to call."

"You can always call me, Sarah. Anytime, anywhere."

She sighed, leaning into me. "I know. I should get back to the dorm."

"No. You're not allowed to do that."

"What?" she asked.

"You're not supposed to be in the dorms right now," I said. "Sorry. But I got you out of the med bay with the understanding you wouldn't go to the dorm. They're going to be doing an investigation."

"Am I out?"

"No." I shook my head. "Well, I don't know what you got yourself into. Why don't we go get a hotel room and you can get some sleep? We'll figure everything out in the morning. I'm not leaving you alone, Sarah. Not tonight."

She looked at me, her eyes searching my face. "Okay," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

"Of course," I said. "Give me a second and let me find somewhere close."

I quickly pulled out my phone to search for nearby hotels, my fingers flying across the screen. After a few moments, I found a quiet place just on the outskirts of town. Away from the chaos and prying eyes. Somewhere we could breathe.

"Found a place," I told her, showing her the screen. "It's not much but it's clean and secluded."

Sarah nodded, barely looking at the screen. She was exhausted. It was written all over her face.

I started the car and drove through the dark night, taking the woman I cared about to safety.