“Okay, I’ll call when I can, Kay.” Ethan was saying.
“I understand. Not to worry, things are crazy this week in my world.” I put my hand up to wave. “Enjoy the pizza.”
Ethan smiled and turned back to the team. Only Mac stood watching me leave. I hated myself and I had no idea what to say or do. I wanted to say I was sorry, for what? I just held his gaze until I finally looked away and walked towards my car.
I wondered how long he had been in town and what if anything he might have said to Ethan. A million thoughts raced through my mind. I was second guessing everything. Should I have called Mac when I got back home and told him I met someone? I had no commitment to him. Still I hadn’t intended to hurt him if he was even hurt? Maybe he didn’t care. I was going to drive myself nuts with this, I needed to relax.
I put the car in the garage and went in the house for a nice hot bath and maybe a little splash of scotch. I took my phone with me in hopes that Ethan might text me later. An hour later, the bathwater was cold, and I needed another scotch. I went downstairs and poured another drink. Then I decided to just take the bottle back upstairs with me. I was in the mood for a movie to help me forget what an ass I was making of myself.
I needed to talk to Ethan, and I needed to explain things to him before Mac did and gave him the wrong impression. But I wanted to talk to Mac, as well. I checked the time. It was nearly midnight. Surely, they weren’t still working. Maybe Ethan was sleeping at the office or maybe he was just too tired to call when he got home. I laid back on the bed and tried not to think about it. I pressed the button for another movie.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ethan
It was nearly one o’clock in the morning and too late to call Kay when I got home so I sent her a text with a promise to call her the next day. I didn’t get a reply, she was probably already asleep. At least I hoped she was. I missed her and I felt very uncomfortable not knowing how she was doing. I had a bad feeling in my gut, and I couldn’t shake it. I laid down across the bed trying to chase the thoughts from my mind. When I opened them again it was six in the morning the sun should have been up instead there was a strange light in the sky like there were too many clouds for the sun this morning and it cast a gray pallor over everything. It reminded me of the color of worn gravestones, and it sent a chill down my spine. I’d been working too late and getting too little sleep and my mind was starting to go to some dark places.
I showered, changed, and headed back to work. Mac met me in the parking lot.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” he asked.
“No, not really.” I returned his look.
He nodded and we walked into the office. I liked Mac but he didn’t have to be here. He had his team from the Navy base. Plus the agent he brought with him from D.C. Mac was a marine and he had a man missing. He wasn’t going back to his office until that man was found. I had to admire his grit and his ethics.
Logan came in a few minutes later, looking like the rest of us felt. “Did you even try to sleep last night?” I asked.
“No, why did you?” Was his reply.
“I passed out in my clothes and woke up this morning.” I answered.
He nodded and headed to the kitchen to make coffee.
I walked around turning on all the computers and monitors and bringing everything to life so we could get started for the day. I felt like we were getting close to something, but I wasn’t sure what. I wasn’t holding out a lot of hope for the missing agent. There hadn’t been a ransom demand or any contact from anyone, so I didn’t believe it was a kidnapping. Although, I hadn’t ruled out that he had been taken, I feared it may have been for purposes of revenge rather than a means to an end.
I sent Kay a quick text knowing she was usually up by now. No reply. I wondered if she was upset about something. Surely, she knew Logan well enough to not pay any attention to him and I hoped he hadn’t offended her last night when she stopped by. Although, she didn’t seem like herself and she seemed in a hurry to leave. I frowned at my phone.
“Everything alright?” Logan asked returning with a cup of coffee.
“Yeah.” I said stuffing the phone in my pocket.
The forensic team popped in on the screens about nine o’clock. “Agent Craddock, I think we may have something.”
“Okay, what?” I asked not feeling particularly patient this morning.
“According to the GPS records from his phone it appears that Agent Foster made a couple of trips out to an old hunting lodge recently and when we investigated the lodge, we found the property traces back to this man.”
An image flashed up on the screen.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked Mac.
“Yes, I do.”
We all waited.
“That is Walter Simmons, a former NCIS agent. He was fired ten years ago and is believed to be working for the highest bidder these days.”
“Doing what?” Logan asked.
“Computer hacking.”
“Why would Agent Foster contact him?” I asked.
“Because Agent Foster was investigating Simmons.” Mac stared down at the floor as if he was trying to see something not there.
“So, they set up a meet?” Logan asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything in the case notes that indicated he set up a meet.” Mac looked
