WATCHING (31 page)

***

Ten minutes later Brockman had joined them. Hannah was frightened, he could see that. He did his best to reassure her.

“
This is another doctor, Hannah. He
’
s here to ask you some questions so that we can all help you
.
”
Brockman would ask the hard questions so that he could be Hannah
’
s reassurance. Since she
’
d sought him out.

She nodded.
“
They will kill me if I stay. They will kill me if they know I came here, and brought their daughter
.
”

“
We aren
’
t going to let that happen, but you need to tell us everything, ok
?
”
Brockman sat in the chair across from her.

Hannah nodded.

He looked at the little mouse where she stood by the door.
“
Hannah, honey, we
’
re going to let Ruthie go with Dr. Jules into the next room for a little while, ok? Just so she doesn
’
t have to hear what we talk about
.
”

“
She
’
ll be ok with me
.
”
The doctor reached for Ruthie
’
s hand.
“
We
’
re just going next door. We
’
ll color and play for a little bit
.
”

“
Just next door
?
”
It frightened both girls, they could all see that.

“
I promise
.
”
The mouse smiled that smile again.

Ruthie went without a protest, chattering at the mouse about what fun crayons were. The mouse smiled and listened attentively. She was such a sweetheart, a wonderful woman.
Beautiful.

The baby fussed and Hannah soothed him.

“
Hannah how did you get to Rapid City today
?
”
Brockman started the questioning.

“
Walked to the highway from our home
,
the
n
hitchhiked. Theresa was at the prayer circle. It
’
s the only time a month she
’
s not at the house, so I had to go today
.
”

“
Who is Theresa? Is she the woman at the library that day
?
”

“
Yes. She
’
s Travis
’
first wife. I
’
m the second
.
”

He shared a significant look with Brockman.
“
Please go on, honey
.
”

“
I married Travis after my first husband died seven months ago
.
”

“
How long were you married the first time
?
”
Brockman asked.

“
Two years
.
”

“
How old were you when you got married
?
”

“
Fourteen
.
”

“
Ok, so what happened today
?
”
Brockman asked.

“
I put some of that stuff in the boys
’
sandwiches. That stuff that makes you have to go to the bathroom a lot. I needed a reason or the boys wouldn
’
t let me leave and take Ruthie and Joseph. I told them we were out of medicine and I
’
d walk to the store to get them some. Took Ruthie so they wouldn
’
t have to mind her. Took the baby because he
’
s mine, and they weren
’
t going to stop me
.
”
Hannah
’
s eyes shone with a determination he admired.

“
Good girl,
”
Brockman said.
“
Can you tell me what happened to your face
?
”

“
Travis came home a few nights ago. He drives a frozen food truck for one of his older brothers. He was angry. Said I needed to be punished, cleansed. So he beat me. Then we went to bed
.
”

He could give one guess as to what happened then. If Byrum wasn
’
t already in custody he
’
d derive great pleasure in putting him in his place.

“
Hannah, you
’
ve been married to Travis for seven months, so he
’
s not your son
’
s father
?
”
Brockman asked.

“
No. Jeremiah was. He was Travis
’
s oldest son and my first husband
.
”

“
How did Jeremiah die and you end up married to his father
?
”
Brockman made notes on the file in front of him. The man hadn
’
t reacted to Hannah
’
s story in any way, and he had to admire that composure. Even if he didn
’
t personally like the man, Brockman could do his job.

Hannah
’
s head lowered.
“
I killed him
.
”

Both men straightened.
“
How, honey
?
”

“
I ran away. I was evil, wicked. Denying the bonds of matrimony my parents had chosen for me. I ran away. I was five months along and I couldn
’
t stay with Jeremiah and his family. So I ran. Jeremiah found me. We were driving back to the farm and the car ran off the road. Jeremiah died
.
”
The words came out in a rush and he struggled to keep up.

“
And you married his father
?
”

“
Yes. The rest of the church wanted to cast me and the baby out, because I was so wicked
.
Even my parents.
”
She clutched the baby tighter to her chest.
“
But Travis said the baby would be a Byrum and raised as such. He led the cleansing that night
.
”

“
Honey, what
’
s a cleansing
?
”

“
He took off my clothes and tied me to a tree. Then they cast stones. Deuteronomy 17:5
‘
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
’
If it weren
’
t for the baby, I think he would have killed me that day. He had his father marry us instead
.
”

“
But Byrum was already married to Theresa
?
”

“
Yes. But it
’
s
ok
for men to have more than one wife
.
”

“
No, honey. It
’
s not, it
’
s illegal
.
”
He patted her hand where it rested on the baby
’
s back.
“
You
’
re not going back there. I can promise you that
.
”

“
Thank you. But where will we go? And what about Ruthie? They hurt her
all the time
, too. Because she
’
s a girl, and girls are wicked
.
”
She began to cry. He passed her a tissue.

“
We
’
ll keep her safe, Hannah, I promise
.
”
Brockman stood.

He followed Dr. Brockman out of the room and waited until the door closed behind them.
“
God, that
’
s sick
.
”

“
Yes. I think he
’
s reenacting the desire to kill Hannah every time he stones one of those girls. Those he deems as pure he doesn
’
t rape. Virgins, which he probably checks. Those that are impure like the little girl who was pregnant or the women, he holds nothing back. Byrum
’
s our guy. He probably beat her when Katherine Montehue escaped
.
”
Brockman
’
s eyes burned with an anger he was in agreement with.

“
What can we do for those three
?
”
he asked.

“
There
’
s a shelter in St. Louis designed for young mothers in bad situations. They live there and work there and learn how to care for their children. I can pull some strings, get Hannah and the baby in. I
’
ll have someone talk to South Dakota child services,
”
Brockman said.
“
Ruthie, being their biological child, will probably end up in foster care
.
”

“
But..
.
”
A feminine voice said from behind them. The door to the next room had opened and neither man had been aware. His mouse stood there.
“
She
’
s so young
.
”

“
It
’
s better than where she was,
”
Brockman said.
“
Did she tell you anything
?
”

“
I took pictures. Beaten, probably a day or two ago
.
”
The mouse
’
s mouth firmed.
“
Probably a regular occurrence. I
’
d hate to see her go into the system. Children are forgotten there. Can
’
t you do something for her, too
?
”

Brockman stared at the mouse, a contemplative look on his face.
“
I may be able to have her taken into FBI custody as a material witness. At least until we sort out the Byrum family. I can
’
t guarantee it
’
ll be long term or that anything will come of it, but I may be able to get her into the St. Louis area
.
”

“
Thank you
.
”
The mouse smiled at Brockman and he felt a rush of jealousy. He wanted her to smile at him like that. Only him.

Chapter
41

****

She always experienced a mix of adrenalin let-down and victorious exhilaration when the wrapped up a case. More so in this particular instance. It felt good to be able to do her job again, even if there were injuries. It felt good to make some sort of difference.

Georgia sipped the soda a junior agent had provided as she waited for Hellbrook to finish up with Jones. It was routine follow up and something she was more than glad to let her unit chief handle. She leaned back in the chair, propping her feet on the desktop. Damn, she was tired.

Her mind ran through the information she
’
d gotten from Malachi when he
’
d called. That poor little girl, forced to live with Byrum. Abandoned by her family in the name of their religion.

She shook those thoughts off. She needed a break from the case, from the sickness that Byrum claimed was right.

She watched Hellbrook through the window into Jones
’
office for a moment, studying him as clinically as she could. He was just so much
more
than the men that filled the North Dakota precinct. Hellbrook would draw her attention instantly in a room full of a thousand men. It was just that simple.

And that was what scared her more than anything. It hadn
’
t been that intense with Bryan. Not that quickly. They
’
d been friends, lovers and partners in so many ways. With Bryan it had been warmth, comfort, security, combined with a natural sexual attraction.

She would have been happy with that forever. She
’
d never doubted that.

This with Hellbrook was fire. Hot in just a flash of a second, the embraces they shared were burned into her in a way she couldn
’
t recall ever happening with Bryan. But was it just sexual heat?

Could she deal with that? Could she have a hot affair with Hellbrook and when it was over just walk away as if it never happened?

Georgia didn
’
t know.

She closed her eyes and sat for several moments, her mind running over all the possible outcomes of where this was going with Hellbrook. A hot flaming affair that fizzled within a few weeks was one possibility. A strong one if she was honest with herself. An affair that was over before it started because she transferred to another unit and they had little time to be together was an equally strong one.

And Georgia knew the truth, an affair was all it could be.

Michael Hellbrook wouldn
’
t want what she could offer long term, even if
she
was so inclined. The legendary FBI superhero settling for childrens
’
meals and bikes complete with training wheels was not something she saw happening anytime soon.

She could easily see him replacing her father one day. Maybe even more. He could go clear to the top of the top and that would take a dedication and sacrifice of time and energy. Would she be one of those sacrifices, for however time they engaged in the whatever they were going to engage in?

Heavy thoughts.

Someone bumped the desk. She jerked her eyes open and her attention to the amused face of the man in question.

“
Taking a break now that the work is done, princess
?
”

“
Something like that
.
”
She studied the man and the stack of files he carried.
“
What
’
s all that
?
”

“
Team reports from Jones
’
people
.
”
Hellbrook
’
s face echoed Georgia
’
s surprise.

“
Quite a lot
.
”
Twice what she would have expected. They
’
d only had the one body in North Dakota.
“
What
’
s up with that
?
”

“
Apparently Jones is a real bureaucrat at heart
.
”

“
Wow. And who gets to go through all these
?
”

“
I do
.
”

“
Need some help
?
”
It would take him several hours to go through that stack. And it was already well past seven.

“
If you would
.
”
He paused, looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes.
“
It will be good practice for when you get your own team? When was it, next week
?
”

Her hands stilled on the stack.
“
Don
’
t start, please. I don
’
t think now is the time or place
.
”

“
No. I guess it isn
’
t
.
”
He spread his files on the desk between them and pulled up an extra chair. He
’
d removed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his borrowed dress shirt. She recognized it as one of Malachi
’
s. It was
just
a tad too small through the shoulders. Hellbrook dwarfed those around him. Literally at times.

Could she handle that? If she were to become even more deeply involved with him there would be times he dwarfed her, in more ways than just physically. On the professional front. What about personal?

“
I just want to say that I don
’
t want you to go. Not if it
’
s because of me
.
”
There was a vulnerability on his face she wasn
’
t used to seeing and it made her long to touch him.

“
It is...and it isn
’
t
.
”
She leaned back in the chair to put some distance between them. The desk was too small, he was too close. Crowding her, though he hadn
’
t moved.
“
I didn
’
t apply for the CCU in the first place, Hell
.
”

“
No. You wouldn
’
t have gotten in
.
”
His words were frank and though his honesty stung she did appreciate it.

“
Based on qualifications or...paternity? Never mind, I can answer that myself
.
”
Georgia kept her attention on the file in front of her and kept her words low. He
’
d had a grudge against her from the beginning, why would she want to rehash it now?

“
Not entirely. I had a strong team, princess
.
”

“
And with me there now, you don
’
t
?
”
Now that stung more than just a little. He must have sensed that, he jerked his head up and blue eyes met brown.

“
I didn
’
t say that! What I said was that the team I had was complete. I don
’
t like changes that blindside me
.
”
His mouth quirked in an ironic smirk.
“
You definitely blindsided me in many, many ways
.
”

“
I didn
’
t push for the CCU. I honestly thought I was getting Malachi
’
s team when he moved to unit chief of the division
.
”
She felt an absurd rush of guilt for pushing the agent she replaced out of her team slot. She hadn
’
t meant to. When first given the assignment she
’
d thought Hellbrook
’
s team had had an opening. Not that one was being created especially for her.

She repressed a wince. No wonder he hadn
’
t exactly been welcoming from the very beginning. Had it not been for Dan and Carrie, and even Josh, Zeke, and K.D. it would have been horrific that first month.

“
So it was your father
?
”

Georgia instinctively tensed.
“
Hell..
.
”

“
I
’
m not picking an argument. You
r
father put you on
my
team for a reason. I
’
ve always wondered what it was
.
”

“
Because of the CCU
’
s reputation. He thought it would look good on my resume
.
”
She hesitated before going further, unsure how he
’
d take it. She dropped her pen to the table and looked at him straight on.
“
He said it was for only six months and then I
’
d get a team of my own
.
”

“
I see. So this
—
you leaving
—
has been planned from the beginning
.
”
His face held an expression she couldn
’
t read.

“
In a way. If it didn
’
t work out, I could opt for a transfer after the six month mark. For what it
’
s worth I don
’
t think my father was behind it. Any more than I think he was responsible for steam-rolling my application process to the Bureau to begin with
.
”

“
So it
’
s a matter of your preference or choice now
?
”
His words came out slow and hesitant. Slightly hopeful.

She thought for a moment. Telling him flat out that she wanted out of the unit he
’
d created against all odds wasn
’
t something she was ready to do. She couldn
’
t hurt him that way. Not now. A week ago she
’
d have flung the words at him coated with cyanide if she could.
“
Yes...I guess it is, then
.
”

His pen was on the table beside hers. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair.
“
And what have you decided? Are you leaving
?
”

“
I don
’
t know. I
’
ve not spoken with my father yet
.
”
It was an excuse and she knew they both were aware of it.

“
So there may not be a team available
.
”

“
No, there might not be
.
”

“
For what it
’
s worth, if there is, I think you
’
ll do a great job
.
”
He meant it, she knew him well enough now to know when he was lying or hedging. That went a
long way to soothing her feelings after his earlier comment.

“
Thank you. I hope I will...If there even is a team
.
”

“
If there
’
s a team
.
”
He echoed hollowly, then picked up the pen and began making more notations. She watched him for a moment longer.

If her father were to phone her right then and there and offer her the team of her dreams would she take the assignment? Georgia honestly didn
’
t know.

She sighed, grabbed her pen and went back to work on the files in front of her.