OUTLIER: Blood, Brotherhood, And Beauty (Beauty 0f Lifee Book 4)

by Laura Acton

  Another breath exhaled harshly as Patch massaged his temples wanting to obliterate his memories. “When we rescued him, we couldn’t tell it was him at first. The only place I could touch Blondie without causing him agony was a small spot on his left bicep.”

  Heather pulled Patch into a hug and held him. Blondie—Dan—may have been the one tortured physically, but she believed Jim felt his brother’s pain like as if his own. Apparently, it still tore Jim up inside. Her intuition told her she was right and the way Patch hugged her back confirmed her hunch.

  Patch wrapped his arms around Heather and held on. She offered him something he needed. Something fresh and untainted by the horrors he lived through—an innocence of sort, but with the capacity and knowledge to empathize with others suffering.

  After several minutes, Patch released his hold and stepped back. He mumbled, “Thanks. I sorta needed a hug.”

  Her mouth curved into a smile. “We all need one every once in a while. Like I said before, I listen well and keep confidences if you ever need to talk.”

  His gaze fixated on her as some tension drained from him. I could use more of her hugs, he thought. “I’ll keep that in mind. As for talking about needles to Blondie … don’t. Not a subject you should bring up.”

  “Fine. Though there are things, we can do to help Dan in case he needs shots in the future. He doesn’t need to be traumatized each time. We can discuss the various options whenever you want. I’ll leave it to you to talk with Dan.” Heather saw the tension and worry recede as Jim’s body relaxed. She would be happy to help both if they would allow her.

  Patch nodded. “Yeah, that would be useful. For now, … too much is going on. Maybe when things settle down?”

  “Fair. Shall we head back before they wonder what we’re doing in here?”

  Chuckling, Patch turned towards the door. Hmm, Heather … wow, I have never met a woman quite like her. He held the door open and checked out her rear as she exited the room. Heather is kind, intelligent, empathic, charming, and smoking hot, too!

  Grand Citadel Hotel – Main Suite – 8:00 a.m.

  Everyone settled back in the room by eight o’clock and sitting around the table leisurely sipping coffee, tea, or apple juice when there was a knock at the door.

  Nick went to answer it, knowing the NRB agents would be there this morning, but not scheduled until eight thirty. “Mr. Gibbson, come in. You’re a bit early,” Nick said to the TRF lawyer.

  Dan regarded Gibbson as he entered the suite and shook hands with Boss. Dale never failed to be there for him for the interviews. Dale made the process smoother for him. “Gibbson, thanks for being here before NRB gets here. Plenty of food left if you’re hungry.” He would have stood to welcome him, but he needed to conserve his energy.

  Gibbson had been conversing with Nick until Dan spoke. He turned to say hi and stopped short as his eyes opened wide with genuine concern. “What in the blue blazes? Did a bulldozer flatten you? You alright? Need anything?”

  Before he answered Gibbson, Dan scanned the room. Everyone I need is right here. “Nah, got everything I need. I’m okay.”

  His brows drew together reflecting on Dale’s comment. Basto plowed him into a tree, pounded him with his fists, and fell on him. Yeah, Basto might be considered a bulldozer. Though the last one was his fault. The move didn’t work the way he expected. Since Bram excelled at hand-to-hand combat, he decided to work with him to determine what went wrong.

  Winds, Patch, and Blaze all smiled broadly, relief flowing through every neuron of their bodies. Blondie said okay, not fine.

  Jon heard okay and noticed the reactions. His curiosity peaked. There was definitely a different meaning. Jon decided to ask Blaze soon.

  Loki wanted to share what he discovered early this morning, but Dan needed to deal with the NRB interviews first so he would wait until afterward. This way, everyone can concentrate on the next steps. He took his coffee and went to his laptop to see if any of his other searches resulted in anything useful.

  Most chatted about ordinary things wanting to keep the mood light until eight thirty when it would get stressful for Dan. The team wished protocol allowed them to be there to provide support, but interviews were always conducted in private. They sincerely hoped Dan could handle today.

  Grand Citadel Hotel – Hallway – 8:15 a.m.

  TRF Commander Walter Gambrill and NRB Director Reed Caldwell stood in the hall outside the suite. Reed stopped Walter from knocking and said, “Walter, this is unorthodox. I understand the need, but I have a duty to the citizens. Yet I also agree with Agent Stevens, we have a responsibility to the officers who put their lives at risk to protect others.

  “After the incident with Agent Donner, Broderick’s situation merits this special dispensation. Be assured I’ll halt proceedings and return to the standard protocol if I feel we are skirting any legal or ethical issues. Are we clear?”

  Walter gave the director a curt nod. “Very clear. I appreciate the latitude and my constables will abide by the rules.” Gambrill then knocked on the door.

  Reed agreeing with his suggestion still surprised him. When Sergeant Pastore called last night to have him schedule the interview for today, he resisted at first. Today was not the right day to do them. He didn’t want to subject Dan or William to this today. But once Nick told him Dan requested to do them, he agreed.

  Walter also hatched a plan he hoped would give Dan the support he needed to get through today. He appreciated the fact he had an ally in Agent Kendall Stevens. She supported the plan and made a few suggestions herself to increase the support for Dan. When he spoke to her yesterday, he wanted to thank whoever assisted her in transferring from Winnipeg.

  The interview process they devised would be legal and ethical, but also compassionate. Given everything Dan dealt with in the last year and the past few days, it made perfect sense to him to do the interview this way. Aware of what occurred on this date nineteen years ago, Walter believed Dan deserved extra consideration. Today would be distressing enough for William, Yvonne, and Dan. Those three lost so much the day Sara died.

  He could help his godson in this way. Though Walter supposed if any other constable went through what Dan did, he would do the same thing. This was not favoritism—just being a decent commander. He watched out for all the men and women of the TRF who protected the citizens daily. Kendall was right—they were only human, and sometimes they needed protecting, too. Today, he would protect Dan the best way he could.

  An Unusual Interview

  5

  July 19

  Grand Citadel Hotel – Main Suite – 8:16 a.m.

  Gambrill and Caldwell entered. After cordial introductions, Walter assumed a very official demeanor. The group tensed as he spoke, not sure what to expect. “Sergeant Pastore, I must inform you and your team, given the nature of and full extent of Monday’s calls, today’s NRB interview will be conducted under special dispensation protocols.”

  After a quick scan of Alpha Team, Walter settled his gaze back on Nick. “Your entire team is required to be present in this room and are expected to provide relevant input when asked. Agent Kendall Stevens will conduct the session which will cover all four of Monday’s calls.”

  He turned and directed his next comments to Broderick’s lawyer. “Mr. Gibbson, please note the proceedings will not be taped or photographed in any manner. Any future questions to which NRB may need answers will be directed to you. It will be at your sole discretion which team member will answer them. The NRB Director and I will be sitting in but won’t interfere unless there are legal or ethical concerns.”

  Walter shifted his gaze to Patch and William. “Additionally, given Constable Broderick’s current state, his medic and one family member will be allowed to remain during the interview to ensure his physical well-being. Mr. Shea, as his healthcare provider, you may declare breaks or halt the proceedings and request the session be rescheduled at any time if you feel Constable Broderick’s health is in jeopardy
.”

  With a slight incline of his head towards Blaze and Winds, Walter said, “Given the threats against Broderick’s life, two members of his security detail will also be allowed to remain in the room to guarantee his safety. We will begin once Agent Stevens arrives. Any questions?”

  Nick mirrored the commander’s official demeanor and said, “Understood, Commander. No questions.”

  Everyone sighed with relief. How did Gambrill accomplish this? They might never find out, but he ensured the team would be here to give Dan the support he needed today. Gambrill inclined his head at Nick giving him a slight grin, poured a cup of coffee, and took a chair near the door waiting for Stevens.

  Right before eight thirty, Heather said goodbye. She returned to work tonight so needed to head home to sleep. Everyone thanked her for all her help. Heather went to Dan and gave him a gentle hug. She whispered, “I’m sorry about the needle. Take care of yourself. If you need anything, Patch has my number.”

  Dan gave her a lopsided grin. “Thanks for everything.”

  Heather gave Patch a quick hug as her cheeks flushed pink. “When you’re all done with this … you have my number.”

  Patch’s jaw went slack in surprise. “I do. How about I call, and we can make arrangements to meet next week sometime for coffee?”

  “I’d like that.” Heather gave him a warm smile, turned and waved to the others one last time, and exited.

  Patch considered Heather as she left the room. His eyes crinkled and a corner of his mouth lifted as a sense of exhilaration enveloped him. She sure is cute—a keeper. He turned to see his brothers staring at him with funny faces.

  Winds, Blaze, and Dan, thought along the same lines, Patch has got it bad and Heather’s perfect for him.

  Agent Kendall Stevens arrived promptly at eight thirty. She set up at the little desk and did a round of introductions noting those present for the interview. She informed everyone she had been briefed on the change in protocol.

  Her gaze directed at Dan held compassion. “Constable Broderick, if at any time you need a break, for any reason, you will inform me. We’ll halt until you’re ready to proceed. Do you understand?”

  Dan nodded yes. Can I call a halt to this now? No, just suck it up, Broderick!

  “Are you ready to begin?” Stevens asked.

  “Yes,” Dan answered with conviction even though he wanted to stop before it began. He must do this because Aaron’s family needed to be apprised of how he died, and that wouldn’t happen until he completed the interview. Dan locked down his emotions and affixed his mask.

  Kendall started the interview. “The first call we’ll review is the hostage situation at Bang’s Fitness. Toxicology reports verify Mr. Parch did indeed have high levels of steroids in his system which impaired his reasoning and made him emotionally erratic. Sergeant Pastore, you were the negotiator. Please explain the situation and conditions which led to the use of lethal force.”

  Nick recounted the incident. He indicated Jon gave the command to fire and Dan, as the sniper, followed the command as expected. Stevens directed the use-of-force continuum questions to Nick and Jon. She wrapped up the incident without having Dan provide any input, allowing his teammates to provide the details.

  Stevens called for a five-minute break while she sorted the paperwork and prepared to discuss the next call. Dan stood from his chair at the dining table to walk, needing to stretch his tight muscles which stiffened after sitting so long. He ambled to a more comfortable chair.

  With a cry, Dan dropped to the ground when his calf muscle seized on him. He tried to flex his foot to relieve the involuntary spasm. Instantly, more hands than he expected helped him flex his foot and rubbed out the calf muscle. Dan peered at the team sheepishly, his face flushed pink with embarrassment. “Thanks.”

  Everyone only smiled and said nothing. Jon and Loki helped him stand and make it to the chair. Kendall witnessed how they all reacted, genuinely glad to see how this team supported one another.

  Dan settled into in a comfortable chair right before Kendall began again. “Call number two—the Central Bank incident. NRB conducted an interview with Constable McKenna and ruled it a justified use of lethal force. We also interviewed the two remaining subjects and verified their intent was suicide.”

  “I have a note from Corporal Jason York and Private Marty Green in which they express a heartfelt thank you to Constable Broderick for helping them realize there is still beauty in life and to wish him a speedy recovery from any injuries received when Private Garth Summers fired on him. Based on these findings, no further discussion is needed.”

  The team gawped at each other with expressions which ranged from bewildered to astonished. None had ever experienced an interview like this. Stevens managed to keep Dan from rehashing the details.

  Nick directed his gaze to Gambrill and assessed him. The commander appeared to be holding back a satisfied smile, but it crept onto his face. Grateful for Gambrill’s support, he settled back as Stevens resumed the interview.

  Kendall checked her notes then said, “The third incident at Bennie’s Gas Station involved an attempted armed robbery and hostage situation. In this case, two armed subjects took two adults and six children hostage. The children were held by a subject armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

  “Based on the call transcripts, Mr. Ted Jitters appeared to be high on drugs. Mr. Jitters’ toxicology reports indicated positive for meth. The adults were held in a different location of the store by Mr. Chance Bigalow, and he was armed with a single shot rifle. Constable Hardy, as tactical lead, please describe the situation and the actions the team took.”

  Jon related the call details including the aftermath within the store.

  “Constable De Haven, you pursued the subject into the alley. Please explain what happened,” Kendall said then jotted a few notes.

  Bram opened his mouth to start when Dan interrupted. “Jon, you forgot to include the fact I messed up. I failed to monitor the camera feed closely, lost visual on Sara Clarry, and didn’t see the subject move before entry.”

  “Dan, Sara would’ve moved whether you detected her or not. It has no bearing on the outcome. You conveyed the subject’s location before we went in. You warned us he was going to shoot the boy. Your action likely saved the boy’s life. Jitter’s moved in the split seconds after we began our entry. There is nothing you could’ve done—it was in play,” Jon said firmly.

  Loki interjected, “We all knew the kids might dart in any direction upon entry. They are unpredictable. It might have been any one of them who moved. Lexa’s priority was the grouped kids, my priority was Kenny, and Bram’s priority was the subject. Bram located the subject and pursued. You responded to his backup request. We all did our jobs.”

  Bram took over, “The situation in the alley required split-second decision making. The subject’s body movements were jerky, and he was in a heightened agitated state when he realized we locked him in. He already fired at one kid, used a little girl as a human shield, and threatened to kill her. Constable Broderick’s highly honed observational skills allowed him to recognize the immediate threat and his split-second response saved the little girl. Sara Clarry would’ve been dead if Broderick didn’t fire when he did.”

  Agent Stevens took note and asked the use-of-force continuum questions to Bram. She then directed her questions to Dan. “Constable Broderick, there is an EMS report which indicates you were unconscious for some time after using lethal force. What is the reason for this?”

  Dan took a deep breath. He had to tell even though he didn’t want to talk about it—especially today of all days. Dan’s voice was hushed, and sadness laced his words. “The little girl being held, Sara Clarry, looked at me with innocent green eyes. She didn’t have shoes on. My little sister, also named Sara, had green eyes much like hers. My Sara died in front of me when I was nine. The impact of the vehicle knocked out of her shoes.” An image of Sara’s sandals popped into his head. They were her favorite ones
.

  Dan took several breaths and fought the burning sensation in the back of his eyes. He wouldn’t cry—not in front of the general. He never cried in front of him—only privately with his head buried in a pillow to muffle his sobs.

  Fortifying himself, wanting to finish this, Dan said, “I saw the subject raising the gun toward her head, and I took the shot. The instant after firing, memories of my sister Sara overwhelmed me. I worried I hadn’t reacted fast enough to save Sara Clarry.

  “It hit me hard. There wasn’t anything I could do to save my sister. I think my mind didn’t want to register if I didn’t react in time to save Sara Clarry. It would’ve been too painful if I failed to protect her … I collapsed.”

  Unable to say more or emotions would overwhelm him, Dan clenched his jaw. His breaths came in a short, ragged cadence through his nose as memories of this day nineteen years ago flooded in. Sara … beautiful, innocent Sara died on this day. No longer able to stop the tears from welling, he blinked rapidly. A single tear trailed down his cheek. As the tear ran over his split lip, the saltiness of it stung but was inconsequential compared to the pain ripping at his heart and soul.

  William blanched hearing Daniel’s recitation of what occurred. God, will the hurt never end for my son? The agony in his own heart crushed him today. He glanced around at the others. They had no clue how hard it was for Daniel to talk about this—on today of all days. Fate twisted the knife deep.

  He, Yvonne, and Daniel all struggled with this day. The quiet sobbing into his pillows his son did when he was a little boy still rang in William’s ears and pulled at his heart decades later. Daniel refused to eat or come out of his room every single July nineteenth. He didn’t blame Daniel—William did his own share of private crying on this day every year.

  The raw torment in Daniel’s voice cut William to the core. He wondered if he should call a halt to the proceedings. If he had any clue this would come up, he would’ve stopped things. He wondered why Daniel did this today.