“That’s when you went into the Navy?” she said.
“When I was nineteen.”
Katie could see that talking about his past bothered him, so she changed the subject. She knew he would talk about more personal things when he felt comfortable. She didn’t want to push him. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was… and this is really great. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I love cooking when I have the chance.”
They chatted and joked with one another. For Katie, it was a freeing feeling to be relaxed and enjoying John’s company, especially after such a rough day. She’d started to realize she’d had feelings for him for quite a while.
Katie woke with a start, her heart pounding. At first she thought she must’ve had a bad dream, recalling a noise like the sound of someone in distress. She couldn’t get it out of her head. But it hadn’t been a dream.
The room was dark and barely any outside light peeked through the sides of the curtains. She looked around. Turning onto her left side, she realized the other side of the mattress was empty. She felt the sheets and pillow, and they were cool to the touch. It concerned her. She sat up, wondering if John had gotten up for something or had left not wanting to wake her.
Katie heard a tiny noise and remained still. As her eyes accustomed to the darkness, she took an inventory of everything around her in the bedroom. It was a way of coping that sometimes worked for her—putting her mind in the moment on something she knew well. She could see now that the padded chair in the corner was empty; she didn’t see Cisco’s outline curled up on it.
Maybe John and Cisco went outside.
She saw his T-shirt lying at the end of the bed. Now she was beginning to worry.
She heard a soft sound again and got out of bed, standing barefoot on the wooden floor. The cool air hit her limbs, causing her to absently rub the outside of her arms. She took a few steps to the end of the bed. On the other side of the room, she saw Cisco in a down position next to John, who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his knees drawn up close to his body.
“John?” she said softly.
Cisco’s ears perked up, but he stayed where he was.
John’s muscled arms were tense. His head hung forward and he seemed to be trying to make himself as small as he could—even to disappear.
“John,” she said again. Her heart ached because she knew something was terribly wrong. She moved slowly and sat downnext to him, feeling the cold floor against her backside. She didn’t say a word as her mind reeled.
It suddenly struck her that John might be having an episode of stress or nightmares. He had been in the military as a Navy Seal for almost eight years. The things he must’ve seen…
“John,” she said gently and touched his arm. He flinched slightly and she could feel the perspiration on his body; however, he was cold to the touch. “It’s okay.”
She rubbed his bare arm and chest as he slowly raised his head, turning to her.
“I’m sorry,” he managed to say.
“Oh, John… I’m the one that’s sorry. I’ve always been so wrapped up in my own issues that came back with me from the Army that I didn’t even think about what you have gone through.” Tears welled in Katie’s eyes and her heart hurt. She understood all too well that when struggling with trauma, along with the anxieties and depression that generally go along with it, you always felt alone. She would do whatever necessary to comfort him. She knew they could get through it together.
Cisco snuggled up closer to them. John pet the dog.
“I can go if you want,” she said gently. The last thing she wanted to do was push her comfort on him when he didn’t want it.
“No, stay for just a little bit.”
Katie knew it was extremely difficult for him, or anyone, to reach out when they were struggling with post-traumatic stress. She could see his face, pained and frightened. She had always seen John as strong and intelligent, such a brilliant forensic scientist, and seemingly unbreakable on investigations. Whatever the case or situation, he was solid and always there for her and McGaven.
He turned to her and gently stroked her face. “Thank you for being here. You’re such an amazing woman. As I’ve watchedyou work and what you’ve gone through… I can’t believe you have feelings for me…”
Katie smiled and felt an even stronger bond between them. “I’ve had feelings for you even before I knew I had feelings…” She wrapped her arms around him as they sat together with Cisco for a while before returning to bed.
They both slept soundly and peacefully.
ELEVEN
Tuesday 0745 hours
Katie and McGaven started the search at the construction site early, picking up where they had left off. They both were a bit cautious after the excitement of the day before. John was completely swamped at the lab and backed up with work, so Katie and McGaven were left to search and collect evidence if they found anything.
