"I don't know why. My girl is fine."
"Are you sure? I've been doing some searching myself. IAD has questioned her, plus she has a BAU team on a case involving her."
"I'll talk to her when she gets here in a couple weeks. For now don't worry."
I hang up and go to sleep wondering what could be going on with Maya.
"Hey, bro, watch your back."Christopher's voice jolts me from my sleep. The last image I saw before I opened my eyes wasMaya's body lying just like Christopher's across my body. Her chest heaving for air as her blood leaks from the gapping wounds.
I sit up and feel the pain again. I run to the bathroom and fall to my knees. I dry heave, smelling her blood and seeing her beautiful hair matted from it. My hands press on her wound and the blood seeps through my fingers.
"No! God no!" I mumble through my raw throat.
I feel someone in my space and look up to see Raul standing in the doorway. He soaks a washcloth and hands it to me, along with a cup of cool water. I rinse my mouth and wait for the judgment.
"How often does this happen?"
"Not as often as it used to."
Right after Christopher was killed, Raul helped me hide the PTSD from our C.O. He and the other guys in our unit all have our issues with that mission. That was a shitstorm of epic proportions.
"What set you off tonight?"
"Don't ask."
"I did." He bends over and helps me rise up on shaking legs. I brush my teeth and walk out to slip on a pair of sweatpants over my boxer briefs. Raul is sitting in the chair waiting to talk. I see the two tumblers of scotch. I know my stomach is going to protest it but my nerves need it.
"Joshua called and said that my girl might be in danger. I saw her in Christopher's place and he told me to watch my back."
"What kind of danger?"
"I don't know. She hasn't told me. For some reason there is an FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit with a file on a case she isinvolved in. She has some kind of security on her that if you search her name they back trace you. I accidentally tripped it by having Timothy do a search on her. Then to top it off, Joshua says the Internal Affairs Division interviewed her. These are things I think she should talk to me about. Right?"
"She's a cop?"
"Yeah."
"Was she the girl from the gala and hotel the next day?"
"Yeah, that’s her. She doesn't want anyone to know about us."
"Why? She embarrassed to be seen with you?"
"No. Our families know each other. She's worried that if we don't work out she'll hurt them."
"That was her in New York too?"
"She came up for the weekend. I want to be with her, but she won't give up her job and I can't give up mine."
"Lasses always make it trouble. That's why I'm going to stay single."
"Man, when you fall, it's going to be epic."
"Doubt it, haven't found a lass that was worth more than a quick shag."
"Like I said, it will be epic. Maya makes me feel like a better man. When I sleep with her, I don't have nightmares. She heals the open wounds I carry. But I know she is hiding a lot about herself."
"Maya? That's a nice name. Wait, why was she with the codger at the gala?"
