Hunting for Honey - THE SPECTER SERIES [book one]

Chapter TWENTY SEVEN: The Scene

Archer West

By the time I reach Honey's apartment, she's gone..

I'm fucking furious, pacing around her living room taking in scattered the scene before me..
Thai takeout, shattered glass from a wine bottle, Honey's bag and a bunch of her work papers lay strewn across the foyer.. The coffee table is turned on its side and the rug on the floor is bunched up and folded over at one corner, it's obvious some kind of struggle took place here..

I was supposed to be here.. No, I should have been here... Instead I was arguing bullshit protocol politics with Iris.. I could fucking kick myself for being so stupid, for making such an obvious mistake..

I knew I should have posted one of my guys on her. Had her survailed and followed.. But it was a conversation I hadn't wanted to have with Honey and I had already pushed Iris so far, I hadn't wanted to risk testing my luck, or either of their patience any further.. Now, I know I made the wrong call.. And that fuck up might have cost Honey her life..

Not the first time my decisions will have led to disaster..

Jackson arrives a few minutes later, and sweeps the room before he crosses to give me his assessment.. "No signs of forced entry.. There was definitely a struggle.. Everything is here except for her phone.. No blood, but there's a chunk of hair over by the chair.. Looks female, long, blond.. She definitely out up a fight.. "

It's nothing I haven't already noticed, but Jackson is calculating and calm.. Something I've come to rely on him for over the years... The level head of Alpha team, I know I can always count on his rational and diplomacy.. Turning to him, I jerk my head towards the view of the street outside.. "Get a trace on that phone. Have Specter hack any CCTV from the street and see if there's anything there.. Find her.."

Jackson nods... "Already on it.. There's one other thing boss.."

"What?" I grunt.. My eyes are still scanning over every detail of the scene..

"That notebook she's always carrying around with her.. Its gone too.." He frowns at Honey's bag, rumpled by the door, obviously considering the consequences..

I quickly reassure him.. "Don't worry about the notebook.. I've read it.. If the code is in there Asher won't be able to figure it out, that book makes no sense to anybody except Honey.. She is the key, Ford."

I stride over and kneel down next to the small clump of Honey's blond curls.. I can picture her.. Terrified.. On her knees in front of Asher in this chair..

What had he done to her?..
What would he do next?..

Fuck, I hate myself for allowing this to happen.. And I'm beginning to think Alex was out of his fucking mind, for entrusting a guy like me, with such a rare diamond..

I lift my hands placing them on the armrests of the chair running them over the smooth suede fabric, until I feel it..

I knew it would be here..

I pluck the pin from the inner cushion of the armrest and hold it up to my face for inspection..

A gold lapel pin monogrammed at the top with the letter "B" in a looping cursive script..

"Brian fucking Asher.." I mutter to myself..

The same pin has been found at hundreds of other investigation sites, linked to Asher's shady activities .. It's considered to be a kind of calling card of his at this point..

"Anoth'r bloody pin, aye? Asher's got ya girl.." Patrick appears beside me..

"I'm aware.." I growl, standing up and straightening my suit, which is restrictive and uncomfortable at best, lacking in any tactical practicality..

"Iris ain't ever gonna hear the end of this one.. Bosslady fecked up bad.. Real bad.." Patrick makes a tsk tsk sound, clicking his tongue sarcastically...

"She fucked up alright.. Not as bad as Asher.." I tuck the pin into my pocket and turn to Patrick who straightens up to attention immediately.. "Brian Asher is a dead man. I don't give a fuck how badly Paxton and those mother fuckers over at Langley want him alive, if you get the opportunity.." I turn to make sure Jackson is listening too.. "Take the shot."

"Oorah!" They shout in unison.

I nod, dismissing them.. Jackson returns to assessing the scene, looking for any missed clues, but Patrick hovers by my side, buzzing with tension and energy.. I swear the guy has ADD he is so relentlessly energetic..

"Is there something you need to tell me O'connor?" I give him a hard look, burying any hint of my own weakness.. Show no fear.. No doubt..
Now is not the time for that shit..

O'connor knows me better than that though..

"We'll get her back West.. We will.." He puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a lopsided smirk.. "In the meantime, Honey is tougher n' nails.. Asher is in for a surprise there.."

I need him to see the stark reality, so I take the pin from my pocket and hold it out in front of him.. He eyes it and then looks back at me confused..
"She's tough Patrick, sure.. But if they torture her.. It will be for nothing.. She doesn't know the key.. She couldn't give it to Asher, even if she wanted.."

Patrick's forehead creases in concern. I know he understands what I'm getting at.."He won' believe her.. Not with her being so close to Alex, 'n then you guys ffff--"
I cough, warning him not to finish that sentence, and he changes direction mid-word..
".. fffffinaly becoming friends.." He grins, shit stirring me..

I appreciate his humour and optimistic spirit, Patrick has a tolerance like no other man and I admire the hell out of him for it.. I just don't need to feed his ego by telling him so.
"Right.. And when he doesn't get the answer he wants.." I spell it out for him to complete on his own..

He pauses.. Not wanting to admit what he knows is true.. "He won' stop.."

We both share a knowing look, having seen the aftermath of some particularly brutal interrogation scenes left behind by Asher... and imagining the possibility of finding Honey that way, makes my stomach roll and my palms sweat..
By the look on Patrick's face he's feeling just about the same.. I almost begin to wonder if he has some kind of feelings for her..

After all, I know they became friendly back at the safehouse..

But I stuff the jealousy aside as quickly as it came and pull out my phone to call in an update Iris..
If Patrick has feelings for Honey, then it only means he will do anything to get her back.. Just like me.