Page 2 of Tracking Payton
“Actually, it is your mom’s. I found it in amongst my things, and I figured it was time for you to have it.”
Payton was speechless. She didn’t take her dad for the sentimental type. He didn’t like clutter, and she thought he’d gotten rid of all of her mother’s stuff when she’d died. He’d claimed having reminders of her in the house was too hard for him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Put it on.” She didn’t have to be told twice. Tearing it from the box, Payton clasped it around her neck. The thin gold chain was light, like a gentle kiss around her neck. Her fingers closed around the heart, and she could swear she smelled her mother’s jasmine perfume.
Her dad’s phone chimed, signaling he’d gotten a text message. He pulled out his phone and gave it a cursory glance before setting it down. Payton glanced down at it. She wasn’t normally invasive to her father’s personal business, but she was curious. ‘Report early and debrief you.’
“I’m sorry, pumpkin, I have to go.” He pulled out his wallet and put down a few bills before standing.
Story of her life. “But you just got here.” Almost forty-five minutes late too.
“We’ll get together soon. Something came up at work.” When didn’t something come up? He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I love you, Payton. Don’t ever forget that. No matter what.”
That was odd. “I love you too, Daddy.” She watched him walk out to his car and drive away, noting he’d turned left instead of right for work.
Chapter 2
Alex marched into Nick’s office building with his heart in his throat. He’d gotten a call from a friend at Fort Carson that his mentor and the man that had practically raised him had been in an accident; Nick Weber’s car was totaled and Nick was missing. He hadn’t asked further questions, instead jumped on the first flight to Colorado Springs after sending a quick text to his teammates that he’d be out of town for a few days.
Walking through the front double doors, he wished he’d asked more questions so he could prepare himself for what he was walking into. His mind was playing havoc with him imagining the worst possible outcome.
Nick had survived the crash and was dragging his body to someone who could help him. He was lying there on the cold ground, dying, unable to get to help.
Alex’s friend who’d called him, Colin, was summoned to the front desk. Colin greeted him with hurried steps and looked at him somberly, and Alex’s stomach plummeted.
“Have they found him?” Alex asked, preparing himself for the news that Nick was dead. Death was inevitable, but Alex wasn’t ready for Nick to go.
Colin looked away with a grimace. He never did have a good poker face. Alex had known Colin since they were teenagers. They could always tell when one of them was lying or trying to hide something.
Colin was the son of another colonel, and they’d met through a military function and hit it off instantly. They’d both joined the army at the same time. When Alex joined the Deltas, Colin joined Special Forces. His life had derailed five years ago when he’d lost his right arm from an IED in Afghanistan. Nick had helped him find a job on base at Fort Carson.
Instead of heading further inside the building, they stepped outside and walked over to a covered sitting area away from people.
“Why are we outside?” Alex asked looking around.
“Away from prying ears.”
That made sense. “Does that mean Nick’s dead?”
“I don’t know. We can’t find him. Regular and military police are looking for him, but nothing so far.”
That wasn’t good. At least they hadn’t found his dead body yet. There could still be hope.
“Do you know what happened?”
“Someone found his car wrapped around a tree along a pass in the mountains. They called the police right after.” Colin pulled out his phone and showed him photos from the wreck. “I have a friend on the police force, and he took these for me. He ran the plates and tracked it to Nick, so he called me first thing.”
“Shit, you think Nick survived that?” Alex asked as he scrolled through pictures. There was nothing left of the car. All the metal was bent and twisted. Debris was scattered all over the road.
“We can’t find the body, so yeah. Besides, that man is too stubborn to die.” Colin chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation.
“Did your friend say what the cause was?”
“So far it’s being ruled as an accident. Maybe an animal jumped out and spooked him.” Alex didn’t buy that, and by the look in Colin’s eyes, he didn’t buy it either. They knew Nick too well to crash his car because an animal darted in front of him. The man had been highly trained for situational awareness. Anything could happen in a blink of an eye, but a spook wouldn’t cause that kind of damage. This had been purposeful. Like someone ran him off the road.
Alex instantly felt guilty because he thought he was the cause of it.
“What’s being done to find him?”
