Page 5

Ray

I’ve never had to fight so hard to stay on task. He was becoming frustrated about the level of distraction Ghost was providing. Ray looked down at his list of leads and tasks and cracked his neck. Time to have a break from all this investigating.

“Let’s leave this here for now and pick it up in the morning,”

he said as he collected his paperwork. The team looked as relieved as he felt. “I’ve got a few calls to make and created a list I’d like Spencer to take a crack at, as he’s the best choice for hacking into a few databases.”

“You got it,”

Spencer agreed before walking over and taking the list from Ray’s hand.

“We’ll meet back up in the morning and set up plans for the next few days,”

Brick said. “In the meantime, get some rest.”

The team started to pack up what they’d been working on and began to disperse to their bedrooms or cottages. Ray was staying at Elias and Fletcher’s home in their spare bedroom and had already stowed his gear there. He gathered his notes and looked back up to see Ghost standing on the opposite side of the kitchen table, holding a piece of paper.

Ray cleared his throat and asked, “You got something, Ghost?”

“Yeah, well, I think so,”

Ghost said uncertainly.

“Sure. Let’s see it.”

Ghost came around the table to stand beside Ray and handed him the wrinkled and yellowed paper. This close, Ray could smell the man’s cologne, woodsy, or was that because he’d spent the afternoon in the forest? Whatever it was, Ray liked it a little too much, and he quickly redirected his attention to the paper.

“Hmm, an address?”

“Yeah, I noticed someone handwrote it beside a case number corresponding to the Jericho Miles case,”

Ghost said. “I thought it might be important.”

“Good catch. It could be. I’ll add it to the list of locations to check out.”

“Okay,”

Ghost said as he turned to walk away.

Ray frantically tried to think of a reason to keep him there a bit longer. “Wanna have a beer?”

he blurted.

Shit, smooth. How the hell have I gotten so out of practice? That answer was easy enough. Years of burying himself in work without a second thought about what else was out there. Living alone in his one-bedroom apartment above the local diner in his borough of Seattle had been great when he needed to eat but not for much else. Hell, he was seldom there anyway. Always on a case, tracking down a lead, and chasing the bad guy. Being alone had worked for him then, but its allure was wearing thin.

Ghost froze briefly, and Ray was positive the guy would say no.

Then Ghost nodded. “Sure, I’ll grab them and meet you on the back deck for some fresh air.”

“Deal.”

Ray gathered up his papers and nodded to Elias. “I’ll meet you guys at the cottage later.”

Elias smiled wide. “Sure, man.”

Why the hell do I suddenly feel like a teenager going on his first date? Fuck, he was a grown-ass man, war-hardened and jaded. I like the guy. So what. Get on with it, Lieutenant.

It wasn’t long before Ghost walked onto the deck holding two beers and an unsure smile. Okay, so he might not be the only one feeling like they were drowning in unfamiliar waters.

“Thanks, Ghost,”

Ray said as he took the offered beer.

“You’re welcome,”

Ghost replied before sitting in an Adirondack chair one over. It was not too close, but it wasn’t miles away either. Ray could respect that. They were feeling each other out to get a sense of where each stood.

“Again, I’m sorry for the confusion earlier. I didn’t mean any harm,” Ray said.

“Again, it’s okay. I get it. I’m fortunate you had enough self-control not to start throwing punches.”

“Yeah, I’ve learned over the years to control some gut reactions in certain situations.”

“Like in the Marines?”

“Yeah. There was a time for immediate action and a time to think first. The trick was figuring out which was which in high-stress situations.”

“That had to be hard.”

“It took a good while for me to figure it out. When I first joined, I was all action. Go, go, go. Thankfully I had a drill instructor who took the time to sit my ass down and help me figure shit out. He taught me how to be aggressive enough, quickly enough for each situation, and that hesitation kills. That’s where the quick thinking comes into play.”

“I’ve heard basic training is grueling.”

“It’s designed to test your physical, mental, and moral strength. They want men and women who can hold the line and have the mental fortitude to know if you have to cross it and by how far without compromising the Marine moto.”

“Semper Fidelis.”

“Yes. Always Faithful. Faithful to their fellow Marines, their country, and to success. Oo-rah.”

“Oo-rah?”

“It’s a battle cry adopted from the World Wars.”

“That’s interesting.”

“We keep talking about me, but what about you? Where did you grow up?”

Ray asked before taking a swig of beer.

“Not much to say. I grew up in foster care in New York after being dumped by the Noah Group in an orphanage. However, I wasn’t aware of that fact until years later.”

“That had to suck.”

Why sugarcoat it?

“Yeah. I never knew where I belonged. Until now.”

“Here at Fire Lake?”

“It’s the first time in my life I feel normal. Weird to say, but being surrounded by other survivors and a team of lethal Navy SEALs makes me feel comforted.”

“Hey, home is where you find it. I may have been born in Marshall, but I felt more at home with my military unit stationed across the globe.”

“Do you feel at home in Seattle?”

“No. I don’t think I’ll ever find a place that feels like home.”

“Why?”

“Not sure.”

Ray shrugged. “Just never had that feeling. You know what I mean?”

“I do. I always felt like I was running, and I was never settled. It was exhausting.”

“Like you can’t stop long in one place or set down roots because it never feels right,”

Ray said as he tapped his head and chest. “In here or here.”

“Exactly,”

Ghost agreed, giving Ray a strange look, his eyebrows furrowed and an adorable wrinkle appearing between his eyes.

“What?”

“I would have never guessed we’d have anything in common,”

Ghost admitted.

“You’d be surprised how alike we may be after all.”

“Maybe.”

“How did you discover your ability? It’s amazing, by the way.”

Ghost blushed. It looked good on him. “You say amazing; others say freak.”

The moment the word left his mouth, Ghost sat up straight and glanced around, putting Ray on alert.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just looking for Julia. I promised her I’d never use the word ‘freak’ when referring to myself again. She’d kick my ass.”

Ray couldn’t help but chuckle. “I bet she would. Julia doesn’t strike me as a person who takes shit from anyone. I like her.”

“She’s one of a kind. I don’t remember the exact day, but I remember the feeling. I wanted to disappear, to become invisible from the world. I looked down at my hand and realized I couldn’t discern where the pattern on the sofa started and where my hand began. They were the same.”

“That had to freak you out.”

“You’d think, but I was more comforted than upset. So, why didn’t you like living in Marshall? Your whole family was here; hell, between your grandfather and father, they policed the town for many decades.”

Ray wasn’t sure how to answer that question, so he went with ambiguity.

“Life as the law’s kid was less than ideal, let’s say.”

“I guess it would be hard being the grandson and son of the sheriff. Anything and everything would get reported back to the lawman,”

Ghost said, adding a little extra flare to the word “lawman,”

and smiled. “Never being able to get away with shit.”

“It was like living under a microscope,”

Ray said, hoping that would be enough information for Ghost to let it go. “Were your foster parents decent?”

“Decent at collecting their checks. Decent at doing the bare minimum and drinking half the day away. Decent at forgetting I existed until child welfare got a call from some concerned neighbor.”

“Shit, that sucks. I’m sorry, man. Growing up like that must have been tough, but now I understand your need to disappear.”

“I survived,”

Ghost said emotionlessly.

Ray recognized a roadblock when he saw one. Ghost wasn’t willing to discuss his upbringing, and he wouldn’t push it. At least they were starting to talk instead of tiptoeing around each other.

“I’m glad you did,”

Ray said softly.

“Really. Why?”

Ghost cocked his head curiously.

“Ah, ’cause I wouldn’t have had a chance of meeting you if you hadn’t.”

“You know that’s corny, right?”

Ray could tell Ghost was enjoying their banter by the slight smile on his face.

“Yeah, but I’m good with it. I’m a geek at heart.”

He held up his hands admitting to it.

Ghost’s laughter lit up his entire face, making Ray smile. It wasn’t a usual thing for him, but it seemed to be happening more lately. In less than twenty-four hours, Ray felt lighter than he had in recent history, an odd feeling of companionship but something he could easily become addicted to.

“Tell me, Detective, what are your spidey senses picking up when you look at me?”

Ray thought about it and decided to go with the truth.

“I see a man in hiding. Someone who’s been hiding his entire life.”

“Well. That’s not too hard to figure out, considering my history.”

“True, but there’s more to it. Something you’re afraid of admitting. Something that likely keeps you up at night. You’re driven to help Brick and this team fight the Noah Group and are even willing to sacrifice yourself for that endeavor. You’d do whatever it took to protect the people who’ve become your family, but a part of you is still waiting for the day you’ll be rejected by them. So inside, you can never truly be comfortable and accept this life. You don’t like touching people. I’ve noticed several times that you avoid physical skin-to-skin contact.”

As Ray spoke, Ghost’s eyes grew wider.

“You have a great deal to give, but you’re unsure who to give it to or even how. You blame yourself for something, I’m not sure what it is, but I don’t believe it has anything to do with your ability to camouflage yourself. You’re a good person, but don’t see yourself as one and punish yourself for something in the past you believe you can never outrun.”

Silence stretched out between them.

Ghost swallowed nervously. “You got all that from knowing me less than twenty-four hours?”

“I’m good at what I do,”

Ray said. “ I could be off base, but I’m not too far off based on your reaction. Don’t worry; I’d never share anything personal with anyone else. This is you and me talking.”

The last thing he wanted to do was scare the guy off, but he wanted to be truthful.

“How long have you had this ability to read people so well?”

Ghost asked.

Ray didn’t pretend not to know what Ghost was referring to. “Since childhood. I can get a sense of a person pretty quickly after meeting them.”

Ghost nodded. “You were made to be a detective. You have a sixth sense. It’s impressive.”

Ray respected the fact that Ghost didn’t try to bullshit him by denying what he’d said, but he also knew when not to push it.

“It’s getting late. Maybe we can pick this up tomorrow if you don’t mind,”

Ray said. He’d said enough about himself for one night. Hell, Ghost probably knew more about him now than anyone else.

“I’d like that,”

Ghost said as he stood and took the two empty beer bottles. “I’ll see you in the morning, Detective.”

“Sleep well, Ghost.”

While walking over to Elias and Fletcher’s cottage, Ray had difficulty wiping the smile from his face. Another first in a day full of them. He couldn’t help but wonder what tomorrow would bring.