Page 116 of Men of Fort Dale: The Complete Series

Dean let out a sharp breath. “Fuck.”

Marco glanced at him. “Dean?”

Dean bowed his head. “I know.”

“What?” Sloane asked, confused. “Who is it? How?”

“The woman he brought in the day he was arrested,” Dean said to his lap.

“It has to be. That whole check-up was so strange. She was skittish, though she tried to act like she wasn’t.

Her uniform was in disarray, there was a weird mark on her hip, and just..

.the way Carter looked when he showed up with her, and how vague he was. ”

Sloane leaned back, clicking his tongue. “You think Reynolds sexually assaulted her.”

“Or tried to. Carter might have got there in time to make sure he failed,” Dean said faintly.

Marco closed his eyes, feeling them sting. “And he wouldn’t name her. He wouldn’t put her in a position where she might be exposed. Not unless she chose to.”

Sloane grunted, looking unhappy as he spoke. “Then...unless she makes the accusation, which she hasn’t, we can do nothing. We can’t just call her up on a theory, especially if Carter won’t name her.”

“He won’t,” Marco said, opening his eyes, realizing what he had to do, and convincing his friends to help him. “Dean, I need your help.”

Dean’s eyes widened. “Marco, no.”

“Carter won’t do it,” Marco insisted, holding his friend’s gaze. “And Sloane can’t. But maybe I can, with your help.”

“Do you understand how much shit could come down on all of us if it goes wrong?” Dean asked in a strangled voice.

“What am I missing here?” Sloane asked.

Dean huffed. “Marco wants me to get him a one-on-one with the private I haven’t named yet.”

Sloane’s eyes widened. “What? If he did that, she could easily report him. Do you know what that would do to his record, his career?”

Marco shook his head. “To report what he’d done, she’d have to fess up to what had happened in the first place.”

“Jesus, Marco,” Dean hissed.

Guilt twisted, hot and ugly in his gut, but he continued.

“And I would never ask you to name her to anyone else. I would never out her to the world. All I want is to talk to her, to see if there’s a chance.

If she chooses not to, then that’s her choice.

I would never force her to do what she can’t, but goddammit, I have to ask. I have to find out.”

“You’re considering this,” Sloane asked Dean. When Dean winced, Sloane groaned. “You’re going to do it.”

“I don’t like the way our asses are covered,” Dean said, scowling.

“I hate it,” Marco admitted, meaning it. “But this is a chance for her too. It’s not just Carter who’d win. Her and every other victim before her, or will come after her, will get justice too.”

“Oh fuck,” Sloane swore vehemently. “Now I’m convinced. I hate you, Marco.”

Dean sighed, shaking his head. “Come back with us. I’ll find out where she is and let you talk. I’m trusting you on this, Marco.”

It seemed like a lot of people were depending on him, but Marco saw no other choice.

“I know,” Marco said, swallowing hard. “But I have to try. I have to do this.”

Marco had expected Dean to find the private and bring her in, but she was out on training exercises, forcing him to cool his heels for several hours. It was a long enough wait for him to go over everything he could say and every possible way it could go wrong.

When Dean led him to one of the examination rooms in the medbay near the back, telling him she was on her way, he realized he had no idea what he would say.

Marco waited anxiously as Dean left and then, hearing the front doors open, stiffened.

Waiting as he heard Dean’s soft voice approaching before he and a dark-haired woman stood in the doorway.

“What is this?” Private King asked, glancing at Dean.

“Someone who would like a word with you, just for a minute,” Dean assured her, smiling. “It...I promise you’re safe. It might not seem like it at first, but this is a good man, and he won’t do anything to jeopardize you.”

For a moment, Marco thought she would walk right out.

Her eyes were wide, and he could see her chest hitch.

Dean never pressed her, and Marco waited in silence.

After several heartbeats, she finally took a deep breath and entered the room.

Dean’s eyes lingered on Marco before softly closing the door to leave Marco with her.

They sat in silence, or rather, he sat, she stood. Private King eyed him warily for a moment, her jaw working as though she were chewing on her tongue. Marco didn’t watch the clock overhead but heard the soft ticking.

“What’s your name?” she finally asked softly.

“Marco,” he told her. “I have to be honest, I’m not very good at all the military procedures. So I don’t know what to call you.”

“Jessica works,” she finally sat down on the examination table.

Dean had told him her first name, but he nodded. “Okay. Jessica, it is.”

She finally broke eye contact, looking at the floor. “I know what this is about.”

“Do you?” he asked, more curious than doubtful.

Jessica nodded, taking another deep breath. “I wondered if someone might try to talk to me about what happened with Sergeant Reynolds. After the Corporal...well, it was always at the back of my mind.”

“He’s part of the reason I’m here,” Marco said, then sighed. “Okay, he’s a big reason I’m here.”

She looked up, eyes narrowing. “A big...why?”

Marco snorted softly, shaking his head. “Seems it was a big secret, nice and hush-hush. He was arrested.”

A beat, and then. “Because of me.”

“Because of Reynolds,” Marco corrected instantly.

Her voice grew tight. “If he hadn’t stepped in.”

Marco couldn’t help his laugh. “I know you don’t know Carter well, but there’s no way he was going to walk away after seeing...whatever it was he saw.”

She looked up sharply. “You don’t know? You’re going to pretend like you don’t know?”

Marco shook his head. “I don’t know, not for certain. But I know Carter. And when they took him in, he mentioned he’d been helping someone, and that’s why he attacked Reynolds. He wouldn’t name who, and?—”

She glanced over her shoulder. “The medic.”

“He kind of helped put the pieces together,” Marco admitted. “And is probably madder than hell at me right now for asking him to help me talk with you.”

“You want me to talk, don’t you?” she asked, and he couldn’t tell from her tone what she thought about the idea.

“Well, now I know you didn’t know what happened to Carter, I guess I’m glad I had the chance to tell you that. But I won’t lie, yes, that’s what I hoped would come out of this conversation.”

She laughed, though there was no humor in it. “You really think anyone will listen? He’s my CO, and?—”

“I won’t pretend I know what it’s like any more than I’ll pretend I know what you went through,” Marco promised her. “And I won’t pretend that Carter isn’t the reason I’m here talking to you. He’s a good man, better than most people think. And he doesn’t deserve to suffer for Reynolds’ crime.”

She watched him warily but kept her silence.

“I also know Reynolds deserves to pay for what he did or tried to do. For what he’s probably done before, and I’m sure he’ll do again, people like that don’t change.

” He hated the way she flinched, and he pushed past the twist in his gut as he continued.

“And it’s not fair of me to put this on you.

To put what’s happening to Carter, what happened to other women before, and what could happen to others in the future on your shoulders.

I know that. And I hate it. I can’t even describe to you how much I hate it. ”

“But you’re doing it,” she said, voice neutral.

“Yes,” Marco said because it was the truth.

“Who are you?” Jessica asked softly.

“Someone trying to get justice. For other people and for a damned good man.”

“You love him.”

He hesitated and then went with the first thing that felt like the truth. “Not yet.”

Jessica nodded slowly at that, pursing her lips. Marco could see the war behind her eyes, though he could only guess what each side was saying in her head.

“You don’t have to answer right now,” Marco said, even though it made him ill to think of Carter having to wait. And not knowing what would happen. “I’m not here to demand anything. I just wanted to...present my case, I guess.”

She gave a jerk of her head that might have been understanding, acceptance, or agreement. He didn’t know. Jessica slid from the table and went to the door. When she opened it, Marco waited for her to leave. She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder to stare at him, face unreadable.

And then she was gone.

Marco stared at the spot where she’d been standing. Eventually, Dean appeared in the doorway, face pinched with worry.

“Well?” Dean finally asked after the silence stretched on.

“I don’t know,” Marco whispered. “I just...don’t know.”

And his heart broke at the thought.