HIS HEART

Ch:12 The Note

 "Eagle girl,

Must be hard, losing a brother. I bet you don't want that, do you?

Stop working on the the case. Give back the evidence and I'll let him go.

Meet me at the Boulevard at 1AM, unarmed. No one else should know. I'll see you there."

Crap. He's been taken hostage. She didn't tell me because that would put Tyler's life at stake. When she went to the Boulevard with the evidence, I think they got the evidence and as soon as it went to their hands, they decided to kill off Tara. Hence, the gunshots and the whole escape scenario. 

This is normal in a CBI agent's life, all these cases, losing people, bullet wounds. But it doesn't make it any easier. They sacrifice everything for their career. I remember Tara asking me to leave and crying as she realizes they are going to kill her. She knew, yet she accepted it. The proximity of death is felt in her every step. Everytime she picks up her gun, she knows she might get hurt. Everytime she leaves the house, she knows she might not come back. The people she sees today, might not be there the next. 

 I see Tara's face twitch even in her sleep. Nightmares. 

And there's nothing I can do.

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The phone rings loudly and I rush to answer it before she wakes up. I turn the corner and find that Tara has picked it up already. Her hair is disheveled and she pulls it into a makeshift bun. I can't hear what the caller is saying. Tara doesn't say anything. She puts the phone down and looks at a point on the wall, I see her jaw tighten and she's shaking ever so slightly.

"Tara?" 

"He's dead."

"Are you-" I struggle to comprehend the words that she just said.

"He's dead, Roger. Dead." There's an unsettling lack of emotion in her voice. Her eyes are devoid of sadness and her voice doesn't waver the slightest bit. Her mind refuses to accept it but inside, she knows it's true.

"I'm sorry, Tara. It was-"

"It was not meant to happen!" Her shout fills the room and I step back, startled. Her eyes pierce into mine and for the smallest fraction of a second, I see a side of Tara I never thought I'd see. A mad, even crazy part of her. Like she'd do anything, ANYTHING to avenge him. Her hand tightly grasps the side of the table and her knuckles are white. The slightest hint of emotion seeps into her voice. "I said I'd never let him go."

I let her lean onto me while she starts to break down. She struggles to speak.

"Everyone's gone.

He promised.

That we'd always be together."

I swallow the lump in my throat and just stay quiet. I don't know what to say. Everyone?

"It'll be alright. It'll be fine." I gently push her medications towards her. I don't know what else to do or how to comfort her. I'll be there for her and I hope she knows.

She turns to face me. "It'll never be fine. Never was. Never again." She slams her fist against the table and the medications topple off. I pick up the meds and put them back on the table.

I struggle to speak, I find it hard to grasp that Tyler, the man that was threatening me a week ago. The man that seemed so rugged and tough, was gone. It was almost impossible to accept.

I exhale. She needs some time. Alone. Maybe she can sort this out herself. 

"I'll be back in a bit."

I wait for her reply and getting none, I exit, letting her stay with her thoughts for a while.