Love Changes but Never Dies

Ch. 10 Learning To Turn it Off

  I've been sitting at my desk off in my own world thinking about all the questions and feelings I have for about thirty minutes. Nobody is here due to the Steve situation and the fact we have no cases or paperwork at the moment. "Damn it," I mutter as my phone rings and makes me jump. I look at the screen when I pull it from my bra and see Sergeant Charlie on it. Great, HPD is calling with a case. "Yes Charlie," I answer with.

  "Uhh Sara, please tell me there is another Staff Sergeant Ross on your team," he responds in a bleak tone. I frown and say, "No, what's going on Charlie?" "Get to the North shore now. And bring your whole team, for your sake. Because Sara, this scene is going to hit you personally," he says in a urgent way. That statement instantly gets me worried so I quickly agree as I mentally pray my mom is ok. I send a quick text to the whole team including Steven.

  He has the right to know even with everything going on. I tell them what Charlie said and call the PD closest to my mom's place as I run for my SUV. "This is sergeant Ross from Five-O in Hawaii and I need a welfare check done on my mother. Her address is 282 Light drive Prattville Alabama 36066," I say as soon as they pick up. I flip my blue lights on as I whip out of the parking lot and head towards the North shore. "Okay, Sergeant Ross. An officer is on their way out there and we will call you back on this number shortly," the woman responds.

  "It's life or death, so please hurry," I say before hanging up to drive faster. It takes me 45 minutes to get to the scene, which is on a remote part of the beach, and when I get there I slam on breaks a few feet from Chin's SUV. I rush to the small embankment and make my way down to the scene that has twenty people plus my team working it. I study my teams faces and see fear, worry, and anger. And I automatically know Steven is scared for me not his self. So I rush over to see something that stops me in my tracks and makes me hit my knees in a nano second. 

  The man laying in the sand looked similar to Leland but that's not the biggest catch. He has a smiley face carved into his forehead......just like my father did. I lied when I told everyone that my father died of natural causes. He was really murdered on base and no one knows except the MP and I. How the person accomplished that, we may never know. This man has his neck slit also. Why is this happening to me again!?

  "Sara, this note appears to be for you," Max says from the head of the body that looks like Leland. I stand shaking and only take four steps and see why everyone had fear on their faces and why I just let out a sob. The person carved 'I'm back to finish my revenge Staff Sergeant Ross :-)'

  I suck all my fear and pain in and lock it away and go snatch the letter out of Max's hand. I slowly open the blood splatter paper and read a gut rinching paragraph. 'He looks like your ex, did you notice? Maybe next time it'll be the real thing. But for now, know I'm coming for you. You ruined my life and happiness and I will ruin yours before it's all over!!!'

  I feel myself going pale and Danny, who is closest to me, grabs my arm to steady me. I squeeze my eyes closed for almost a minute before getting my shit together and jumping into action. I get an evidence bag from Max and put the letter in it. I then hand it to Danny, all the while I feel everyone staring at me, and I call Leland for the first time in a year.

  He doesn't answer and I call right back. And the same. "Answer the fucking phone Leland!," I yell to no one yet everyone but Steven jumps. I lock eyes with Steve as I dial again and I see something in them that almost makes everything go away. But Leland answer and gets my focus on track again. "What is it Sara we're briefing on a fugitive," Leland says in a calm voice. "Oh thank God," I gasp out. "What is it Sara? Are you okay," he asks getting worried. I take a second to reel my emotions in before saying, "Lee-lee are the cameras there?" "No, what's wrong? Please tell me," he says almost panicked. "Put me on speaker," I say with no room to argue.

  When he does I say, "Guys, on this you have to trust me. You need to leave Hawaii and take every family member that has EVER appeared on the show. Someone.......Someone is after me and the ones I love. Don't stay in any house that has been on the show and have a REAL gun on you everywhere you go." "How do you know for sure," Leland asks in a tone that says he will listen only if I have a good explanation.

  "Because Leland, I am standing over a fucking dead body that looks so much like you that I did a double take! And I was with you everyday for a year and a half! And a letter saying as such was on the body," I snap. I hear gasp and immediate sobs. "Don't tell me where you go, just go. I will call you when it's safe. Or at worst, Commander McGarrett will." I hang up to loud sobs and protests.

  "This letter suggests you know this person and it's obviously a woman's writing," Steven says looking at me, I feel him. Again I lock eyes with those sexy eyes and without losing contact or control I say, "The manner of my father's death wasn't natural. I've never told anyone this but, my father was murdered in his on base home and the killer left that same face on his forehead. We never found out who it was and I had to leave a week later. That's the real reason I never returned, regularly." I say sniffling and finally look away from Steven's shocked face to find a teary eyed Max.

  "You were the shattered solider. The one who walked in to find her father almost decapitated," Max says with watery eyes. I frown remembering a very young man loading my dad's body up. "Were you the ME that was on his case," I ask Max softly. He nods once and says, "You don't remember much of that day due to the traumatic events." I shake my head with rueful expression on my face and say, "No Max, I don't remember much. But the one thing I do remember all to clearly is the shocked look my father's face held even after death." Steven is about to speak but my phone stops him.

  I pull it out of my bra at lightning speed to see and Alabama number on the screen. "Hello," I say in a veiled panicked voice. "Sergeant Ross your mom is fine. She had just returned from a brunch with friends," an officer tells me. I let my head fall back in relief. "Can you please put her in protective custody. I have a serial killer after me and she may be a target," I say in my Army voice, just to get it done faster. "Yes ma'am," the officer stuttered. I roll my eyes and give my goodbyes before hanging up. I look back at my team and see worried looks on all of their faces. But Steve's face almost breaks me. I've never seen him so worried.

  "Guys I'm fine, I promise. And Steven we need to talk when this case is over, if I survive," I say in the best joking voice I can manage right now......I gasp when suddenly Steven is right in my face. "Never say something like that again! If I can help it, you'll never get hurt again," he says fiercely. I nod because I know a moan would come out otherwise. I mean his voice is sexy as is. But add a fierce tone to it and Oh My God!

  "Yes!! Sara, she left DNA this time," Max yells out and I slowly look away from Steven's sexy eyes. When I finally break my eyes away from Steve I see Max running to his makeshift office on the beach under a huge tent. I give Steve one last look before joining Max as he gets a name to go with the hair he pulled off the body.

~Ten minutes later

  "Is the name Courtney Sims of any importance to you," Max asks looking up from the results. It takes only seconds for it to hit me like a ton of bricks. "Courtney is my father's ex. Dad broke up with her a month after the three of us had a huge fight over her saying something horrible about Chin. And that night I finally told Dad she gave me the creeps," I say in a breathy voice. "SHIT," I squeak out when my phone startled me yet again.

  I see it's Beth and start to worry. "Beth," I answer calmly. "Sara, oh my God, Leland went home to get some stuff to take with us an hour ago and now he wont answer his phone!" My heart drops instantly. "I will find him I swear. Just stay calm and wait on my call. I love you guys and stay at the Airport," I say as I hide my worry as best I can. She says she loves me too and we hang up.

~Steven

  As soon as Sara answers her phone her beautiful face has nothing but panic on it. And her immediate action after hanging up tells me it urgent. "Officers," she yells to uniforms guarding the body. When they get to us she orders, "Go to Leland Chapman's house and use extreme caution. He may be being held hostage there." She sends them off then turns to Max, "What's this bitch's address?"

  As soon as Max gets the last syllable out Sara is off at a run. And of course we follow her. "Steve you're about to see a side of Sara that will scare even you," Chin tells me as we make it to the top of the embankment. I give him a look that says 'Really?' "Just watch," Chin replies in a tone that suggests I need to hold on for the ride.