When The Past Comes Back To Shove (Power Rangers Wild Force/Time Force Fanfic)

Secrets

Eric groaned softly as his phone rang, waking him from his nap on a blanket in his yard. He took a quick look at the blonde beside him. Taylor was still asleep with her head resting on his chest and her left arm thrown across his stomach. His arm was wrapped snugly around her waist, her vest thrown to the side and a blanket over them.

"What do you want?" Eric asked the phone quietly, yet sternly. Alyssa had told him that Taylor hadn't been sleeping well due to reoccurring nightmares, and he wasn't about to let anything wake her up prematurely.

"Eric, it's Wes."

No teasing? That didn't sound like him.

"I thought it was the Muffin Man."

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking. I have a man in here wanting us to look into a missing person case."

Wes was acting even stranger than usual. "And you can't handle it on your own until tomorrow?"

"He says his wife has been missing for nearly two years and no one else is doing anything about it. He says she has no family or friends who she could've run to."

"I yield. What's her name?"

"U. S. Air Force Lt. Taylor Earhardt."

Eric looked down at the blonde beside him in shock. There was no way she was married. She would've mentioned having a husband. Right? No. He had to trust her. Something fishy was going on. And no family or friends? He knew for a fact that her father and sister were still alive, he'd met her dad. And she and Alyssa had been best friends for half their lives. What was this man up to?

"What's the man's name, Wes?" he asked.

"Arthur Haarmann."

Eric made a mental note of that. He'd have to ask Taylor when she woke up. Or maybe ask Alyssa. She seemed to know more about Taylor than anyone.

"I'll see what I can find out on my end. Tay's asleep right now and from what Alyssa was saying, she needs it."

Eric could almost hear Wes's nod. "Thank you." They hung up at the same time.

Eric sighed softly as he flipped his phone back open and searched for the petite brunette's contact. As the phone rang, he glanced back down at Taylor. By some miracle, she was still asleep.

"Hello?"

"Alyssa, it's Eric. I have a question."

"Hi, Eric! What can I do for you?"

"Do you know of a man by the name of Arthur Haarmann?"

The line went silent for a little bit as he guessed she went into another room. Then, quietly and urgently, "where did you hear that name?"

"So you do know him?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Eric," the white ranger was trying to avoid answering.

"Who is he, Alyssa?"

She sighed, "Taylor's ex-boyfriend. How do you know him?"

"He came to Wes's office this morning looking for Tay. He said she was his wife."

"No. She broke up with him years ago. One of the reasons she joined the Air Force was to get away from him."

"What did he do to her?"

"What?"

"You and I both know Taylor doesn't just run away. What did he do to her?"

"I think you need to ask her that."