Lost in Silence (The Lost Series Book 1)(3)

My sister was happy to hear about my recovery and that I had a family to lean on when I needed to. She was still upset though, I didn’t see her before making a mad dash back to the desert. She understood though. She had even prepared for it. In her most recent letter she told me she had seen it coming years ago and was more than happy to see ‘the backstabbing bitch’ out of my life. I’m sure she danced all the way to the post office when she sent me the papers finalizing my divorce. She also sent the biggest care package I ever received, filled with baked goods, candy and anything else she could shove into the box to celebrate with.

“Hudson,” a voice calls from outside the bunkroom it was Dizzy, our squad tracker and in-house comedian. “You in there?”

“What’s going on Diz,” I called back, folding my sister’s letter and tucking it under my pillow. While things had been getting better for me but I couldn’t say the same for home life. Things were going from bad to worse for my younger brother. He’s been into more trouble, which is what else my sister’s letters was filled with. Neither of us could pinpoint what exactly had caused this drastic change in his character. He’d always been a good kid, willing to lend a helping hand and going out of his way for others. Now, my sister was lucky if she saw him in passing. Since their last argument he’d taken to avoiding her. Something was going on, something bad. I had a sinking feeling it had to do with me and what happened the last time I was home.

“You got anymore of those cookies your sister sent?” he opens the door, leaning against the frame. A blast of heat hits me in the face and quickly fills the bunkroom.

“Sorry man, Tango got the last of them a few minutes ago,” I shake my head and smile. My sister would love hearing how much her baking skills are appreciated here.

“Damn, I was hoping to take a few with me on patrol,” he steps into the room, letting the door close behind him. I see his eyes stop at my pillow and notice the letter sticking out from underneath it. “Everything all right at home?”

My squad knew a little of what was happening. They offered help but there wasn’t much anyone could do about it. My brother needed a Hudson sized boot up his ass.

“Same shit, different day,” I reply, keeping it as vague as possible.

“Only a couple of months left brother,” he turns his head to the side, his eyes somber and understanding. It was rare to see Dizzy like this because he was always busy making fun of himself, putting himself at the center of every joke. Something dark stirred beneath his comedic demeanor today.

“I just hope they can hang on for that long,” I sigh, knowing he’s right. We didn’t count the days like our families did stateside, there was too much danger around. Instead, we focused on our missions, taking it one day at a time.

“So, file for an emergency leave,” he shrugs.

“I don’t know man,” I rub my hand over my buzzed head and down my face. “I’m not sure if I can go back.”

“I understand,” his voice drops and I know he is thinking about his own home life. Dizzy’s mother recently lost her battle with cancer and he hadn’t been able attend the funeral. We were away on mission at the time. They sent him home to grieve but he wasn’t gone long and when he came back, he was different.

“Are a couple of months going be long enough for you?” I asked, noting the tension in his body as he thinks about what awaits him.

“Has to be,” he replies, his focus on the dirt covered floor. “Got to face it some time.”

I shrug, wishing neither one of us had to face it. Whatever it was and as much as I’ve accomplished here I wasn’t sure if I was ready to it back home.

“You sure you’re sister can handle it?” his watches me carefully.

I wasn’t sure. This time her letter was more desperate than the last and it had me on edge. My brother started running with a crew who’d been known to cause a lot of havoc in town. A group I knew well. No matter how much my sister tried to get him to see reason, he’d been unresponsive to her pleas and things were getting rough.

“Yeah, she can handle it,” I answer, regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth. It was a dick move, no doubt, but I couldn’t go back. I wasn’t ready. Not yet.





Chapter 1


Alice

I’ve been on the run for months, five to be exact. I thought I’d been careful not to leave a trail but he found me. Again. The pounding started fifteen minutes ago, jolting me out of a dead sleep. A luxury I hadn’t experienced in some time. It’s him. Erik. My husband and a very bad man, an evil man, a man I’d barely escaped not once but twice.