they all needed
to see her and be there for each other. B y the time they were in the room, Gage felt like he was going to puk e . The dread that filled him was something he was unable to control.
He had seen her with Raider, he knew she was gone but this didn’t make it any less
painful as they waited. The smells of the cold room were enough to make a person
gag. The antiseptic and foul stench of death reminded him too much of the days he had to identify terrorists to make sure they had achieved their target. This was so not the same feeling —far worse .
David put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed in support, the rest of them were doing
the same to each other. And when the technician walked in all of the sucked in a
breath.
“ Gentlemen , we need an ID, and if it is her, the detectives are right outside, they have a few
questions , ” t he man said and waited for their acknowledgement.
Master Chief stood by the head of the victim while the others were spread out. The technician put his hands on the sheet and paused looking up for the nod to let him know they were ready. Never tak ing his eyes off the sheet, Master Chief nodded and waited.
When he pulled the sheet down the first thing Gage saw was her curly brown hair and he knew. Marie ' s battered face looked abnormal because of wh at she had endured . Master Chief could see the cuts and cigarette burns on her neck and shoulder , and he struggled to keep it together.
The men shuffled, he could feel the anger radiating and bouncing off the walls, even though everyone remained silent. Master Chief said , “It is Marie Diane Farat.”
Th e technician nodded and went to place the sheet back over her face. Master Chief reached up and grasped his arm holding him in place, preventing him from covering
her again. “No, we need a minute.”
“Of course , ” t he technician said . “If someone could come with me to the lobby where the detectives are waiting ? ”
The Commander nodded and followed the technician . The men gathered around the table as they tried to come to terms w h i le staring at the woman they had last see n alive, and the woman that lay before them .
“We need to get our hands on the reports , ” Master Chief said briskly and LC put a hand on his shoulder.
“It is Marie , ” h is friend whispered.
“Is everything else set, do we have transport and security arranged , ” Master Chief said and choked down the emotion threatening to erupt.
“It is Marie,” Voodoo whispered.
“David , we need to go to the bank, get the documents Raider left , ” Master Chief said grimly.
“It is Marie,” Ice repeated.
“Goddamn it ! I know it is Marie ! ” Master Chief roared. “How could I not know, I see her. Do you? Her happy face was beaten, her
neck and shoulders show where she was cut and burned. DO YOU THINK I DON’T SEE THAT ? !”
Everyone was silent as he had his meltdown. His best friend ' s sweet and charming wife was dead, tortured . Who could deal with something like that? The tears he thought he was holding at
bay were running down his cheeks, his breath getting shallower and shallower until he was in danger of
hyperventilating as he screamed loudly his anger and frustration in a voice that sounded
like a tortured animal.
Master Chief felt him, h e turned and saw his friend standing there looking at his wife’s body with a flash of anger in his eyes. The n Marie was next to him and she was crying softly, shaking her head.
“ Sammi ?” Raider whispered.
“I will find her , ” Master Chief vowed.
“ I know, don’t let this ruin you ,” Marie said. “ You know, at the end — all I thought about was Sammi and Ted, it was a comfort. But I didn’t tell them anything.
Sammi is where she is supposed to be. You will be contacted .”
“What the fuck does that mean , Rie? ! ” Master Chief yelled , using her nickname and running a hand through his hair in frustration. The others stood by and
to see her and be there for each other. B y the time they were in the room, Gage felt like he was going to puk e . The dread that filled him was something he was unable to control.
He had seen her with Raider, he knew she was gone but this didn’t make it any less
painful as they waited. The smells of the cold room were enough to make a person
gag. The antiseptic and foul stench of death reminded him too much of the days he had to identify terrorists to make sure they had achieved their target. This was so not the same feeling —far worse .
David put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed in support, the rest of them were doing
the same to each other. And when the technician walked in all of the sucked in a
breath.
“ Gentlemen , we need an ID, and if it is her, the detectives are right outside, they have a few
questions , ” t he man said and waited for their acknowledgement.
Master Chief stood by the head of the victim while the others were spread out. The technician put his hands on the sheet and paused looking up for the nod to let him know they were ready. Never tak ing his eyes off the sheet, Master Chief nodded and waited.
When he pulled the sheet down the first thing Gage saw was her curly brown hair and he knew. Marie ' s battered face looked abnormal because of wh at she had endured . Master Chief could see the cuts and cigarette burns on her neck and shoulder , and he struggled to keep it together.
The men shuffled, he could feel the anger radiating and bouncing off the walls, even though everyone remained silent. Master Chief said , “It is Marie Diane Farat.”
Th e technician nodded and went to place the sheet back over her face. Master Chief reached up and grasped his arm holding him in place, preventing him from covering
her again. “No, we need a minute.”
“Of course , ” t he technician said . “If someone could come with me to the lobby where the detectives are waiting ? ”
The Commander nodded and followed the technician . The men gathered around the table as they tried to come to terms w h i le staring at the woman they had last see n alive, and the woman that lay before them .
“We need to get our hands on the reports , ” Master Chief said briskly and LC put a hand on his shoulder.
“It is Marie , ” h is friend whispered.
“Is everything else set, do we have transport and security arranged , ” Master Chief said and choked down the emotion threatening to erupt.
“It is Marie,” Voodoo whispered.
“David , we need to go to the bank, get the documents Raider left , ” Master Chief said grimly.
“It is Marie,” Ice repeated.
“Goddamn it ! I know it is Marie ! ” Master Chief roared. “How could I not know, I see her. Do you? Her happy face was beaten, her
neck and shoulders show where she was cut and burned. DO YOU THINK I DON’T SEE THAT ? !”
Everyone was silent as he had his meltdown. His best friend ' s sweet and charming wife was dead, tortured . Who could deal with something like that? The tears he thought he was holding at
bay were running down his cheeks, his breath getting shallower and shallower until he was in danger of
hyperventilating as he screamed loudly his anger and frustration in a voice that sounded
like a tortured animal.
Master Chief felt him, h e turned and saw his friend standing there looking at his wife’s body with a flash of anger in his eyes. The n Marie was next to him and she was crying softly, shaking her head.
“ Sammi ?” Raider whispered.
“I will find her , ” Master Chief vowed.
“ I know, don’t let this ruin you ,” Marie said. “ You know, at the end — all I thought about was Sammi and Ted, it was a comfort. But I didn’t tell them anything.
Sammi is where she is supposed to be. You will be contacted .”
“What the fuck does that mean , Rie? ! ” Master Chief yelled , using her nickname and running a hand through his hair in frustration. The others stood by and
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