“Like what, Lee? He never showed up here as we all planned on settling down on this ranch. He never wanted the things we talked about. You had that job all set for him to work for the US Marshals with Tex and he didn’t take it,” Tiek said.
“We need to tell Tex. Is he stopping in for lunch?” Stitch asked, and Lee nodded his head.
“Why would Keith go rogue? I mean, I know he doesn’t have a family aside from us, so what the hell? Was it the money?” Tiek asked, sounding so angry. He was the biggest of all of them. With wide shoulders, lots of muscles, he worked part-time with the academy to train law enforcement officers in hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Lee swallowed hard. The rest of the team didn’t know what Lee knew. That Keith indeed had a family member. His one baby sister whom he adored.
Just then Mercury walked into the room.
“What is it?” Lee asked.
“I assume you told the others about Keith.”
“Yes, sir, he did. What did you find out?” Tiek asked.
“There are no leads on him whatsoever. I got nothing. I’m sorry, guys. I did ask that my friend contact me if he hears anything at all, even mild chatter.”
Lee ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. His heart was heavy. His gut clenched and he knew that there was more to this.
“Lee, you’re taking this hard. I understand that you and Keith were close, but shit like this happens. As much as my gut is telling me there’s something more to this, we have to prepare for the worst,” Mercury stated.
Lee felt the anger hit his gut. “This shit doesn’t happen to our team members, to any of us. He’s not guilty of treason or aiding terrorists or whatever some federal bureaucrats want to pin on him. I’m not just going to sit around and do shit. He was part of us. He should be here right now.”
“Well, he isn’t. And what the fuck are you going to do? No one knows where he is. Like Mercury said, Keith didn’t have a family,” Stitch stated.
“Just wait it out, Lee. If Mercury gets a heads-up to where Keith is and we can help, then we help him,” Tiek added.
Lee looked at Mercury. “Keith does have someone. He has a sister.”
“What?” Mercury asked, looking shocked and sounding insulted. Lee knew that Keith only shared that he had a sister during a time when Keith thought they were going to die. It was a very brutal and terrifying time in their military careers and they truly thought they were dead. But their team came through and pulled them out. They rescued them.
“He never mentioned a sister,” Tiek stated first. He seemed insulted, too.
“Listen, he told me about Shawna when we were held captive for those three weeks in Morocco. We didn’t think you guys were coming. We thought we were dead.”
“Where does she live? Do you think Keith would go see her and hide out with her?” Mercury asked.
Lee shook his head. “They had a really tough life. She’s all he’s got and he’s all she’s got. I don’t know much about her. She’s got to be in her twenties. I just don’t know.”
“Shit. Maybe I should call my connection and have someone check in on her?” Mercury asked.
“No. Don’t even give up the information. I’m telling you, Mercury, we don’t know all the facts in this. I don’t trust it. I know Keith, and he is no traitor.”
“We don’t believe it either, but if he’s in trouble why wouldn’t he come to us for help?” Tiek asked.
“To keep us safe, just like he probably did with his sister,” Mercury said.
“I’m not sure what to do right now,” Lee stated.
“There’s nothing we can do but wait and see if he’s spotted or if he contacts us. Then we’ll make a decision,” Mercury said.
“Make a decision on what?” They all turned toward the doorway as Tex entered the kitchen, Stetson in hand.
“We’ll explain,” Mercury said.
Lee looked out toward the window, hoping that his best friend wasn’t dead already and that he would call him for help.
Chapter 2