The Fear Within by J S Law

Author:J S Law [Law, J S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627794596
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

25

Tuesday, February 3

Sarah Cox was sitting sipping from a cup of tea and sketching aimlessly on a pad when Dan stepped through her cabin door without knocking. She closed the pad and looked at Dan, saying nothing, but her eyes narrowed, almost quizzically, as though she were waiting for Dan to explain herself.

“Sarah.” Dan grabbed the second chair from against the wall, set it up, sat down, and leaned forward, closing the space between them. “It’s a stressful time for anyone who knows someone who’s gone missing, but I’m a bit concerned that not everyone’s being entirely honest with me.”

Sarah’s eyes shot away from Dan, looking first behind her at John and then away from them both and back down to her cup.

“I think more’s been going on than you’re telling me. Or maybe you’ve covered for SA Moore again. Anyway, I’m certain that you know something else, something that you haven’t been willing to tell me.”

Dan waited now, saying nothing, but still leaning in, her eyes on Sarah even though the woman was looking away.

“If you know something, ma’am, if you know anything at all, then now’s the time,” said John. “Here and now, because if we find out later…”

He let the words hang.

“There are some markings on the wall next to Natasha’s bunk. They’ve been cleaned off, but I can’t believe you don’t know anything about it.”

Sarah Cox’s lip trembled and she rubbed her eyes with her free hand.

“Tell me what I need to know, Sarah,” said Dan. “Tell me the truth, because if you don’t, and I find out, and I will find out, then Daddy, Grandpa, and anyone else you know won’t be able to help you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

A tear dropped from Cox’s eyes onto her trousers, disappearing into the rough black material.

Dan pushed harder.

“And now we’re only chatting in your cabin, informally, but I’m happy to take this down to the SIB interview room, because I think you’re hiding something from me. I think you know what it is, and if SA Moore doesn’t show up soon, then this is quickly going to become something very serious.”

Another tear, and a small sniffle.

“I’m not covering for her.”

“Okay, but what do you know? Where is she?”

“I really thought she’d be back by now. I really did.”

“Okay, but she isn’t. So why don’t you tell us where she is, or who she’s with, and we’ll go and get her. You’ll be doing her a favor, because the quicker we bring her back, the less trouble she’s going to get into.”

“I don’t know where she is,” Cox said.

Dan watched her speak through her tears, and believed her.

“There were some problems that I didn’t tell you about. I’m sorry, but they were done with, in her past, and I didn’t want to dredge them back up again for her. I didn’t want everyone on the ship to know.”

“Tell me,” said Dan.

“She got into a thing with the ship’s PTI,” said Sarah. “Early in the last deployment, shortly after she’d joined the ship.

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