Marine's Mission - Rebecca Deel
CHAPTER ONE
Virginia Warren glanced at her watch, wondering what delayed her friend this time. Although notorious for being late to every appointment, Toni Webster had asked Gigi to meet her at a restaurant outside their hometown of Archer, Tennessee. Her stomach knotted. Something was wrong, but what could it be?
A gust of rain-scented wind blew in when the door opened to Hawthorne’s, a family restaurant in downtown Cherry Hill. Toni dashed into the establishment and hurried to Gigi’s table. “Sorry I’m late,” Toni said as she dropped into the chair across the table. “Lots of accidents because of the lousy weather.”
“We could have chosen a restaurant in Archer. Now, we’ll both have to drive home in the rain.”
“This is safer.”
Safer? Gigi frowned. What did that mean? “What’s going on, Toni?”
The waitress walked up with her pen and pad. Toni scanned the menu quickly and placed her order. Gigi ordered her favorite meal at Hawthorne’s, then handed the waitress the menus.
When the woman left to turn in their orders, Gigi folded her arms. “Talk to me, Toni. What’s going on?”
Her friend glanced around, then leaned closer and whispered, “I’m in trouble, Gigi.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“The bad kind.”
“There are degrees of bad. Be more specific.”
“I’ve been seeing a man for the past two months.”
Gigi stared. “You didn’t tell me. Who is he?”
“Someone I met in Las Vegas while I was on vacation.” Her cheeks flushed.
Oh, boy. “What’s his name?”
“Ellis Mathews. He’s amazing, Gigi, the kind of man you always encouraged me to date instead of the string of losers I’ve been involved with the past few years.”
Her lips curved. “A man with a job?”
Toni gave a watery laugh. “Ellis works for a defense contractor in Knoxville. He writes computer codes and programs.”
“Sounds great. So, what’s the problem?”
Tears filled Toni’s eyes. “Ellis promised to stay with me over the weekend. He never arrived. I thought he’d been in an accident. I called his cell phone over and over all weekend, and checked with the hospitals. I didn’t have any luck. This afternoon, I drove to his apartment.”
“Was he home?”
Toni shook her head. “His place had been ransacked.”
She sucked in a breath. “You’re sure?”
“Ellis is meticulous about his belongings. Everything has a place. When I walked into the apartment today, everything had been tossed. They even slashed the sofa cushions and ripped apart his bed. I’m afraid something terrible has happened to Ellis.”
“Did you see signs that Ellis was home when his place was broken into?” Although she hated to broach the possibility, Ellis might have been injured fighting off his attackers. Maybe he was in a hospital.
Color drained from Toni’s face at Gigi’s question. “No blood anywhere. Other than that, I don’t know what to look for to indicate there was a fight.”
“Maybe he’s on vacation, and someone broke in after he left.”
“We’re going on a cruise together next week.” Toni dabbed her damp cheeks with a napkin. She gave a pain-filled laugh. “Actually, I booked the cruise. Ellis promised to pay for his half this weekend.”
Gigi winced. “I’m sorry, Toni. Did you call him at work?”
“He didn’t answer his phone. Since I was in Knoxville, I drove to Huntington Technologies to see him.”
She frowned. “They’re a defense contractor. I’m surprised they let you in the door.”
“I didn’t get past the lobby.”
“Was Ellis at work?”
“They refused to tell me anything. Luckily, one of Ellis’s co-workers was leaving the building for a late lunch and recognized me from my picture on Ellis’s desk. Chaz said Ellis didn’t come to work or answer their calls.”
That didn’t sound good. “Want me to ask Owen to look for him?” Owen Montgomery was a deputy sheriff in Morgan County and a good friend. “Or would you prefer to forget Ellis ever existed and move on with your life?”
“Forgetting him will be impossible.”
“Why?”
“I’m in love with him, and I’m pregnant. He’s the father of my baby.”
Stunned, Gigi sat back in her chair. “Does he know you’re pregnant?”
“I planned to tell him this weekend.” More tears slipped down Toni’s cheeks. “I think someone has been following me today. I’m afraid for Ellis and my baby, Gigi.”
Gigi squeezed her friend’s hand. “Toni, we need to talk to Owen. He’ll look into Ellis’s disappearance.”
“There’s nothing to go on. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of and contacted Ellis’s friends and family. No one knows anything.”
“Owen has resources we don’t. If anyone can find Ellis, it’s Owen.” He’d also protect Toni and her baby. The handsome Marine had protection programmed into his DNA.
A slight