Chapter 9
It was on the stairs outside of the plane that Kurt found his best friend a few minutes after watching the video. He was sitting, with a blank look, trying to calm his breathing. Weller had trouble seeing him that way. He seemed dejected, overcome by fear and pain. Since the beginning of this nightmare, the deputy director seemed to have taken ten years. The young dad sat next to his friend without a word.
"She's strong, you know," He began, trying to sound as positive as possible.
"Of course, I know it. She is stronger than all of us, but frankly, did you watch this video? This monster is making her lived hell and she didn't even flinch. He was literally electrocuting her, and she didn't even make a groan. Sincerely, Kurt, what did she endure in the past to be able to resist that?" Reade asked in a whisper, overwhelmed by emotion. He couldn't think coherently anymore. He thought the presence of Agent Novak's team was a good thing because he could never have handled this case effectively, none of them could. They were not objective or rational.
"Honestly, horrible things, much more than we could imagine, or even that we should. The most important thing is to bring her home. When it will be done, we will all be at her side to help her deal with whatever she will need to."
"Why doesn't she tell us about it? We could have helped her, been there for her. I would have been there for her without any hesitation."
"You know her better than me. Tasha is not one to fling herself on her feelings or past. She probably didn't want to look weak. Besides, it's not the kind of thing you talk about during an interrogation."
"I know, I'm not talking about her past but the danger she ran. If she had asked me, I would have done everything to ensure her safety without asking questions."
"Really?" Kurt questioned sceptically. He knew Reade was wrong. If Zapata had asked to be protected, they would have worried, Reade more than the others. They would necessarily end up looking for answers, with or without her consent.
"No, it's true. Sincerely I don't blame her at all it's just that ... Well, I know I can't imagine the hell that must have been her childhood. I just wish I could give her the peace and safety she never had to make her feel confident enough to talk to me. After all, that's what she managed to do for me," Reade enumerate before stopping. He felt so helpless that it made him crazy. He had not lied to his friend he was not angry with his colleague but against himself. Tasha had always been there for him no matter what. She knew him well enough to know when he felt bad, happy or angry, and she knew what to do in any case. All these things he hadn't been able to give her.
"During the Jones case?" Weller asked even though he already knew the answer to his question. His friend looked at him surprised. When he saw the look of his colleague, the African-American understood that he knew most of the story.
"How do you know that?"
"I am not stupid I saw that something was happening. I only had to put all the clues together and I understood. Finally, I don't know all the details of the case and I do not want to know them, but I understood the biggest from the moment you started to become aggressive on the field and with the team, especially Tasha."
"Why did not you say anything?" The assistant director inquired intrigued.
"If you wanted me to intervene you would have spoken to me. Besides, I knew she was the right person for you. If you handle it, I had no reason to impose myself. I intervened when she came to talk to me about drugs. She seemed truly worried and I thought that if she felt you needed more help than she could get you that the situation was bad."
"It is true that without her I would not have escaped. I understand better how she found so easily the right way to react. Although she knows me on the fingertips, there is only someone who knew this situation who would have known how to react."
"Yes, finally I think it was a set. You know each other perfectly and it helped. Sincerely your connection is scary, Even Jane and I are not like that."
"It is true but what I do not understand why she did not speak to me at that time," the policeman continued.
"In my opinion, Tasha did not tell you about her past because she knew too well the horror of the situation. She knew what to do and she also knew that confiding would hurt her without helping you. Even if you are the best person to imagine what she has endured I do not think you can understand. Nobody can."
"I do not know if you've already said it but it's super annoying when you always have answers to everything. But thank you that's exactly what I needed," Edgar smiles weakly.
"Yes, Jane tells me about twice a day, and that's what friends are all about."
They became silent, not knowing what to add. Without any of the two men expecting it Rich arrived and sat next to them. He was just as calm as them. Which for him was not a normal thing.
"What not a sarcasm? You do not have a totally inappropriate remark to try to lighten the mood? You have nothing in stock there?" Kurt questioned surprised.
"No, it is frankly above my skills, especially after watching something like this," the computer scientist said as shocked as his friends.
"No kidding ... By chance, one of you would not be aware of what she said to the girls because they definitely seem to know more than us?" The superior questioned sadly. Even though Zapata had always been close to her female colleagues in the past, it was to him that she came to confide when she felt bad. Rich and Weller exchanged a knowing glance, taking advantage of the fact that their friend had his head in his hands. They both knew the reason for the pretty brunette's pain, at least in part, but it was out of the question to talk about it, not until they found the young woman safe and sound.
"Due to the number of times I surprised them hiding to discuss in the lab I know there is something but what. Honestly, I have no idea. After all that did not seem important, just girl stuff I guess."
"You do not have to feel guilty for not noticing. From what Jane and Patterson told us, Tasha had a lot in mind long before her father's release, but ..."
"But nothing. I should have been more present for her. I should have done everything to be forgiven when the team was reformed. I behaved like an idiot when she left for the CIA and she barely reproached me."
"It's true, though," Weller said. He was ready to help his friend but certainly not to lie. They all had some trouble accepting Zapata's decision to change her agency, but it was not a reason to cut off contact for a year.
"The worst part is that she was adorable to me when I told her about Megan when I showed her the ring but also when I asked her to be my witness."
"That's the problem," Rich whispered to himself, sarcastically.
"Rich!" Kurt growled, including the hint. He agreed with the consultant but that was not the time to talk about it.
"What?" The assistant director asked intrigued.
"No, well I know I do not know Zapata a lot but I thought maybe she did not tell you about her problems because she saw that you were happy and she did not want to ruin it," The computer scientist squared.
"Caring for others' happiness before hers. That's the Tash I know and love," Edgar said, naturally, without realizing the meaning of his words. His two interlocutors looked at each other sadly. They knew that their friends were made for each other. Only they had a long way to go before they could really be together so tempted that they managed to bring back their colleague alive. Something that could be extremely complicated even if they were terrified to admit it.
"It's still the same person as last night or even last week. All the ordeals she has experienced have made her the woman we love today."
"I know. It's just so huge and I'm so scared that we can't find her in time. I do not even dare to imagine the horrors she is enduring now."
"Hey as Weller said it, she is strong. I thought what I said when Hirst threatened you with Tasha. She is not the kind of girl who gives up without fighting."
"No, but since when does he is so sensible?" Reade asked his friend. Weller shrugged, laughing softly. They were all terrified and nerve-wracking, but it was good to feel that whatever happened they would always be there for each other. The three men sat for a moment in silence. They mentally watched their friend's video, looking for any clue in her gestures or speech.
"God it's that," they suddenly heard. The cry came from inside the plane. They both looked at each other surprised and then turned around when someone arrived. Jane put her head outside and told them her eyes full of hope.
"The message she left us was not goodbye. She did not give up and she did well because with Patterson we have a lead."
They all looked at each other with a smile and then got up hurriedly. They knew nothing was played but for the first time since the beginning of the day, they felt lighter. They had found hope, hope to bring Tasha home, to have a new chance to do things right and damn it was good.