CHAPTER 77
THE WORST OF FEARS
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*Trigger warning: implied possible sexual assault
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"What was the meat again?" Dianna texted Jason, standing in front of the butcher.
A minute later, she received a huge text from Sonny and it brought a smile to her face.
"Here. I don't understand any of it" she handed her phone to the butcher, because Sonny even had an angle on which he wanted the meat to be cut. The butcher frowned, but then got his own phone, took a photo of the screen, and nodded.
"Friday, right? Or tomorrow" the butcher already forgot for when she needed the meat.
"He wrote it there. Burgers and such for tomorrow afternoon, but the rest is only for Friday, he'll grill it on Saturday" Dianna explained again.
The butcher frowned again.
"It's Thursday" he reminded her.
"I know, but I'm ordering it all in advance so I don't need to come here again just for the rest of the meats" she exhaled. "Someone else is picking the meat tomorrow afternoon, and on Friday".
The butcher nodded, a little annoyed, and got her name.
She got a few more groceries and decided she was tired enough, and she needed to get back on foot to her house, which was nearby.
"Ah, crap" she grumbled as soon as she was about to step out of the grocery store. She forgot to take flowers. She wanted to make some flower arrangements for when her dad, Tatiana and Daniel came. Daniel was already in DC and would rent a car and bring her dad and stepmom with him tomorrow.
Dianna hesitated, holding a huge paper bag, but then decided to come back to take the flowers and call an uber, perhaps.
"Can I leave it here for a minute? I forgot some things" she asked a manager, and she nodded and let her keep the bag next to a cashier while she almost ran inside to pick flowers.
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"So… no second thoughts?" Trent asked Jason while they drank yet another beer at the Bulkhead.
"Nope. Not yet" Jason smirked at the guys, who nodded.
"You're out of Bravo, Ray is out for his Officer's course, Clay is on desk duty" Sonny opened his arms, indignant. "Seriously, what the fuck?"
"Spenser will be back soon" Jason assured them.
"I wouldn't be so sure" Clay raised his eyebrows, stroking his shaved chin. "I'm guessing they'll still keep me there for a while".
"Nah" Jason chuckled and gestured, and Clay's phone rang. Clay frowned looking at the screen.
"Dianna?" Clay looked at who was calling, and Jason grabbed his phone to check if his own phone had ran out of battery, but it was turned on. "Hey, what's up?" Clay answered, still frowning.
"Maybe she's complaining about you" Sonny whispered to Jason, and he squirmed.
"Haha" Jason sarcastically laughed. And tried to listen to whatever Clay was talking to Dianna, because Clay turned his back to him and glanced at Jason with a serious face, then walked more to the side.
Jason followed Clay without hesitation, he knew something was up.
"Ok, I'll be there in five" Clay whispered on the phone.
"What happened?" Jason asked immediately, hovering over Clay.
He opened his mouth, hesitant.
"Davis is out of town until tomorrow" Clay said, and Jason frowned, not understanding. "I gotta go".
"No, what happened? Why was she calling you?" Jason raised his voice, anxious as fuck.
Clay looked behind Jason and the other guys were staring at them.
"She didn't want to worry you, but Davis is out of town" Clay simply said, shrugging.
"Worry me about what?" Jason loudly asked, with a bad boy face that scared Clay, and he just walked backwards towards the exit. "I'll follow you" Jason assured him, walking to the exit too.
"Ok. Fine. Just, please, be calm, ok? She said you might get too nervous" Clay raised his hands and walked to the exit, and Jason's heart now was racing in his chest.
"Get nervous about what? Tell me" Jason glued on Clay while they walked out the door of the bar.
"She's as the hospital" Clay finally blurted, and Jason stopped walking. "I'll drive" he offered, walking to his car.
"Why is she there?" Jason was freaking out already, but started to follow Clay again.
Clay kept quiet, opening the car, then got inside, and Jason sat on the passenger seat of Clay's small vehicle.
"Tell me" Jason asked loudly, losing his temper. Dianna was conscious, so it wasn't a serious injury, but Clay's face said otherwise.
"She doesn't remember. Ok?" Clay said loudly, with his hands on the steering wheel.
Jason's mind went blank and he kept his mouth open while Clay drove his car to the hospital as fast as he could.
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Dianna kept staring at the curtains around her hospital bed, all closed. She hadn't moved since they took blood tests and made… other exams on her. She felt like she needed a shower, as fast as possible.
"Dianna Veiler?" she heard Jason's voice loudly in the corridor, and her eyes filled with tears again. Clay said he wouldn't tell.
A nurse aggressively opened the curtain next to her, and she tried her best to not look terrified, but Jason was looking terrified enough for both of them. Clay was with him, with the same expression.
Jason looked at her face and body, she was wearing a hospital gown and had her face red from crying, but she didn't seem injured in any way. That he could see. He hesitated for a second, then looked down at her hand and took a step closer, gently cupping her hand with his.
"Are you ok?" he asked quietly, not sure what to ask.
Dianna looked at Clay, who took a few steps back to give them privacy.
"They made some tests. I don't know" she said, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"What happened?" Jason asked quietly and very serious. His face was red.
"I don't know" she said, then started to cry. "Last thing I remember I was walking out of the grocery store with flowers and a grocery bag. Then the hospital said someone ran inside the hospital alerting I was dropped by a person, a car, I don't know, at the entrance of the parking lot here" she started to cry uncontrollably. "I was unconscious" she was sobbing, and Jason wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tight, very aware that she was probably abducted and drugged. And God knows what else. He felt a lump in his throat so big he could hardly breathe, and he couldn't imagine what Dianna was feeling.
"I think I called an uber. But I don't have my phone. I only remember three numbers by heart. Yours, Davis' and Clay's" she explained. "The uber might have. Huh…" she couldn't finish the sentence.
Jason and Dianna were both so nauseated that they just kept quiet, still hugging each other.
A doctor suddenly opened the curtain again, because Clay had closed it back and was standing outside the room by now. Dianna was the only patient in the room, but they kept the curtain closed for extra privacy. She was traumatized enough.
"Ms. Veiler" the female doctor was looking tense, and Dianna and Jason's hearts were beating slower now. "I have the results of the exams" she stated, raising her folder, and Dianna nodded, anxiously.
"He's my boyfriend" Dianna pointed at Jason, and the doctor had a stern face.
Jason pressed Dianna's hand so hard it was hurting, but she was barely feeling it.
"We found some semen inside your vaginal canal" she stated bluntly, and Dianna almost fainted. Jason too. "But" she raised her hands to calm them down. "You told me you had unprotected sex less than twenty-four hours ago, so it could easily be your boyfriend's" she said, and Dianna and Jason closed their eyes, relaxing a bit. "We collected the sperm to check for the DNA, it will take a few more hours, but if you can provide some sample of your saliva, it will make it a lot easier" the doctor told Jason, and he immediately nodded.
"So… it was probably his, right? The, huh" Dianna gestured at her belly, not in the mood to say the word.
The doctor licked her lips, making them nervous again.
"We didn't notice any internal signs of recent intercourse" the doctor stated, and Dianna and Jason loudly exhaled in unison. "But… in cases where the victim is drugged, since the act isn't too violent, sometimes… in rare occasions… there aren't any signs. It's rare, but I have to warn you" the doctor gave Dianna an apologetic smile.
Dianna swallowed and so did Jason.
"I'm short" she tried to think rationally, and the doctor nodded.
"Yes, the fact that you're smaller makes it a lot harder to not show any signs. But I just needed to alert you" the doctor had that apologetic smile again. "Probably not, but…"
"So… I may never know if something happened? In case, huh, protection was used?"
The doctor sighed, and it made them more nervous.
"There were no signs of lubricant, so no protection was used" she stated, and the way she said made Dianna and Jason both shiver. As if it was a confirmation that something happened.
"He could have done something else, though" Dianna suddenly realized, not sure if that was any better than the alternative.
"The DNA test will confirm, but we already know that there is sample of only one man's semen" the doctor explained, glancing at Jason. He was staring blankly at the curtain.
Dianna looked down, feeling her world crumble again with all that information. It was so real. It crumbled the first time when she woke up in the hospital.
The doctor knew what type of reaction she was having and immediately grabbed the bowl under the bed and gave it to Dianna. Just in time. She threw up immediately.
"We already gave you all the medication and started treatments for STD's, just in case. Protocol" the doctor said, but only Jason was listening. Barely. "I'll ask for a DNA kit, to collect your saliva, is that ok?" the doctor asked Jason, and he slightly nodded, not even breathing.
Dianna had taken her hand off Jason's to hold the bowl while she threw up twice, and now she was just holding the bowl and looking at it.
"I don't remember anything" Dianna mumbled, and Jason blinked and looked at her. "That's good. Great, in fact" she continued, putting her bowl on the side table. "I think one in every four women are sexually assaulted some time in their lives, isn't it?" she added, dizzy, and Jason felt his lips tremble. She was already trying to rationalize this.
"The doctor just said. You don't know-"
"Why would anyone abduct and drug a woman, Jason? Huh?" Dianna spoke harshly, and started to cry again. "I'm just part of those 25% now. I was lucky before" Dianna laid on the bed sideways.
Jason turned and put his fingers on his eyes, trying to avoid his tears from falling. He was devastated, and he didn't know what to do right now. His phone rang, and he saw it was Luke calling.
He had a terrible feeling and knew he needed to take this call. Far from Dianna.
"I'll be right back. Just a sec" Jason left Dianna and passed by Clay, gesturing for him to stay seated there, while he walked fast in the hallway.
"Luke. What's up" he said with a monotone voice, drying his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Just found out and thought you should know. Will was released from prison. He's on house arrest now. That son of a bitch" Luke said, with a vindictive voice.
Jason stared at a wall, not sure if those were bad news or good news. Because now he knew exactly what happened.
"Where's Kim?" Jason asked quietly, when the shock passed.
"At home. I'm at home, of course" Luke said, exhaling.
"Good. Stay with her. And Luke" Jason swallowed, glancing back at Dianna's room. "If someone asks, you never told me this. I didn't know he was out of jail, ok?"
Luke kept quiet on the other side.
"What happened, man?" he asked with a monotone voice too.
"Promise me. I'll testify for you too" Jason reminded Luke.
Another pause.
"I promise. I never told you anything" Luke said, determined.
Jason finished the call and hesitated. But he knew Dianna needed him more right now.
But at least he already had a target.
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"I don't feel any different. Far from the eyes, far from the heart, right? Do you know that saying?" Dianna asked Jason when they got inside her house, and Jason swallowed. "I already googled some ideas. Apparently, there's a hypnotherapist that believes that the victim shouldn't remember. On the contrary" Dianna said while she walked up the stairs and Jason followed. It was almost 2AM. "He helps victims forget. As if it never happened. And of course, in my case I don't remember, but I could also forget the time at the hospital, for instance" she stated, slightly smiling, and Jason felt his eyes filled with tears once more. "You could come with me. So you don't remember either. We'd have to bring Clay with us, but he'd do it" she suggested, and Jason immediately nodded.
"Yeah, that'd be good" he said quietly, telling the truth. He'd love to forget the past hours.
He looked at his phone to see what time it was, and noticed a few texts from Daniel, that he didn't even read.
"Oh my God, Dianna. They're coming today" he showed his phone to Dianna, and she blinked, standing in the middle of her bedroom.
"Let them come. Yes. I don't remember anything. I can't cancel on them" she stated after a few seconds. "Tell him my phone was robbed. Which is true. Oh, maybe they just wanted to rob me" Dianna said, excited for a second. Then she knew she'd never be drugged just to be robbed.
Jason swallowed and read Daniel's texts. Daniel wanted to confirm they'd arrive around 1PM and see if they'd want to have lunch with them or if Jason had to work.
"I'm not working today. Or this week" Jason swallowed while he texted back, he didn't even talk to the Navy yet, but he'd just ask for a leave. Fuck it. He needed to be with Dianna, but nobody could find out what happened.
Also because he had a plan ready for Will.
He'd finally be a Dead Guy.
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"Jace" Luke said as soon as Jason answered the phone. "So, I have some information that might help you" he said quietly and anxiously.
"We can't keep talking on the phone. It will show up on records that we were talking a lot between ourselves" Jason gritted his teeth, coming out of the bedroom. Dianna was taking a long shower, the second in just a few hours. For about forty minutes now, and he heard her crying for at least half these minutes.
"Ok, sorry. But now that I called listen up, I'll say it quickly. We could be talking about work, if anybody asks. But, look. Will's house has a back door, which can be accessed if you are on the other street, parallel to his. You get there from a narrow corridor between a white and a gray house. The white one has like, a huge bush in front of it. The bush kind of covers that access. I remember that because once I was walking with Will from the bar and he got in his house from that street, from that spot, it was a shortcut" Luke explained, and Jason focused very hard.
"Ok, so, the access is right next to this bush? Between a white and a gray house. Then I'll get directly to his back door?"
"No, you'll arrive at a low wooden gate that accesses his backyard. You know what, if you're lucky you could just aim at him from that spot, no need to get inside his backyard. He hangs out at his patio sometimes" Luke suggested.
Jason kept quiet for a second.
"No. I need to be close to him" he stated, vindictive.
Luke kept quiet for a second.
"Just don't leave any DNA, fingerprints, nothing, man. Okay? You know how this shit works. And have an alibi. I can help you if you need one" Luke offered.
"Thanks, man. I got that covered. Maybe I might need you to be my second alibi, I'll let you know. I should finish the call now" Jason said anxiously, especially because he heard that Dianna finished showering.
"Just promise this is something I'd do. Promise me he did something that justifies this" Luke asked, with a shaky voice.
Jason nodded on the phone, although Luke couldn't see him.
"What is your worst fear, man?" Jason asked with a choked voice.
Luke kept quiet only for a second.
"Be careful, man. Good luck" he said, and finished the call.
Dianna took a few minutes inside the bathroom, and Jason anxiously waited, thinking about that night. He was reviewing his plan and details in his mind.
"I feel better" Dianna informed Jason as soon as she came out of the bathroom, already dressed. "Cleaner" she said, and swallowed, while she quickly went to her dresser, to chose some earrings. "I'll just dry my hair, put some lipstick on, and I'll be ready for them" she told Jason, and he nodded, still sitting on the edge of the bed. "Oh, maybe some makeup on my dark circles" she mumbled, she didn't sleep at all, just kept awake and cried quietly sometimes. Jason laid behind her during the night, with his face on her wet hair. She washed her hair again now.
Jason's phone rang, the call came from the hospital, and he showed it to Dianna. She walked to him and sat on the edge of the bed while he answered the call on speaker. She noticed Jason was aggressively rubbing his hand on his thigh, something he did when he was too anxious.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Jason Hayes? I'm Dr. Wallis, I have the results for Ms. Veiler's DNA exam" she said, and Jason glanced at Dianna.
"Yes, I'm here. What is it?" Dianna was so anxious she was feeling nauseated.
"Hello, Ms. Veiler. The test showed only Mr. Hayes' semen was present in your cervix" the doctor said, and Dianna and Jason both exhaled and nodded at the phone.
"Oh my God. Ok. Thank you" Dianna smiled for the first time in hours, and so did Jason.
"Like I said, there was no sign of lubricant either. So, I'm confirming it now, there was no intercourse, ok?" the doctor tried to sound positive.
Dianna felt her cheeks burn, feeling very relieved but still anxious. Someone abducted her, maybe touched her. It was horrible not knowing. Even if a guy just stared at her unconscious, it gave her shivers.
"Ok. Thank you. Goodbye, doctor" she said, and finished the call.
Jason wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her closer. Not sure what to say or do. These were great news, but he felt like it was still a nightmare. Just the fact that someone abducted Dianna and could have done anything to her made him nauseated. She didn't have any DNA on her body, in or out, and was fully dressed when they dropped her at the hospital, but the fact they didn't know what happened terrified him.
"I'm more optimistic" Dianna stated, turning to him, and Jason looked at her with wide eyes. "Nothing will change between us" Dianna cupped his cute face, and he felt a lump in his throat. "I trust you with my life, my body. You'd never hurt me. I love you" she said, sincerely.
Jason felt his eyes filled with tears and nodded.
"I love you, Dianna" he stated, sincerely too.
Dianna gave Jason a soft kiss on the lips, gently messing with his hair. This was her safe place. Jason was her safe place.
The doorbell rang, and Dianna frowned and looked behind Jason, at the small clock she had on her bedside table.
"They're early. Can you host them, just until I dry my hair?" Dianna asked.
"Sure. Yeah" Jason nodded and pressed his fingers on his eyes, then stood up and walked down the stairs. Cerby was growling at the door.
"Quiet, Cerby. They're family" Jason told Cerby, and sighed before putting a fake smile on his face and opening the door.
A couple wearing gray and navy suits was standing in front of Jason, and he frowned, confused.
"Good afternoon. We need to talk to Dianna Veiler" the woman asked.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Jason asked, confused.
They both showed him their badges of the Department of Defense. Which as Jason knew very well, meant they were probably CIA.
"She's upstairs. Let me call her" Jason said and quickly called Dianna, telling her he thought people from the CIA were there.
"Are you here to investigate something?" Dianna asked when walking to the door, with her hair still wet. Maybe they found out what happened to her already.
"We are. You need to come with us" the guy stated and immediately grabbed Dianna's arms and kept them behind her.
"Hey. What the fuck" Jason tried to intervene, but the woman put her arm between them.
"What happened?" Dianna was extremely confused, because the CIA was basically imprisoning her.
"I'm Master Chief Jason Hayes from the U.S. Navy. I work in DEVGRU, I'm an E-9. I have clearance" Jason walked out the door, following them. And partially lying, because he wasn't working in DEVGRU anymore.
The CIA agents looked surprised.
"Ms. Veiler is being investigated for the murder of one of the U.S. Navy prisoners kept in U.S. soil" the woman explained while they opened the door of a black SUV parked in front of the house.
There was silence among them, neither Dianna nor Jason knew what to say while they processed the information, and the guy shoved Dianna inside the car.
"What? When?" Jason finally asked, horrified.
"Was the prisoner killed in the past hours?" Dianna asked loudly from the car, which still had the door open.
The agents looked at each other and sighed.
"Yes, but you'd know that" the guy mocked.
Dianna stared at them for a few moments, and Jason was confused as shit, not sure what to do.
"Jason" Dianna suddenly smiled at him. Jason looked at her and hunched to talk to her in the car, even though the guy was trying to close the door between them. "That's why I was abducted. The killer needed access" Dianna yelled while the door was being closed. "I bet someone used my credentials" she yelled from inside the car, and Jason couldn't see her anymore, the car had dark windows.
"Wait. Where are you taking her?" Jason blinked and finally registered Dianna's words.
"Langley" the woman said, and closed the door of the car.
"Call Lindell. I was framed. Haha" Dianna yelled inside the car, laughing.
Jason watched as the agents drove off taking the woman he loved imprisoned, accused of murdering a prisoner.
And yet, Jason breathed out and smiled, relieved.
Because Dianna would easily prove them wrong, then be free.
The worst of his fears didn't happen.
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