I want to know what type of life she's had, Marc thought. That's why I came - Recon. I just don't want to face her totally in the dark.
He left the engine running, Dog watching anxiously, and Marc didn't lock the door though the remote entry was in his pocket. Anyone who tried to enter the Blazer would get a big surprise.
He jogged through the drizzle to the door, only vaguely noticing the burnt-out shape of a truck that looked more recent and a huge oak tree that had obviously been hit by something harsh. His mind dismissed it as yet another battle scene.
Opening the cracked door, Marc slid his long coat behind his gun handles without even thinking about it. The hallway was very dark, and smelled like burnt sugar. Two sheets of paper on the carpeted floor immediately caught his eye and Marc knew instinctively who had written them.
I'll settle for whatever is in those pages, he decided, snapping on his penlight and picking them up from the mud-tracked carpet. He didn't really want to go inside the home that another man had shared with Angie, where some lucky bastard had lived the life Marc had dreamed about every night since being ripped from her life.
The Sergeant read the letters with a sharp-edged curiosity that missed little.
Charlie, first, you should lock yourself inside and be as quiet as you can. Do it right now!
If you're reading this, we either missed each other or I didn't survive the trip. I'm terrified of that, of leaving you on your own. I wish I could be with you now! I love you and miss you so much it feels like there's a knife in my heart.
I have a big secret to tell you, one that was supposed to wait until you were grown and out of the house. Kenny is not your Dad. I know you've suspected, but I couldn't tell you before and I'm sure you understand why.
Your Dad is Marcus Charles Brady.
Our family was bible-strict Christian and when your dad and I fell for each other, only cousins by marriage, it was still too close for people to accept. We'd always known and we hid it for a long time, but feelings like that can't be hidden…or fought.
We didn't plan on it, we were just swept away. We had planned to leave when I was older, but fate didn't give us time. A bit after your dad was sent away, I realized you were on the way. And I wanted you more than anything, from that first second of awareness.