Throw Away The Key

4. Missing In Action

Monroe shrugs and fills two cups with hot water, adding a tea bag into each cup. "No, I haven't seen him recently." It's not a complete lie but once again Monroe's not sure how much Hank knows so he keeps that to himself. "Why? Is there a problem with a case?"

Hank shakes his head slowly. "No, not a case. Nick has just been acting a bit off lately and we're trying to see if he may have mentioned anything to anyone."

"'Off' how?" Monroe asks before he can stop himself, his long extinguished deep seated concern for the younger man rearing its ugly head.

"Just different. Not exactly normal for him, you know? It started after that home invasion a couple weeks ago."

Monroe grits his teeth to bite back the harsh bark of laughter that threatens to tear through his throat. Everyone was so worried about Nick being affected by the shooting? The thought was like the punch line in a tragic comedy.

"Yeah, I read about that. Nick had to shoot someone, didn't he?" The question comes out like a verbal slap and Monroe has to physically rope in the growl that's building in his chest.

"Yeah, but he definitely didn't want to," Hank says with a sigh and a shake of his head, apparently oblivious to Monroe's snap. "I was there with him; I knew he didn't want to take that shot but when she went for one of the kid's he didn't really have a choice."

Monroe feels a sick, heavy weight settle in his stomach at the revelation and he coughs a bit to clear his throat. He didn't know Angelina had gone after one of the kids in the house… "Yeah, I guess I can see how that might be affecting him."

"Anyway," Hank continues, glancing up from his notes. "I was wondering if you've had any contact with Nick in the past few days?"

Monroe shrugs, still feeling a bit like the wind had been knocked out of him. "No, like I said I haven't seen him in a few weeks now." He walks over and hands Hank the tea, frowning a bit as something else dawns on him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Nick didn't show up for work last night and we're just trying to narrow down all of our options before we do anything else."

There's something missing about that explanation, something Hank's not telling him, and it's putting Monroe on edge. Still, he's trying to come across as unconcerned, as nothing more than an acquaintance who knows Nick only from his work as a detective, so he shrugs loosely. "Are you sure he didn't just skip town for a few days? Go see his girlfriend or something like that?"

Hank shrugs and there's a dark expression that crosses his face. "Well, we're looking into that but if blood spatter and signs of a struggle are any indication of "skipping town" then I've been doing it wrong for years."

Monroe freezes, cold, sickening dread stabbing him in the pit of his stomach. "What?"

Hank frowns grimly, seeming to realize he just said something he shouldn't have, but now that it's out in the open he can't take it back. "We think Nick's been kidnapped."

And there it is, all presented out on the table and open like one of the case files Nick used to bring over all the time. Nick was missing. Nick might have been kidnapped. There was blood so that meant Nick was hurt. All these thoughts swirl through Monroe's head with enough force to make him dizzy and he feels like he can't breathe for a minute. Sure, he'd been pissed at Nick, absolutely furious with him in fact, but that didn't mean he wanted anything to happen to him. He coughs, clearing his throat a bit and trying to get past the lump that's suddenly formed right beneath his Adam's apple. "Do you have any suspects in mind?"