Sean Morris loaded the last cake in his SUV. He had it fitted with special racks so he could deliver Harper’s cakes to four coffee shops on his way to work. He closed the hatch and looked at his scarred face reflected in the window. It had been six months since he escaped after seven weeks of hell. His body was mutilated, as was his face. Sean looked to the house, where his anchor, Harper was probably loading the oven again. Had it not been for her and Blane Davis, his best friend he would not have made it.

Sean sighed as he remembered the battles he fought in his mind after coming back. Harper, his beautiful angel would gently hold him at night, and the nightmares faded eventually. She told him she loved him and the anxiety subsided. Sean knew they would soon be ready for intimacy again. Harper was scared as she said she still saw anger in him, but it was fading. Sean knew that Harper and Blane coordinated their strategy on helping him.

Blane was the other person that Sean trusted with his life. Sean was a specialist and worked alone in very dangerous areas. Blane always handled the extract after the mission, and it never failed until the last one. Nobody could pinpoint where the failure happened, but everybody could see that Sean had been in hell because of it. Blane spent days with Sean, trying to find an answer. It bugged Sean a little that Blane spent a lot of time at his house, often at times when Sean wanted to have alone time with Harper. He often found Blane with Harper if he had to stop for Harper’s shopping after work. They always told him that they had something coming up, and soon after there would a hike or another activity for Sean to participate in.

Sean fought against the paranoia as he could not afford to add that to the slew of issues he was beating back. His shrink was very happy with the progress, to the point that he had mentioned Sean could go back to modified duty soon. Right now Sean was riding a desk as an analyst to keep his mind occupied.

Sean walked back into the house where Harper was in the kitchen, dressed in her robe. Sean pulled her closer and kissed her gently.

“All loaded up, my angel,” he said as he looked into her soft brown eyes under a wayward mop of dark brown hair. She was slim with C-cup breasts that were firm.

“Thanks, my darling. Can you swing by the supplier when you come home? I will have an order ready.”

“Sure.”

Sean kissed her again and his hand dropped to her firm ass. She pushed her hips forward into his crotch, and Sean slipped his hand under her robe, feeling her wet pussy.

“Not yet, Sean. Please.”

Sean nodded and stepped back. He saw the conflict in her eyes.

“I love you, Sean. Soon we will go all the way again.”

“Okay. I am gone,” Sean said a little harshly as he turned and walked out.

Harper hated that she had hurt him, but she could not help her feelings. She loved Sean and wanted him healed. Her three-year marriage was bliss until he was injured. She never knew what happened, just that it emotionally ruined him. She heard him leave, and ten minutes later Blane arrived. Harper waited at the door. Blane walked in as she dropped her robe, waiting naked. He walked into her with a growl, lifting her and carrying her to the bed. He dropped her on the unmade bed where his best friend had been sleeping less than an hour ago. Blane ripped his clothes off, his cock raging with lust for Harper.

“Fuck me now!” she shouted and Blane sank down on her.

He folded her legs up and slammed into her wetness with one thrust. She screamed out her orgasm and then started wailing as Blane hammered into her. He had two inches on Sean according to Harper and she relished the extra length. Blane knew that he would not be getting sloppy seconds, as Harper was purposefully cutting Sean off. Right now, Blane couldn’t give a fuck, except the one he was giving Harper. Once in the office, the guilt would destroy him as he worked next to Sean. But Blane was not ready to give Harper up for his conscience. He was infatuated with her and wanted to own her completely. Right now, he wanted to take her from Sean forever. Sean had become weak-minded and pathetic.

***

Sean dropped the last cakes off, and then it dawned on him. He was in the city office for the morning, and his keycard was at home in the safe. He drove home and saw Blane’s car in his driveway. Somewhere a hissing sound started in Sean’s head as he walked in. He walked into the bedroom and saw them fucking hard. Sean could not hear them as the hissing was all he could hear. He looked at them, devoid of emotion or thought. Then it seemed Blane orgasmed as he near balanced on his cock. Sean heard nothing, but he was sure Harper was also screaming. He turned to the cupboard and opened it. He saw the tremor in his hand and knew he was getting an anxiety attack. He opened the safe, retrieved the key card, then opened the bottle of anxiety medication. Sean felt he should take two.

The hissing was very loud now, and he turned around. There were two shadows and the smaller one was reaching for him. He reached out to touch it, and it flew backward over the bed and lay still. The other shadow came at him and Sean punched it, sending it flying backward as well. It also lay still. Sean turned and walked out. He drove away, the hissing loud in his ears. Sean saw a park on the way to work and stopped. He walked to a bench and sat down, enjoying the morning sun.

***

Blane woke up and knew he had a concussion. He looked over to Harper, who was still crumpled on the floor. He crawled over and checked her. She was breathing and her pulse was strong. Blane felt the weight of his actions hit him. He remembered that Sean seemed devoid of emotion and did not seem to recognize either of them. Sean had snapped, that was a given. Blane started to sob as the fog of his infatuation for Harper cleared. He had broken Sean. Along with Harper, they had snapped a very fragile mind.

He picked his phone up and dialed.

“Kristin Wilkinson,” the voice answered.

“Kris, find Sean. He snapped. I have no idea if he is a danger, but he knocked me and Harper out. He was not registering at all.”

“Why did he snap?”

“Please find him. He will harm himself. I will talk to you later. I need to help Harper.”

He ended the call as Harper started to moan. He gently helped her to the bed.

“Where is Sean?” she asked groggily.

“I don’t know. He is gone. He knocked me out.”

“What have I done, fuck.”

“I know, Harper. We have done something terrible.”

“GET THE FUCK OFF ME! STOP TOUCHING ME AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Harper screamed and Blane stepped back.

“GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!” she screamed insanely.

“You need the hospital, please Harper.”

“GET OUT!”

“I will call an ambulance and I will leave. I am so sorry.”

“GET OUT!”

Blane left after grabbing his clothes. He dressed in the hallway as he heard Harper start to scream out her sobs. He called 911 and waited outside until they arrived. He appraised them of the situation, then drove himself to the emergency room. They admitted him for a severe concussion. Later he heard Harper sobbing and knew she was also admitted.

***

Sean looked up at the angel. She had long blonde hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. She spoke, but the hissing was too loud. She spoke again and the hissing became softer. He heard her voice and the hissing stopped.

“Sean. Are you okay?” Kristin asked, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

“Wh…wh…wh…where a…a…am I?” he stuttered.

Kristin frowned. Sean never stuttered in his life and she realized it had to have happened today. Perhaps Blane was right. Sean looked at her and she observed his innocent confusion as he studied her.

“In a park. I used your phone to track you.”

Sean saw the events of the morning play through and felt the anxiety again. Kristin saw it and called the EMT. Sean allowed them to sedate him. He woke three hours later, handcuffed to the bed. Kristin was with him.

“Wh…wh….wh….why a…a…am I c…c….c…cuh….cuh…”

“For your own safety, my best friend,” Kristin answered, knowing he wanted to know why he was cuffed.

“T…t…t…ake th….th..th..them o…o…off,”

“Not yet, please Sean.”

Sean exploded in rage and started to yank and pull at the cuff as he screamed and swore at her.

“Please Sean,” she asked softly and the rage dissipated instantaneously. His wrists were cut and he was bleeding.

“Sorry, Kristin. God. What the fuck is happening?”

“You had a breakdown. You knocked Blane and Harper out. Both are in hospital with concussions.”

“They tried to kill me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. They are fucking. I caught them in my bed this morning. I do not remember hitting them. I just remember you in the park. Why the fuck could I not talk properly?”

“I have no idea. Why do you say they tried to kill you?”

“The failed extraction. It is the only thing that makes sense. Blane was part of the investigation and could control the narrative. They wanted to get rid of me.”

“Are you sure?”

“They have been fucking for a while, probably before I was captured. I now see the signs clearly.”

“I will look into it. Will you stay calm so I can get them to treat the wounds?”

“I will. Why did she not just leave me? Kristin, why am I not escaping hell?” Sean said as he started to sob bitterly.

Kristin had no answer except rage at the other two. She pressed the call button and a nurse came in, who immediately called an emergency. Three ER nurses came in and Kristin unlocked the cuffs. Sean was retching out his sobs as they worked on him.

“How is the pain, Mr. Miller?” a nurse asked.

“Go…go…go….,” Sean looked at Kristin and she saw his despair.

“Is the pain gone?” she asked and he nodded.

“Can I leave the cuffs off? Will you hurt yourself again?”

Sean shook his head. Something gnawed at him, and he pinched himself hard, hearing Kristin gasp.

“I think pain stops the stutter,” Sean said and nodded as he had just confirmed his theory.

“I will wr…wr…wr,” he pinched himself again, “write everything until I can figure a way out.”

“I will get you a notepad. And I will start the investigation into Blane. We will definitely nail him on the infidelity codes. I want him for treason and attempted murder. I want him in front of a fucking firing squad.”

Kristin started to cry as she felt powerless to help Sean. He pulled her closer, then moved up and had her lie down next to him. They both cried their own pain. Sean realized she was the last person he could trust with his life. Kristin heard his breathing slow and then he was asleep. She got up and stepped out, making the call.

“Yes, sir. He is definitely shattered but still somewhat with us. I want Blane arrested, he was sleeping with Harper. I want her arrested as well. Sean said that the last extraction was planned to fail. They wanted to eliminate him. That makes so much sense now we actually have an alibi.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Deputy Director. I will definitely nail him with the US Military Code of Conduct.”

“I will set the ball rolling. Watch our boy.”

“He has a severe stutter now. Something in him broke.”

“Be careful, Agent Wilkinson. Get the shrink there as well.”

“That is my next call.”

Kristin made the call and half an hour later Sean’s psychiatrist arrive, puffing slightly as it seemed he had run through the hospital. Sean woke up and indicated Kristin should stay, and then he started writing out the morning as he remembered it. The hissing returned as he worked through the memories. He saw the doctor ask him something, and he wrote that he could not hear because of the hissing sound.

The doctor looked at Kristin with a concerned look. Kristin spoke to Sean and the hissing softened again.

“Can you hear me now?” the doctor asked. Sean nodded.

“Your voice seems to help, Agent Wilkinson.”

“Okay. He also does not stutter when he is in pain. I would rather he stuttered. My friend has had enough pain.”

“Interesting.”

Sean pinched himself and held it.

“A pinch helps for a few sentences. Doc, I had emotions earlier. Now they are gone. Well, I do feel but I just remember the pain of the betrayal. I do not feel it.”

“Anything else?”

“I do feel a little happy that Kristin is here, so I am not numb.”

“Look, Sean. I think your mind has created a schism.”

“Schizophrenia?”

“No, it just separated the pain. That will come back and you will feel it again. We need to use this time to prepare you. I will train you on some mind exercises.”

“When will it come back?” Kristin asked.

“In ten minutes or ten years. Let’s get to work.”

Kristin also took notes as it was becoming blindingly obvious that she will have to be with Sean for most of the day. She did not mind it at all if it would mean she could help him. Blane had told her that he has it covered with Harper. Now she knew he was covering Harper, and did not care about Sean. Late that afternoon she got the notification that Blane had been arrested. She smiled. Blane would now sit in lock-up until she was in the mood to see him, which she was not.

She was also notified that Harper had been discharged at eight that evening. She will deal with the whore the next day. Kristin had them give Sean a sedative and whilst he slept she went home and showered. She packed a bag and returned to the hospital wearing sweats and a t-shirt. She took her sneakers off and crawled into bed next to Sean. She woke as he had a nightmare and spoke softly to him. Sean calmed down and looked at her, his eyes wet.

“I will trust you, Kristin.”

Kristin's eyes found where he was pinching himself.

“I know. Sean, you are valuable to me. I love you like I cannot love my family.”

“Okay,”

“Shush, Sean. I cannot stand the idea of you being in even a little pain, so stop talking.”

He nodded and looked at the ceiling. Sean felt safe with her. There was nothing sexual, and he knew why she was this intimate. He had gotten the idea that the change in him since the morning was scaring them. His mind went to the capture, and he tried to find where Blane could have done it. There were a few scenarios, but Sean was sure Blane planned it. He thought about Harper and tracked the timeline of the change to about three months before he was captured. That was probably when she started fucking Blane. Sean knew why he missed it. She never seemed to lie when she told him she loved him. Most of her affection was intact. Then he also realized that she showed him no affection when Blane was with them. She would not even hold his hand. He shook his head. He was sure she felt she was cheating on Blane. The hissing was soft but present as his mind wandered the painful thoughts.

“Fu…fu…fu..fuck,” he muttered.

“What?” Kristin asked, and regretted it as she saw him pinch himself.

“I think she felt by giving me love she was cheating on Blane.”

“I am seeing her tomorrow.”

“What will happen?”

“They are looking at attempted murder at the least. Blane will be dishonorably discharged at the very least but I will try for treason if we can cast a shadow over the failed extract.”

“I don’t care, as long as I never see them again.”

“I will work it so I represent you in the divorce.”

“Thanks.”

Kristin wished she could walk into his mind and clean it up for him.

The next morning they discharged Sean and Kristin took him to her place. He promised to behave as she met with the security detail and drove to his house. Harper yanked the door open on her second knock.

“Kristin. God. Where is Sean? Please?”

“You need to come with us. It is a matter of national security. I need to pack Sean some clothes as well.”

“I need to see him and explain.”

“No, you can’t. You will understand soon. Personally, I would actually like to take you out back and shoot you. Have you any fucking idea how you two fucked him up yesterday? He trusted three people, now he has just me. I will be damned if I let you close to him ever again.”

“I love him. I know I do. I never doubted it, but I was an idiot.”

“Yeah, you were. Get yourself a clean set of clothes, and have a shower. It will be a long day.”

“Why?”

“Some powerful people want to ask you some questions.”

“Please tell Sean I am so sorry. I really hate myself because I know how precarious his mental health was. You cannot hate me as much as I hate myself. But I will live with it because Sean has to. I will kill myself if he gives up, but until then I will eat my shame.”

“How noble. Too bad you did not consider that before hopping on Blane’s cock.”

Kristin saw her words hit Harper like a truck and did not care for the hurt on Harper’s face.

“I will get ready. I will pack Sean’s as well.”

“Okay, pack his for a week.”

“So long?”

“He does not want to see you ever again, Harper. Make peace that he might not change his mind.”

“Maybe a phone call then? When he is ready.”

“I will ask.”

Kristin waited, looking at the living room. Sean’s pictures were everywhere and she wondered how callous a friend Blane had to be to not even feel a shred of guilt. She will see him that afternoon. Blane was supposed to be her friend too, and she knew he deceived all of them. She had no issue destroying his career. But there was something about Harper that irked her. Harper was defeated and Kristin knew it wasn’t just remorse. Harper knew she had destroyed her husband’s life.

 Harper appeared with the two bags, then walked to a picture of her and Sean when she had just delivered her first cake. Sean was proud of her that day and encouraged her. Harper was very happy and they were in love. She put the picture in her bag.

During the drive, she said very little. They drove into the basement of a grey building and she was led to an elevator. Kristin took her bag once they reached a series of rooms. The building was empty, and Harper was led into a room that had been set up for interrogations. Harper was made to sit down and was hooked up to a polygraph.

“What is going on, Kristin?” she asked.

“Something bad happened, but you will be fine if you tell the truth.”

“About what?”

“You will soon find out. Just answer the questions truthfully.”

Kristin left the room and sat behind a monitor in the next room. It had a high-definition camera aimed at Harper, and Kristin could see her pupillary responses as well as micro-expressions. She had an expert with her as well. They watched closely as Harper was asked the baseline questions.

“Are you having an affair with Blane Davis?”

“No.”

“You were caught in bed with him. Are you having an affair with Blane Davis?”

“I ended it this morning, so the answer is no,” Harper answered, almost angry.

“Did you have an affair with Blane Davis?”

“Yes.”

“Was it longer than six months?”

“Yes.”

“Was it longer than eight months?”

“Yes.”

“Was it longer than a year?”

“No.”

“Do you love your husband?”

“Yes.”

“Do you love Blane Davis?”

“No.”

“Did you love Blane Davis in the past?”

“No.”

Kristin saw the flicker of possibility that it was a lie, but the expert said it would probably not register as a lie, just as deception. Kristin decided that it might be that Harper had lied to herself during the affair, and saw her past clearly now.

“Did you want to leave your husband?”

“Yes.”

“Did you want to leave him for Blane?”

“Yes.”

“Did you want to leave your husband seven months ago?”

“No.”

Kristin saw that it was the truth, so she might be in the clear as that was around the time Sean was captured.

“Did you want your husband dead?”

“JESUS! ABSULUTELY NO!”

“Please answer with a yes or no answer.”

“No.”

“Were you part of the plan to kill your husband?”

“Someone wanted him dead?” Harper asked, and started sobbing desperately. It dawned on her that this was not about cheating at all. Sean was in danger. The polygrapher shook his head at Kristin. The session needed to be stopped.

Harper was unhooked and Kristin came back in.

“Please, Kristin. What the hell is going on? Who wanted to kill Sean?”

“We are trying to figure it out.”

“I would never want that. I know I have no credibility, but it is the truth.”

“You might just have killed him yesterday morning. There is a whole chunk of his personality gone.”

“I hate myself. He was so broken and I just did not care.”

“No, you did not. Why have you not asked about Blane?”

“He does not matter to me anymore. He is dead to me. I hate the day I met him. I hate the day I thought he was attractive. I hate that I thought he was better than Sean. He never was. I hate the fact that I could lie to myself so easily. I thought I deserved it. Especially when Sean was injur…..,” Harper looked at Kristin, “Was that the attempt?”

“Yes. Did you suspect anything at all?”

“Nothing. Oh fuck. Did Blane try to kill Sean for me?”

“That is the theory, and Sean brought it up.”

“He thinks I wanted him dead? Please, Kristin. I never saw my life without him. I know I said I wanted to leave him, but I know I would not have gone through with it. I want him alive. I want him with me.”

“It does not matter what you want. Only what Sean wants.”

“Yes, you are right. I have no demands. I just want to beg to speak to him. Do you believe me that I did not want him dead?”

“I will wait for the experts to analyze the data.”

“No, Kristin. In your heart, do you believe it?”

“I never believed you would cheat on Sean until yesterday morning.”

“How do I fix it? I will do anything. Truth serum, whatever. Hypnosis. I will have no problem revealing my most private thoughts just so you and Sean would believe I did not want him dead. Please, Kristin. Help me.”

“I will see about some of those. Did you ever want Sean to get better?”

“Yes, God. I was trying to make real plans, and now I understand why Blane often shot them down. I will fucking kill him. He kept me dependent….sorry, Kristin. I chose to be dependant.”

“I will get a shrink to come and see you today. You will need to stay here. There is a small apartment set up for you, and you will be fed properly. You will not be allowed to leave.”

“Can I ask one favor?”

“Shoot.”

“Please let me know when you know Sean is safe.”

Kristin walked Harper to the room she will stay in. There was a bed and a bathroom. Harper started to sob again and curled up on the bed. Kristin walked to the other side of the building. Blane was cuffed to a heavy table when she walked in.

 “Kristin, please. What is happening?” Blane asked nervously. This was beyond the treatment he should receive for infidelity according to the USMC Code of Conduct.

“He was your friend, Blane. Did it not for one moment occur to you what would happen to him if he found out?”

“He is my friend.”

“No, he stopped being that in your mind the moment you decided that his wife was fair game.”

“Is he okay?”

“No, not by a long shot. He is safe though.”

“What is happening to me?”

“Sean raised a very plausible theory, and we have a motive because of the affair.”

“What?” Blane asked softly, hating the fact that Kristin was looking at him like he was diseased.

“You caused the extract to fail. You tried to kill Sean.”

“I DID NOT, FUCK YOU!”

“Not likely to happen. In any case, you are being charged with all the normal codes pertaining to infidelity. You are also being charged with treason and attempted murder.”

“Treason?”

“Yes, because the only way the extract failed was if the information was leaked. You had motive and opportunity.”

“Does Sean really believe this nonsense?”

“Yes. Harper also believes that you were quite capable. She told me how you degraded Sean. You must really feel inferior to him,” Kristin chuckled.

“I love her,”

“Yeah, she doesn’t love you. I suspect if she was here with a gun you would be gone. In any case, the attempted murder and treason will be an internal investigation as the agency prefers. You will not have your day in court. The other charges will be dealt with at general court-martial. Your career is over at the very least.”

“Please Kristin. I did not do this. I did not want him dead. I love him as my brother.”

“Sorry, lie. You cannot claim that and do to him what you did. He worshipped the ground she walked on and praised you for helping him. Little did he know that you were stabbing him in the back. You are done. Nobody in the unit wants anything to do with you.”

“What now?”

“You will be held at a black site pending investigation. You will not be allowed any outside contact at all.”

“My family will be devastated.”

“You chose this by shoving your cock into Harper. If you are found guilty your family will receive a flag and news that you died. Blane, you chose this by listening to your cock.”

“Please, Kristin. For our friendship. I will take modified duty, and even ride a desk. Just not a dishonorable discharge. I know I fucked up, and am begging for mercy.”

“You had no mercy for Sean, whilst knowing what he went through.”

“I will beg on my knees to him.”

“No, you will never be allowed to see him. He has completely disassociated from some parts of reality. I have no idea how he will react to you, and I am inclined to let him kill you.”

“He wasn’t getting better, and she needed someone.”

“And you helped her into your arms whilst sabotaging him. And know this, Blane. The fact that I once called you a friend has me wanting to take a shower every ten minutes.”

Kristin walked out as Blane started to beg and then switch to obscenities.