by Matt Lincoln
“Jake Header!” she exclaimed. “I am so glad to see you!”
She reached out and hugged me, which was more than a little out of place for our current relationship. This got me to walk into the apartment so that she could close the door, though. Maybe that had been the plan all along. She was a sly one.
I took a look around since I hadn’t been here since they’d finally unpacked everything. I wasn’t so sure how I felt at first glance. They had really tried to compromise on their approaches and combine their lifestyles, but this was a bit of a mess to look at.
The couch had a bright southwestern design, and there were two armchairs. One was your typical plain brown recliner, and the other was a floral throwback to the eighties. The thing was, both of them looked brand-new, and neither worked with the couch.
The pictures on the walls showed a variety of family members. Some I recognized as LaShawn’s, but most I didn’t. Logic dictated that those had to belong to Cecily. I couldn’t see beyond the living area, so I had no idea what the rest of the place would look like. If this was any indication, I didn’t want to know.
There were two open archways at either end of the room. Both looked to lead on to the rest of the place. I didn’t want to pry, so I just moved to avoid bumping my shins on the end tables that surrounded each and every sitting area in the room.
“The place looks great,” I said cheerfully. That was the polite thing to say, although my heart wasn’t in it.
“Thank you,” Cecily replied and showed me a seat on the couch as she flopped down in the floral chair. “We’re still trying to make this place feel like home for both of us, you know?”
“That’s got to be a chore.” I hoped that sounded sincere. “LaShawn’s not the most up on style and sophistication.” I grinned at her, knowing that she’d understand that. “Or so I’ve been told.”
Cecily laughed out loud. “Speaking of, he’ll be out in a minute. He went to grab a quick shower when you said that you were coming over.”
“Ah, that’s nice. He wanted to look pretty,” I joked. I knew that I could get away with this kind of teasing with her. She had a great sense of humor for such a devoted and serious-minded police officer. “So, how have things been going? Not just with you two, but in general?”
“Oh, well, let’s see…” Cecily sighed and seemed to sort through all the thoughts that were coming to her mind. “LaShawn is going to get promoted at the start of the year! The intake officer at Edler is retiring, and he’s been tapped to take her place, so no more graveyard shifts for him. Yah!” She gave a tiny cheer and seemed very happy about this.
“That’s great! Why hasn’t he told anyone about it, though?” I felt like that sort of news should at least warrant a phone call from him.
“Because it’s not official yet.” LaShawn’s voice came out from the hallway area behind me. I turned to see him pulling on a matching shirt just like Cecily was wearing. He looked good, overall, and maybe had even put on a little weight since the last visit.
I started to stand up to shake his hand, but he waved me off and sat down beside me on the couch instead. “Don’t worry about that, man. It’s just good to see you again. And as I was saying, nothing’s set in stone yet. Yvette’s tried this retirement thing before, and it didn’t take last time. I just have to wait and see.”
His voice sounded good, and his hair was looking healthier. LaShawn’s latest chemotherapy had taken a lot out of him, but that had been some months ago before Cecily came on the scene. I was glad to see that she was good for him and that she was keeping him in line and on track to recovery.
“Well, at least you know the higher-ups are thinking of you, right?” I pointed out, trying to sound optimistic. “That’s got to account for something.”
“Yeah. That’s very true. And that’s what she tells me too.” LaShawn smiled over at Cecily, and it was clear to see that those two were each other’s biggest fans. That was nice to see for him. “So, not that I’m complaining, but what brings you all the way over here?” LaShawn asked. “We haven’t been keeping in touch so much after that Yabut drug thing. Are you still having to lie low with the assassins after you?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, I only get a couple of attempts on my life every week now,” I joked. There was no reason to worry him with the real details. There was nothing anyone could do about it, anyway. Not at present. “Right now, the team and I are doing a salvage operation out in international waters. And speaking of the team…” I wasn’t known for my subtlety, “Remember how I helped you two move your stuff into here?”
“Oh, here we go!” LaShawn laughed as he must have known what was coming.
“Yep, time to return the favor,” I chuckled. “Doc’s moving into a house pretty soon, and he could use all the help he can get.” I nodded over at Cecily to include her too. “So, consider this the callback. He doesn’t have a date yet, but now you can’t say that you weren’t warned, and you can’t weasel your ways out of it, either.”
“I told you, no good deed goes unpunished, LaShawn.” She pretended to scowl over at him, but there was still a fun sparkle in her eyes when she said that.
“And I am authorized to offer the following,” I added. “Free food and beer, and one free medical evaluation. You can decide if you actually want to take him up on that one, though. I’m giving it a hard pass.” I felt confident that I didn’t need another exam, even as a joke.
“Well, that’s only fair,” LaShawn conceded. “Just let us know when, and we’ll do our best to be there. Doc? Now he’s the one I haven’t met, is that right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. He was in India during our last mission, but he’s a good guy. He really is a doctor, a medic type, and now he’s settling down here in Miami to raise his grandson.” I thought that a little backstory and context might help seal the deal.
“Oh, that’s sweet,” Cecily cooed. “How old is his grandson?”
“Five, I think,” I grinned. “He’s a little shy around strangers, as he doesn’t speak much English yet. But as a heads up, Doc’s daughter passed away a few months ago, and she wanted him to raise Zaid, that’s the kid, here in the US.” That should just about cover it. I couldn’t see any other need to go more in-depth with Doc’s personal life.
LaShawn thrust out his chin at me. “Everyone’s going through momentous changes, it looks like. But what about you? What’s going on in your world? Beside secret missions and whatever you pretend to do to pay the bills.” He grinned so widely I thought his face would crack. “You and Verity still splitsville?”
“Yeah, that’s not coming back,” I stated factually. “No, I’m kind of involved with another woman I met before I moved back to Miami. Eve. She was Arik Fu’s lawyer, the one that helped us track him down and rescue him from the Yabut.”
LaShawn nodded. “Oh yeah, I remember you had mentioned her, I think. So, she's here in town? Is she working, or did she just come to see you?” LaShawn tried to hide the friendly mockery in his tone but failed hard.
“A little of both, if you must know.” I felt that was an honest assessment. “But it's getting… I don’t know… weird? That’s not the right word. She’s looking into a job here in Miami, and I’m guessing that’s because of me. But I’m not sure if that’s what she really wants, or if she thinks that’s what I want… I just don’t know.” I knew how bad that all sounded, and I was prepared for the merciless teasing I had opened myself up for.
“Well, how much do you like this woman, Jake?” This came from Cecily, but it was a legitimate question. A sincere one.
“I like her a lot,” I admitted. “And the truth is, seeing Doc and, frankly, even you two, I’ve been wondering if maybe I could settle down a little.” The looks on their faces told me a lot. They exchanged a glance, and then LaShawn cleared his throat.
“Um, really?” LaShawn replied. “That’s… well, different, coming from you, Jake. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I really don’t. It’s just that you’
ve never thrown off the family man kind of vibe.” LaShawn shrugged as if not wishing to offend me. “And that’s not a bad thing.”
“I’m not talking about getting married and making a bunch of babies, LaShawn.” That thought made me laugh out loud. “I’m just wondering if sticking to one place and planning for a future isn’t such a dreadful thing nowadays.”
“And this woman, Eve, she’s the one that got you to thinking about this?” LaShawn inquired.
I thought back and shook my head. “No, it was before she came back into town. Honestly, it started with Doc. Seeing him with Zaid, listening to him talk about him, and the changes having a child in his life brought, I just… I don’t know. It's been on my mind, that’s all.” Having Eve around seemed to focus it more. “And with Eve back in the picture, she’s great. She’s the kind of woman that a guy should think about settling down for. I’m just not sure if I’m cut out for that.”
Cecily nodded her head at me. “I completely understand that. I was there, too, before I met LaShawn. I had ideas about my future,” she used air quotes, “but I was never sure that’s what I wanted. Then, I met this hunk of selflessness, and I lost it. I knew the minute I saw him that something was up. I couldn’t explain it, but even though I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, I knew that I wanted to figure it out with him.”
“That’s beautiful, baby. Come here!” LaShawn slid off of the couch and went over to kiss Cecily.
I could tell that my presence was going to be a distraction and a hindrance for them in this new state, so I started to get off of the couch too and headed for the door. “It's been great to see you both, but I really do need to get going.”
“No, Jake, stay. I’ll cut out the sappy stuff, I promise.” LaShawn was cuddling Cecily, and I knew that he couldn’t possibly have meant what he’d just said to me.
“No, really,” I insisted. “I’m just going to have to think this through on my own, but I do appreciate your input. It's nice to see a happy couple and to know that it’s still an option for people like me.” I teased them as I opened the door and slipped out, waving as I went. “Thanks, guys. I’ll talk to you later. Oh, and the moving thing, don’t forget about that. I’ll be in touch.”
Once I walked outside, I took a great big, deep breath of fresh air. I had come over here to find some simplicity and, hopefully, to resolve some doubts I was feeling, but now, I was even more puzzled. I knew what I could do, though, to help me sort it all out.
22
Jake
I got into the Blazer after leaving LaShawn’s apartment and drove straight to the marina. I forced my thoughts to settle into the back of my mind, and I just drove. I was in the parking lot before I knew it, and from there, it was a short walk to the barn. I unlocked the side door to let me into where Wraith was waiting for me. I took one look at my baby, and everything just fell into place.
She was looking gorgeous and sleek. Xavier had done an excellent job of cleaning her up and making her shine. I walked around the grated metal walkway, which made me feel much more at ease. This right here was where I needed to be. This was where I belonged. That would never change.
Once I got on board, I took stock of how she looked. Once again, I was impressed by how well Xavier had spruced up, and no one would ever be able to tell that we’d had four corpses in there just yesterday. I went through all the stock cabinets to make sure that our supplies were good. There was no telling when we’d need to move on a fast-paced, last-minute sort of mission, and it was a point of pride that Wraith was always ready for anything.
The equipment was in decent shape, but I felt that we could all use a little upgrade coming up. If this Speirs mission paid off decently, I thought maybe that would be the right time to improve what we had to work with. My mind drifted over the idea of adding to the lineup, making my team more like what Xavier had mentioned last night—diversifying the waters of what we could and would do. That was a topic I needed to think over, though. I had time.
I found myself soon sitting in my captain’s seat, just looking over the consoles and panels of Wraith. There was no feeling in the world as good as this one—being able to helm out to anywhere in the world, providing that it was touching the water, that was. I thought about how not many people on the planet could say that they had that kind of freedom, or that drive to keep it, as much as I did.
I decided to take a quick drive out into the water, just to feel what I loved about this life I lived. Once I got the garage door slid open to reveal the water beckoning to me, I couldn’t wait to answer the call to get out there. I eased forward on the throttle, letting Wraith wind up to speed so that I could enjoy the feel of the motion and movement.
The plan was to only head out a few miles, to get away from the bustle of the city’s beaches and touristy locations. I didn’t even really have a place or direction in mind. I just wanted to be out here on the water and appreciate my time alone. The sights, the smells… All of it was clearer and more vibrant as I traveled effortlessly across the sea, just a man and his boat.
I saw a few other ships out, mostly fishing vessels coming in from their work to refuel or drop off their quota. There was a time I’d wanted to explore that life simply because it would allow me to stay on the water. Then I found the military, and it was as if everything that I’d wanted to be and do clicked into gear, and my choices ultimately mattered. I supposed that the more mature one got, the more that they were supposed to feel that, but lately, I’d been drifting a bit. But I was aware enough, too, to know that this too shall pass.
Up ahead, I saw a pair of matching vessels staying in tandem, cruising side-by-side. There was a bridge or plank between them, and as I got closer, it became evident that something strange was taking place. I helmed Wraith to the right to give them a wide berth, not sure what antics they had in mind.
Upon closer inspection, it looked like people were passing between the two boats with someone filming their exploits on both vessels. It didn’t take a genius to figure that they were drunk or under the influence of something that didn’t mix well with stunt boating. I hated to feel like an old man and tattle on them, so I tried to raise them on the comm first instead of calling for the Coast Guard right away.
I wasn’t getting anything back, not on any channel I tried. Of course, it was possible that the blaring music coming from the boats was simply up too high for anyone to notice. I flipped on the Morse Code beacon, something I hadn’t used in quite a while. I sent flash beams and taps out to both of the boats and got no response from either of them. I was too close now not to see what came next.
In a split second, one of the dare-deviling idiots lost her footing on the plank and fell into the water. She screamed once before both of the powerboats soared past and dragged her under their wakes. I acted quickly and helmed Wraith expertly to come alongside the spot where I could only guess she might pop back up.
From the other boats, I saw three people dive into the water to retrieve their friend.
“Morons,” I said to myself as I slowed Wraith down and scanned the surface for the girl with black hair and a bright pink top. At least the top would help someone to locate her in the sea.
I watched diligently for any sign of her, and when I did spot her, I rushed out to the deck to grab a life-ring. I’d secured the rope to Wraith, and there wasn’t anywhere she would get swept off to once she grabbed hold of the ring. Once I had eyes on her, I flung the ring with precision, and it landed mere inches from her.
The girl, probably in her early twenties, if that, was gasping and crying for help as her would-be saviors swam to her aid. I smiled, not out of jocularity or hilarity, but because this girl had gotten lucky. Once she took the ring and placed it over her head, I knew that she’d be safe.
I didn’t plan to bring her on board, though. One of the boats, not the one she’d been trying to get to, but the other one, was coming back for her and her three rescuers. That’s when I observed that her companions were still filming
from the deck of their vessel, and they had a lens pointed right at me.
I’d go out of my way to save someone who needed it, but I required a certain level of respectful privacy for my actions. This just wasn’t going to cut it. So, I went back inside, found a pocketknife in the tool kit, and returned to the rope that was connected to the life ring.
The other boat was close to the four people in the water, and no one was in danger of drowning now. My duty done, I used the blade to cut the rope. I was perfectly fine with losing a life-ring and keeping my confidentiality instead. I waved kindly to them all, headed back to the helm, and got the hell out of there.
Within a few minutes, I was clear of all cameras, video, and film that might have compromised my team and Wraith herself. It was still a terrific feeling to have been in the right place at the right time, even if I now had to replace another life-ring. I would have to let Xavier know about this incident just so that he could scrub any images of Wraith that might find their way online from this most recent experience. Better to be safe and paranoid than sorry, I told myself.
A notification on my cell from Doc broke me out of my concentration and thoughts. I checked to see what it was about.
‘Could you come by Melvin’s freezer, please? We need to discuss.’
That sounded a bit ominous, but I was compelled to find out why. So, I headed back to the marina, locked Wraith back up safely and properly, got back into my Blazer, and drove to the locker freezers where we were keeping the crew of the Hester. Once I got there, I saw a certain well-known BMW parked close to the side door of the location. I wondered what George Yout was doing here, and that made me worry just a bit.
I got to the side door and tried it. I knew that it would be locked, and I was thankful to see that it was. I loudly knocked a few times and then pulled out my cell to text Doc that I was waiting outside. That must have done the trick because a few moments later, Xavier opened the door to let me in.