Expired Hero

by Lisa Phillips

  Alarms sounded. She could hear them faintly over the rotors. And then she looked up. The helicopter retreated, angling away from them as it flew off toward the mountains.

  “Call Zander. Tell him I want to know where that went!” Stuart landed beside her. “Kaylee, what were you thinking? You could’ve been shot!”

  “Go! Go!” A man she didn’t know raced down the street toward her. Kaylee flinched, moving away from the man. But he didn’t come toward her. He ran right past, followed by two men. All of them had guns.

  She tumbled from her crouch onto her backside, and recognized them. They were Zander’s team. The three men jumped into a Jeep. One in the back, the other two in the front. The engine roared, and the tires screeched as they took off in pursuit of the helicopter.

  She moved to her knees only enough to roll her brother to his back. She cried out at the sight of his face, bloody and beaten. “Brad.”

  “Kaylee.”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t handle Stuart’s concern, or his attempts to comfort her when he was just as distraught as she was. She could hear it in his voice.

  Kaylee touched her brother’s shoulder. It was hard to know where to touch, there was so much blood and so many bruises. He’d been beaten. Maybe even tortured. A whimper worked its way up her throat, and she didn’t bother to hold it back.

  Dean landed beside her. “Give me a little space.”

  Stuart came around to gather her up in his arms again. “Should I call the ambulance to come back?”

  Dean shook his head. “We need to get him in the car.”

  “Is he going to live?”

  Dean said, “Come on. We have to hurry.”

  Stuart and Dean gathered Brad up. His head lolled. He was out cold, and it was probably for the best considering how much pain he would likely be in when he woke up. God, don’t let him die. Her brother had gone through so much. He’d been a captive. Hurt.

  New compassion for Stuart and all he’d gone through moved in her. She wanted to talk to him, but that would have to wait. She climbed into the back of the car, and they helped her brother inside. She tried to pull him onto her lap but didn’t want to tug too much. Dean folded Brad’s legs inside, and she held him while they got in the front.

  The doors shut. Stuart turned on the engine, hit the gas and peeled out.

  Kaylee swayed with the motion. Dean turned in the front, his knees to the seat. He studied Brad and spoke on the phone. She didn’t understand half the words he said but none of them sounded good. It sounded as bad as the dark look on his face.

  “He’s going to die.”

  Stuart glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t talk like that. We’re almost to the hospital.”

  “I can’t lose him.” She grasped two handfuls of her brother’s shirt. “He’s the only family I have left.”

  “Almost there,” Dean spoke low, probably trying to sound reassuring.

  Kaylee felt the tracks of tears roll down her face but didn’t bother wiping them away. There was no point. God. The cry of her heart was a reflex. Falling back on the sovereignty of God. The Father might not have kept her parents alive, but she could ask Him for this. Maybe he would not deny her the answer to her prayers a second time.

  Stuart pulled into the emergency bay, right behind the now-empty ambulance that had contained Lewis and his mom. They must already be inside.

  Stuart jumped out of the car and raced to the doors. She heard him yell, and while he got help, Dean continued to check out her brother. Kaylee just stared at his face.

  One eye swollen and blue. His lip was cut, and the rest of his skin was sticky with sweat, dirt, and dried blood.

  The back door opened. Stuart reached across the seat and hauled Brad from her lap, while two nurses helped him get her brother on a stretcher.

  “I’ll park the car.”

  She didn’t move.

  “Kaylee.”

  They wheeled her brother to the door. Dean got out, trotted around the car, and got in the driver’s side. Stuart reached in and held out his hand to her. “Come on.”

  When she didn’t move, he tugged on her hands. Kaylee got her feet under her, and he pretty much lifted her from the car, slamming the door behind her.

  Dean drove away.

  Stuart tucked her hand in his arm and walked her around to the front door. “Everything is going to be okay.” His words were slower but steady. As though he repeated a mantra. Trying to convince himself, make him believe, while his heart probably screamed like hers.

  “They had him this whole time.”

  “But he’s not dead. They think they broke us, and him, by doing this.” He paused at the front door and studied her face. “Did they?”

  She’d been broken so many times. Her parents’ deaths. The night she realized her brother had killed their murderer. Kaylee didn’t even know if she’d ever actually managed to put herself back together.

  Maybe she was still broken and always would be.

  “Kaylee?”

  “They’re not the ones who broke me,” she said, honestly.

  He frowned, understanding what she was saying. Or what she wasn’t, maybe. She was too frazzled for a deep conversation.

  Stuart led her inside, and they explained who they were, then he had her sit beside him in the waiting area. “Your brother is alive.” He sounded relieved. When she glanced at him, Stuart said, “I thought I’d killed him. That I was responsible for his death, and that I’d left him there.”

  “But they captured him after he tried to escape.”

  “And they let me escape.” Stuart said, “Which means he sacrificed, and I went free.” He shook his head. “Why do that? It makes no sense.”

  She’d seen him at church but didn’t know where he was at with things of faith. “Does it have to make sense? I mean, if you can reason it out, doesn’t that mean it loses some of what makes it so amazing.”

  “I’d just be mad at your brother for doing that, not grateful. Like with God.” He shifted, holding her hand in his lap, as though he needed it there. “There is no way Jesus should have done what he did for me.”

  “Even if you were the only one.”

  “That actually makes it worse.” He smiled, more self-deprecating than humorous. “Because I would never accept that someone perfect did that for me.”

  “It was the only way.” Now she sounded as though she were repeating a mantra. A meditation. Reminding herself of all God had done. “We have some of those capabilities in us. Something of the divine, that lifts us above other earthly beings. The ability to be selfless is one of them. Though we use it in corrupt ways most of the time, and it’s only a shadow of what He put in us, it’s still there.”

  “Not in me.” Stuart shook his head. “No one should ever give up anything for me. It doesn’t matter if I live the rest of my life doing good things and try to pretend I’m selfless. Caring for orphans, or helping victims. It doesn’t matter.” The repetition sounded so defeated. “I’ll never be worthy of it. Not even what Brad did for me. Knowingly, or unknowingly.”

  “Isn’t that why it’s a gift no one deserves?” It was the essence of grace, after all. The gift no one deserved. While some people seemed to have been good all their lives, others fell to their knees, weeping, they were so grateful for salvation.

  “That doesn’t make me feel better.” He slung his arm around her shoulders and tugged her to him, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “But thank you for trying.”

  A doctor wearing a white coat strode out, spoke with the reception lady, and looked at them when she indicated their spot. The doctor was a new hire. She’d apparently never worked in a small town before. They’d had to bring someone in fast after the last doctor turned out to be a town founder—and a murdering psycho.

  The doctor came close, her focus on Kaylee. “You’re Kaylee?”

  She stood, trying not to be nervous just because of who her predecessor had been. “Yes, Brad is my brother.”


  “It’s good you brought him in since he has no ID on him. We’ll need you to take care of the paperwork.”

  “Of course.” She nodded. “He’ll be okay?”

  “Right now he’s in a medically-induced coma until the swelling in his brain goes down. He has more than several broken bones, and one of his legs will need multiple surgeries.” The doctor reached up and squeezed the back of her neck. “It’ll take time, but when he’s ready, we’ll wake him up. After that, it’s a case of assessing his condition moving forward and making a plan.”

  Kaylee blew out a long breath. “Thank you, so much.”

  “It’s good you brought him when you did. Wherever he was, he wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

  Twenty-three

  Stuart watched her as she sat beside her brother’s bed, holding his hand. She was where she was supposed to be. Here in this town. With her family.

  He turned, walked away from the room, and strode down the hall. Before she had even stepped into her brother’s room, Kaylee had written down the series of numbers they needed to access the flash drive onto a piece of paper.

  Her brother was alive.

  She wanted nothing more to do with the flash drive.

  The elevator opened and Dean stepped out. “You’re leaving?” He moved forward, ushering Stuart away from the door to make space for an older couple. An orderly pushed the man in a wheelchair, while his wife walked beside him, holding his hand.

  Guilt had Stuart taking a couple of paces back. “She doesn’t need me right now.”

  Unlike this couple, Kaylee and Stuart would never become anything. Together, long into their silver years. Still supporting one another. Still showing love.

  “So you’re going to take care of all this other stuff instead?” Dean groaned. “I guess that’s probably a good idea. Basuto is freaking out because of that helicopter. The boys all got sworn in, so they’re with the cops right now.”

  Stuart winced.

  “Yeah, that was my reaction.” Dean shook his head. “I’m not sure how the sergeant is going to take it when he realizes that though Zander and his boys might be highly skilled and able bodied, they don’t exactly take orders well.”

  “He’ll get over it when they clean up.”

  “Maybe.”

  The elevator doors slid shut. Stuart wanted to rush over and hit the button again, but Dean got in front of him. He acted like he didn’t realize his friend was barring his way out and said, “Did they find the chopper?”

  “It flew off. They followed until it was clear the men inside had retreated. Maybe they’ll be back, and maybe not.” Dean shrugged. “Could be they’d done what they came to do.”

  Stuart’s stomach turned over.

  “Then again, it could be they wanted to send a clear message and are waiting for our next move.”

  “If they wanted to send a message, then they should have killed him.” Stuart shrugged. “Why leave Brad alive?”

  “Dead is clean. It’s done. With Brad here, it ties up Kaylee which also ties up you. Everyone is distracted, waiting for word of his condition.”

  Okay, so that made sense. Stuart said, “They want to divide our focus, but you think they know about Zander?”

  Dean shrugged. He studied Stuart for a minute. “You want me to stay with her? Make sure she’s safe?” He motioned with his chin down the hall. “Ellie can sit with her, and I’ll keep them both protected.”

  Stuart held out his hand. Dean shook it. “The less divided I can be, the better.”

  “You think they know how much you care for her?”

  “I think I should keep my phone conversations sanitized until I know for sure they haven’t cloned my phone the way they did Kaylee’s.”

  Dean nodded. “We have to assume they have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  “You think Ted figured that out?”

  “He’s meeting with Zander now, and he’s bringing an air-gapped computer. They’re going to look at the flash drive and see what we’re dealing with.”

  There was a whole lot of “we” going on. Stuart figured it was down to his friends. Men he’d met a couple of years ago when he’d saved their lives. They repaid that favor when they’d picked him up after his capture.

  Since then, he’d been Dean’s first, true therapy patient. An experiment and a favor to his friend. Helping Stuart get the answers he needed.

  Now it seemed these men, and the town as well, had claimed him as one of their own. Maybe when he put all this right—if he was alive and a free man—he might go talk to Hollis about that job in her kitchen.

  Dean said, “I told Zander to call you when they get in.”

  Stuart nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of Kaylee and her brother.”

  “And if he doesn’t wake up?”

  “Then we’ll take care of Kaylee. And her brother.”

  Stuart shook his friend’s hand again.

  “One more thing?”

  He lifted his brows. There was more? Stuart could barely handle what he had so far.

  Dean’s lips twitched. “Yeah, that was my reaction when Savannah called me.”

  “What did the detective want?”

  “She said to tell you the bank manager, Silas Nigelson, was cut loose. They didn’t have any more reason to hold him, and they’re not charging him with anything.”

  “Not kidnapping?” Stuart had been there. Silas had participated.

  “There’s no evidence he did anything more than drive, and he’s saying that’s only because Trina threatened him. They’re both telling the same story, and that gave the DA no room to find a reason to file charges that might get thrown out by the judge anyway. Silas said his daughter is ‘touched in the head’—his words—and he was only trying to keep her contained.”

  “He pointed a gun at me.”

  Dean winced. “I told her that. Apparently, Silas is maintaining he only got you in the car with them so that you could see the truth about his daughter and aid him in locking her down. He’s supposedly mad you didn’t. So you might want to be careful.”

  “Seriously?” Stuart didn’t need some small-town grudge. Not now...not even after he got the more serious business out of the way and resolved. “And the Russia thing?”

  Dean shrugged.

  “What about the missing girl?”

  “Trina is saying she found the necklace on the street. Savannah is getting it tested as possible evidence, but that will take time.”

  Stuart figured Kaylee would want to know she was right. She might have even solved the case. But would that make a difference when it was he and Brad who’d nearly destroyed her life? And they’d also wrecked the peace of mind she’d built for herself.

  He had a lot to apologize for. Stuart would make amends if that was what she wanted. But he figured it would be a greater benefit to her if he just left.

  And never came back.

  Dean went toward Brad’s room. Stuart hit the restroom and splashed cold water on his face to shock himself awake. Zander still hadn’t contacted him by the time he came out, so he called the team leader.

  “You’re calling me?” Zander said, “I figured you’d show up any minute now and take the flash drive. I’ve been waiting for you”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Kaylee’s with her brother, right?”

  Stuart frowned. “Yes.”

  “So, what’s left for you now except getting this done?”

  “Would you even give me the flash drive if I came and asked you for it?” He stuck his hand in his pocket, fingering the paper.

  Zander huffed. “We both know what you used to do. And you’re gonna come here and ask me for it?”

  “I’m a nice guy now. You didn’t notice?”

  “Maybe you’ve lost your edge.” Zander was quiet for a second. “She said code word. Is that even the same as the password? Cause there are layers of encryption on this thing. Ted says it looks like th
ere are a series of codes set up to shut a trap door every time the password is not entered properly. If you wait too long or use the wrong keystroke, it sets off a chain reaction.”

  “Which will dump the contents, “Stuart finished for him. “And then we’ll never get it.”

  Everything Brad had done, and all he’d been through—what both of them had been through—would end up being for nothing. Could he handle that? Maybe it didn’t matter whether or not he could handle it, because the truth was, this would never be over unless he finished it.

  Even if the flash drive was destroyed somehow, the information on it unusable, Stuart would have to run. He’d live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. Same with Kaylee and Brad. Even if he recovered, they still would never be safe.

  Stuart clenched his jaw. “Ready? Kaylee gave me the codes.” He’d be sharing it over a line that could be under surveillance, but that was a risk they were going to have to take. Whoever it was couldn’t possibly infiltrate the computer being used to access the flash drive. Air gapped meant it wasn’t connected to any external network and had no internet capabilities. No one could hack it without direct, physical access.

  It was safe.

  “You’re on speaker. Fire away.”

  Stuart read what Kaylee had written.

  He heard Ted in the background. Each series of numbers was confirmed with, “Copy.” Until the end. “I’m in.” Ted was quiet for a second. “Whoa.”

  Stuart would have preferred to be there just then. He could have looked over Ted’s shoulder at the screen of the laptop and wouldn’t have had to finally say. “Put me out of my misery, Zan.”

  “One sec.” Zander shifted, the sound audible across the phone line.

  Stuart backed up and leaned against the wall. A nurse passed, shooting him a look. He didn’t know what for.

  Zander said, “This is bad.” After a century-long pause, he continued, “How much do you know about the most recent appointee to a high-level government director job?”

  He was going to be cagey now? Stuart had read the newspaper nearly a week ago, but not since. The latest news was that the CIA had just gotten a new boss. The guy had been CEO of a firm that handled government contracts for weapons research and aerospace engineering. He’d also been a silent partner in the company Stuart and Brad worked for.