by Mike Ryan
“Sorry, but your bank account really ain’t a concern of mine.”
“When wars break out, it brings in scrutiny. That means certain activities have to be curtailed or even stopped altogether. Now, that won’t only affect my bottom line, but it’ll affect yours as well. And I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to afford taking as big of a hit as I can at this stage of your organization’s startup.”
“I really don’t like you.”
Vincent smiled. “The feeling is mutual.”
“I thought you said you did.”
Vincent shrugged. “I’ve changed my mind. But I did want to use this meeting to meet face to face, to offer you one last chance to change your current trajectory. I’ve put up with a lot of your nonsense up until now without putting the full weight of my organization against you, but if you leave this meeting ignoring my advice, that will change as of today.”
Jerrick stood up, apparently done with the meeting. “Yeah, well, maybe I got some advice of my own.”
“Which would be?”
“Stay out of my way. ’Cause the next time you stick your head out the door, you might just get it blown off.” Jerrick then looked at Malloy. “Same goes for you, big-boy.”
Vincent and Jerrick stared at each other for a few seconds. “I see that we have an understanding, then.”
“Oh yeah, we got one. I’m taking over. That means you can step aside and let it happen, or you can be the one that gets buried. ’Cause it ain’t gonna be me.”
Vincent smiled and nodded as he watched Jerrick and his associate walk away.
“Let’s just kill them now,” Malloy said.
“It’s too public here, and everyone would know who’s responsible. When we do it, it must be in the shadows and make it look like it could be anybody behind it.”
Malloy nodded, satisfied with the answer as he stepped toward the window and looked out, observing Jerrick and his crew walk away and get back in their cars.
“As long as it happens soon,” Malloy said. “I have a feeling they might be more elusive than the others for some reason.”
“Probably because they seem to operate according to their numbers for the most part. Hit and run. The others that have gone up against us usually did so because they believed they could use brute force. But it is not a worry. One way or another, Jerrick and his boys will meet the same fate as his mentor. I am sure of that.”
4
Jones appeared to be working in his usual fast manner when Recker walked into the office. He had several computers running at once, splitting his concentration between all of them, going back and forth depending on what he needed. Recker walked over to the desk and sat down next to him.
“How’s it going?”
Jones smiled at him. “Not as fast as I’d like, but not as slow as I feared. In other words… average.”
Recker scratched his forehead. “Well I guess that’s better than nothing.”
“Some would say that.”
Recker cleared his throat. “Anything we can act on yet?”
“Not at the moment. Why? Are you bored?”
“Well, you know, just trying to keep busy and all.”
“I see. Nothing to move on at the moment.”
“So you said.”
Recker went onto one of the computers and started fiddling around. He really wasn’t doing anything other than passing the time. Jones happened to look over and noticed that his friend looked like he was bored out of his mind. He leaned over to check the website he was on, though it didn’t appear Recker was even focusing on it. He was just staring at the screen, not scrolling or clicking on anything.
“Is there something I can do for you?” Jones asked.
“No. Nothing.”
“Are you having problems with Mia?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s just that you’re sitting here, kind of staring at a screen that you don’t appear to have any interest in looking at. And you seem distracted, like your mind is elsewhere.”
“I’m good.”
Jones didn’t believe that for a second. But he knew pestering him about it was usually the wrong choice. Whatever was on his mind, Recker would say in his own good time when he was ready. He could tell though, whatever it was, it looked like it’d be a heavy discussion. His friend looked tired. He looked like he was carrying a heavy burden. They made small talk for a few more minutes, which Recker usually hated. Jones could tell he was just stalling for something.
“Are you sure there’s not something you would like to discuss?” Jones asked.
“Such as?”
Jones shrugged. “You tell me. You’re sitting here looking zoned out, you’re engaging in small talk which you hate, we have nothing for you to do in which case you’re usually quick to go home with Mia, but yet, here you are. And I know there’s a reason for that that you’re not sharing yet.”
Recker fiddled with a pencil, then tossed it in the air, letting it land back down on the desk. He cleared his throat, not sure how to begin. He tapped his fingers on the desk as he began. “Well, as you know, we’ve got a lot going on. You know, like always.”
“Sure.”
“And, um, you know, with um, you know, how everything is going, it seems that…” Recker stopped for a moment, knowing he was sputtering. Jones stopped what he was doing and turned to face his friend, realizing they were about to have a serious discussion. When Recker struggled to get out what he was thinking, it was usually something big, though Jones didn’t yet realize how big it would be.
“It seems that what?”
Recker sighed. “Well, with adding Chris to the team, we never missed a beat. He was perfect, adding something for us, blended right in, couldn’t have asked for a better partner to bring in.”
“I agree.”
“I was, uh, just wondering what you’d think about… maybe adding one more.”
Jones squinted his eyes as he looked at his friend. He knew there must have been a reason behind the request, though he couldn’t be sure of what it was yet. But it was a strange request considering it wasn’t something any of them had discussed before. They all seemed happy with the three of them. It seemed to work fine, with nobody stepping on any toes. Everyone knew how everything worked, and everyone performed their duties without any issues. Jones wasn’t sure how adding another member to the team would work.
“Do you really think we need a fourth member right now?” Jones asked.
“No, not really. But I wasn’t thinking about what’s right for the team right now. I was thinking down the road. You know, with Vincent, Jerrick’s out there, who knows who else might join the party, maybe even The Scorpions rebound and come back somehow. I was just thinking that it might be a good idea to possibly think about adding one more to the squad, knowing it takes a while to evaluate candidates.”
Jones stared at his friend for a few moments, still not sure he was getting a truthful response. He wasn’t sure it was just as simple as that. “Do you think that might crowd us a bit?”
“I mean, come on, David, it’s a big city out there. Me and Chris, and you from here, we can’t cover all of it. Adding another member would increase our coverage.”
Jones continued looking at his friend, nodding. He could definitely see the benefits of adding another person. It wasn’t necessarily that easy to find that person, but he could see the benefits. “Perhaps that’s true.”
“And, you know, having another body around who’s capable of carrying the load, could allow me and Chris to take some extra time off when needed.”
Jones scrunched his eyebrows together. He was still sure there was something else in play here that he wasn’t being told. “Perhaps.”
“So what do you think?”
“Have you spoken to Chris about this?” Jones asked.
“I’ve discussed it with him.”
“And he’s good with it?”
“He’s fine with whatever we decide.”
&nbs
p; Jones leaned back in his chair and put his hand over his mouth as he thought about it. “Well, I suppose I could start another search if everyone is of the same mind. That’s no guarantee I’ll come up with a candidate of my liking, though.”
“Of course.”
Jones looked at his friend again, still positive there was something he wasn’t being told. “Is that all there is to it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you sure it’s just as simple as that?”
“What else would there be?”
“I don’t know. But we’ve known each other a long time now.”
“We have,” Recker said.
“And I generally get a good feel for when there’s something that you’re not telling me.”
“You do, huh?”
“I do. And I’m getting that feeling now. What aren’t you telling me? This just came up out of the blue for there not to be a specific reason behind it. What is it?”
Recker looked down and ran his finger on the edge of the desk. He worried about letting his friend and partner down by what was really going through his mind. He cleared his throat again.
“And that right there,” Jones said, pointing. “That right there is a telltale sign of when you have something on your mind that you’re having difficulty saying.”
“What?”
“You clear your throat several times.”
“I do?”
“Yes. It’s always a signal that you have something on your mind that you’re not sure of sharing.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to work on that.”
“So what is it? You can tell me, Michael. We’re not only partners, we’re friends. That won’t change. At least I hope it wouldn’t.”
Recker took a deep breath and rubbed his eye. “I just don’t wanna disappoint you or let you down.”
“You never have. And you never could. Whatever you have to say, we’ll get through it together. All of us.”
“I’m just, uh…” Recker wasn’t sure what else to say other than just coming right out with it. “I’m tired. My body, my mind, I’m just… tired.”
Jones leaned back, a little surprised to hear the words. It wasn’t necessarily unexpected, though. He’d seen the changes in his friend’s behavior as well. “I see.”
Recker lifted his hand off the desk before slapping it back down. “I just don’t know how much… I’m not sure… well, I’m not really sure of anything right now. Other than that, maybe I…” Recker still couldn’t get out what he wanted to say out of fear of disappointing his friend.
“You need a break. Perhaps a long one.”
Recker briefly glanced at his friend before putting his eyes back on the keyboard. “Maybe.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised that it’s taken this long.”
“You are?”
“Yes. Michael, you’ve been running around basically non-stop for what, ten, fifteen years now? Your body’s been beat up, shot, run ragged, dealing with criminals, government agencies, tragedies, it’s a lot for any person to have to deal with for so long. Everyone needs a significant period of time away to recharge their batteries.”
“I guess so.”
“And I think if you need that time, you should take it.”
“I just don’t wanna leave you guys short handed or vulnerable.”
“If you recall, we started this operation with just the two of us. Going back to that really wouldn’t be a problem.”
“What if I go on this extended vacation and… never come back? What if I never get that urge to return?”
“Well then I think you’ll have deserved your retirement tenfold. Michael, you have nothing left to prove to anyone. And while I would miss you here, yes, definitely, I have always only wanted whatever was best for you. Whether that means staying here, or taking some time off and coming back, or whether that means going off to live in Hawaii permanently, I would always support you in whatever you chose to do. You have earned that more than anyone I know. Whatever decision you make, I will always be one hundred percent behind you. That’s not even a question.”
“I just feel like I’d be letting people down.”
“You have to take care of yourself. I’ve noticed over the last few weeks, months, you’ve been more reserved. Is this what’s been bothering you all this time?”
Recker nodded. “Yeah. I guess I was just trying to deny it. The tiredness, the dreams, the feeling of emptiness, I guess it was all just trying to steer me in a certain direction. I guess I’ve just gotten to a point where I couldn’t deny it any longer.”
“The dreams?”
Recker took a deep breath. “For the past couple years I’ve had these nightmares, over and over again, though sometimes they change slightly, but they usually include someone dying that’s close to me, or sometimes me. You, Mia, Chris, me, usually someone perishes in them.”
“How often have you had them?”
“Started out as every few weeks, maybe even monthly, then started getting them more frequently. Every week, then a few times a week, then most nights. It’s gotten to the point where I’m more surprised when I don’t have one than when I do.”
“Why have you never told anyone of this?”
“I just didn’t want anyone worrying about me. God knows there’s enough out there that we need to worry about. I didn’t feel I needed to add to the list and potentially get anyone distracted.”
“Does Mia know?”
“She knows of the dreams and all. The rest of it I haven’t yet discussed. I mean, I’m sure she’d be happy if I took a break. The only thing is I don’t think I could do it here.”
“No, I agree, you’re too well known here. You wouldn’t be able to just go out and stroll around. Take what happened with Sadko that time.”
Recker nodded. “Yeah, so I’d have to go somewhere else. But there’s also her job.”
“I’m sure a transfer could be worked out with some hospital. I doubt that’d be a problem.”
“Yeah, probably not.”
“When did you think about taking this… sabbatical?”
Recker shrugged. “Uh, I dunno. I didn’t really have any concrete plans. The one thing I don’t want to do is leave you guys high and dry. I mean, if I suddenly left, then found out something happened to you guys because I wasn’t here, I don’t think I could live with myself.”
“Chris and I can look after ourselves, Michael. We don’t need you guarding us.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just…”
“I know what you mean. But after you leave, whatever happens is on us, not you. You’re not responsible for that.”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you go home, discuss things with Mia, see how fast she would be able to get a transfer somewhere, assuming she’s actually interested in doing that, and then we can work out your exit strategy?”
Recker nodded and shook his friend’s hand. “Sounds like a plan. What about bringing someone else in? Just in case.”
“Well, I can start looking into it. We’ll just see how it goes.”
5
Recker walked through the door and saw Mia sitting on the couch, reading a book. She put it down as he walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss.
“How was your day?” Mia asked.
Recker sat down next to her and put his arm around her. “Uneventful.”
“Those are the ones I like best for you.”
Recker laughed. “I know.”
He leaned the side of his head onto the top of hers as she put her head into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, then started stroking her hair. He was debating on how he should tell her that he was walking away for a bit. He knew she’d be happy, but he just had to figure out how to say it in a way that didn’t seem permanent. He still had every intention on coming back at some point. He just needed to make sure she didn’t think he was handing in his retirement papers. He wasn’t ready for life in the retirement home already.
> “How much vacation time do you have?”
“For this year?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got twenty days still. I haven’t taken anything yet. Why? You thinking about a vacation?”
Recker smiled. “Maybe it’s crossed my mind.”
Mia jumped out of his arms and positioned her body to face him. “You’re serious?”
“Is that so strange?”
“For you? Yeah. A little bit.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking I’m a little tired lately. Maybe it’s time I took a break for a while.”
Mia put her hand on her boyfriend’s forehead to check for a temperature. “Are you feeling OK?”
Recker laughed. “I’m feeling fine. There’s nothing with me.”
“Is there something going on? Did you get word someone’s coming after me again or something? You want me to go because of that?”
Recker shook his head. “No. Everything’s fine. There're no issues that I’m aware of. I just thought that maybe we could take a vacation soon. And if you have all those days piled up, maybe we could just take a month off.”
“A month?”
“Too long?”
“Um, no, I guess not. I mean, I could probably swing it. I never use my sick time or anything and I always do more than what’s needed, so I don’t think it’d be a problem.”
“Well, if you could use sick time too, maybe we could even take an extra week or two.”
Mia raised her eyebrows. She wasn’t even sure who this man was sitting in front of her anymore. She was positive someone had switched bodies with Recker and replaced him with a duplicate. “You want even more time than a month?”
Recker shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe?”
“OK.” Mia then let out a laugh. She knew there was more to it than that. “OK. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“No. No. You’re coming to me out of the blue and saying you want to take a whole month off and maybe even more? This, coming from the same man who fought me for months to take even one week off before? No, something’s up here. You’re not getting this past me. I know something’s going on.”