by Roger Hayden
Brooke’s brother-in-law’s actions seemed out of character, though she would never say that aloud to Amy. Not that Daniel was a bad man, but he had never struck her as the type to stick his neck out for something like this. But maybe that’s why he’d been in DC so much lately. He had to patch up the mess everyone had made.
The front door opened, and Brooke saw the faces of her niece and nephew light up.
“Aunt Brooke?” Gabby asked.
“Hey, guys!” Brooke answered.
She walked over and gave each of them a hug.
“What are you doing here?” Kevin asked.
“Your aunt and cousins are going to be staying with us a while,” Amy answered.
“John’s here?” Kevin asked.
“He’s in the kitchen,” Brooke said.
Kevin smiled and sprinted to the kitchen. “And Emily’s in the living room watching television,” Brooke added.
“Yaaaay!” Gabby said, and the only thing Brooke could see after that was the bounce of her Barbie backpack as Gabby went to play with her cousin.
“It’s good to have you guys here,” Amy said, smiling. “I haven’t heard a whole lot of laughter the past week.”
“Amy,” Brooke said, gently holding her sister’s arm, “You need to speak with Kevin and Gabby. No one can know we’re here. It has to be kept secret.”
“I know. I’ll talk to them tonight after dinner.”
“Do you know when Daniel’s going to be home?”
“Tomorrow, I think. I’m going to get supper started.”
Amy left Brooke alone in the foyer. The giggles of Emily and Gabby combined with cracking voices of two teenage boys felt a lot like watching the sprinkler on the lawn. It was a magnificent sound to be heard, but the feeling somehow felt odd after everything that had happened.
The feeling made her shiver. She stepped into the living room. She became aware of the cushioned couches, the soft fabric that lined the pillows, the clean carpet, and the fine wooden furniture that surrounded her. Much like her sister, everything in the room represented elegance.
None of it seemed real. She’d thought that when she made it here, the sense of normalcy would reappear, that there would be some noticeable change, but nothing happened. There was no sense of relief, no increase of hope, and the anxiety that she’d felt during the entire trip had only intensified. It didn’t feel over.
The plane landed back in DC at 6 p.m. EST. Daniel had stared at the mini bottles of whiskey the entire trip back. He sat by himself on the plane, away from Jones and his henchmen. They didn’t bother him, and he didn’t cause a fuss. It was a nonverbal agreement they’d entered upon boarding the plane. Once they’d taxied down the runway after landing, the door to Jones’s private jet opened, but Daniel remained in his seat.
“Daniel, we’re leaving,” Jones said.
He was hunched low in his seat with his back turned to the group, so they couldn’t see him. He was playing with the end of his tie. “I need to go and visit my family.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Jones replied.
Daniel’s hand found his neck. The red marks from where Jones had choked him still lingered. He ran his fingers over the raised bumps. “Make time.”
“Fine. But I need you back by tomorrow,” Jones said. “I’ll have the pilot take you to Charlotte.”
The whine of the jet engines filled the cabin. Daniel remained motionless as the pilot and crew went about their preflight duties. The captain came over to him at one point and mouthed something about refueling and taking off in thirty minutes, but Daniel wasn’t paying attention. He stayed in the same position until they finally landed in Charlotte.
Daniel grabbed a taxi and gave the driver his address. The sun had gone down, but the sky still glowed with faint oranges and pinks, the last push of dying light until the night finally took over. He rested his head on the windshield, feeling the vibrations of the cab as it drove him home.
The yellow lights from inside Daniel’s house glowed from the windows. He knew Amy wasn’t expecting him until tomorrow, but something was compelling him to come home. He couldn’t explain it. All he could feel was the burning urge to see his family. Like a horse driven to water to drink, he needed to replenish himself with the people he was doing all of this for. He needed to go back to the source.
When Daniel walked inside, his jaw dropped. Additional chairs had been added to fit everyone at the kitchen table. Amy was the first to see him.
“Daniel?” she asked.
Everyone turned to face him. He was standing in the living room, still dressed in his suit and reeking of booze. “Hey.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Brooke. “How did you get here?”
Amy got up from the table and walked over to him. “Honey, I didn’t think you were coming home until tomorrow.”
“I was… I mean I did. I just… wanted to come home,” Daniel said.
Brooke got up from her seat and walked over and gave him a hug. He kept his arms at his sides as Brooke squeezed. “It’s good to see you, Daniel.”
“Yeah.”
“Hi, Uncle Dan,” John said.
“Hey, John. Emily.” Daniel turned to Amy and whispered in her ear. “Can I talk to you?” he asked, motioning to the other room.
“Sure.”
Daniel led her upstairs to their room. He shut the door behind him and turned on this wife. “What is your sister doing here?”
“I told you she was trying to get out. She made it. She’s staying with us until this thing blows over.”
“Blows over? This thing isn’t going to blow over, Amy. This isn’t a temporary problem, it’s a permanent one!”
Amy sat on the edge of the bed. Daniel could feel himself getting hot. He hastily removed his tie and tossed it on the ground.
“Daniel, she’s family. You said yourself that she had to get out. And now she has. What do you expect me to do? Just throw her and the kids back out onto the streets?”
“And who was that man she was with? You didn’t tell me she was seeing anyone.”
“They’re not together. He was a friend of Jason’s who is helping them out.”
“We don’t know anything about him.”
“Brooke trusts him.”
“Are you stupid?”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you fucking stupid?”
Amy jumped from the bed and got right in her husband’s face. “Are you drunk again?” she asked, the hint of disgust creeping into her voice.
“Order is hanging on by a thread. People are turning in any illegals left and right for the reward, and anyone helping them is being thrown into jail alongside the people they help. I can’t protect us from this, Amy, if we get caught. Do you understand? Your sister put our family at risk.”
“She’s staying, Daniel,” Amy said. Then, inching closer and clenching her jaw, she shoved her finger into his chest. “And if you ever speak to me like that again, I will throw you out of this house.”
She turned the door handle angrily and stomped down the stairs. Daniel turned to try and say something, but she was already gone. He stumbled backward until the backs of his knees hit the bed, and he collapsed on top of it.
The ceiling above started to spin. He closed his eyes, afraid that opening them would make the spinning worse and he would fly off the bed. Then, after a few minutes, he felt the heaviness of his chest pin him down, sinking him lower. His mind grew foggy, and after a few minutes, he fell fast asleep.
Daniel rolled to his side and opened his bloodshot eyes. He felt exhausted. The furniture, walls, and floor looked like they were covered in a fuzzy haze. He blinked and rubbed his eyes until his surroundings came into focus. He was still in his suit, lying on top of the bed. Even his shoes were still on.
The clock on the nightstand read eight o’clock. A few thumps sounded downstairs, and he pushed himself up from the bed, his arms shaking as he did. He cradled his head in his hands, trying to support the ten thousand pound
s of crushing pressure that seemed to be working against him.
A quick shower. That’s what he needed. He stumbled to the bathroom, clumsily disrobing himself, until his hands found the shower handle and turned it to the left on its warmer setting. Daniel stepped inside, letting the warm water cleanse him of the dirt and filth from the previous day. He stood there, watching the gauge tick off gallon after gallon. He could stay in the shower all day if he desired. There were no restrictions for him. Not for a United States congressman.
After thirty minutes, he shut the water off and stepped out, dripping onto the tiled floor. He dried himself, then put on a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt. He passed his son’s room and could see both Kevin and John on the floor, playing video games.
“Hey, Uncle Dan,” John said. “Feeling better?”
“Huh?” Daniel asked.
“Last night mom said you weren’t feeling well,” Kevin answered.
“Oh. Yeah. I’m better. Why aren’t you at school?”
“Mom said we didn’t have to go since Brooke and everyone was here.”
“I see you’re making good use of your time,” Daniel said, pointing at the game.
“It’s actually harder than it looks, Uncle Dan,” John said.
“Right.”
When Daniel made it to the bottom of the stairs, he saw Eric propped up on some pillows watching television. Gabby and Emily were on the floor, playing with some dolls. He stood there a while before Eric noticed him.
“Congressman Hunter,” Eric said, trying to get up from the couch while nursing his left shoulder, which was wrapped in a bandage.
“No, please, you don’t have to get up.”
Eric flopped back down onto the couch with exaggerated relief. “Well, it’s good to know that not every congressman is full of himself. Right, girls?”
Emily and Gabby giggled.
“Call me Daniel.”
“Well, Daniel, I’m Eric Stephenson,” he said, extending his right hand. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.”
“I, uh… I’m glad.”
Daniel didn’t want to try and cut the man off, but he wasn’t going to fight the compliment. He’d learned long ago that compliments held just as much meaning for the person giving them as the person on the receiving end. Sometimes more.
“Have you seen Brooke and my wife?” Daniel asked.
“They headed to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine for my arm. They left first thing this morning, so they should be back soon.”
“Thanks.”
Daniel walked to the garage to grab something out of his car, but when he opened the door and flicked the light on, a banged-up Toyota Land Cruiser was in its place. He recognized it as Brooke’s car then shut the door and headed to the kitchen. He poured himself a bowl of cereal. Before he could shovel the first spoonful into his mouth, he heard the front door open, and his heart skipped a beat.
“Kids! Donuts!”
The thunder of John and Kevin’s feet from upstairs roared as they hurried down the staircase. They came running into the kitchen, attacked the box of fried dough, and shoved the donuts into their faces like they hadn’t eaten in weeks.
Brooke came around the corner after them, observing the carnage. “I wish my metabolism still worked like that. Hey, Dan. You look better.”
“Thanks. I feel better.”
When Amy walked into the kitchen, she didn’t acknowledge his presence. She opened the top cupboard and grabbed a glass then filled it with water. She walked back out into the living room with the glass and a bottle of pills.
“You need to take these twice a day until they run out,” Amy said, handing the water and pills to Eric.
“Your cereal’s getting soggy, Uncle Dan,” John said.
“What? Oh.”
Daniel looked down at the bloated bits of shredded wheat floating in his bowl. When he looked back up, Amy was gone. He set the spoon down and headed back upstairs.
Amy was taking off her earrings at the dresser. She eyed his reflection in the mirror when he entered.
“Amy, about last night. We need to talk.”
“We do, but not now.”
“Honey, this is important.”
Amy slammed her hands on the dresser, and Daniel froze. He could see the strain on her face as she tried to control the anger welling up inside her. She spun around to face him, and he could see the tears in her eyes.
“Do you remember what you said last night?” her voice was shaking.
Daniel kept his head down. “I’m sorry.”
“She is my sister. They are family. And we take care of our family. So whatever you need to do to make sure that happens… do it.”
“I will.”
Amy wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to him. Her smooth fingers slid through the spaces of his own, and they held on to each other.
“There’s something I do need to talk to you and Brooke about, though. Together,” Daniel said. “And it has to be today.”
Daniel told Brooke and Amy everything. He spared no detail in his confession. There were times he wanted too, but despite the look on his wife’s face, he kept pushing through.
“I used the excuse that I did it for my family, but I know that doesn’t justify what I did,” Daniel finished.
“And you haven’t heard anything from this Congressman Smith?” Brooke asked.
“No, not since he was locked up,” Daniel answered.
He kept waiting for Amy to say something, but she remained silent. The only thing worse than condemning him was her silence. His gut twisted and turned. His body felt like it would disappear right then and there, and at that moment he wished he could. Finally, Amy got up from the bed and walked over to him. She cupped her hands around his face and kissed him, softly.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.”
“Daniel, do you think you can get in contact with this Smith character again?” Brooke asked.
“I don’t know. We didn’t leave on the best of terms,” Daniel answered.
“Try. He might be our ticket home.”
Smith dropped the pen in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Beth flipped through the next few pages, crossing words out and adding others as she went.
“I think I need a break,” Smith said.
“Okay,” Beth replied, still lost in the work.
“Getting hungry?”
Beth didn’t respond. She kept going through the documents, her pen busy with notations. She was in her own world.
“Beth,” Smith said, a little louder.
“Yeah?”
“Are. You. Hungry?” Smith asked, adding in some dramatic hand movements to act out the definition of his words.
“Dr. Carlson is rubbing off on you,” Beth said.
“And why do you say that?”
“Because you’re starting to annoy me.”
Smith’s phone rang. He paused when he saw the number, but he answered it.
“Hello?” Smith asked.
“Hello,” Daniel answered.
“And to what do I owe this pleasure? Giving me a warning this time before the authorities come to arrest me?”
“David, I’m sor—”
“What do you want, Daniel? If it’s about Jones, I can’t help you with that anymore. You’re too far down the rabbit hole.”
“No, it’s not about Jones. I wanted to see if there was anything I can do. To help.”
Smith covered the phone with his hand and grabbed Beth’s attention. “It’s Daniel,” he said quietly. Beth simply shook her head.
“No, I’m afraid there isn’t, Daniel. But I appreciate the call.”
“Well, then maybe there’s something I can give you.”
“Such as?”
“I recently took a flight to Mexico with Congressman Jones to discuss a cease-fire with the Mexican government. The paperwork has probably already been drawn up, and I would think Jones will use it in the d
ebate against you.”
Smith knew that Jones couldn’t have orchestrated that without the help of the president, and if he was going to the president for help, then he was desperate.
“Was there anyone else with you on the trip?” Smith asked.
“Just security.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“David,” Daniel paused on the other end of the line. Smith knew what he was going through. There was nothing harder than asking for forgiveness after a betrayal of trust.
“It’s fine,” Smith said. “Really. I think we’ve both done enough distasteful deeds for one term. Actually, there is something I could use you for.”
“Of course.”
“I have Dr. Carlson in the process of setting up a new lab. I could use a pair of eyes at the location if you’re interested?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. I hope your passport is still valid.”
Before Daniel could ask any more questions, Smith hung up the phone. Beth had stopped her work and stared at him.
“What?” Smith asked.
“You really think it’s a good idea to involve him again?” Beth countered.
“He’s not going to make the same mistake twice, Beth.”
“You don’t know if he’s still working for Jones.”
“Even if he was, it wouldn’t do any good. Jones doesn’t have any connection or pull with the Canadian government. And the Canadian ambassador isn’t going to forgo the opportunity for a free pass on their water debt.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“Where are we with the meeting with Senator Harris?”
“He hasn’t gotten back in touch with me yet.”
“Keep trying. This isn’t going to work without him.”
11
The police officers from the precinct that had called in Brooke’s car were about as useful as tits on a bull. Terry slammed the door to his van shut, and the vehicle rocked back and forth from his violent entrance. He reached around for his laptop and set it on the dashboard. He lit a cigarette waiting for it to boot up, and when it did, he entered Brooke’s information.
He knew exactly where she was going: her sister’s house in North Carolina. That’s the trajectory she’d been on since she left Dallas, and by now she was already there. He entered her sister’s married name into Google, and Daniel’s name popped up. Terry clicked on the link to his congressional page and scrolled down.