Jobe: Alvarez Security Series

by Maryann Jordan

  “Bro,” Vinny said gently. “You don’t have to do this. Or at least not now. Give yourself some time. Maybe you’ll feel differently.”

  Jobe’s hand continued to shred the letters one by one. The handwritten missives she had carefully written claiming they were so much more personal than emails. Looking back up at the twins’ hard faces, he said, “I’ve got my job to do. My squad to protect. My family to deal with, even from a distance. That’s all, guys. That’s all I can handle.”

  With the last letter shredded, he stood, tossing the remnants into the trash can. Just then Jack Bryant came around the corner. “Tony’s calling a tactical meeting. Looks like a new mission, boys.”

  The three men followed him into the briefing room. Tony glanced at the twins entering first and then his eyes found Jobe’s. Clear. Steady. Calm. Hard. The three nodded at him and he began the meeting.

  Chapter 2

  Five Years Later

  The pounding of his feet on the path beat a steady rhythm as Jobe listened to his Ipod for his early morning run. The late spring was giving over to summer and it felt like a hot one again. It was only five a.m., but the air was humid with the promise of an afternoon thunderstorm. Sweat soaked his t-shirt and he whipped it over his head while not breaking stride, nor tangling the wire to his earpiece.

  Early morning runs were productive for him, starting the day with a chance to exercise his body and exorcise the demons from his mind. Years earlier, after trying unsuccessfully to deal with some of the stress of the war himself, he finally sought counseling.

  Understanding how the loss of control could affect someone like him, who believed in the ultimate power of control, was a difficult and long journey. He worked to fill his time with good friends and family, and his thoughts with the positive of what they were doing.

  Rounding the corner from the park, he jogged into his apartment building, nodding to the concierge as he headed toward the elevator. Instead of going up to his place, he went down a floor to the gym and pool area. After a quick shower to wash off the sweat, he dove into the pool, swimming a few laps. He loved the feel of the water after a run.

  With an easy heave upward, he pulled his body out of the pool and took the back elevator up to his apartment.

  Walking into work, Jobe arrived early, as was his habit, and moved through the halls of Alvarez Security. His former Captain, Tony Alvarez, began his company when he left the Special Forces and had filled it with some of his former squad members. The twins, Gabe and Vinny, worked there and the four of them made the core group.

  Lily Dixon, one of their computer experts and married to their friend, Detective Matt Dixon, was on maternity leave for several more weeks. BJ, another computer expert, was pulling double duty trying to take care of the software needs while Lily was out. As he walked into the command center of the business, he saw that BJ was already there.

  “What the hell are you doing here so early?” he asked, noting BJ’s tired expression.

  “My twins were up so I took care of them and got them back to sleep so Suzy could stay in bed a little longer. Then she got up, but I couldn’t go back to sleep so I just came in.”

  Jobe shook his head in wonder at how his friend handled having twins. But then life was definitely changing around Alvarez Security. Tony had lost his wife and baby girl in an accident while they were still overseas and now had met Sherrie whom he had just married. Vinny and Gabe, the quintessential hound dogs, had also settled down. They had gone from leaving bar nights with at least one woman on their arms to now being in committed relationships as well. Gabe married Jennifer, a beautiful social worker who had guardianship of her young brother, and he had taken on the role of surrogate father as well as a husband. And Vinny? Hell, Vinny could close down the rowdiest bar with the best of them, but now spent his evenings with his beautiful fiancé, Annalissa, a concert harpist who played for the local symphony.

  Yeah, things are certainly different around here. Pushing the morose thoughts out of his mind, he chastised himself. Those thoughts aren’t morose. They’re good changes. Good for my friends. As he walked toward Tony’s office, knowing that his boss was probably at work by now, he pushed back the reflections of how life could have been different.

  Rounding the corner, he saw Tony just walking into his office. Jobe could not help but grin—there was a time when Tony would beat them all in. But now? With a pregnant Sherrie at home, he noticed his boss was a bit later getting to work.

  “Captain,” he greeted, sometimes referring back to Tony’s military title.

  Tony chuckled, knowing that of all of them, Jobe had the hardest time breaking the habit. “Morning,” he replied, noting the time on the clock. “You don’t think for one day you could sleep in?”

  Jobe laughed and said, “Old habits, sir. I just rise early, work out and then head on in.”

  Tony eyed him carefully, seeing the straightforward, clear-eyed expression that he wanted to see. All of his squad had experienced the horrors of war, himself included. And each of them reacted differently. Some, like Vinny and Gabe, turned their anger outward, drinking and fucking their way through bars and women for several years. Jobe turned it inward, refusing to think that he could have what he wanted and be a good soldier at the same time. And nothing any of them said made a difference. It simply took time and some good counseling before they could finally see glimpses of the laid-back Jobe again. But by then, the girl he had loved was gone.

  The hall began to hum, the two men able to hear others coming in. Doug, who had manned the security cameras overnight, was leaving as Terrance came to relieve him. Other employees came in, checked the orders board and then headed out, usually to install or check the high-end security systems that had been placed in many of the city’s richest neighborhoods.

  It was apparent when Gabe and Vinny made their way in as the noise in the main room became louder with the twins’ banter. Tony saw the grin on Jobe’s face and clapped him on the back as they followed the noise to the main conference area.

  Tony stood at the head of the table and said, “Shane and Matt will be here in about fifteen minutes. They said the Police Chief wanted to offer us a contract for some cameras and installations. Don’t know anything other than that, so we can just start our agenda until they get here.”

  The men around the table talked until the receptionist ushered Detectives Shane Douglass and Matt Dixon into the room. Old friends, they greeted each other enthusiastically and Matt began showing pictures of Lily and their new baby. He glanced over at BJ and said, “Hell, you don’t look much better than I do.”

  “Yeah, well take your one baby and multiply it by two and that’s what I’ve got,” he yawned. “Don’t mind saying that I’ll be glad when Lily gets back but I sure as hell don’t resent her taking all the time she needs.”

  Jobe sat listening to his friends discuss wives, babies, toddlers, sleepless nights and dirty diapers. It did not escape his notice that he could have had that. And threw it all away. That was the one thing that no matter how many times he talked to his counselor or pounded out the frustration in a long, hard run he could not reconcile—he could not turn back the clock.

  Pleasantries aside, Tony asked Shane to start their part of the meeting.

  “Ya’ll know I spent a couple of years undercover in a drug gang, so the Chief has put us on a gang task force along with our vice duties. The gang activity is on the rise in Richland,” he paused, then continued. “Hell, it’s on the rise everywhere. Especially among teens, and that’s where the Chief is asking for some help.”

  Matt took over explaining, “There are some places that we know are hangouts and no matter how diligent the street cops are, they just can’t be everywhere. The city would like to partner with you to provide installed security cameras in a few areas that would help the police monitor the worst of the activity.”

  The group discussed the number of cameras and locations, then the details about monitoring the cameras. Shane assured
them that no one needed to watch the live feeds; the Chief would just use them to help in investigations as they discovered more about the gangs in the area.

  Tony nodded toward Jobe and said, “You know he’s my best security technician, so you tell him what you need and it’ll be done.”

  The group continued their discussion for the next hour, agreeing on what would be the proper equipment for the project.

  *

  After work Jobe drove around to the quaint neighborhood filled with old, but neat, homes. He parked on the street and sat for a moment looking around. Kids still ran in the streets playing ball, bicycles tossed in yards as they roamed between friends’ homes. Moms were yelling out of the front doors, telling the kids to go wash up for dinner. Dads were pulling into driveways in their trucks or company vans. Most of the families in the neighborhood were still laborers or worked for hourly wages. Hard-working families that took pride in their homes and made sure the old neighborhood was still a good place to raise kids.

  Thinking back to the conversation at work with Shane and Matt, he looked around and did not see any signs of gang graffiti in the area. Letting out a sigh of relief, he jumped as a voice called out to him.

  “Son, you gonna sit there in that truck all night or come in and have some supper?”

  Chuckling, he jogged through the front gate, along the neat walk with spring flowers on either side and up to the front porch.

  “Place looks good, pop,” he commented.

  Joseph Delaro stood with his son and gazed over the small yard with pride. “Your mother’s got her flowers in and I saw her out here yesterday telling the boys across the street to be careful when they play ball.”

  “Some things don’t change, do they?”

  Clapping his hand on his son’s shoulder, he said, “Never liked too much change, son. Least not with the good stuff. Let’s go find your mother before she comes out here after both of us.”

  Jobe followed his father into the home he grew up in and realized that little had changed over the years. The furniture had been updated over time. A new flatscreen TV mounted on the wall replaced the old one they had when he was a child. As he walked down the hall, he saw many of the same pictures in frames hanging on the wall, but more had been added. His sister, Hannah and Daniel, her husband and two children’s photos graced the space now. His other two sisters, Miriam and Rebecca’s college graduation pictures were also there.

  He headed into the kitchen and looked around at the large space. That was one thing his mom had insisted on changing. She hated having a tiny kitchen and separate dining room. So she convinced Joseph to knock down the wall and open the space giving the family a comfortable, eat-in kitchen where she could cook and keep up with all the kids doing their homework at the same time.

  He walked in and eyed his mom standing at the stove. He had seen her there so many times over the years he wondered how she had not worn a hole in the floor. Her graying hair was neatly trimmed and she wore a familiar apron over her clothes. Rebecca was setting the table when she saw him first. Greeting him enthusiastically, she walked over to give him a hug. She was now a teacher and shared an apartment with Miriam and another girl. He knew his mom would have preferred the girls to live at home, but was slowly accepting the fact that all of her children were grown.

  Rachel Delaro turned from stirring the pot on the stove and grinned. “Well, it’s about time my son comes home to have a meal. You haven’t been here for almost two weeks. Not that I’m counting, of course.”

  He crossed the space and hugged his mom, kissing the top of her head. Soon they sat down to dinner once Miriam got in from work. She was a nurse at one of the city’s hospitals and had day shifts this week. Hannah’s family would come over for Sunday lunch, but for now the rest of them enjoyed the meal.

  The conversation always flowed with his family, the only silences occurring when everyone was diving into the food at the same time. Rachel watched her son carefully—an old habit she acquired when he came home from his last tour. For all outward appearances, her son seemed calm and at ease as he and his father discussed Jobe’s job. But she was a mother…and knew that appearances could be deceiving.

  Miriam and Rebecca left after dinner. Joseph headed into the living room, settling into his recliner and turning on the TV. Jobe hung back in the kitchen helping his mom wash the dishes. She had never owned a dishwasher, claiming that she did not want a machine to take away the time she spent at the end of a day pondering and praying over her family.

  “You still determined to wash each dish?” Jobe asked.

  His mother smiled, saying, “You know the answer to that. For every plate I wash, I spend a moment in prayer for the family member or friend that ate off of it. My mama used to do that and it’s just a part of who I am.”

  He smiled in return, taking the dishes from her hand and drying them before stacking them on the counter.

  “I prayed a lot for you Jobe, when you were gone. I knew when things weren’t right and it tore my heart out not knowing how to help you.”

  He shook his head slowly, “It helped, Ma. Even when I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, it helped.” He caught her sharp look and immediately corrected, “I mean, what the heck I was doing.”

  She chuckled and said, “You’re a good boy, Jobe. Always was. Still are. And if you have to say ‘hell’ once in a while, I won’t fuss.”

  They grew quiet again as the dishes were put away. Pouring a cup of coffee, she nodded toward the table and the two sat back down. The comfortable silence settled around them, each lost in their own thoughts for a few moments.

  Rachel sipped her coffee and peered over at her handsome son. He could feel her eyes on him and finally laughed as he looked up. “Okay, Ma. What is it you want to ask?”

  “Hmmph,” she said, setting her cup down. She fiddled with the handle for a few minutes before looking back up. “I know that Gabe and Vinny are now settled down and Tony’s got that sweet wife of his pregnant.” The unasked question hung in the air for a moment. “I was just wondering if…well if there was…you know…anyone you were interested in.”

  She saw the flash go through his eyes before being replaced with the calm again, and she winced knowing she had caused that second of pain. “You don’t have to answer,” she quickly stated.

  He reached across the table and rested his hand on hers. “It’s okay, Ma. You’re right, all my friends are settling down and I know you’re chomping at the bit for more grandchildren.”

  She shook her head as she squeezed his hand. “Oh no, son. That’s not it. I mean of course I’d love more grandchildren, but Jobe, honey, I just want to see you happy…like before.”

  Silence once again settled as they sipped their coffee. “Can I ask if you ever tried to find her—”

  “No,” he bit out sharply, then immediately softened his voice. “Sorry, Ma. No, I didn’t. After what I did to her…well, she did often write, begging me to not walk away from what we had. But I never wrote back. Then finally I got one last letter that said that she was giving me what I wanted and that was her out of my life.”

  She watched her son relate his story, seeing the searing pain in his eyes. “You don’t have to talk about it, Jobe. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  He inhaled deeply before slowly letting it out, then continued, “By the time I was getting out of the service and into counseling, I realized I had thrown away the best part of me. Not only thrown it away, but shredded it, stomped on it, and then threw it away.”

  “I used to love it when you would bring her over for Sunday dinner. Her parents were so sweet too,” Rachel reminisced. “I never told you this, but I tried to reach out to them, but they had moved when she graduated and I never knew where they went.”

  “I thought about trying to find her,” he admitted. “Not to contact her, but just to see. With the resources Tony has it would be easy.”

  Cocking her head as she gazed at him, she asked, “So what’s stopping yo
u?”

  He ruefully looked directly into her eyes and replied, “I want her to be happy. You know? Met some great guy, fell in love and be living her dreams now in a nice house with a white picket fence. And maybe had a baby or two.” He sighed again before continuing, “But since it can’t be with me, then I honestly don’t know if I can handle seeing pictures of her living the dream with someone else.”

  She nodded, not saying anything. After a few minutes, Joseph called from the living room asking if anyone was going to watch the game with him. Rachel shook her head in exasperation as she rose from the chair, taking their empty cups to the sink. Looking over her shoulder, she said, “You go on in and sit with your father, Jobe. Me and God have some more dishes to take care of.”

  *

  That night, lying in bed, sleep was not coming to Jobe. He climbed out of the bed and softly padded over to his closet. Kneeling in the corner where he kept his Army footlocker, he opened it. Among some of his memorabilia, he pulled out a small packet of letters. The letters that she had sent after he broke off their relationship. After he had destroyed the others. He knew them by heart. The first ones, full of begging promises and tearful pleadings from someone with a broken heart. He shifted them around in his hands until his fingers moved to the one in the back. The last one. The one where her anger had finally won the day and she poured it out on him. Deservedly so.

  Replacing the letters back in the chest, he closed it methodically. Crawling back into bed he lay there until the morning light peeked through the blinds.

  Chapter 3

  Mackenna Dunn expertly parallel parked her little car in front of the brick building, set back from the road. She glanced to the seat beside her and saw the curious, but nervous face of her passenger.