by Nadirah Foxx
“Yeah, but Josh is going to want more than that.”
Honestly, he’d be more appreciative if I just kept the cavalry on speed dial. Get out before the danger started.
Debbie sighed and then said, “Then, we outfit the prototype with a leg holster. You can carry a gun…” When I frowned, she added, “Or, we give you a military grade automatic knife. I know someone who can secure a Pro-Tech TR-3. It’s a tough knife. Just press a button, and the blade opens from the side.”
“Sounds much better. And you’ll have the holster constructed from the metamaterial?”
She nodded. “You do understand that if the police find out—”
“I’ll spend some time in prison.”
Law enforcement wasn’t crazy about citizens taking the law into their own hands. But I wasn’t crazy about the LCPD not doing anything worthwhile to catch the killers.
What no one knew was I’d made my peace with the possibilities the day I buried my family. I had no future without Ryan and RJ. My only concern was putting the bastards who killed my loved ones either behind bars or six feet under. I preferred the latter. That being the case, I had to reconcile my aversion to carrying a gun. After all, the only other weapon that might suffice was a bow and arrow. I was nobody’s comic strip hero.
“You probably should add a holster for a gun too.”
“As long as you’re aware of the possible consequences.” She pushed her glasses up on her nose and turned back to the keyboard.
To make sure we were on the same page, I said, “If I’m caught, you could serve time as my accomplice.”
“Yupper,” Debbie said curtly. She continued typing. After a few minutes, she said, “Here’s the thing. Ryan was my boss and my friend. Your husband was a fucking brilliant man who didn’t deserve to die like that. I’m on board with catching the assholes who killed him and your son.”
Okay. So we were of like minds.
When I didn’t add anything, she continued, “I’ve seen plenty of pictures of the three of you. That man loved you and your child so much. You just don’t know…” Her voice cracked.
Oh, I knew.
Ryan always told me he loved me. My husband only saw the good in me, which I appreciated immensely. Even when I had my issues as a teen, Ryan didn’t give up hope. Only once did he threaten to leave me—the one fight we had when I made the mistake with Adam. It was enough for me to get my shit together.
“He deserves justice,” said Debbie. “So do you. If I can help the three of you find it, I’m willing to put my neck on the line. Besides, Sentinel Security has a kick-ass lawyer on retainer.” She shot me a grin.
It was good to know I had her completely on my side. Question was, how to get Josh’s backing?
Silence filled the tech lab as Debbie shut down the computer. I started to leave, but she touched my wrist.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Kerrie?”
“Yeah,” I said with a little hesitation.
Debbie removed her glasses. “Why didn’t you tell Josh about where you went that summer?”
I was wondering when Debbie would get around to that topic. When I overheard her conversation with Josh, I assumed she’d ask one day.
“Because I didn’t want my friend to think less of me.”
She narrowed her eyes and twisted her lips.
Truth be told, Josh had seen me at my worst—probably too many times. My relationship with Ryan was on-again off-again before our marriage. A lot of our issues happened because I was undergoing some difficult shit in my life.
My Dad and I were super close. His death rocked my world. The one person I thought I could count on, my brother, didn’t even attempt to deal with it. He just left the country.
Needless to say, Mom was so caught up in her own grief that she didn’t see mine. It didn’t help I had to take care of her as well as myself.
During all of it, I shut Ryan out. I didn’t want him to know what I was dealing with. Why? On some level, I thought he’d stick by my side because he pitied me. Hell, I didn’t share much with Josh either back then. Although he was my best friend, I refused to let him help me. Once again, it was the sympathy card. I was a proud teen. Charity equated to weakness in my mind.
At some point, I snapped and became rebellious. To those who knew me I looked like a budding troublemaker. I drank. I smoked. If people would have ignored the act, I would have dyed my hair pitch black to match my mood. But going Goth was a sure-fire way to get school counselors asking questions. Then, they would have dragged my forlorn mother into the office. I wanted her nowhere near the place.
My change was apparent to Ryan and he complained. It didn’t matter that I was willing to put out. A lot. He wanted his old girlfriend back. He wanted the girl who was cool with watching a football game while sharing a bowl of popcorn. Ryan, just like Mom, didn’t know how to be around me.
Finally, an aunt reached out. She knew something was wrong and took me to see a shrink. I spent so much time on his couch I thought I lived in his office.
Did it help?
Maybe. One day I woke up and felt better. To everyone who knew me they thought I was better too.
But I wasn’t.
Talking to a shrink helped me learn to cope. I discovered the right things to say and do to get people off my damn back.
I did a bang-up job of looking like a recovered teen. I graduated from high school and went to college out of state. It was so much easier to hide my issues away from home. As long as I kept up my grades, Mom wasn’t aware of my misery. Hell, Josh didn’t even notice it. He just thought I partied too much.
Thankfully, Debbie didn’t delve into my history. She simply said, “He knows.”
“I know that.”
She quirked an eyebrow and said, “You know, I should probably head upstairs. We still have a business to run.”
True.
She left the lab, and I headed to the bedroom. Seeing Josh lying on the opposite side of the bed made me want to lie down too, so I kicked off my sneakers and slipped beneath the blankets.
“Did you hash everything out with Debbie?” he asked.
Facing him, I said, “How did you know?”
“I know you, Kerrie. You couldn’t sleep because the scenario at the warehouse bugged the hell out of you. Plus, whenever you get an idea in your head…” His voice trailed off.
It was something Ryan and I had in common. Closing my eyes, I rolled onto my back. “I’m trying, Josh. Really, I am.”
“Your idea of trying…” He flipped onto his back, matching my position. “I understand the need for justice. If I were in your shoes, I’d want the same thing.”
“But?”
“But I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
“It won’t. I have you and Debbie to keep me safe.”
“A suit won’t keep you from being shot,” he stated.
For once, I didn’t have an answer.
25
More Questions Than Answers
A few hours later, Josh joined Debbie upstairs and left me alone. I had offered to help with whatever they were doing, but my partners assured me they had it covered. Josh suggested I get some rest.
Yeah, right.
Rest sounded tempting, but I had my own matters to tend to. I had to find out more about the murderers and what was going on at the warehouse.
Tucking my phone into my sports bra, I donned the Triton suit and headed out. It was a crisp fall day without a dark cloud in the sky. Part of me wanted to turn around and hop in my car. Then, I remembered Ryan’s video. He had intentions of using stealth with a vehicle. I’d bring it up with Debbie later.
For a fleeting moment, I thought about dropping by the house and reliving the good times. Sadly, my idyllic home in the suburbs would never have a happy memory again.
Instead of dwelling on the impossible, I walked into the thick of things. As I slipped into the crowd of people, quickly moving to and fro to work, I smiled to myself. No on
e had any idea I was there. Unless I bumped into someone, I could stay on the sidewalk for hours undetected. But I kept moving. If someone did stumble into me, it could be problematic. The last thing I wanted was anyone gossiping about the unseen obstacle in the path.
My biggest issue was traveling from the business district. It was only a ten-minute drive to the warehouse district, but on foot it would take me over an hour. So I did what anybody lacking transportation would do. I hopped a bus.
Utilizing public transit was always a difficult endeavor. People jostled and argued. It took a great deal of fortitude to mix with so many individuals in a cramped space. My discomfort increased three-fold being invisible. It wasn’t as if I could strip down and ride naked. I also couldn’t warn anyone when they were about to sit on me.
“Mommy, there’s something in that seat,” whined a little girl trying to climb on top of me.
Her mother scowled. The woman wasn’t happy she had to stand. “Nonsense. Sit down!”
The girl attempted it again and made a face. Before she could complain and alert her mother, I eased out of the seat and stood next to the woman. With every stop the vehicle made, I lurched forward and struggled to stay upright. When the bus stopped in front of the Liberty City Daily Tribune, I was overjoyed. It was close enough for me to walk the rest of the way.
“Ow!”
“Get off of me!”
“What the fuck?”
I stifled a laugh as I pushed my way off the vehicle along with a few disgruntled individuals. If I ran, it might take me another ten minutes or so to reach the warehouse district.
As my feet kissed the ground, I thought about the men who killed my family and the people wanting the suit. Was there a connection?
Debbie mentioned corporations and criminals both wanting the tech. If I had to bet, I’d place money on the latter group. Someone with nefarious intentions just made more sense. The prototype would help them accomplish their heinous crimes. A reality which saddened me. It meant my husband wasn’t some random victim. He was a target, and RJ got caught between the crosshairs.
What if the person in charge also ran his or her own company? What did that say about the men and women in our illustrious business community?
By the time I reached the edge of the warehouse district, I still hadn’t come up with any satisfying answers. Maybe there weren’t any. In a perfect world, heads of industry would be honest men and women who only had humanitarian objectives. Sadly, I didn’t live in a flawless society. Impeccable people didn’t run the government either. There were just as many odious characters in charge of the nation’s cities and states. I was pretty certain the same types led the country.
As I walked through the streets, I realized my first problem. How would I determine which building the crooks were using? Peeking around open doors, I saw the same things in each and every structure—lots of space with employees working in grimy surroundings. Some of the spaces were just storage spots for boxes and equipment while others were empty waiting for occupants.
I started to think my coming to the district was a waste of time. What more could I possibly learn? Just when I was about to give up and head back to the office, I heard a familiar voice. Looking around the corner, I saw Walter—my mother’s friend. What was he doing there?
“How did last night’s job go?” asked Walter.
“Good. Shit got messy in the end.” It was Mr. Average.
“Did you get what was needed?”
“I did. Any idea when we’ll wrap things up?”
“No idea. It’s not up to me. Just continue with the plan. I’ll let you know when it changes.”
It seemed Walter was involved, but how deep?
I needed to find out as much as I could about the man spending time with Mom.
◆◆◆
I’d just slipped into a pair of sweats when someone knocked on my bedroom door. Whirling around, I saw Josh.
His lips curled up into a smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Where have you been?”
“Looking into some things,” I said as I walked toward the tech lab. Over my shoulder, I asked, “Do you know anyone who can run a background check for me?”
“Who are you hiring?”
“I’m not.” I sat in front of a monitor and logged into the system.
“Kerrie.”
“Don’t.” Not facing him, I said, “I need to find out everything possible about Walter.”
Josh sat beside me. “Why?”
“I think he’s somehow involved in the rash of crimes. Maybe even Ryan’s and RJ’s murders too.”
When I glanced over at my best friend, he was rubbing his brow. “Kerrie, he’s a nice old man—”
“Who was in the warehouse district this afternoon.” I lifted my palm. “And, don’t you dare say he might work in the area. He was talking to the guy from the security footage.”
Josh’s head jerked back. “You’re serious?”
“Yes. Did you come up with a list of names?”
“Debbie’s working on it as we speak.” Josh paused for a moment or two as if he was considering his words. “Did you happen to notice anything when you entered the garage?”
I shook my head. Honestly, my mind was preoccupied.
“Come on. You have to see this.”
The computerized alert system sounded. “You have a visitor in the parking garage.”
Josh pushed to his feet. “Perfect timing.”
I followed him down the hall leading to the garage. He pushed open the double-glass doors, and I was shocked to see two people—a man and a woman. The man was tall and slim with light-brown skin. The woman was a Latina of average height.
“Who are they, Josh?”
The man inched forward with his hand extended. “Name’s Darius Park. I was told you already have a background in martial arts.”
“Yeah,” I said tentatively. Glancing at the girl, I asked, “And you are?”
“Lidia Da Silva,” she said in an accented voice. “You might remember me from the LCPD.”
When I didn’t offer any acknowledgment, Josh said, “Detective Da Silva trains recruits. She’s was in the military—Air Force, I think—and a weapons specialist.”
Lidia smiled. “Actually, it was the Army. I was a sergeant, special forces.”
Well, damn.
I turned to speak to Josh, but he was no longer beside me. When I looked across the garage, that’s when I saw what he had done. How did he manage to install all of the equipment?
My mouth hung open as I gawked at everything. The floor was covered in a thick red mat with a black border. Along two walls were thick light-gray pads. There was a single heavy bag hanging in front of the pads. One side of the space had strangely shaped cushioned objects. It took me a minute to realize they were for an obstacle course. At a distance, an area was set up with a red-and-white target.
“Josh, I agreed to train, but what is all of this?”
Lidia stopped beside me. “Darius and I needed these things to properly educate you.”
Darius continued, “You wanted to learn without coming to the Academy. This is where we do it.”
My best friend stood to the side, arms folded, with a smug expression. “That’s not all.”
“What else?”
He pointed to what appeared to be a locker in a far corner. I went over and opened it. Inside was what looked like a complicated holster. Once again, it was Lidia who approached.
“That is a Level 2 Tactical Holster. I had to smuggle it out for you.” She looked at me and said, “You’re welcome.”
Was I supposed to thank her?
When I didn’t, Lidia said, “We’ll train with that one. Debbie is having another one custom made for you.”
“Why this one?”
“It fits securely. Plus, it will conform to the size of your leg and won’t slide. Once it’s loaded, you’ll notice how the weight will evenly distribute. Important if you need to get away quickly.” I n
oticed she had a similar type wrapped around her leg. She removed a knife from it. “We’ll train with this weapon along with your pistol.”
I opened my mouth.
“I know your reluctance to use a firearm, but it’s better to be prepared and not need it.”
True. Still… I thought I could just carry the damn thing. Maybe scare someone if needed.
Darius chimed in, “You learned Krav Maga in the few classes you had at the Academy, right?”
“Just enough to protect myself if needed. I wasn’t in the officer training program.”
He nodded. “We’ll continue training in it since it’s familiar to you. Eventually, I’ll train you in Jeet Kune Do as well.”
“Okay. When do we start?”
Darius and Lidia exchanged a glance. Then, she said, “Now is good for me.”
She wouldn’t get a complaint from me. I was dressed to workout.
Josh kissed my cheek. “Have fun. I have things to do.”
As soon as he left, Darius had me warm up with a jump rope. After a few minutes of stretching, I was good to go. The man put me through my paces, lots of kicking and punching on the heavy bag.
“Not bad,” he said, walking around me. “Your form could use some improvement. Let’s see how you move against someone. Just a little boxing to start with.” He looked at Lidia. “Do you mind?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She hit her gloves together.
When did she glove up?
“Nice and easy, ladies. We’re not trying to hurt each other,” Darius warned.
We did just that. At first.
Back and forth we executed a basic jab cross series.
1-2, 1-2.
Bu-bap, bu-bap.
I was feeling cocky. I danced around on the balls of my feet like I was priming for an MMA battle. If Lidia was the best Josh could get me—
Then she decided to get cute on my ass.
Bu-bap, bap, bap!
Ow! I didn’t anticipate the hook.
Stars floated across my vision. I shook it off.
1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3.
“You’re being soft,” Darius shouted.
When I looked in his direction, I instantly regretted the gesture.