The Price of Secrets

by Terry Poole

  Maria had several sheets of paper and pencils in front of her and was busily drawing. She wore a rather large shirt with the sleeves torn off and a cord was tied around her small waist to keep the shirt in place. It must have been G’s because of the size but it still swallowed Maria’s small body managing to drop past her knees. G was braiding Maria’s damp hair while she drew.

  Obviously, they hadn’t found anything to fit Jesus. Kelly snorted and tried to hold in the laughter as he stared at the little boy. They had ended up wrapping Jesus in a towel, tying it around him and over one shoulder like a toga. It was very cute.

  Jesus also had food smeared across his face and Frodo was vainly trying to feed and keep the giggling, squirming child from getting too messy. Not only was Jesus immensely enjoying their game, apparently so was Frodo who was grinning from ear-to-ear. He was also losing the battle to get the food actually into Jesus’s mouth.

  “Hey, Kelly,” Brendan called to him when he spotted him and shifted over on the bench seat to make room. “How are Nathan, Luis, and Cookie doing?”

  “Good. Better than I expected actually. As soon as the base doc clears them for travel, we are heading out. The plane is ready and on stand-by.”

  “And you?” Brendan asked, pointing to the ice pack resting on Kelly’s shoulder.

  “I’m fine.”

  Kelly leaned over and picked up one of Maria’s pictures. “Wow. This is really good kiddo.” Maria shone under his praise and he made a mental note to do it often.

  “Yeah, it seems that when she found out her daddy liked to draw, she wanted to show him what she could do,” Frodo answered from across the table. “She’s going to be a chip off the old blockhead.”

  “Thanks, Frodo. Love you too.” Kelly blew him a kiss, waggling his fingers at him.

  “Anyhoo. Moving right along.” Brendan leaned closer to him. “I’ve already arranged for the adoption papers to be at the hangar ready for you and Nathan to sign them. The two of you will have to decide on the kids last names. Luis is too old to be legally adopted but if he chooses to change his name, well, that’s his choice. Regardless, he is still being adopted into the Kirkfield-MacNiel clan. We also learned a few very interesting things over the last couple of hours thanks to a certain surprisingly talented hacker.”

  “Hello.” Moose absently waved from across the table, his eyes glued to an open laptop in front of him. He played the muscle-bound dummy to perfection. No one realized just how brilliant the man really was.

  Brendan smiled, obviously having come to that same conclusion before continuing. “Anyway, it seems that the actual mother of Maria and Jesus was not Columbian after all. She was there on holiday, met Varga, fell in love and stayed. She had no other family which is why no one ever came looking for her or the kids. This means the kids have dual citizenship. It was very easy to get their papers sorted out so that immigration wouldn’t be an issue. Luis already had everything in order; his returning with us is simple.”

  “Wow. I’m impressed.”

  “I called home to let Mom and Dad know we were okay but they want to talk to Nathan, hear his voice. He’s also going to have to tell them about their new grandkids.”

  “Shit. I’ll have to call my folks too.”

  Brendan picked up his satellite phone from the table and handed it to Kelly. “Knock yourself out.”

  “Thanks.” Kelly rose and stepped away from the table, needing some privacy for this call. Although he had no doubt that his parents would accept Maria and Jesus unconditionally, it would still be a bit of a surprise.

  Hi Mum, Da. We’re both fine and bringing home your newest grandkids.

  Yup, gonna be a fun call.

  After a surprisingly easy conversation with lots of excited yelling, Kelly held out the phone to return it to Brendan. Brendan made a show of looking Kelly up and down.

  “Well, I don’t see blood so everything must have gone fine. Hang onto the phone. Nathan’s next.”

  “Of course, everything went fine. My folks are eager as hell, I mean heck, to meet the kids.”

  “Better get used to that, mon amie. No more swearing for you.”

  Maria twisted in G’s lap. “What does that mean?”

  “What? Mon amie?”

  “Yes.” Maria nodded.

  “It is French for my friend.”

  “What is French?”

  “Oh, ma petite, my little one. I am French-Canadian from the country Canada. We speak both English and French there. Moi? I speak mainly French.”

  “Oh.” Maria frowned. “But I thought you spoke English.”

  “I speak many languages, little dove,” G answered her in Spanish.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “Can I learn French too?”

  “Yes, you can. You can learn as many languages as you want.”

  “Good.” She gave a satisfied nod and returned to her drawing.

  All the men had soft smiles on their faces as they looked at Maria. G turned to Kelly. “This little dove is absolutely precious. She will have many hearts.”

  Kelly leaned over and dropped a kiss onto Maria’s forehead. “She already has my heart.” Maria grinned happily up at him.

  They all raised their heads as Kelly’s name was called over the loudspeaker. He was requested to return to the med-bay.

  “That sounds like it’s time to get ready to leave. Head to the plane, guys. We should be there shortly.”

  Manny and Frodo exchanged glances before rising to their feet. “Brendan, you’d better take this little monster. Kelly may need help with Nathan, Luis, and Cookie.”

  “Hey, messy munchkin,” Brendan said, taking Jesus from Frodo. “Let’s see about getting some of that food into your mouth instead of all over your face.”

  “Hey,” Frodo said affronted. “I tried.”

  “Yup, you sure did. I think you succeeded too. I don’t think it’s possible to get any more food on him instead of in him. There isn’t a square piece of skin that doesn’t have food on it. We could just hang him from the menu board and the people could point and say ‘I’ll have a chin with a side of left nostril’.”

  “My man!” Moose raised his hand and Brendan slapped his palm. Moose then wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. “They grow up so quickly.”

  Manny leaned into Kelly. “Run.”

  “On it.”

  The two of them hustled out of the canteen just as they heard Frodo’s loud reply.

  Manny bumped his shoulder into Kelly’s as they walked down the hallway. “You’re lighter, not angry and ready to take on the world. Man, it’s good to see you back to normal.”

  Kelly bumped back. “I know. I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick. I…didn’t feel whole. Now, I’m complete again and not an empty shell.”

  “I see the way Nathan looks at you and I can tell he feels the same way. I hope…I hope I find what you have one day.” Sadness and longing tinged Manny’s voice.

  “You will. I have no doubts whatsoever. You are simply too awesome not to.”

  “Ass.”

  “Yup. Love you too, buddy.”

  “Ugh, mushy stuff.” They entered the med-bay and got their first glimpse of Nathan. “Holy shit!” Manny exclaimed. “What the hell did they do to you, Doc? You look like you’ve got cotton swabs for legs.”

  And he did. His pants were cut off at the knees and his feet were wrapped up in so much gauze that Nathan looked like he had gauze balloons at the end of his legs instead of feet.

  §§§§

  Fuming, Nathan scowled at the two men and crossed his arms across his chest. “Someone,” he growled, throwing a glare at the doctor’s back, “got a little over excited when he found out who I was.”

  And wasn’t that the understatement of the century. The base doctor and his staff had gone completely overboard in their efforts to impress Nathan.

  “I’m sorry, Nathan. I just didn’t like how he was treating you. You deserved better.”
>
  “It’s okay, Luis, it’s not you that I blame.”

  “Can’t blame the base doc either ya know? It’s not every day they have a medical celebrity in their midst.” Manny laughed. “Doc, you’re a surgical rock star!”

  “Shut up. It’s not funny.”

  “Yes, it is. Aww, look at that pout,” Manny cooed at Nathan.

  “I’m not pouting.” Nathan sulked, sticking his bottom lip out even further.

  Kelly’s gaze bored into him as he strode over to Nathan’s bed. Clasping Nathan’s head between his hands, Kelly ran the pad of his thumb over Nathan’s protruding bottom lip.

  “I love that pout.” The look in Kelly’s emerald eyes was molten and Nathan felt an answering heat run through his veins igniting his body.

  It wasn’t the time or place for them to lay claim to each other again and Nathan knew it. So did Kelly. He simply gathered Nathan to him, chest pressed to chest and cheek to cheek. Nathan relished the feel of Kelly against him and leaned into him, his arms reaching around Kelly’s waist to hold him tight. Kelly gave a heartfelt sigh filled with such contentment that Nathan could only squeeze him tighter as he sucked in a ragged breath and released his own sigh of happiness. It felt beyond good to know he was really safe, and to have Kelly with him. The world around them faded away and all he knew, all he cared about, was right there in his arms.

  “I’m never going to let you out of my sight again,” Kelly murmured into Nathan’s ear and an involuntary shiver ran up Nathan’s spine.

  “Okay,” Nathan breathed against Kelly’s neck.

  Manny chose that moment to clear his voice behind them, an unfortunate but clear reminder of where they were. Kelly reluctantly straightened, grasped Nathan’s hand and held it tight, Nathan’s fingers curled around his.

  “It’s time to go home,” Manny said as he rolled a wheelchair up to them. “While you two were having a moment, I checked with the base doctor and he’s already cleared them all for travel. These wheels are for you, Doc.”

  Manny turned to Luis. “How about you, kid? Need wheels too?”

  “I am not a kid,” Luis snapped angrily at Manny, partially rising from his chair. “I…”

  Cookie dropped his hand onto Luis’s arm and gave it a squeeze effectively stopping Luis from saying anything further. The two of them had been almost inseparable since they had met.

  “I don’t think he meant anything by it Luis,” Cookie said to him, stroking his arm.

  Biting his bottom lip, Luis nodded. “My apologies.”

  There was a story there, an unpleasant one and Nathan knew Kelly saw that, his brows drawn into a frown as he carefully observed Luis. Nathan had his own suspicions of Luis’s history, stemming from what little Luis had revealed to him while he was held captive in the cell. When Luis was ready, he would share but thankfully Kelly knew better than to push the matter.

  “Can you put any weight on your feet?” Manny, bless him, acted like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

  “Yes, thank you, I can walk fine. The soles of my ruined trainers were good enough to protect the bottoms of my feet, only the tops were damaged. The medics were kind enough to provide me with these slippers to wear.” He lifted his leg and wiggled the brown slipper on his foot.

  “And lovely they are too.” Manny grinned and Luis’s lips twitched as he tried not to smile back. They really were quite ugly.

  “Maybe if you squint,” said Luis.

  “And tilt your head a bit?” Kelly added, cocking his head to the right.

  They all exchanged glances. “Naw,” the three of them drawled in unison before the entire room burst out in gales of laughter.

  Once Nathan could stop giggling, and he was able to gather enough breath to speak, he held out his hand to get their attention. “Cookie will have to stay on a stretcher for the plane ride. He’s doing well but a belly shot, no matter how lucky he was that nothing vital was hit, is still a bad wound. He has to stay on his IV for a little longer.”

  “All righty then, let’s load up.”

  Kelly helped Nathan from the bed and into the wheelchair while Manny steadied it and Nathan gave him a grateful smile. Cookie was transferred to a stretcher and wheeled out to the plane with Kelly pushing Nathan in his wheelchair right behind him. Luis limped along beside them. Nathan realized that Luis gaze remained fixed on Cookie, watching him like a hawk.

  It didn’t take long for them to settle inside the plane. Kelly helped him once more, transferring him to a seat in the plane. Cookie’s stretcher was laid upon a makeshift pallet on the floor, his IV suspended above him.

  Nathan called his parents and spoke to them for several minutes about the children. Just as Brendan had told him, they were ecstatic at the prospect of becoming grandparents. Next, he had to call Kelly’s parents even though Kelly had already spoken to them.

  Maria and Jesus took turns speaking to them and both sets of new grandparents could hardly wait to meet the children. The calls took a weight off Nathan’s shoulders that he wasn’t even aware was there until it was gone. He wouldn’t admit it but he had been concerned how their parents were going to take the news that Kelly and he were now parents too.

  Brendan spent most of the flight back texting and making phone calls. G sat beside him with a proprietary hand upon his thigh. The children sat on Nathan’s and Kelly’s laps snoozing while the two of them held hands.

  Nathan noted with interest that Luis sat beside Cookie unwilling to leave the man’s side. When they weren’t talking, Luis was quick to fetch anything Cookie needed, acting very much like an overeager puppy wanting to please.

  “Done.” Brendan dropped back against the seat restraint and shoved his phone into his pocket.

  “Well done, cher.”

  G angled forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Brendan gazed at her with a soft look on his face. Yep, those two were definitely smitten with each other. Unfortunately, Brendan would have his hands full. Kelly had already told Nathan that the Canadian government would not willingly let her go without a fight. Ah well, Brendan would do what he needed to and Kelly would help. She wasn’t the only one who worked extensively with the Canadian government.

  Nathan lifted his head. “What’s done, Brendan?”

  “Everything.” He sighed. “All the vital paperwork will be waiting at the hangar and everything else will be in my office for the two of you to sign and make it all official.”

  “Thanks, Brendan,” Nathan and Kelly said together before gazing at each other and smiling. G firmly gripped Brendan’s shirt and brought their lips together.

  “Awe, geez. All this sweetness is rotting my teeth,” Moose complained.

  “Wait,” Kelly warned him. He leaned closer to Nathan, and taking the hint, Nathan also moved closer. Kelly held his chin and kissed him good and hard, pulling a wanton moan from him.

  “Ack! Gag me!” Moose rose with a disgusted expression. “I’m going forward where I won’t lose my lunch.”

  “Jealous?” G called after his retreating back.

  “You wish, toots.”

  “I will kill him. I will kill him and leave his carcass for the polar bears.” G promised before she took Brendan’s grinning mouth in a searing kiss.

  Cookie cleared his throat. “Kelly, I need to talk to you for a minute. Before we land.”

  That sounded altogether too ominous for Nathan’s comfort and he flashed Kelly a concerned look.

  Kelly tried to give him a confident smile to ease Nathan’s fears but it fell flat doing and did nothing to soothe him. Nathan had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what Cookie wanted to speak to Kelly about. Rising, Kelly gently placed Maria down on his seat and arranged her sleeping form against Nathan’s side. Nathan enclosed her in his arms and nodded at Kelly, his gaze following Kelly’s progress down the plane. Luis shifted into the next seat over to make room for Kelly to sit beside Cookie.

  “What’s up, Cookie?” Kelly asked him with deceptive calm. Nathan cou
ld see the tension in his shoulders.

  “First off, that ends now.”

  “Yes, sir, Special Agent Steven Bakerson, sir.”

  Steven nudged Kelly’s side with his elbow. “Ass.”

  “Yes, sir.” Kelly mock saluted. “I definitely own that.”

  Steven exhaled a huge lungful of air which Nathan could tell immediately put Kelly on the defensive. Nathan’s stomach clenched. Whatever Steven was about to say to Kelly wasn’t going to be good.

  “The ballistics report was removed from the case file. Your SSA on the case either didn’t see it, or thought you knew the results. Then again, since Jerry was the agent in charge of the op, the SSA might have simply trusted Jerry’s account. I was only able to find it because it takes forever for the lab techs in forensics to actually file hard copies. Whoever wanted it gone thought they had the complete report.”

  Kelly eyed Steven, his face impassive. “Uh-huh,” he said noncommittally.

  “I wasn’t lying. Your weapon hadn’t been discharged. You never killed Samuel Varga.”

  §§§§

  “Son of a bitch,” Kelly cursed quietly as he fought the urge to twist his body and pound his fist into the hull of the plane. “Jerry told me in the hospital that the ballistics report said I killed the kid. I never thought to question him and there was no way I could bring myself to actually look at the report.”

  “I’m aware of that. He was aware of it too. He knew it was eating you up inside believing you had killed Varga’s son. I think he was counting on you not wanting to look at it.”

  Something in Steven’s tone made Kelly look at him more closely.

  Steven nodded. “Yes, I sicc’ed IA on him. What they found isn’t good. It looks like Jerry may have been working for Varga back then. Possibly still is…”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “If only. When we get back you have to act normal and don’t give anything away. It’s going to be hard but you need to back off and leave him to me.”

  “He lied to me.” Kelly’s voice steadily rose until the entire plane was quiet. “Bloody hell, he was my friend and tried to kill me! Do you have any idea of the nightmares, the guilt that I’ve been living with for the last year? If it hadn’t been for Nathan…”