Shot at Redemption

by Ken W. Smith

  “Sure, Dad. No problem.”

  Marty pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Charlotte. “You have some blood on your face, young lady.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “What’s your name?”

  Charlotte looked at Art, who was glaring at her, and said under his breath, “You better not say anything.”

  Charlotte turned her back on Art and said, “My name is Charlotte Cranmore. I was having a drink with Kyle when Art grabbed me from behind. His friend Tony then turned the table over and pushed Kyle to the ground. Carla is right. They bully him all the time.”

  Marty took out a small notepad and wrote down the kid’s names. “You all know each other?”

  “Yes,” Charlotte replied. “We go to school together.”

  “What school? Falmouth High?”

  “No, we go to Cape Cod Catholic.”

  “Pretty unruly behavior for Catholic school kids,” Marty said. “I went there. If I even thought of hitting someone, the nuns would make my life miserable.”

  Marty paused, but Art and Tony just stared at the ground.

  “Boys,” Marty said. “Do you have anything to say?”

  “Sorry,” Tony muttered under his breath.

  “Well, it’s time you all go home. Kyle, you come with Brendan and me.”

  He turned to look at Art and Tony, “I don’t want to see you in Woods Hole ever again. You understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Tony replied. Art said nothing.

  Kyle stood up. Charlotte went over to him and touched him on the forehead, “You’re bleeding. Let me get something from inside the store.”

  “I’ll be okay,” Kyle said.

  Brendan stood on the sidewalk next to Carla and asked her, “Do you need a ride home?”

  “My Dad is going to pick us up,” Carla said. “He’ll be here in five minutes.”

  “I can drive you home,” Brendan said. “My Jeep is parked around the corner. Is that okay, Dad?”

  “Sure, stay away from those two boys. I don’t want any more trouble.”

  Chapter 19

  Quissett Harbor, Falmouth

  The evening sky was a multi-colored pallet as the sun slipped behind a few wispy clouds. As a boy, Jay watched the setting sun from the bow of his father’s fishing boat. He often dreamed of sailing around the world chasing pirates and rescuing maidens. But, instead, he wanted to spend time with a good friend and drink a lot of beer.

  Marty’s home sat on Quissett Harbor’s shore, a quaint body of water near Woods Hole. Tucked behind a thin peninsula known as The Nob, the picturesque harbor was home to a few dozen sailboats owned by the members of a small yacht club. The three-story home featured light-gray weathered cedar shingles and floor-to-ceiling windows. A green manicured lawn sloped to the harbor where two boats bobbed against a wooden dock.

  Marty’s grandfather built the home in 1899, and he inherited the estate five years ago. Marty converted the carriage house into a garage with an apartment on the second floor.

  Jay took a swig of his beer and said. “It’s still a shock to me. I can’t believe the Catholic church took such a beating.”

  “Nobody saw it coming,” Marty said. “The world was celebrating the first American Pope. Who could have imagined terrorists would inflict so much destruction considering the level of security.”

  “Marty, I feel guilty.”

  “How come?”

  “Because I survived. I shouldn’t have.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re a hero. There are hundreds of people alive because of your quick reactions and skills. Nobody could have made the shot you made.”

  “Thanks, but I still feel like I could have done more. How did I miss the imposter? He snuck into the limo right under my nose. Why wasn’t I more diligent checking the priest’s identities.”

  “Because you’re Catholic, and you trust priests. By the way, have you heard anything about the Pope?”

  “I have no idea,” Jay said. “Nobody has seen him since the attack.”

  “Don’t you think that’s strange?”

  “Not really. If the Pope is dead, the Vatican will want a smooth transition. If he’s alive, they’ll want to keep him safe until they find who’s behind the attack.”

  Jay noticed movement behind him. He turned to see Marty’s wife Lindsey putting a pot of water on the gas grill.

  “Hey, Marty,” Lindsey called out from the house. “Jillian and Kyle are here for dinner. Can you come in to say hi?”

  “Sure,” Marty said. I’ll be right over.”

  “Oh, hey Jay,” Lindsey said. “I didn’t see you there. Long time, no see.”

  “Hi Lindsay,” Jay yelled back. “It’s nice to see you too.”

  “Can you stay for dinner? Marty’s going to cook up some lobsters, and I’m preparing a good old-fashioned clam boil.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Jillian?” Jay asked Marty. “Your sister?”

  “Yeah, her son Kyle was one of the choir singers at the Cathedral. He saved a friend from getting trampled.”

  “I haven’t seen her since we were kids. So what has she been doing?

  “She went to a maritime academy in Newfoundland and then worked on the Nova Scotia ferry that runs from Portland, Maine to Yarmouth. After that, she returned home to work for the Steamship Authority. She’s now an officer on the Martha’s Vineyard ferry out of Woods Hole.”

  “The last time I saw her, she was in braces. And Kyle’s her son? I didn’t know she had a kid.”

  “Yeah, she got pregnant during her first year of college,” Marty said. The guy’s name was Daniel. A brilliant but weird guy obsessed with drones. He disappeared when Kyle was four. Jillian has been raising him on her own ever since.”

  “Wow, what a story,” Jay said. “What do you mean, Jillian’s husband disappeared?”

  “Yeah, he vanished into thin air. Daniel took Kyle to the beach one afternoon. When they didn’t return on time for dinner, Jillian went searching. She found Kyle playing in the salt marsh by himself. We searched the entire Cape but never found him.”

  Jay followed Marty into the large, open kitchen lining the back of the main house. A slim, attractive red-haired woman leaned against the kitchen counter. It was the woman from the bike path.

  “Jill,” Marty said. “This is my business partner, Jay Mendes.”

  Jay noticed Jillian staring at him. Like she had seen him before but couldn’t remember where.

  “Hello,” Jillian said. “Oh my God, I know you. You stopped to help me.”

  “Hi, it’s nice to see you again,” Jay said. “But we knew each other a long time ago.”

  “We did?”

  “I knew you when you were a kid.”

  “Really? I don’t remember you.”

  “I was one of Marty’s friends growing up. I lived in Maravista, but we used to hang out here all the time.”

  “Oh my God!” Jillian said. “I remember you now. You were a short, skinny kid. You always picked me for your street hockey games. Wow, you’ve grown up. What have you been doing?”

  “Well, I spent a few years in the Navy and now work with Marty in Woods Hole.”

  “Don’t let his modesty fool you, Jill,” Marty interrupted. “Jay was a Navy SEAL. One of the deadliest men on earth.”

  Jay glared at Marty, who shrugged his shoulders. “Jay, you don’t have to be shy.”

  “Well, it sounds intriguing,” Jillian said. “You’ll have to tell me some war stories later.”

  Jillian turned to her son on the couch. “Kyle, come over here and be social.”

  Kyle didn’t answer.

  “Kyle, please, can you come over?”

  Still no answer.

  Jillian turned to Jay and Marty.

  “Can you excuse me? My son’s rude.”

  Jillian marched to the couch and grabbed the cell phone from Kyle’s hand.

  “Mom,” Kyle yelled. “I’m in the middle
of something.”

  “Kyle Matthew McPhee, you take a break and say hello. You’ll get your phone back when you show some respect.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Kyle walked over to Jay and reluctantly extended his hand.

  “Hi, Mr. Mendes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Hi Kyle,” Jay replied, returning the handshake. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  Kyle rolled his eyes, turned around, and flopped back down on the couch. Jay saw Jillian’s pale, freckled skin turn bright red. “Jay, do you have teenage children?” Jillian asked.

  “No, I’m not married.”

  “Well, you’re smart then. You can have mine if you wish.”

  Lindsey handed Jillian a glass of wine, which Jillian guzzled down in one large gulp.

  “Lindsey, that was great. Do you have anything stronger?”

  * * *

  The hot tub water swirled around Jay’s sore muscles as he enjoyed getting reacquainted with Jillian.

  Lindsey sat on the opposite side of the hot tub with Marty. She looked at Jillian with a sly smile. She had been trying to matchmake for her sister-in-law since she returned to Falmouth, without any luck—until now. She needed to get Jay more involved in the conversation, “Jill, do you remember the time we snuck into the Woods Hole Aquarium? We wanted to swim with the harbor seal?”

  “Oh my God, we were in high school and playing truth or dare.”

  “That’s right, I remember,” Marty said. “I asked which of my friends you had a crush on. You took the dare. You never told us who the friend was.”

  Jillian looked at Jay with a smirk. She was drunk and giggling like a schoolgirl.

  “Come on, Jill,” Lindsey teased. “Tell us who it was?”

  Jillian leaned over, wrapped her arms around Jay, and pulled him towards her. He wasn’t expecting her to grab him and slipped off the seat into the swirling water.

  When he was underwater, she said a little too loudly, “It was Jay!”

  Jay pulled himself out of the water and wiped his face off.

  “I heard you,” he replied, smiling. “Why didn’t I know about that.”

  “You left us and joined the Navy,” Marty said.

  “What would you have done if you had known mister sailor boy?” Jillian asked.

  “I don’t know. Ask you out on a date?”

  “Well, it’s never too late.”

  Lindsey elbowed Marty in the side. “Honey, it’s time to call it a night.”

  Marty didn’t answer. He looked at Jay. Then he looked at his little sister, making eyes at his friend.

  “Marty!” Lindsey said as she stood up.

  Marty finally climbed out of the hot tub.

  “Have you guys seen Brendan and Kyle?” Lindsey asked.

  “No, but we’ll take a walk and look for them,” Jay said.

  * * *

  Jay stepped out of the hot tub and grabbed a towel. When Jillian stood up, she wobbled around and sat back down. Jay lifted Jillian up and held her steady until she regained her balance. She wrapped her arms around Jay’s neck, and she held on for a long moment. When Jay was sure she wasn’t going to fall, he wrapped a towel around her shoulders.

  “Come on, Jillian,” Jay said. “Let’s take a walk. You could use some fresh air.”

  They walked down a narrow dirt path towards the water. The trail ended at a small dock where Marty had his two motorboats. One was a twenty-four-foot Boston Whaler Vantage, and the other was a thirty-six-foot Baja cigarette boat. Jay turned right to follow the shoreline along the edge of the small harbor. The large moon lit the sky enough, so they didn’t need a flashlight. The dark water shimmered in the moonlight, and the waves rocked the sailboats in the harbor.

  “Where are you taking me, sailor boy?” Jillian asked with a slight drunken slur.

  “I want to share a favorite spot with you. It’s been years since I’ve been to the Nob.”

  “Okay, lead the way, but don’t let go of my hand. I may fall in the water.”

  “That’s okay. I can save you. I’m a sailor boy, remember.”

  * * *

  Kyle sat with Brendan by the fire pit. He thought his Uncle Marty’s new friend was leaving after dinner. But the adults decided to hang out and drink in the hot tub. He wasn’t happy.

  “What’s the matter?” Brendan said. “I thought we were gonna work on the bots tonight.”

  “My mom took my cell phone away. I was in the middle of a new algorithm.”

  “Well, relax. Our night is about to get more interesting.”

  “What do you mean?” Kyle asked.

  “Remember those two girls from your school? The cute blonde you helped in Boston. And her friend, the feisty brunette.”

  “You mean Charlotte and Carla?”

  “Yea, those girls. I invited them over.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “I thought you’d be happy?”

  “Why would that make me happy,” Kyle said. “Did you forget about this afternoon already? Charlotte’s boyfriend, Art? He’s a real brute.”

  “No, he isn’t. He didn’t even fight back when I punched him in the nose. He’s just a typical bully who picks on the weaklings but doesn’t have the guts for a real fight. Plus, I got the idea that Charlotte likes you.”

  “Art will find out and beat me up.”

  “I thought you told me they broke up?”

  “Yeah, but Art doesn’t know that.”

  Brendan’s sister Melissa opened the back door from the kitchen. Charlotte and Carla were following her. She pointed at the fire pit, and the girls walked over.

  The girls sat down on the opposite side of the fire pit.

  Kyle thought Charlotte looked cute. Charlotte gave Kyle a shy wave. She was wearing a pink hoodie sweatshirt and white capri pants. Carla was more rugged-looking with olive skin, dark eyes, and several tattoos on her upper arms. She cut her hair short with a purple tinge in her bangs and wore a black t-shirt and jeans.

  Kyle noticed that Carla liked Brendan. He was her type, strong and athletic. Brendan and the girls exchanged some small talk. Kyle wasn’t in the mood for talking too much, so he listened in. After about an hour, the girls got up and went to the bathroom.

  “Kyle, these girls are nice,” Brendan said. “How come you didn’t introduce me before?”

  “I don’t know. They go to school with me, but I don’t know them very well.”

  “Charlotte does seem to like you. How do you know her?”

  “She’s in my Physics class, and we sing in the choir together.”

  “What’s the deal with Carla?”

  “Her Dad was in the Coast Guard. So they moved around a lot. He retired last year and now works at the Marine Institute in Woods Hole. He also owns a mixed martial arts studio in Wareham. Carla teaches there.”

  “She teaches MMA? Holy shit, that’s badass. Does she compete?”

  “Yeah, I heard she’s ranked in the top five in New England.”

  “That’s cool. When the girls come back, I’ll sit with Carla. You sit with Charlotte and talk to her.”

  “I don’t know. She’s pretty popular. I don’t know what to say to her.”

  “You’ll think of something. Now sit down, here they come.”

  * * *

  “What were you guys talking about when we came in?” Charlotte said.

  “Brendan and I are working on my microbots,” Kyle replied. “I’m trying to get the night vision feature working. But, first, I need to test it.

  “What do you mean by microbots?” Charlotte asked.

  “They’re cool flying robots. You know, like drones, but better. I build them, and Brendan helps me test them.”.

  “Cool,” Carla said, butting into their conversation. “Can we see how they work?”

  “I… I don’t know,” Kyle stuttered. “They’re nothing special. A hobby I’ve been fooling around with.”

  “Stop being so modest,” Brendan said. “They’re really cool. Let�
�s show them how they work. Then, we can go down by the water.”

  “Yeah, show us,” Carla said.

  “I’m not sure,” Charlotte said. “Where are we going?”

  “Don’t worry,” Brendan said. “It’s nothing dangerous. We’ll go to the Nob on the other side of the harbor. It will take a few minutes.”

  Kyle and Brendan came out of the carriage house carrying a black carrying case and an iPad.

  “Hey, Kyle,” Carla said. “Your Mom and that guy Jay left the hot tub and walked towards the water. She seemed a bit drunk. Shouldn’t we make sure she’s okay? Who is he anyway?”

  “He’s a friend of Brendan’s Dad. I don’t know him.”

  “What does he do for work?”

  “I don’t know. I think he’s a security guard.”

  “Like a mall cop?” Charlotte giggled. “Does he drive around on one of those silly Segways?”

  “Did you call Jay Mendes a mall cop?” Brendan said. “Are you nuts?”

  “What? What did I say?”

  “Jay Mendes is a hero.”

  “How do you know that?” Carla asked.

  “I overheard my Dad talking to Jay. He was a Navy SEAL. When something went wrong. Someone claimed Jay killed an innocent hostage, and he got drummed out of the SEALs. That’s why he came home.”

  “Who claimed he killed a hostage?” Carla asked.

  “My dad said it was Kathleen Amejian, the reporter from GNN,” Brendan said.

  “Oh my God,” Charlotte squealed. “My mother knows her.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “My Mom works for an ad agency. She met Kathleen at a dinner party in London. There’s a picture of my mom and Kathleen in her office.

  Kyle was half listening and half watching his mother stumbling and hanging all over Jay. She was so embarrassing. Why was my mother doing this? She’s still married. If my dad knew she liked this guy, he’d be mad.

  “I don’t like him,” Kyle said. “Let’s go see where they’re going.”

  “What?” asked Charlotte. “You want to follow them?”

  “No, not exactly,” Kyle replied with a sly grin.

  * * *

  Jay led Jillian around the harbor and up a narrow, sandy trail onto the Nob. It was dark in the woods, and the path had exposed tree roots and rocks. He held Jillian close to him so she wouldn’t trip. The trail was short, only about half a mile. When they emerged from the canopy, the panoramic view of Buzzards Bay took their breath away.