Shot at Redemption

by Ken W. Smith

  “Did you consider an abortion?” Mack asked.

  “Oh no, I would never. I was thrilled to be pregnant.”

  “How about Daniel?”

  “Daniel was supportive. He never suggested abortion, but he never appeared happy either. His parents came to visit when they learned the news.”

  “What did they say?”

  “That I was ruining their son’s life. And that I was a floozy trying to hook a rich guy by getting pregnant. That wasn’t true, of course. My father was as rich as anyone I knew. I didn’t care that Daniel had money. In fact, Daniel never talked about his family. I didn’t even know he was from Newfoundland.”

  “Where in Newfoundland?” Mack asked.

  “Gander. It’s a tiny place.”

  “So, what happened next?”

  “I left school and moved back to my parent’s house in Falmouth. My brother inherited it when my father died. My father instructed Marty to allow me to live here rent-free if I wanted to.”

  “Didn’t he leave you any inheritance?”

  “Yes. It’s in a trust fund for Kyle. It will pay for his college tuition when he is eighteen.”

  “Tell us about your marriage?”

  “It was casual, to say the least. Dan visited during the summer when he was working at the institute. He would play with Kyle, and we would go out on my father’s boat. We got an apartment in Woods Hole when he graduated from MIT. Kyle was four. I was planning on going to NE Maritime Academy in the fall and wanted to have fun. Dan landed a job with some defense company.

  “Did Dan ever mention the name of the company?”

  “No, he never talked about his work. He said he couldn’t tell me who they were. It was a top-secret project. He would leave for weeks at a time and then return without telling me. Then he disappeared.”

  “What happened?”

  “He took Kyle to Woodneck Beach. It’s near the house. Kyle played in the salt marsh, and Daniel worked on one of his projects. I expected them home for supper, but I went to the beach looking for them when they didn’t return. I found Kyle playing with a drone in the water. There was no sign of Daniel.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “I didn’t have to. My brother’s a Falmouth police officer. They brought in the State Police, who used helicopters and dogs to search the marsh. The Coast Guard searched all of Buzzards Bay. We never found a trace.”

  “Has Daniel contacted you since? Any types of messages?”

  “No. Nothing. I never heard Daniel’s name mentioned until you asked.”

  “One last question,” McCauley said. “Why didn’t you end your marriage?”

  “How could I? He’s Kyle’s father, and Daniel wasn’t declared dead. I never gave up hope he would come back or… I would learn his fate. Not knowing what happened has always been the hardest part.”

  “You never met another man? I mean, one you wanted to have a relationship with?”

  “No. Not until I met Jay.”

  Chapter 31

  Veterans Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston

  It was his reckoning day. Jay’s physical therapists told him he was making significant progress. He could sit up on his own and could stand using a walker. But Jay wasn’t satisfied. He wanted, no, he needed to walk independently, without help from the therapist or anyone else.

  Every day he watched other patients conquer the parallel bars. Now it was his turn. Twenty feet. That’s how far he needed to walk without a helping hand.

  Jay stared at the bars with intense determination. He always exceeded people’s expectations. His own was much harder to overcome. Some people called him a perfectionist. He needed to dot every I and cross every T. It drove his Infinity Squad teammates crazy. It also kept them alive. Many people called him the perfect warrior. But Jay knew the truth—he was far from perfect. It was that drive for perfection that motivated him to perform where others failed.

  The physical therapy room got hushed. Other patients stopped their own work to watch. Jay felt his hands sweat and wiped them on his sweatpants.

  “You can do this, Jay,” Olivia said from behind the wheelchair. “The doctor said once you walk, you can go home.” She patted him on the shoulders and gave him a quick kiss to the top of his head.

  Jay lifted his feet off the wheelchair footrests and placed them on the floor without any help. A simple task he needed help with two days ago. Jay leaned forward and put his hands on the parallel bars. Next, he had to do a single dip, lift his body weight with his arms, and lock his elbows. He performed thousands of dips in the Navy. They were part of his daily exercise routine. Fifty dips, fifty pull-ups, two hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, a five-mile run, and a two-mile swim. Now a twenty-foot walk was stressing him out.

  Jay took a deep breath and pushed himself up with all his strength. He struggled to lock his elbows and almost collapsed back into the wheelchair. But Jay locked them in place. Finally, he stood for the first time in four weeks.

  Now came step two, putting weight on his legs and trusting they would hold him up. His arms shook from the strain of holding his bodyweight. Sweat poured down his forehead as he transferred his weight to his lower body. Jay relaxed his arms until his legs were holding him up. His ankles bowed, and his knees wobbled, but he remained standing.

  Now he needed to take his first step. It meant putting his weight on his right leg without collapsing.

  “Come on, Jay,” said a familiar voice. “You can do it.”

  Jay looked up to see Jessie standing next to Jillian at the end of the parallel bars.

  Another voice yelled encouragement. Jay looked to see Kyle and Brendan standing at the edge of the room. Then someone started clapping. Before he knew it, the entire room was cheering for him. He couldn’t let them down.

  Jay lifted his left foot and moved his right hand at the same time. He remained standing, completing his first objective. He repeated the process one painful step at a time. He heard more familiar voices. The deep baritone voice of Gunny Mack. The friendly, teasing voice of his best friend, McCoy. He even heard Gia’s delightful middle-eastern accent in the crowd.

  “What are you guys all doing here?” Jay said. “Doesn’t anybody need to work?”

  He heard laughter, and it motivated him to take his next step. He ignored his burning muscles by staying focused on his task and developed a cadence, like marching in formation. Then, someone turned on a radio to the Rocky theme song. It was corny, but it worked. Jay focused on the high-energy rhythm instead of the pain and agony within his body.

  He reached the end of the bars and stopped. Now the most challenging move, the dismount. Jay had to turn around one hundred and eighty degrees so he could sit down in the wheelchair. Usually, the therapist grabbed him under the arms and lowered him into the chair. Jay’s arms and legs were burning more than he ever felt in the past. He was beyond exhausted and wanted to stop. He released his left hand and reached for the right bar. But his hand missed and slid down the outside of the bar, crashing down onto his armpit. His legs collapsed, leaving him hanging from the bar.

  There was a gasp from the crowd. Then, the cheering stopped, and someone shut off the radio.

  The physical therapist stepped behind him to help, but Jay shooed him away.

  “No, let me do this,” Jay said.

  “Jay, you’re exhausted, and you accomplished your goal. So let me help you.”

  “No!” Jay said. “I got this!”

  Jay pulled his legs underneath him and placed his right hand on the bar. He pushed himself up until he was standing sideways, then moved his right hand back so he was backward. His pivot was complete. He let himself drop back into the wheelchair, and the room erupted in applause. Olivia handed him a towel then gave him a huge hug.

  * * *

  Olivia wheeled Jay out of the therapy room and down the hall. She turned into a darkened conference room.

  “Olivia, what are you doing?”

 
“Wait, you’ll see.”

  Jay heard voices behind him and sensed people coming into the room but couldn’t see what was going on. Then someone turned on the lights.

  “Surprise!” Then a chorus of people broke into the happy birthday song.

  Jay sang along and laughed at all his friends and family squeezed into the conference room.

  The conference table contained boxes of pizza and a large birthday cake. First, Olivia placed a paper Burger King crown on Jay’s head. Then she put an oversized plastic bib around his neck.

  Despite being exhausted, Jay enjoyed seeing his friends. McCoy filled him in on the bombing investigation, and Gia gave him an update on business operations.

  Jay looked to see Marty standing there with a few people behind him.

  “Hey, you didn’t save me any food,” Marty said with a chuckle. “You didn’t even save me any cake.”

  “Cake is the last thing you need,” Jay said, patting Marty’s enormous belly. “How are you doing?”

  “Great. I couldn’t miss my partner’s birthday party. But I had to take a detour.”

  “What do you mean?” Jay said.

  Marty moved out of the doorway. Standing there was Charlotte Cranmore holding a bouquet of roses. Her parents were standing behind her. Charlotte walked over to Jay and handed him the flowers, then bent down and hugged him.

  “I never had the chance to say thank you for saving my life, Mr. Mendes.”

  Jay’s eyes welled up with tears. He was speechless.

  “Charlotte?” Kyle said from behind Jay.

  Charlotte stood up and looked at Kyle. She turned to look at her mother, who nodded her approval. Charlotte turned and embraced Kyle.

  “Are you visiting?” Kyle asked after the hug.

  “No, I’m moving back to Cape Cod. My therapist felt it would be good for me to face my fears and stay with my friends.”

  “Will you go out with me?” Kyle said in a nervous stutter. “I mean, be my girlfriend?”

  “Of course, silly. I love you.”

  Kyle kissed Charlotte, and they left the room to find somewhere more private to get reacquainted.

  Charles Cranmore approached Jay in the wheelchair. “I want to apologize for our last conversation,” he said. “Please take back my check. I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost Charlotte.”

  “I can’t take it back,” Jay said. “Instead, you could donate it to this hospital. They want to build a new prosthetic lab, which will help them fill it with the latest technology. I’m sure they’ll consider naming rights for a donation of that size.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Cranmore said. “My accountant says the business needs to make more charitable contributions.”

  “Perfect. I’ll introduce you to the hospital administrator, and you can work out the details.”

  * * *

  It was almost ten when Jay finally slipped into his hospital bed. He was exhausted from the day and excited to see all of his friends and family. A nurse came in to check his vitals and give him his nightly pain medication. She was about to turn off the lights when two people appeared in the doorway.

  “I’m sorry,” the nurse said. “It’s past visiting hours. Mister Mendes needs to rest.”

  “That’s okay,” Jay said. “It’s my sister and her husband.”

  Jessie looked radiant in her fire-engine red blouse and stretch lycra jeans. Her hair was pulled back from her face and braided. Standing next to her, Andrew wore his desert khakis.

  Jessie limped over, kissed Jay, and then sat down in the chair next to the bed.

  “How are you, big brother?”

  “I’m okay, Jess. I’m sorry I missed the wedding.”

  “Are you crazy? I’m sorry that we couldn’t postpone it so you could give me away. Andrew’s father tried to, but it would have cost him two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cancellation fees. Even though he could have afforded it, they couldn’t find an alternative date before Andrew deployed. So his father walked me down the aisle instead. It was beautiful.”

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Andrew deploys tomorrow morning. He has an early flight out of Logan, so we’re spending the night at the Four Seasons. He wanted to see you before he left. He won’t be back for nine months.”

  “Where will you be stationed?”

  “I’m heading to Fort Bragg for training,” Andrew said. “After that, we’ll be stationed at Bagram Air Base.”

  “I know it well.”

  “I came here to say thank you.”

  “For what?” Jay said.

  “For saving Jessie’s life,” Andrew said. “She told me how you had to decide between her leg and her life after the bombing in New York. I’ll be eternally grateful for your decision.”

  Jay struggled to hold off the tears. He was glad he made the decision too. “You stay safe, and for God’s sake, come back in one piece.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I have some other news,” Jessie said. “I have a job.”

  “Congratulations. Where?”

  “GNN. I’ll be working out of their affiliate station, WPRV-TV, in Providence. I’ll do local coverage for training and help out with any national stories. Andrew’s father put in a word for me, and they were nice enough to give me a chance. Oh, and Roger got a job as my producer and cameraman.”

  “They’re lucky to have you. You’re going to be a superstar.”

  * * *

  Two weeks later, Jay stood next to his bed, buttoning his shirt.

  “Do you need help putting your shoes on?” Olivia said.

  “No, I’m good. But if you want to tie my laces, I’d appreciate it. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough strength to bend down without crashing into the wall.”

  Olivia knelt to help him out when he heard someone clear their throat from behind.

  “Your discharge papers are ready, Mr. Mendes,” a nurse said, standing behind a wheelchair. You can start outpatient therapy at Upper Cape Hospital tomorrow. I’ll be glad to give you a ride to the front door.”

  “Thanks,” Jay said. “But if you don’t mind, I’d rather walk.”

  “Well, it’s against hospital policy, but as long as you don’t fall, I’ll let you. Don’t disappoint me.”

  “Absolutely not,” Jay said as he grabbed Olivia’s arm, and they left the room.

  Chapter 32

  Maravista

  Two hours later, Olivia pulled into the driveway of his mother’s house. Exhausted and in pain, Jay didn’t notice the dark green sedan sitting in front of the small Cape-style bungalow.

  He walked in to find his mother and Jessie sitting with a man in a dress Army uniform.

  “Mom? Jessie? What’s going on?”

  The man in the uniform stood up and said, “Chief Mendes? I’m Captain Victor Theopolis. U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division.”

  “What are you doing here?” Jay said as he and Olivia sat down on a loveseat.

  “I’m sorry to deliver this news. Unfortunately, Second Lieutenant Andrew Bessie was killed while training in Northwest Pakistan.”

  The news sucked the wind out of Jay’s lungs. “What happened?”

  “I can’t say. It’s confidential pending the outcome of an investigation by the Department of Defense.”

  “Can you tell me something? I have a top-secret clearance.”

  “No, I’m sorry.”

  “Was it friendly fire or enemy action? Or was it an accident? Can you tell me anything?”

  “All I can say is that it wasn’t an accident.”

  “Was anybody else killed?”

  “Yes, sir. Six other soldiers died. Seventeen injured.”

  “Have you informed his family?”

  “Yes, sir. My counterpart is in Providence as we speak.” The Captain stood up and faced Jessie and his mom. “On behalf of the President of the United States, I’m sorry for your loss. But unfortunately, I need to visit three other families.” Then he turned
and left.

  * * *

  The next morning, Jay stared out of the window of his office in Woods Hole. It took him almost five minutes to make it up the circular stairs to his loft, but he made it. The paperwork was piled high, and he struggled to make sense of the bills and security reports staring at him. Marty hired a part-time bookkeeper who sent out the invoices and deposit payments. But he still needed to approve expenses, review payroll, and sign the checks to pay his vendors. The whole process was maddening.

  Jay found it hard to focus after the news of Andrew’s death. He learned his body and those of his fallen comrades were being flown back to Fort Bragg. His father arranged for his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Jay thought about the last time he was in Washington for General Andrew’s funeral. The man dedicated his life to service. He served in the first Gulf War, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A brilliant leader and tactician, he was the best commanding officer Jay had ever served for. He sacrificed his life in Southwest Pakistan when he came to help in the rescue mission for Matthew Goddard. In fact, if he hadn’t driven his car in front of the plane where Jay and Michelle were sitting, Jay wouldn’t be sitting here. Now his brother-in-law was a member of that fraternity of heroes up in heaven.

  Jay stared out the window at the sun in the sky and the blue water of Martha’s Vineyard Sound and longed to go for a long swim. There was a noise below—the door. Jay reached into his desk drawer and pulled out his handgun.

  “Anybody home?”

  Jay recognized Mack’s familiar voice and relaxed, “Up here, Mack.”

  “I’ll come up to you.”

  Mack squeezed his large frame up the circular stairs and dropped into the old armchair next to Jay’s desk.

  “You need a real office,” Mack said. “This place is way too small.”

  “We have one. We bought the old Cape Harbor Yacht Club. It’s right next to Marty’s house and has plenty of room. Unfortunately, it’s being renovated after the summer tourist rush is over, so I’m stuck here until it’s done. I do enjoy the view from this loft, though.”

  “Sorry to bother you, but I received some information I thought you would want to see. Understand it is confidential, and I’ll be fired if anybody finds out I took it out of the case file.”