by D. K. Hood
He took Annie’s hand as he walked down the steps. The last rays of sunshine lit up her hair making it look like spun gold. Every time he looked at her, he thanked God for giving him such a gift. He’d never been so happy. It was as if he’d found the missing part of his soul. They linked fingers as they walked to his truck. He leaned close to her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Annie’s smile was brilliant.
He opened the truck door for her and waited for her to tuck her large purse under her legs, then walked around the hood and strapped in. The next second an explosion rocked the truck. Pain shot through his head as shattered windows sprayed glass all around him. He couldn’t breathe or see through the thick smoke. He could hear people screaming and the truck’s alarm was blaring. His body refused to move. Blood ran down his face and into one eye, dripping off his chin. In agony and trembling uncontrollably, he forced his throbbing head to turn an inch to search for Annie. As he looked at her beautiful face, something inside him died. She’d taken the full force of the bomb. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. Fire was licking the seat around her but he couldn’t move. He’d burn to death but he didn’t care. Without Annie, his life was meaningless.
Dave didn’t like the lights in his eyes. He batted them away, wondering why the afterlife was so damn annoying. His head ached, and his mouth was so dry his tongue stuck to the roof. In fact, everything hurt. Well, no wonder he’d ended up in hell. He figured he kind of deserved it. His mind went to Annie and a pain hit his heart and made him gasp. If he were in hell, he’d never see her again. He choked back a sob as his last memory of her slammed into his mind. Not the smiling happy face that had been with him since Syria but her death mask. Oh yeah, he’d gone straight to purgatory and this was part of his punishment.
“Ninety-eight H.” The voice wasn’t anyone he recalled. “Open your eyes.”
Dave cracked open his lids and as his vision cleared, he stared at a man in uniform. He didn’t recognize him but a quick scan of the room told him it was a hospital. Machinery beeped and he had wires attached everywhere.
“You’re in Maryland at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.” The man offered him a drink from a cup with a bent straw. “I’m Captain Murray, the doctor assigned to your recovery.”
Dave drank until the doctor dragged the cup away. He looked at him. “My wife?”
“I’m sorry, she didn’t make it.” The doctor laid a hand on his shoulder. “She died instantly if it’s of any comfort to you.”
“Comfort? Someone killed my wife. I need to be there making sure they treat her right. Get these wires off me.” Anger rolled off him. He wanted to punch something. The machines started going nuts and Murray pulled a syringe from a drawer. Dave glared at him. “Don’t stick me with anything, or I’ll break your neck.”
“I’ll call for help if you don’t calm down.” Murray’s expression filled with compassion. “I know what you are and your unique abilities. Use them now to control your anger. Pushing your blood pressure too high at this stage of recovery could cause a stroke.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dave glared at him. “We’ve never met.” With effort, he smothered the grief threatening to destroy him. The military wouldn’t give him time to mourn his wife, so for now he’d become the machine they’d created. He dropped so deep into the zone that his low heart rate set off a warning on the monitor.
“I’ve never seen that before. That’s impressive. I have clearance, so you can speak freely with me.” Murray had taken a step back, his fingers still clinging to a loaded syringe.
Dave frowned. “Do you now, Captain. Then you’ll know, I only speak to Terabyte. What time is it?”
“Midday.” The doctor dropped the needle on a tray and adjusted the drips running into him. “It’s November 7th. You’ve been in an induced coma for four months.”
Astonished, Dave blinked. “Explain.”
“The blast sent a piece of metal into your skull. In simple terms, we had to repair it with a metal plate. There was substantial brain swelling and we had to wait for it to subside. You’re not out of the woods yet. The fact you are coherent and speaking is a good sign but you may have to learn to walk again and even feed yourself. You have a long and hard road ahead of you, I’m afraid.”
Dave wiggled his toes and moved his legs. He touched his nose with each index finger and tried to sit up. Pain slammed through his head in waves of agony. Nausea hit him and he flopped back, gagging. After he gathered himself, he looked at Murray. “Seems to me everything is working fine apart from my head.”
“I’ll give you something for the nausea and then I’ll sit you up.” Murray pushed a needle into the drip line. “Seeing you move so well after lying so long flat on your back is a very positive sign. Unfortunately, the plate in your head will cause headaches and these will lessen as time goes by, but at first, like now, when you move you will experience, pain, dizzy spells, and nausea, which we can treat with drugs.” He smiled. “It’s really up to you now.”
As the back of the bed rose slowly, Dave gingerly touched his head. No bandages but he could feel how short they’d cut his hair, although it had grown back some over a lumpy scar over one ear. He looked at the doctor. “I need to speak to Terabyte. Can you arrange that?”
“Do you remember his number?” The doctor pulled a phone in a sealed box out of the drawer. He broke the seal and handed it to him. “I was instructed to do this in front of you.”
“Yeah, my memory is fine.” His stomach rumbled and he looked at the doctor. “Can I get something to eat?” He examined his arms and peered under the sheet. He’d lost half of his body mass. “I need protein.”
“Maybe some Jell-O to start.” Murray smiled. “Slow and easy is the best way to go.” He turned and left the room.
Dave punched in Terabyte’s number. It was good to hear his voice. He gave his code name and waited for a reply. The verification came through and the line secure. “I lost Annie. Have you found the bomber?”
“You sound lucid. How long since you woke up?”
Annoyed, Dave let out a long sigh. “Just before and my brain is working overtime. My body is a mess but I’ll be fine. Did you catch the damn bomber?”
“We have everyone on it. There are a few leads and I’ll update you as they eventuate.” Terabyte sighed. “I’m really sorry about Annie.”
Dave pulled out the drip to the saline and dropped it on the floor. The morphine he’d leave for just a bit longer. He needed to talk about Annie but his chest hurt so bad he couldn’t get the words out. After taking a few deep breaths, he composed himself. “Where is she?”
“Her father took care of everything. She is buried in the family plot beside you.”
Dave swallowed hard, thinking he’d misheard him. “Say again?”
“You heard me right. You’re officially dead. I went to the funeral and took a video. I know it sounds morbid but I figured you would’ve wanted to be there and this is the next best thing.” Terabyte paused a beat. “I know what pain you’re going through and it doesn’t get better but we can live with it. They say time heals, so put any ideas of self-harm out of your mind. It isn’t a solution. One day at a time is our motto, right?”
The pain at losing Annie was stuck just above his heart. He’d never forget her. He didn’t want to and would always remember their time together and the love they shared. Dave nodded and regretted it immediately. “Yeah, Annie wouldn’t like me to eat a bullet, so I guess you’re stuck with me, but my future isn’t so bright right now. A desk job at best, I figure.”
“Nah, you’re a valuable player, carrying national secrets. POTUS wants you protected and has planned a future for you. While you’re out of commission, you’ll get a new face, identity, and job if you want one, but not in DC.”
Trying hard to focus, Dave rubbed his aching head. “I don’t need a job or my old identity to access the funds in the offshore account. It’s by a
retina scanner via an app on my phone. If I still have a phone.”
“All that is already in motion. POTUS’s office will produce postdated documents to have everything in both your and Annie’s estates, including life insurance policies, moved into your offshore company. Once we establish your new identity, you’ll have a bank account fed by the company and a regular paycheck from Uncle Sam. Everything will be organized for you.”
Dave sighed. “I doubt I’ll be in active service again, not with a plate in my head. Heck, right now I can’t even walk to the john. Sitting up made me spew.”
“Just get well and I’ll start looking for a nice quiet place for you to retire.”
“Hell no.” Dave snorted. “No retiring. I’ll go nuts. Can’t I just go dark and hide in the mountains somewhere out west and become a lone vigilante fighting for justice?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Terabyte’s voice sounded amused. “You’ll need a new name. Anything come to mind?”
Dave thought for a beat but it was obvious. “Dave was Annie’s pet name for me. I’ll use Dave, so Annie will be with me forever.”
“Okay. That would work well because it’s best to keep your original initials, so you don’t accidentally sign your old name. What about Kane for the middle name? It means ‘warrior.’ If I recall, Annie called you her warrior.” Terabyte’s enthusiasm flowed through the speaker. “What last name do you like?”
After considering a few options, Dave sighed. “I figure, Dave Kane will suit me just fine. David Kane the Wild West vigilante.”
“Hmm. I’ll work on a background story. It will have to be close to your skill set. A detective from a major city perhaps and then you can mention a head injury… maybe shot in the head in the line of duty?” The sound of Terabyte typing came through the earpiece. “There’s heaps of work out west for deputies. When you’re back on your feet, we’ll discuss your options.”
The door opened and a woman pushing a cart came in his room. “Okay, I’ll speak to you soon. My Jell-O has just arrived.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Dave decided right from the start, he didn’t cope well in rehab. First up, he’d lost his balance and standing made him nauseous. In fact, just turning his head made him want to spew. It had been a nightmare and one it seemed hadn’t fully abated. He’d bend and pain would cripple him and it would start all over again. The head didn’t have the only injuries. The blast had broken ribs and chipped one hip, but they’d healed during the coma. He’d lost half his bodyweight and he missed his muscle strength. His brain kept telling him he’d turned into a weakling, to give up as life wasn’t worth living anyway. Depression had him by the throat and he’d stare at the ceiling for hours. He’d refused the drugs, taking only the ones for the severe headaches and nausea when absolutely necessary. Becoming an opiate junkie wasn’t on his agenda.
Dragging heavy legs into the bathroom, he stared at the unfamiliar face in the bathroom mirror. The swelling from the plastic surgery had subsided. The scar on his chin and over one eye had gone. He had a straight nose, like when he was eighteen, and a dimple in his chin. They’d removed the ravages of long years spent out in the desert from his skin. Apart from his eyes, his own mother wouldn’t have recognized him. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. Terabyte called him usually once a week on Fridays to check on him, and as it was Monday, something must be up. He pressed the phone to his ear. “Morning.”
“I’ve just read the report from your doctor. In all the years I’ve been handling you, I’ve never known you to give up.” Terabyte took a breath. “You’re not eating and you’re way behind in your recovery. This isn’t good because I’ve found a potentially perfect job for you.” He sighed. “But if you’ve given up, we’ll send someone else. But this young woman needs someone with your skill set and compassion.”
Dave stared at his reflection. He’d shrunk into a person he didn’t recognize. Sure, he had the six-five height but he resembled a stick insect. “Give me a break. Have you forgotten what I do, or should I say did, before the bombing? My mindset hasn’t changed. I kill people on demand with no remorse. I might as well be a serial killer. I don’t have compassion.”
“Says the man who put his life on the line to save Annie.”
A wave of loss smacked into him and he straightened. His father had raised him to hide his feelings and his Marine training had obliterated them. Not feeling was part of survival. He gathered himself and walked back into the small room that had been his home for the last six months. “I’m not ready for a mission.”
“It’s not a mission.”
Dave shook his head slowly, ignoring the constant headache. “Don’t think giving me a woman to protect is going to replace Annie. You should know better.”
“I’d never suggest such a thing and, as sure as hell, Jenna Alton doesn’t need protecting. I can’t give you details, other than the US Marshals are involved to some extent. There are rumors that the previous sheriff, let’s say, overlooked crimes. People gone missing, bones found in Stanton Forest that he dismissed as Native American relics, women being abused—all came to light well before Sheriff Alton was elected. We figure there’s more to Black Rock Falls than meets the eye. She’s a smart cookie but with few resources. Between the two of you, if anything illegal went down, you’d be able to work together to sort it. Together you’d be able to handle anything that might go down in the future. You know as well as I do these vast forests are perfect for criminals to hide off the grid. Anyone could be lurking in there.”
Interest rose like a buoy thrown to a drowning man. He enjoyed fighting crime, and in a sleepy town what could be better? He flexed his sagging muscles and sighed. “I’m no good to anyone right now. I’m weak and I’ll need time to recover.”
“You have until winter. Later today, we’re moving you into specialized rehab. Everything will be tailored to getting you back into shape. In ten months, you’ll be better than before. You’ll be taken to a range to shoot, and when you’re not working out and eating, you’ll be studying Montana law and anything else we figure you’ll need.”
Dave pictured the Big Sky Country and it was as if someone had opened a magic portal of hope. He stared out the window, imagining the mountains, rivers, and tall pines. “In case it slipped your mind, I still have a bounty on my head. New face maybe, but terrorist organizations can hack anything. My prints and retina scan can’t be altered. I’ll make the place more dangerous.”
“We want you to keep a low profile but hiding you in plain sight is better. It works, even for those in witness protection. You’ll be so off the grid, no one will believe it’s you.” Terabyte cleared his throat. “POTUS knows, you’ll recover and with assistance be better than you were before… well, apart from the metal plate. There’s always a chance you’ll be returned to active duty but he wants to give you time to recover in mind and body. You need time to grieve.”
Dave held out his arm. The shakes had subsided and his bulk would return if he ate enough protein and worked his butt off. In ten months, he’d be a machine. “Give me a profile of this woman who needs my help.”
“Jenna Alton is strong-willed, feisty, and set in her ways. She has an old deputy by the name of Walters and maybe two rookies.” He cleared his throat. “She needs someone solid beside her but the last thing she needs to know is you’re there to back her up. She’d likely take it as an insult, so keep that in mind when you meet her.”
The vision of the backwoods town still hung in his mind. No memories to haunt him, a new beginning, a new face and name. Maybe he could make it one step at a time. He sighed. “So, are you planning on sending me to take her job and run the show? That doesn’t sound like keeping a low profile and it’s not something I’m comfortable doing. I have a lot of respect for women as they often have to claw their way to the top. Sorry but this isn’t my gig. I can’t take charge of myself just yet, let alone a sheriff’s depart
ment.”
“You’ll need time to adjust, we know that—I know that. We don’t want you to take her job, just the opposite.” Terabyte sighed. “You don’t have to decide now. In ten months, you’ll be fit and we’ll talk again, but it’s the incentive you need, Dave. The advertisement for position of deputy sheriff has had no takers for six months and they took it down this week. We have a cover story for you as a gold shield detective, shot in the line of duty, looking for a place to recover. If you decide it’s a go, we’ll contact the sheriff’s department and make sure you get the position.”
With his gut waving red flags at him, Dave shook his head. “I don’t buy it. What’s really going on here? What is it about Jenna Alton you’re not telling me?”
“I’ve told you everything I can. She’s not a born Montanan and had to make her stand in Black Rock Falls. She’s fighting to prevent violence against women and won an election for a four-year term. We’d like to see her succeed. It’s a big county with many undesirables and she needs someone like you to watch her back.”
Dave scrubbed a hand through his short hair and sighed. “She’ll look at me as a threat to her job.”
“Then you make it clear from the get-go you’re looking for a quiet life.” Terabyte paused for some seconds as if thinking. “It’s the chance for a normal life, Dave. Fishing, hunting, camping in the forest. Peace.”
Could he leave? Annie would always be with him, no matter where he went. As sure as hell, he couldn’t stay holed up in a hospital for the rest of his life. At the moment he had no purpose. He’d become weak in mind and spirit but had the willpower to change. He just had to get with the program and stop wallowing in self-pity. Nothing would bring his wife back. The only way was moving forward alone and he’d survived alone before just fine. He rested his forehead on the glass, allowing the sun to make rainbows in his tears. He could almost hear Annie’s voice in his head, encouraging him. “Okay, I’ll do it. One step at a time, right?”