The Grey Man: -Vignettes-

by JL Curtis

  “Yeah, I met Valdez at the quarterly meeting last year, just before he moved up to General Council, but I don’t know Makepeace. Who does he report to?”

  Marjory consulted her notes again. “As the planning, evaluation and performance guy, he reports to the Chief of Staff, so he’s higher in the food chain than he GC. Valdez? Since you at least know him?”

  Heading toward his office, he said, “Yeah, Valdez first, if he’s not there Makepeace. Thanks Marj, you saved my ass again!”

  Marjory smiled. “Oh, I’ll add it to the list boss.”

  Carson barely made it to his desk before the phone rang. “Mr. Valdez is on the line sir.”

  Leaving the phone on speaker, he waited for the connection. “Mr. Valdez, this is Ken Carson, I’m the Attorney for the San Diego district and I’ve got a situation I need to bring to your attention. I remember you from the quarterly, and frankly, I don’t know who else to take this to.”

  “Yes, I remember you, Ken,” Valdez said. “And you’ve done a lot of good work down there, so if you’re calling me, I’ve got to assume this is pretty serious.”

  Carson went on to detail what he knew, how he’d found it out, and his fears about the possible repercussions in their relationship with not only the Marines but the Navy. Twice Marjory came in and picked up documents and faxed them to DC, so apparently the secretarial mafia was at work simultaneously with them.

  After a half hour, GC Valdez said, “Ken, I agree that this needs to be looked into sooner rather than later, but right now I have to go see the deputy director, and right now. I’m going to push this to OPR and make some calls myself. Are you going to be in the rest of the day?”

  “Yes sir, other than lunch, I’ll be here till at least six PM. Other than the normal meetings I don’t have anything on the schedule for today.”

  “Thanks,” Valdez said. “I’ll get back to you.” He hung up and Carson leaned back in his chair, ruminating on whether or not he’d done the right thing. Marjory brought him a cup of coffee, saying, “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound boss?”

  Carson sighed. “Yeah, I guess that’s about it Marj. Can you get Colonel Carson on the horn?”

  As Marjory headed back to her desk, he got up and followed, going by her desk he said, “Gimme a minute, all of a sudden I need a bathroom break.”

  Nodding in sympathy, Marjory reviewed her notes, and called the secretary at the FBI office, “Helen, my boss just pushed this whole Texas shooting mess up the chain, and also passed along what he’d gotten from your boss at breakfast. You might want to clue him in, in case he gets any calls.”

  Helen thanked her and told Marjory she would. They chatted about kids, pets and useless husbands until Carson came back. Hanging up, Marjory called Pendleton and after chatting for a minute with the corporal, found out that Colonel Carson was in meetings for the next hour.

  At 1:00 PM, Marjory called back and the corporal got Colonel Carson on the line as Marjory transferred the call to Ken.

  Ken punched the speaker. “Hey, cuz. I bumped this up to the front office in DC, and here’s a piece you may not know. That Deputy John Cronin is apparently a DEA and FBI, and maybe a CIA asset; he teaches classes on smuggling both people and drugs, to a lot of law enforcement types.”

  “Yeah,” Colonel Carson replied. “I poked some folks back east and apparently he’s also taught some of our special ops folks about VBSS too.”

  “VBSS?”

  “Err… It’s a program called Visit, Boarding, Search and Seizure. It’s what our Navy and Marine folks and Coasties do to go aboard both friendly and un-friendly vessels at sea. The more I’m finding out the less I think any of this shit is even remotely possible.”

  “Huh? That’s a new one on me. Ah, hang on Marjory is waving a note under my nose.”

  Ken muted the phone, took the note from Marjory and whistled. “Damn, that was quick!”

  Turning the mute off, he said, “Well, Bill, this is an interesting twist, per the Chief of Staff for US Attorneys in DC, we are directed not, repeat not, to attempt to apprehend anyone on this warrant and are to consider them cancelled, null and void. So I guess that lets your folks off the hook. I hope it’s not going to cause them any problems with their commands.”

  “Nah,” Bill said. “Hell, I haven’t even briefed it out to the COS here, much less up to the General. I’m sure the word will filter out, rumors will abound, but it’ll all go away in a month or so. Bottom line: no harm, no foul.”

  They made small talk for a couple of minutes, then hung up after agreeing to get together for dinner in the near future.

  27 Recovery

  Camp Pendleton Hospital-

  Matt burst into Aaron’s room without even thinking and casually glanced at the woman sitting there. “Hey bud, we’re officially off the hook, all charges dropped, and good to go.”

  “Outstanding!” Aaron said. “Do you know if Jesse knows?”

  “No idea, but I wanted to make damn sure you knew ASAP!” Aaron grabbed his phone off the tray and dialed and Matt finally looked at the woman, realizing she was smiling at him.

  “Felicia?”

  Felicia laughed. “Yes, Matt. It is I. Angelina wanted me to come check on Aaron and let her know how he was doing. Since I’m not far from here, I decided to drop by today. And I’m glad to hear you are—how you say—off the hook?”

  Smiling broadly, Matt said, “Oh yes, I’m glad to be off the hook! And you’re not far from here are you? I never got the chance to see you again and didn’t know how to get in touch with you.”

  “I wasn’t sure you wanted to,” Felicia said. “I thought you were afraid you would break me.” Grinning, she looked at Aaron. “Tell Jesse to call my sister and fill her in.”

  Aaron nodded and continued to listen to Jesse.

  ***

  While Jesse was on the phone with Aaron, the old man talked to Billy Moore and the sheriff on a conference call.

  “You and Jesse are officially off the hook. The warrant’s been cancelled and I’ve got one of my associates in Dallas going by to pick up your guns tomorrow. I got a call from the Deputy AG about this, and he apologized and hopes we won’t sue. I told him we’d take that under advisement, considering your and Jesse’s names have been put out there for every druggie in the Southwest to take a shot at.”

  The old man grunted an acknowledgement, and the sheriff said, “Billy, I don’t have enough personnel to cover any real threat for any length of time, and I don’t know that even the additional manpower would help.”

  “Billy, Jose, don’t worry about it,” the old man said. “ People will make their try and die on the doorstep. After we kill enough of them, they’ll stop trying. Plain and simple.”

  “At least make sure they’re on your property, John,” Jose said.

  And Billy chimed in, “Or get extra diesel for the backhoe— just saying John.”

  ***

  At the hospital, Matt and Felicia had walked down to get coffee and give Aaron some privacy. They got coffee and sat in a back corner of the cafeteria; Matt just looked at Felicia. “I’m sorry about what happened in Texas, I didn’t mean to leave without talking to you.”

  Felicia laid a hand on Matt’s arm. “I understand. You had to go right then and there. I too wanted to see you again, but did not want to seem forward. I live down in Escondido. It is what we could afford, and a nice little house. My job with the Border Patrol is out of Santee, East of El Cajon. I’m how you say, jack of all traces?”

  Matt smiled. “It’s jack of all trades Felicia, so you do a little bit of everything? Is that what you mean?”

  She sighed. “Yes, everything but change oil in the trucks and if they could figure out a way, I’d be doing that too. I am supposed to be translator, but when I’m not, I do what needs to be done.”

  Felicia looked at her watch. “I need to go. I have to get to sleep early because I leave for work at six in the morning.”

  Screwing up his courage, Matt t
ook a step toward her. “Felicia can I get your number and call you later?”

  Felicia smiled. “Of course, Matt.”

  They exchanged numbers and Matt walked Felicia to her little Toyota and he felt like walking on air going back into the hospital. Back in Aaron’s room, he asked, “Any idea how much longer they will keep you here?”

  “I think they were talking about putting on a hard cast tomorrow, then kicking me out. The nurse was saying four to six weeks in the hard cast then rehab, but I don’t think it will take that long. I start PT day after tomorrow after the cast sets.”

  “Okay, I’m still in the TQ, at least for tonight. I’ll go check on the apartment when I leave here. Jesse doing okay?”

  Aaron shrugged. “She’s happy this bullshit is over, but I think her hip is bothering her more than she’s letting on. And I think she’s going to work and sitting crooked and it’s making her back and ribs hurt worse! Damn stubborn woman!”

  Matt laughed. “Pot calling the kettle black there, Aaron. I remember you pulling the same shit after Fallujah.”

  Aaron cocked his head. “So, what’s with you and Felicia? Y’all were gone a long time.”

  “Well, we wanted to give you some privacy, so we got coffee and talked, and I’ve got her number so maybe I’ll give her a call,” Matt said. “Okay, I’m outta here, I’ll go see what shape the place is in, and at least unload the trucks.” Matt stood. “Also, I’ll call shipping and see if they can set up a delivery for tomorrow afternoon. You can probably supervise if nothing else.”

  Aaron nodded, planning the grief he would give Matt later, as Matt left.

  Back in Texas, Jesse mulled over what she needed or wanted to do. “Papa, I’m trying to go back to work, but between the hip and the ribs, I’m hurting and it’s to the point I can’t sleep worth a damn at night either.”

  “Well, they told you to stay out until you felt like it,” the old man said. “So, I’d call them tomorrow and say you’re going to be out at least another week. And if I were you, I’d go see Doc Truesdale tomorrow. And I damn sure don’t want you back in the patrol car for at least a month. I’ve already cleared that with Jose, and you’re off the schedule until at least the first of November.”

  Jesse sighed. “Papa, that’s just part of it. I’m having some nightmares too, and I don’t know how to deal with them, I keep… Well, I keep seeing those two coming at me, and I can’t fire… Or the gun doesn’t work or something.”

  The old man got up and walked to the couch, sitting beside Jesse and putting his arm around her shoulder. She slumped gratefully into his arms.

  “Hon, those will be with you forever. They’ll fade eventually, but sometimes things will bring ‘em back. You know you did the right thing, and God knows what would have happened if you hadn’t shot. Well, actually you probably wouldn’t be sitting here… Remember, a nightmare can’t hurt you, it’s not real. Wake up, drink a glass of water, get up and move around. And stop worrying about them, the more you worry…” He held up his hand as Jesse looked up in frustration. “It sounds impossible, but it’s not. Just put the damn things out of your mind. You used to listen to the radio at night, do that again. You’re not going to get over them tomorrow, but I promise you they will go away.”

  Feeling her sigh in his arms, he continued, “Jesse, you’re under a lot of stress, between trying to get well, worrying about Aaron, and your job, all those things contribute. I know Doc gave you some sleeping pills. I want you to take one tonight. Okay?”

  “Okay, Papa,” Jesse said. “I’ll try. I’m like you, though. I hate pills and not being aware of what’s going on. And you’re right I do worry about Aaron, he’s a long way away and in a hospital with nurses…”

  The old man burst out laughing, “Jesse you have nothing to worry about, trust me, you’ve never seen military nurses, I have. They ain’t like the ones you see on TV.”

  Over the next month, both Jesse and Aaron mended, and talked almost every night. Aaron usually bitched about either the paperwork of being a squad leader, or the PT, or the professional training he was doing. All this stuff was required, but he admitted he’d rather be in the field, and actually doing things with his troops.

  Matt and Felicia cautiously established a friendship, and saw each other a couple of times a month. Matt’s job at the base range depended on which phase of training was going on, with day and night shoots occurring sporadically, and he also found out he was responsible for Reserve unit training, but he got a handle on it.

  Jesse’s hip finally healed and she was able to get back to work, and slowly started working out and jogging again, but her situational awareness was much higher now, and she never went anywhere without her pistol close. She met Trooper Wilson, and the two of them hit it off, and started getting together weekly to work out and talk.

  The old man was quiet and watchful, and he and the sheriff continued to pulse all their contacts to see if there was any word on the street about a hit. Thanksgiving came and went with nothing popping, although both Aaron and Matt were stuck with the duty and had to stay in California, much to Jesse’s disappointment.

  Jesse had finally gotten fully back in shape and was back patrolling to make up her hours to get the forty hour per month average she needed, but she also realized she needed to see Aaron, and scratch another itch.

  Saturday morning she called him and woke him up. “Hey you, grumpy! You trying to sleep in again?”

  Aaron mumbled, “Normal people do sleep in on the weekends you know. What damn time is it anyway?”

  “Oh it’s nine here,” Jesse said. “I’m getting ready to head out on a ride, but I wanted to know if you’re going to be around in two weeks.”

  Aaron was suddenly wide awake. “Why?”

  “Cause I want to come see your dumb ass!” Jesse said. “It’s been almost three months and I want to look you in the face, and hold you in my arms, okay?”

  “Jesse, I want that too,” Aaron said. “But dammit we’re going in the field Monday. I know we’re supposed to be back, lemme see, twelve days from now, so that…”

  “That would be Thursday, so I’ll fly in Wednesday night and get Matt to let me in, okay?”

  “Uh, sure…”

  “Well gee, you just sound so enthusiastic!” Jesse said. ”Seriously, if it’s a problem, I won’t come.”

  Aaron jumped. “No, dammit Jesse, I’m half awake and I want to see you. I’ll help pay the ticket and figure out how to get you here. You going to fly into San Diego?”

  “Nope, Papa won’t let me, because of the druggies, I can fly in to Los Angeles, it’s cheaper anyway. I’ll get a rental and drive down, and plan to be there around six in the evening. And if Matt’s not around, I’ll call Felicia and we’ll go do a girls night out!”

  Aaron groaned. “Oh God, not a girl’s night out! You’ll be grumpy as hell and … and…”

  Laughing, Jesse said, “Oh shut up, you’ve never seen me after a girl’s night out, so I don’t want to hear it! I’m going riding then I’ll come back and make the reservations. Do you still want to come here for Christmas?”

  Aaron sobered. “Yeah, if y’all don’t mind. There’s not much for me at home between my brother and sister, I’m pretty much the baby killer in the family and they’ve managed to turn the folks against me.”

  Jesse heard the pain in Aaron’s voice, but knew she couldn’t do anything. “Okay, do you know if Matt wants to come too?”

  “I don’t know,” Aaron said. “I think it depends on what Felicia is going to do. Matt doesn’t say much, but I think they’re getting pretty serious.”

  Jesse laughed. “So who is chasing who?”

  28 On The Range

  Matt came awake suddenly, and couldn’t figure out why. Then, he heard another soft scraping sound. Getting up quietly, he grabbed his Glock and moved down the hall toward the noise, as the light in the kitchen came on. Coming around the corner of the hall, he broke out laughing as he saw a sleep-tousled Jesse tryi
ng to reach the coffee can up on the top shelf.

  Rounding on the laughter, Jesse spat, “You asshole! Get over here and get the damn coffee down. I hate you tall sumbitches… Anybody with any common sense has the coffee near the damn coffeepot.”

  This caused Matt to laugh even harder as he came into the kitchen and laid his Glock on the counter, making sure it was pointed in the safe direction. He pulled the coffee can down. “Sorry, Jesse, neither Aaron or I has any problems with it, didn’t think about you; damn, why are you getting up at four AM!”

  Defensively Jesse shot back, “Hey, this is sleeping in for me. I’m normally up at oh dark thirty at home, and that would have been an hour and a half ago! And I was trying to be quiet since I knew you needed your beauty sleep, so there.” She stuck her tongue out at Matt.

  Matt chuckled. “You should have just banged stuff around, that’s how Aaron and I both do it, so we both sleep right through that. Well, now that I’m up, are you going to fix the coffee or play with it?”

  Sticking out her tongue again, Jesse loaded the coffeepot and started hunting through the fridge for breakfast things. Not finding anything to make, she turned back to Matt. “Gah, don’t you have anything edible in this place, all I see is junk food and protein bars, which by the way do not need to be refrigerated! Can I borrow the keys to Aaron’s truck? I’m up and now I’m hungry.”

  Matt pointed at the coffeepot. “Coffee, shower, clothes and I’ll take you to breakfast. I needed to go in early this morning anyway, as we’ve got a test shoot today on the Barrett MRADs we got in Friday. The colonel wants everything set up by zero nine hundred for the scout snipers to come over and test fire them.”

  Jesse pulled the coffeepot out, stuck a cup under the drip, poured Matt a cup and handed it to him. Pulling her cup half way out, she topped it off and deftly switched the pot back under the drip and took off for the bathroom without a word.

  Twenty minutes later, Jesse came out of the bedroom dressed in a dark top, jeans and boots; she twisted her hair into a pony tail, threw a wrap on it and twirled her cap on her hand. Matt was sitting at the kitchen table waiting in his Utility uniform and Jesse said, “I thought we were going to breakfast?”