by C. L. Brees
“Oh, stop being so dramatic, Amy. I’d never put your life in jeopardy, crazy girl.”
“I know you would never put me in danger; not intentionally at least. Did you figure out what you’re going to say to her yet?”
“I have something, but we’ll see what happens once I see her.”
Looking towards the north side of the parking garage, Alex saw the same white van that had been following them to the library. The van was parked in a spot very close to the elevator that they were approaching. He observed two men sitting in the front seat smoking cigarettes, their beady eyes watching them closely as they walked across the parking garage.
For the first time that day, Alex began to feel a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. If the two men sitting there were undercover police protecting them, they sure didn’t fit the typical profile of the Ridgewood Police. The man in the driver’s seat was an older gentleman in his late thirties. He appeared to be tall with an overgrown beard, and it appeared as though he hadn’t showered in weeks. He puffed his cigarette and conversed with the younger man sitting in the passenger seat. The passenger was a much shorter, clean cut man. He had a distinguished eastern European look about him, although Alex couldn’t quite place where he was from. Wherever it was, he knew that they were definitely not from anywhere near Denver.
They continued moving towards the elevator. Alex interlinked his arm with Amy to help them pick up the pace without alerting Amy to his suspicions. Once they were out of view from the two men he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He flipped open the keyboard and began typing a text message to Mike. He wanted to let him know about the two out of place men that had been following them all morning.
Mike, I don’t know what’s going on, but I think we’re being followed.
Alex quickly hit “send” and slipped the phone back in his front pocket. Amy caught this out of the corner of her eye and gave him a glance. “What were you doing just now?”
“Oh, that? I was just checking in with Mike.”
“Oh, that’s probably a good idea, seeing as how he’s supposed to be watching us,” she answered as they entered the elevator.
“I’m sure he is. Let’s face it though, we’re pretty far out of his jurisdiction at the moment. Besides, he should be focusing his attention on finding Heather and figuring out who killed all of those people yesterday. If we were in immediate danger, he would have picked up the phone to call us.”
“I sure hope you’re right, Alex,” she said as the elevator door opened on the third floor of the hospital.
Stepping off of the elevator, they casually approached the nurse’s station, where a polite younger nurse greeted them with a smile.
“Good morning, may I help you?”
“I’m looking for Dr. Carol Jones. I’m her son, Alex.”
“Oh yes, good morning. Give me a moment and I’ll page her. In the meantime, just have a seat in the waiting area, and I’ll let her know where you are.”
“Thank you,” he politely remarked as he and Amy walked towards the waiting area.
As the two sat down in a row of red chairs, Amy looked at Alex. “I’ll wait out here for you while you talk to your mother.”
“Yeah, good idea. I really don’t want to bring you into this mess. You’ve already been dragged into it a lot so far. I’m sure the less you know right now, the better it will be for you.”
“I told you already, Alex: we’re in this together. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve gone through a lot more shit than this lately. There’s no turning back now. Either we’re in this until the end, or we stop right here, say hello to your mother, and return back to our semi-normal lives.”
“Well, I want to know the truth, and the only person who holds the key to that is my mother. I say we continue on and stick this out until the end, no matter what happens,” Alex sighed just as he could see his mother approaching the waiting area from down the hallway.
“Good luck,” she said as Alex stood to his feet. “And be nice to your mother.”
Alex began walking towards his mother, who flashed a half-smile at him as he inched closer to her. The look upon her face was that of someone who knew things were about to get serious. As Alex got closer to his mother, his face remained steadily blank without emotion. Those thoughts began rattling around in his head again.
Just stay calm Alex. Don’t make this into a scene. Just ask for the facts, that’s all. Leave your emotion out of this.
The two met halfway down the hallway as Ms. Jones began to speak. “Alex, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?”
Quickly grasping his mother’s arm, he replied, “We have to talk, mom. I am sure you can spare a few moments for your son, right?
“Oh, um sure, I can spare a few minutes, Alex. Let’s go somewhere a little more private and talk,” she said as Alex loosened his grip on her arm.
“Yeah, that’s an excellent idea, mom. This isn’t something I want everyone walking by to hear,” he hinted as they began walking down the white, sterile hallway where the air was filled with the scent of disinfectant.
They disappeared into an office located at the end of the hallway. The door to her office stood half open. The dimness of the office light was a stark contrast to the bright overhead fluorescent lights that illuminated the hallway outside her office. She stepped behind her bulky, wooden desk and sat down in her black, ergonomic swivel chair. Alex in turn sat down opposite her in a white, thick cushioned armchair. She was nervous about what he was going to say, so she began fumbling with some papers that had been scattered upon her desk. Thinking she was killing a little time, she stacked them into a nice, neat pile as Alex continued staring at her waiting for her to finish. She sensed that whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good news and stopped fumbling and looked up at Alex as she softly coughed.
“Alex, are you sure you’re alright? You look a little flushed.”
“So, I’ve just spent the past half hour driving here, telling myself to just stay calm about the news that I just learned,” Alex declared as Carol stood from her chair and walked towards the cracked door, peering outside up and down the hall before closing it.
Returning to her seat she inquisitively asked, “Oh, what news would that be?”
“Does the name Robert Stahl mean anything to you?”
He watched as the color in her face drained to a pale white within a matter of seconds. Her lower lip had begun to quiver slightly and her eyes moved side to side as though she was trying to process the name she just heard. “Who did you say?”
“Robert Stahl. Turns out he too was an FBI agent from Colorado Springs, who just happened to be murdered on the same day that my father was murdered. Strange how I was under the impression that his name was Robert Jones. I mean, that’s what you’ve told me my entire life. So you can see why I am confused and coming to you for a little clarification.”
She plopped back down into her seat, running her hands across her face. “I never thought in a million years that you’d ever figure this out. I figured you’d just take what I told you at face value and move on. I guess I underestimated your desire to learn more.”
Getting antsy, Alex bellowed out, “So who was he? Better question: who am I? I have to know this, mom.”
Sighing she turned her head towards the wall. “I won’t keep this from you anymore, Alex. Go ahead and relax, sit back. There is a story behind this that is going to shock you.”
She picked up a black fountain pen from her desk and began fumbling with it. She was hesitant to open this Pandora’s Box; even speaking the truth could put their lives in grave danger. She eventually mustered up the courage, and after a few moments of struggling, she started at the beginning.
“To begin with, your name isn’t Alex Jones; it’s Marshall Stahl. You were born in Colorado Springs at Memorial Hospital on August 2nd, 1981. And as you have probably already guessed, my name isn’t Carol Jones; it’s Denise Stahl. And as you have alrea
dy realized, your father was Robert Stahl. We were placed in the witness protection program after your father’s murder. It wasn’t the life that I would have chosen for us, Alex. I remember our life in Colorado Springs was absolutely wonderful. We had a quaint home, lived in a safe neighborhood, and you were just about to finish kindergarten. Your father began working for the FBI somewhere around mid-1984, and after a year or so they asked him if he would accept an undercover job. Your father was always so eager and so badly wanted to move up within the bureau; so he accepted their offer,” she said as she paused momentarily. “His assignment was to gather intel on some Russian men who arrived in Denver. Now these aren’t the type of men that you want to cross. After some time, your father’s hard work began to pay off when they began trusting him more and divulging more information to him.”
Alex interrupted, “Why would dad do this? I mean, didn’t he know that risk involved?”
“I’m sure he knew, but he was just doing what he swore to do—to uphold the law. These men were bad, I mean evil to the core. They told your father about all of the illegal things they were doing…drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder. Your father took all of this information back to the bureau, and because of him they were able to shut the operation down. I remember that day so clearly: in January 1987, their criminal enterprise was raided, and several of the men were arrested and federally charged with murder, possession, racketeering, and money laundering. Your father came home that night so excited. He felt that justice was finally going to be served and that there were five criminals off the street that day.”
“So then, what you’re telling me is that what I read this morning was right?” he asked as he sighed and leaned back in the chair, folding his arms across his chest.
“Yes, you were right. The downfall of his excitement was that he basically signed his death warrant right then and there once he showed up with the FBI to arrest them. To make a long story short, these men were pissed and put a hit out on your father later that same day. I’m not sure if you remember the actual murder taking place or not.”
“I can only remember bits and pieces of that day. Lately though, I’ve been having vivid dreams, and then with the robbery and murders yesterday, I dunno, something in my mind snapped and all of these emotions began flooding my brain.”
“Well, let’s fill in those gaps. I’m going to tell you everything that happened that day, but do not pass anything I tell you on. It was a cold, rainy day in May, 1987. It was the 12th. You were a few months away from turning six when it happened. I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready, and out of the blue I heard the gunshot blast outside. I dropped the knife I was holding in the sink and rushed out the front door. Your father lay there, convulsing on the ground as the raindrops beat down upon him,” she concluded as she began to softly cry.
“Oh mom, everything is going to be alright. I know his death and keeping all of this a secret for so long has probably been harder on you than it has me. All I have are flashbacks of someone being gunned down in front of a house, but I don’t remember the house every well. I just remember stairs and rosebushes outside the front door. I wasn’t sure if the images I keep seeing were real, or if it was something that I have just imagined,” he confessed as Carol shook her head. “What are you shaking your head about?”
“Here’s the part of the story you won’t like very much,” she pointed out as she hung her head down towards the floor, gathering her thoughts for a minute.
“Well, spit it out woman.”
“Remember how I said we entered the witness protection program?”
“Yeah, what about it? Wait…does this mean that I can never go back to being Marshal Stahl ever again?”
“I’m sorry, we can never go back to who we used to be. Furthermore, you can never tell anyone about this. No one, not even Amy.”
“Wait a minute! You drop all of this information on me and then tell me that I’m someone I’m not, and worst yet, I can’t even tell my best friend in the entire world about what happened?”
“No, you cannot. These men could be looking for us. Do you know what they would do to us if they ever found us?”
“I can’t breathe; this is so overwhelming to me. Do you know how I feel? My entire life is some made up story. I have to get out of here,” he uttered as he made his way towards the door.
Carol ran towards the door, slamming her hand on the door and grabbing him by the forearm, “Damnit, Alex, all of this was for our own good. Do you want either of us to die? Because that is exactly what is going to happen if you tell anyone. You can’t tell Mike, Amy, no one. Do you hear me?”
Pulling her hand from his arm, Alex huffed and returned towards the door. “I hear you. I’m not very happy with you at the moment, but I read you loud and clear, mom. You know, maybe Amy is right.”
“I don’t understand, right about what?”
“Maybe I do need a change of scenery. Going to New York with her might be exactly what I need.”
“Alex, don’t be like this. We can discuss this more tonight when I get home.”
“I’ll be out tonight. Brandy is in town from Colorado Springs and wants to see me. Give me some space to be mad for a little while, alright? I won’t be mad forever.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“We might have a problem though. Amy was with me when we both figured out that I’m not Alex Jones. Also, a strange white van has been following us all day. It followed us all the way into Denver and then parked a half block away from us. It was also in the parking garage when we arrived. It was almost as if they knew I was coming here.”
“Have you told Mike about this? Could it be he is having you watched given the recent events?”
“I sent him a text message earlier. I still haven’t heard back from him yet. No need to fear though, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Better to be safe. Please call me when you get home. I have rounds all afternoon, but I will have my cell on me.”
“Sure thing mom, but I’m still pissed, just in case you forgot.”
Alex opened the door and walked back into the brightly lit corridor towards the waiting room where Amy was waiting for him to return. His mind began to wander with thoughts, visions, and locked memories as he walked slowly down the hall. His whole life now felt like an entire fraud, his entire identity shattered into pieces of discarded paper right before his eyes. Looking down the hall, the happy faces of the nurses and doctors greeted him as he walked by in a daze. Just ahead he could see Amy slowly standing to her feet to meet him at the nurse’s station.
“How did everything go, Alex?”
“Let’s talk about that in the car. Right now I just want to get out of here and get some fresh air.”
Walking past the nurse’s station, the young lady behind the desk waved as the two of them passed by. Amy smiled and nodded in acknowledgement of the nice gesture. Alex, however, walked on past with a blank look upon his face. The two of them approached the elevator; Alex reached out his hand and pressed the up arrow.
After the stood patiently at the elevator for what seemed like an eternity, the doors slid open and they walked in. Alex stood there in a trance as Amy slowly reached over and pressed the ‘P6’ key. They stood there in complete silence. Amy glanced over towards Alex and studied his face. She knew he was extremely upset. It was written all over his face but she figured if he wanted to discuss it then she would be there to lend an ear.
The doors opened swiftly and the musty smell of the garage hit Amy in the face as she walked into the garage. She looked around casually and finally turned to Alex. “Alex, do you still see that van anywhere in here?”
Breaking from his trance he too looked around the garage. “No, it’s not here anymore…well, not that I can see. Maybe we’re in the clear now.”
“I hope so. So, what are we going to do now?”
“We’re going back to Ridgewood Hills. I want to have a look through some of my father’s things that my mother ke
pt. Maybe I can learn more about him that way.”
“That sounds like a good plan to me. I’ll even help you if you want,” she offered as she sat down in the passenger seat.
“Yeah, thanks, right now I could sure use the company.”
Alex kept his eyes on the lookout for the white van he had seen parked outside the elevators earlier, but for now it seemed that maybe they had lost interest. He wondered to himself if Mike was having them followed for their own protection. He wasn’t sure what was really going on, but he was bound and determined to figure it out.
As he drove down the road, his cell phone began ringing. He glanced down towards the ashtray in his car; it was Brandy calling. He reached down for the phone quickly and flipped it open.
“Hey Brandy, what’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing. I wanted to let you know that my meeting is going to be cut short today. I should be out to your place around two o’clock this afternoon. Are you going to be around?”
“Yeah, Amy and I are just heading back to the house right now. I have just had my life turned upside down. I’ll tell you more about it when I see you tonight. I don’t know how secure this line is anymore,” he admitted as Amy looked at him, puzzled.
“Um, ok, this sounds completely crazy and serious. I definitely want to hear more about this when I get there.”
“Oh yes, you’ll be quite shocked,” he chuckled, “but I’m going to get going; I need to focus on the road.”
“Alright, see you in a bit.”
Alex hung up the phone and continued driving towards Ridgewood Hills. It was fast approaching eleven o’clock in the morning, and Alex was in a hurry to get home to begin his search into his father’s past.