“Mr. Scott.” She beckoned, and Jason couldn’t conceal his relief as he stepped up to the bars. Her voice lowered. “You have a visitor.
Place your hands through the slot so I can cuff them.” Confused, he complied.
As the detective led Jason down the hall, he noticed the T-shirt under her jacket. “Is that an R.E.M. shirt?” And was that a blush?
“Yes it is — from their Monster tour.” Jason chuckled. “My sponsor has that same shirt.”
“Mr. Scott, I’m sorry you’ve been in that holding cell for two days. There’s a backup on the docket, but they should get to your bail hearing this afternoon. We’re also short-staffed with guards, so I offered to escort you to your visitor.”
“And who might that be?”
“I believe it’s your father.”
Jason stopped short. “Why’s he here?” The detective shrugged.
“Do I have to see him?”
“You don’t want to see your own father?”
Jason paused. He didn’t know how to answer.
“Listen, you don’t have to see him if you don’t want to,” she said.
“But you might want to find out why he’s here. Have you even met with an attorney yet?”
He shook his head.
“Maybe your father can help you get a good attorney, not some overworked, court-appointed one.”
“That’s not likely.” Jason exhaled. “I don’t really want to see him, but I don’t want to go back to that cell either. Let’s go.” As they neared the visiting room, Jason hesitated again.
“Wait — what’s the set-up? Any barriers?”
“There are tables in the room. No barrier.” Once they entered the visiting room, she unclasped his handcuffs.
Jason immediately felt his father’s harsh gaze emanating from across the room. Jason took a deep breath and willed himself to walk forward.
His father’s crisp khaki uniform stood in stark contrast to Jason’s crumpled, half-unbuttoned shirt and jeans. They stared at each other until Jason took a seat, and his father reluctantly followed suit.
“How’d you know I was here?” Jason asked.
“I have my sources. MPs and police officers like to talk.” Jason couldn’t believe it, but as he watched, Cold Stone fidgeted a little on the bench.
“I — I can’t believe you turned yourself in.” Was that a hint of admiration in his father’s eyes? “My sponsor told me I should do it, and I agreed,” Jason said. “I’m sick of you lording this over me. It actually felt good to confess.”
“Well, I think it’s the dumbest thing you’ve done yet.” The typical hostility and impossibly high expectations returned. “You’re dragging our family name through the mud.”
“So it’s okay if you turn me in, but not if I turn myself in? What kind of logic is that?”
His father did not respond. “Your mother tells me you’re an alcoholic,” he said instead.
Bitterness coated Jason’s tongue. “Yes I am, Dad. I’m the family screw-up, just like you predicted.”
“I don’t know how both my sons became addicts. I don’t know where things went wrong.”
He looked off into space, and Jason was amazed yet again to hear self-doubt from his father’s lips.
“At least Leo was clean on his last drug test,” his father added.
“That means squat,” Jason countered. “Leo will keep abusing pills until he gets treatment.”
“He doesn’t need treatment, and he doesn’t need a sponsor. He has me to watch over him, to make sure he has a successful Navy career.”
“What about when he goes to school? You can’t watch him every second.”
“His commanding officers will keep close tabs on him at the Academy.”
“Leo’s going to the Naval Academy? Is that what he wants?” CS waved dismissively. “Who cares what he wants? It’s what he needs.”
So Calculating Swine had predetermined the next nine years of Leo’s life. Jason hadn’t had the grades to earn even a consideration at the Academy, which was definitely a blessing. His father had seen it as a betrayal.
“Why are you here, Dad?”
“I honestly don’t know,” his father said, after a long pause. “When I heard you turned yourself in, I was shocked. I guess I had to see it for myself.”
“Well, freak show’s over.” Jason stood. He swallowed hard as his father also rose, and he straightened his spine to access every inch of his height. “When I get out of here, I’ll do everything I can to make you stop hurting my brother.”
His father gave a half-smile. “We’ll see about that. And I’m not hurting Leo. I’m helping him, by the way.” Jason scoffed. “Whatever gets you through the night.” Turning abruptly, he stalked off toward the waiting detective.
“That didn’t look like a happy visit,” Detective Easton said as they walked back to the holding cell.
“I need a drink,” Jason said. He now actually welcomed the return to the holding cell. At least nobody was disappointed with him there.
25. Partners
The water rushed past his ears, obliterating all other noise.
Sensory deprivation was one of swimming’s most appealing qualities for Leo. The worries of the day, the shouted voices around him, the disappointment of authority figures — all were far away once he submerged in the water and focused on swimming as fast as possible.
He did a lot of thinking during practice, sometimes solving problems and sometimes making plans.
They were doing a set of ten one-hundreds, each on a faster interval, which made for a challenging aerobic workout. Eric led the fastest lane, and Leo went second.
He pushed off for his seventh one-hundred, his legs burning from exertion. Long and smooth, he told himself, taking the first length out relaxed. As he approached the wall, he whipped his body over in a swift flip turn and exploded off in a tight streamline. For the next three lengths, Leo focused on keeping a long stroke with a lively tempo and closed fast on Eric’s feet. Both swimmers breathed hard at the wall and squinted at the pace clock. Leo only had little rest before he set off to repeat the process three more times.
Before number ten, Matt barked at him: “Make this one your best, Leo!”
Leo gritted his teeth as he pushed off for the last repeat. Lifting his head at the finish, he heard Matt holler “Fifty-two!” Leo grinned as he panted.
“Great set, guys.” Matt nodded. “Fifty easy cool down.” In the lane next to Leo, Audrey still battled through her own set of ten one-hundreds, all breaststroke. Elaine led the lane doing backstroke.
Matt now hovered over their lane. “C’mon, Audrey, get these last two under one-eighteen.”
As Leo finished an easy fifty backstroke, he heard Matt tell Audrey,
“One-twenty-one. You can do better than that!”
“I’m tired!” she huffed before she pushed off on the last repeat.
Toward the end of practice, Matt surveyed the group. “Okay, I know you guys are itching for taper to start. Hang in there. For the last set we’re doing partner pulls… co-ed partner pulls. Find your partner.” An excited buzz crossed the lanes as the swimmers paired up for the silly race. One swimmer would kick and the other pull, moving together as a unit. Leo submerged and crossed under the lane line to Audrey, grinning at his partner.
She smoothed her finger over the cut on his forehead. “It looks a lot better.”
He glanced at Elaine and Alex in the next lane. “We’re gonna win, Audrey.” A competitive fire flared in his gut. “You think we’d be faster if you pulled or kicked?”
“Your upper body’s stronger. You pull, and I’ll kick.” Leo nodded.
“Fifty sprint partner pull,” Matt said. “Let’s have the puller float out in front and the kicker push off the wall on my signal.” There was more than a little splashing and giggling as the pairs got into position.
“Ready, hup!” Matt yelled.
Leo felt Audrey thrust off the wall behind him, and h
e pulled strong, quick strokes, striving to keep his legs still. It was an unnatural sensation, but so much fun.
Despite their best efforts, he could see Alex and Elaine nudge ahead in the adjacent lane. Somehow the awkward unit navigated a joint flip turn and headed back toward their coach. Leo touched the wall seconds after Alex, and he looked over with a smug grin.
“Leona, you’re no match for me and my hag!”
Leo bared his teeth, breathing heavily. “Matt! We need a rematch.”
“Anyone object to round two?” the coach asked. His eyebrows lifted when nobody complained. “Okay, we’ll leave in one minute for a rematch.”
Leo bobbed up and down. “This time I’ll kick and you pull,” he told Audrey. “We’re gonna win.” Audrey smirked. “It’s not that big a deal.”
“How can you say that?” His jaw dropped. “Where’s your Pensacola Panther pride?”
She laughed. “You’re a dork.” She got in position, and with twenty seconds to go, Leo tickled her feet. She shrieked.
Leo glared at Elaine in the next lane as she clutched Alex’s ankles.
“Bring it on, sistah.”
She flashed an evil grin.
At the start, Leo’s tired legs exploded, churning the water behind him and willing Audrey’s body forward. They took a slight lead on the first length, and somehow they perfectly coordinated their joint flip turn. They sprinted back and managed to finish well ahead of the fag and his hag.
“Yesss!” Leo whooped, punching air. He grabbed Audrey in a hug and plunged her underwater with him. They exchanged goofy grins, staring at each other through their goggles.
He leaned forward and met her soft lips. Their first underwater kiss created bubbles that floated lazily to the surface. Audrey ran her fingers through his coarse hair, and they lingered until his lungs were bursting.
Surfacing and gasping for air, Leo waded to the wall. Matt beckoned, and Audrey came over too. “Hey, Leo, your brother just called.
He wants you to pick him up at the airport.”
“Jason’s still in town?” Leo’s brow furrowed. “Why does he need me to pick him up?”
“He mentioned something about returning a rental car.”
“Huh. Thank you, sir.” Turning away from Matt, Leo placed his hand on the small of Audrey’s back. “I gotta run. Pick you up tomorrow at five fifteen?”
Audrey nodded, and Leo jogged into the locker room. What did Jase need?
Leo slowly cruised through passenger pick-up at Pensacola Regional Airport. Why was his brother still in town? He wasn’t sure he wanted to see him.
After circling the airport twice, Leo finally found his brawny brother seated on a bench near curbside check-in. Jason wore the same wrinkled navy shirt and jeans he’d had on three days ago, and dark hollows smudged the skin beneath his eyes. He looked like someone who needed a friend, not someone who’d come to judge.
Time to man up and move forward, Leo told himself as he rolled down the window. He forced himself to smile. “Hey, big guy, got any Oxycontin you can sell me?”
Jason looked up and grinned as he sank into the passenger seat.
“Watch out for those pills. I hear withdrawal’s a bitch.” Easing the car back into the left lane, Leo wrinkled his nose.
“Uh, I know Seattle’s kind of earthy and granola, but they do believe in showers, right?”
“I’m surprised you can smell anything beyond the chlorine haze.
This car stinks like a freaking swimming pool.”
“Didn’t have time to shower once I heard you needed a ride. I’ll be in major trouble if I don’t get home soon.” Leo gave him a sideways glance. “So where to?”
“I’ll take a wild guess that I’m unwelcome at the Scott home, so I’ll see if I can stay at Marcus’s for a while.”
“Mr. Shale’s?”
“Yeah. I know the way — he doesn’t live all that far from Mom and Dad’s. Here, take this exit.” Jason gestured to the right.
“How do you know where he lives?”
Jason paused. “After Cruel Scumbag beat the crap out of me I hightailed it out of there and ran into Marcus. He’s a really good guy. Where did you go that night, by the way? CS was ticked when you were gone.”
“I went to Audrey’s.”
Jason nodded. “I meant to tell you earlier you got yourself a fine-looking girlfriend, Leo. Way to go.”
Leo smiled. “Audrey’s beautiful.” He remembered the brush of her soft mouth on his for their submerged kiss. “On the inside too.”
“Whoa, you got it bad.” Jason laughed. “I hope she’s going to the Academy too. You’re so whipped you can’t survive without her.” Leo’s smile vanished. “She’s going to FSU on a swimming scholarship.” He stared at the road. “I can’t believe I’m going to the Academy.
Part of me always wanted to test myself there — you know, see if I could survive whatever they threw at me. But it’ll suck to be away from Audrey.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great there, buddy.” Jason squeezed his shoulder.
“Pushup punishments will be like a breeze for you.” Leo blushed.
“Turn left here,” Jason said. “What happened after you went to Audrey’s? I was afraid of what CS would do when he found you…but I don’t see any new bruises.”
Leo sighed. “He barged in and told me there’d be ‘consequences’
for leaving the house without his permission. And then Audrey called him a jerk! It was so sweet. CS started threatening her, and I don’t know what overtook me, but I attacked him.” Jason eyes grew big. “You did? What happened?”
“I got him good, Jase.” A grin materialized.
“What, you weigh like a buck-sixty? How’d you pull that off?”
“I guess you started the job, and I finished it.” Satisfaction warmed Leo’s chest.
“I don’t like this, Leo. He won’t let this slide.”
“Well, since he returned from Miramar it’s been okay. As long as I keep giving him negative drug tests, he seems fine.” Jason scowled, clenching his fists. He continued giving curt directions to Marcus’s apartment.
“Jason? How can you stay in Florida? Aren’t you worried Dad will find out?”
“CS knows I’m staying,” Jason said. “Before I returned the rental car, I was at the courthouse for my bail hearing, and Dad visited me there. I turned myself in.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”
Jason sighed. “The truth is I keep relapsing. I did it again after you got beat up. I felt awful I didn’t protect you from CS.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“You’re seventeen! You might be all pleased with yourself for beating CS that one night, but he always wins. Don’t you know that?” Jason’s voice grew even louder. “He may end up killing you one day!” Leo cowered.
Jason breathed out in a huff. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I — I was trying to say I have to make amends to stop relapsing, and I can’t make amends if I’m hiding from the law. My sentencing hearing’s in March.” They drove in silence for a while, then Jason pointed to the right. “There’s Marcus’s apartment building. Right here.” Leo pulled his beat-up car into the parking lot. “So you’re, like, out on bail or something?”
“The judge didn’t set bail because I turned myself in. And, the detective — she said the stolen cell phones mysteriously showed up after an anonymous tip.” Jason turned to face his brother. “I think CS turned the phones in to the police. It had to be him, since he confiscated them from me. I’ll never understand that man,” he added.
Just then, a car pulled into the spot next to Jason, and the driver looked at them with surprise.
“C’mon,” said Jason. All three got out of their cars, but Leo stayed at the driver’s side door.
Jason asked, “Uh, Marcus, would it be okay if I stayed with you for a while? I, uh, I have nowhere else to go.”
“Of course. You can stay as long as you need. What happened at the
courthouse?”
“My sentencing hearing’s March fourteenth. I’m charged with grand larceny, a third-degree felony.”
“A felony?” Leo gasped.
Mr. Shale looked at Leo, who quickly tried to hide the scar on his forehead and bruise on his jaw. The counselor gave him a knowing look. “I knew I should’ve made a report.”
“Don’t!” Leo and Jason said at once.
“You’re supposed to call right away,” Jason added. “It’s too late now.”
“Please don’t,” Leo begged. “I hit my dad back this time, and he won’t do it anymore. Please, it’ll only make things worse, sir.” Jason nodded. “He’s almost eighteen.”
“Yeah.” Leo glared. “If you make a report, I’ll say I got into a fight at school. Mr. Morrison will back me up.” Mr. Shale expelled a long sigh. “We miss you at group, Leo.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you had cravings for the pain meds?”
“No, sir.”
“That’s bull, Leo.”
Leo flinched and looked away. “I’m not going to use pills, Mr. Shale. I can’t.”
Mr. Shale sighed again. “If it gets bad, you cal me.” Leo nodded and took the offered business card. “My cell number’s on there.
Jason, you ready to go inside?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Wait, Jase!” Leo opened the car door and reached into the back seat. “Here’s an extra shirt for you. It’s all I have, but I can get you some more clothes if you want.”
Jason took the shirt. “Thanks, bro. Don’t tell CS where I’m staying. And give Mom a hug for me, will you?”
“When will I see you?”
“Once I figure out my next move, I’ll find you.” Jason’s eyes locked on his, and Leo felt his worry mix with guarded optimism.
Maybe, just maybe, CS wouldn’t always win.
26. Executive Officer of Cruelty
James beamed as he read the letter from Captain Payson. His department had achieved the highest safety and efficiency ratings for yet another quarter, and his CO was taking notice. James lingered on the praise: excellent leadership, a demanding yet fair approach, deserving of greater responsibility.
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