Line in the Shadow

by Clancy Nacht

  Crouching beside the musician, Rex verified a thigh wound, then glanced back at the stirring attacker. Rex locked his jaw as he reached into his ankle holster, withdrew the handgun stashed there, and took aim seconds before the attacker could point his own pistol at Rex.

  With a soft, weary sigh, Rex pulled the trigger. Blood bloomed on the dirty concrete as Rex’s ears rang from close-range gunfire.

  He’d shot the man between the eyes: efficient, effective, infallible.

  Shaking it off, Rex returned his attention to Ike and dialed 911. Holding Ike’s gaze as best he could, Rex gave the address, informed the dispatcher that EMS and the police would be required, and then ended the call despite the dispatcher’s urging he remain on the line. Rex’s hands shook as he put aside the phone and reached down to apply pressure to Ike’s knife wound.

  Ike shuddered. His gaze was glued to Rex’s hands. “You’re shaking.”

  Then Ike looked up at Rex, brows furrowed like he was noticing something new. “You shot a man.” He’d just been attacked; Rex couldn’t expect any deep observations. “You can shoot a man? But your hands are shaking. Are you okay?”

  Rex shushed Ike and kept pressure on the wound despite the urge to stroke Ike’s face. It wasn’t like he meant anything to Ike, and Rex had just blown whatever semblance of detachment he’d had.

  “I’m all right, Ike. Everything’s all right.” Rex glanced over at the three-eyed body and grimaced. He’d seen that face somewhere before. “It’ll be a lot of paperwork, but it’s okay. He was going to shoot us.”

  Looking back at Ike, Rex noted the paleness under his tanned complexion, the sweat beading on his brow. He was losing blood faster than Rex could staunch it. Trying to keep things on track, Rex asked, “Did you recognize your assailant?”

  “No.” Ike rested more heavily against the ground. “Never seen him before. Nicely dressed for a mugger.” He looked up at Rex again. “Are you a cop or something?”

  Rex chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, just a Company man.” The way Ike sagged onto the concrete, as if it was too tiring to remain sitting, set off warning bells. Rex strained his ears for some hint of sirens. “Help is on its way, Ike. Just stay with me, all right?”

  “Thought it was Nate, you know. Just thought he was going to yell at me all the way home.” Ike closed his eyes. “Shit. My daughter. Someone needs to call her. She needs to know what’s going on. My phone. It’s in my pocket. Tell her I love her.”

  “Okay, Ike. Just stay with me.” Rex shoved aside all his personal feelings, reached into Ike’s pocket, and withdrew the phone. He pulled up the favorites list, saw Kaylee’s name, and hit dial. When someone picked up, he put on his most soothing, official voice. “Good evening. I’m sorry if I woke you. I’m calling to let you know that Ike Graves has been involved in an incident.”

  The sound of nearby sirens pierced the urban hum at last and Rex went on, hoping he was telling the truth. “He’s going to be all right, but he wants Kaylee to know he loves her. Is this Kaylee?”

  “Oh my God.” The girl breathed slowly, as if she was trying to control her panic. “You said he’s going to be all right. What happened? Are you sure he’ll be all right? Who are you?”

  “This is his friend Rex. I’m with Ike now, and I’m taking care of him. I won’t let anything bad happen, okay?” Rex thought of Piper, of how she’d have felt getting a call that he was hurt. Then he realized it might not matter anymore. Somehow, that made it even more important Kaylee was okay. As the sounds of sirens grew closer, Rex reached into his coat for his CIA ID, holding it at the ready to prevent anyone getting the wrong idea.

  “Listen closely, Kaylee. I know you’re worried, but I need you to listen because I only have a few minutes before I have to go help Ike again. Is there someone who can take care of you for a little while?”

  “I have a sitter. When is he coming home? Are those sirens?”

  Rex didn’t know what Ike believed about child-rearing, but he wasn’t in any state to ask. Rex thought of what he’d want someone to tell his own little girl. “Yes, those are sirens. They’re very close now. The ambulance is almost here. Ike has an injured leg, but they’ll give him stitches and watch him for a bit at the hospital. He might not be home for a day or two.”

  He looked over at Ike, grimacing at the pain he saw on his face, then looked up the block to see flashing lights approaching. He was running out of time to have a brilliant idea. “Kaylee, will your sitter bring you to the hospital? I can meet you there and be sure you get to see Ike.”

  Kaylee was all business, her voice steadier now. “Tell me which hospital. I will be there. A couple of days, you say?” It sounded like she put her hand over the receiver. It muffled her voice, but he heard her say to someone else there, “Ike’s going to be in the hospital a couple of days. You’re taking me.”

  Rex searched the phone for the local hospital and gave Kaylee the name. Then he said, “I have to go now, Kaylee, but I will leave word with reception to expect you. I’ll keep Ike’s phone on me until he’s ready to take it, so if you need to reach me, just call his number.”

  Rex’s words came rapidly as he tried to get it all out before the ambulance and squad car arrived. With just a few seconds left, he held up his ID in one hand and kept the phone to his ear with the other. “It’ll be okay, Kaylee. Ike loves you. I’ll see you at the hospital.”

  Rex ended the call as a police officer parked five yards away and got out with his piece already aimed at Rex. Rolling his eyes, Rex barked, “Put down the gun! Rex Carver. Central Intelligence.”

  Rex looked over at Ike to see a look of confusion on his face, but he didn’t have time to speak to him before the EMTs, apparently assured Rex was on their side, rushed over with a stretcher. Meanwhile, the first police officer’s partner approached to take Rex’s ID.

  “Don’t go anywhere. My partner will mow you down.” The young man looked anxious, as if he’d never seen a CIA ID before.

  “I could use the rest.”

  The officer didn’t seem to find it amusing. To be honest, neither did Rex.

  “What happened?” A middle-aged, heavyset EMT with a deeply lined face bustled past and knelt beside Ike. She looked as if she’d seen more than her fair share of stabbings, and her attention had already focused on the wound. She applied pressure and succeeded, as far as Rex could tell, in stopping the worst of the bleeding.

  “He was stabbed in the thigh. No other direct injuries as result of assault. Weapon appeared to be a hunting knife, blade between three and five inches.”

  She nodded to him, then grunted at the other EMT. A moment later, they had Ike’s stretcher up and moving.

  As the policeman called in to verify Rex’s credentials, Rex hefted Ike’s guitar case and slung it across his back. He couldn’t shake the perception that he was floating in the middle of the chaos, somehow separate from the first responders’ rush.

  One of the EMTs started toward the dead man, but Rex shook his head. “He pulled his gun on me as I was attempting to offer aid to Mr. Graves. I had no alternative.”

  “Agent Carver!”

  Rex turned his head to see the policeman approaching with a look somewhere between resentful and awestruck. “Yes, officer?”

  “Do you need anything? Orders are to offer full compliance. Do I need to cordon off this area?”

  Rex realized he didn’t know yet. He’d been so caught up in Ike’s attack that he hadn’t even searched the body. Feeling feeble and stupid, Rex rifled the man’s pockets and came back with nothing. The sense that he was missing something nagged at the back of his mind.

  He didn’t have time to figure it out. Ike was already loaded in the ambulance. Determined to ride with them, Rex gave the policeman a hard stare. “Process the body in accordance with Confidential security practices. Above all, maintain the chain of custody. The Company may need to revisit this.”

  “Yes, sir.” The man gestured to his partner, and Rex realized the man
was still on the radio. “We’re waiting for specialized backup. I’m afraid we need to detain you unt—”

  “No.” Rex snatched his ID from the man’s hand. “I have to accompany that man to the hospital. It’s a matter of national security.”

  It had been so long since Rex had to stick around for the aftermath of any action that he’d forgotten how tiresome it was. Usually he was gone before the body hit the ground.

  “Wait!” Rex yelled at the ambulance just as the EMTs pulled closed the doors.

  They halted obediently, and Rex ran for it. He clambered into the back, took a seat on the tiny bench beside the mobile respirator, and tried not to get in anyone’s way.

  Chapter 4

  Ike lost consciousness on the way to the hospital. The EMTs appeared concerned, but not alarmed. The woman muttered to Rex that his blood pressure had dropped—probably due to a severing of his femoral artery. If Rex hadn’t applied pressure, Ike would have bled out. She quickly set to work providing Ike fluids as they raced through the streets to the hospital.

  Once there, they quickly got Ike inside, leaving Rex in the hallway with the admissions paperwork. He sat down and stared at the papers. Given his clearance, he could probably access every piece of information the form required, but it felt invasive.

  The waiting area was crowded with people in different levels of distress. A family cried in the corner after a doctor spoke with them. Another group of people were apparently continuing whatever fight had injured someone enough to wind up here. Security rushed to restrain them.

  The glass doors rolled open to reveal a young blond girl with long, wavy hair. She carried a lavender duffel bag in one hand and a guitar case strapped to her back. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, but she’d apparently pulled herself together to enter the chaos of the emergency room alone. Her lips were set in a hard line that scarcely resembled the brilliant grin of the little girl in Ike’s wallet photo.

  Rex stood. Her gaze rested on him, and she seemed to sense he was the man she needed to see. The cardigan she wore was several sizes too big for her—probably Ike’s. She pushed up the sleeves in what looked to be a losing battle, walked right up to Rex, and offered her hand.

  “I’m Kaylee Graves. You must be the spook on the phone. May I see your ID?”

  Kaylee’s manner caught Rex by surprise, but he didn’t show it. Instead he reached into his pocket, withdrew his credentials, and offered it to her to examine. “I’m Rex Carver, Ms. Graves. I’m honored to meet you, though I wish it was under more pleasant conditions.”

  She nodded and gave his ID the sort of thorough looking at that the ex-SEALs did. Apparently, the credentials passed scrutiny. She returned them and then eyed the clipboard in Rex’s hand. “Where is he?”

  “He’s in surgery, but it’s not too dire, so don’t worry.” Rex slipped his ID back into his pocket before offering her the clipboard. If she was going to behave like a miniature adult, he owed her the courtesy of playing along. “You probably know this stuff. Why don’t we go to one of the more comfortable waiting areas? You can fill it out there, and I’ll make sure the staff knows you’ve arrived.”

  Kaylee took the clipboard and hugged it to her chest. Rex could see a slight surge of panic in her eyes since the word surgery. “Are you saying it’s ‘not too dire’ because it isn’t or because you think I can’t handle it if it is? Because I’d rather know now than have him ripped away without me expecting it.”

  Rex fixed Kaylee with a sharp, respectful stare. “He would have died if I hadn’t been there. But I was. He’s going to be okay because he received first aid and arrived here in time. It was a near thing, but he’s not going to be ripped away tonight, so it’s safe to come have some coffee with an old spook and fill out the paperwork.”

  Starting toward one of the quieter areas away from main reception, Rex paused and glanced back at her, then beckoned with one hand. “I’ll answer all your questions, but not out here.”

  She paused and looked around with the sort of caution any parent would be proud to see their child display. Evidently he passed the second inspection because she followed him to a quieter spot with vinyl covered chairs and a potted plant. Dozens of outdated magazines covered the steel table.

  Kaylee pulled off her guitar and set it down next to her duffel bag. “I thought I could sing to him, maybe. He likes when I do that.”

  Her eyes grew glassy, but she lifted her chin and sniffled just once. “Thank you for being there for him.” She took a seat and looked down at the paperwork. “Nate was supposed to drive him home. What happened to him? Was he the one who stabbed Ike?”

  Rex didn’t know how much Kaylee knew about Ike’s personal life, and he didn’t want to create trouble for him. Selecting his words carefully, Rex said, “He and Nate had a disagreement about something, but I don’t know the details. Apparently, Nate refused to give him a ride, and Ike decided to walk. Whoever the attacker was, it wasn’t Nate.”

  Deciding she might want a moment, Rex smiled faintly at her. “I’m going to get us some coffee for our midnight vigil. Do you take cream and sugar?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Ew, no. Coffee’s gross. I’d rather have water. Or juice if there’s juice.”

  “My mistake, Ms. Graves. No coffee.”

  With a heavy sigh, she looked down at the paperwork and shook her head. “How am I supposed to know his social security number?”

  Rex resisted the urge to ruffle her hair. As much as she might remind him of Piper, she wasn’t his child. “Don’t worry about the things you don’t know. Just fill in the things that you do. The rest can wait until he’s awake.”

  Spotting a familiar nurse who’d already been properly impressed with Rex’s rank, he left Kaylee’s side to approach the man with a pleasant, blank smile. Rex pointed out Kaylee to him.

  “The man who was stabbed, Ike Graves? That’s his daughter, and he’s a single parent. She’ll be filling out his paperwork as well as she can, and you’ll need to be sure to keep her apprised of developments. Please make whatever arrangements are necessary.”

  “Yes, sir, Agent Carver.” The man nodded for emphasis and jotted a note on his clipboard before rushing off again.

  That accomplished, Rex gave Kaylee another glance to be sure she was all right, then headed into the relative quiet of the controlled access lounge to pour a giant mug of coffee. He doped it with enough cream and sugar to keep him wired indefinitely, then snagged a couple of plastic foil-top cups of apple juice for Kaylee. When he returned, he put them on the table in front of her, took a ginger seat on the hard chair, and blushed faintly at the fact he couldn’t sit comfortably because her adoptive father had done unspeakable things to his posterior.

  Her eyes were red again, but she was busily filling out the paperwork in loopy, girlish handwriting. It overflowed the industrial boxes. She wiped away a tear. “How could Nate have let him walk home? Daddy would never have done that to him. Not to anyone. It’s not fair. It should’ve been Nate.”

  Rex set his mug on the table, shook one of the little juice cups, and stuck a straw through the foil for Kaylee. He placed it in her line of sight without comment, then picked up his mug and took another deep swallow. “I didn’t think it was fair either. It’s why I was nearby, to make sure nothing bad happened. When it did, I was close enough to stop it.”

  Hesitating, Rex searched Kaylee’s expression. “He told me a little about what happened to your mom. I’m glad I could be there to stop you from losing him too. You’ve lost enough.”

  She tucked her head down further and sniffled. After a moment, she looked up again, picked up her juice cup, and drank. “I’m glad you were there. He’s never said anything about knowing a CIA person. Did you know my mom?”

  Rex processed that information quietly. “I don’t think I knew an Agent Graves, but I really don’t get to know many other agents. Anyway, Ike didn’t know about my job. He hasn’t known me long.”

  He gave Kaylee a wan s
mile and tried not to think about the fact Ike hadn’t even known his name until they were saying goodbye. He reached into his coat on habit to pull out a pill, then stopped. Instead, he pulled out his phone and held it for want of any better way to play that off.

  “She didn’t go by Graves. She was married once, before my father. Agent Schultz.” Kaylee shrugged. “It’s a big place, I guess. And it was a long time ago.” Kaylee frowned and returned to filling in the blanks.

  “How long has it been?” Rex wished for Kaylee’s sake that he could recall Agent Schultz. He remembered his own orphaned childhood, how difficult it had been when no one shared his sense of loss. Determined to give Kaylee something to hold onto, he brought to mind the faces of all the people he’d seen in the New York office.

  Using the spatial mnemonics he’d been trained with, Rex visualized the entrance to the building and flashed through the faces of the guards who’d been stationed there over Rex’s career, then main reception and those faces, then the faces of those who’d passed him in the lobby. A sick jolt in Rex’s gut made him fight to keep down his coffee.

  The attacker, the man he’d shot, had been in the New York headquarters at least once. Rex had seen him there. Whoever he was, he’d had the clearance to enter the building.

  “Four years.” She curled her hair around a finger. “I don’t remember much about it. Just that she was excited that she might get a promotion soon. She did a lot of computer stuff, I think.”

  “Hey, I see one of Ike’s doctors. I’m going to ask if there’s any updates. Hold tight for a moment, all right?” Rex gave Kaylee a quick smile, rose to his feet, and headed toward the nurse’s station with a purposeful step that belied the confusion he felt.