She finished packing and walked through her room, glancing back as she passed through the doorway. Matt would really love it here, she thought to herself, wondering if she could even begin to describe the house to him.
She could hardly believe that she was going to see her husband in a couple of days. Moving down the hall she passed the main staircase, instead opting for the one leading into the kitchen. When she emerged downstairs, she found Tara already waiting for her.
“Are you all ready?”
CJ nodded. “I can hardly wait.”
Tara grinned. “I don’t know if you’re more excited about the meet or seeing Matt.”
“I think you know the answer to that question,” CJ laughed.
“I’m not sure Pete would like the answer,” Tara added, picking up her bag. “Let’s get going.”
“Did Lacey already leave?” CJ asked as they got into the car.
“He’s heading up the advance team.” Tara nodded. “Pete is meeting us at the airport.”
“I’ll just be glad to get there,” CJ sighed.
“That makes two of us.”
Chapter 16
At the Santa Clara Invitational in California, the air hung thick with tension. The shooting at the meet in LA had everyone on edge, and security had been increased dramatically. Security sweeps had been made of the pool area and the bleachers the night before, as well as the morning of the meet. At this outdoor pool, CJ could only imagine the increased potential for something bad to happen.
As people entered the facility and passed through metal detectors, their bags and purses were searched. CJ noticed the extra security measures, but she passed through them without much thought. She knew she was taking a chance competing, and dwelling on it would only make her goals impossible to achieve.
CJ held up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked around. Coaches gave last-minute instructions to their athletes, and swimmers offered encouragement to their teammates about to compete. Pete stood beside CJ, as much a protector as a coach. Over the past two and a half weeks, she had realized that he had been recruited not only for his swimming knowledge, but also because he possessed the skills needed to help protect her. She stood beside him, fiddling with her goggles as though she hadn’t sized them weeks before.
She was invisible to the other competitors, CJ thought now. Pete was right that she would only be noticed if she placed in the top three. Even under normal circumstances, CJ doubted anyone would give her a second glance. Everywhere she looked, CJ saw the country’s top swimmers. She had checked in right behind the Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter freestyle from four years ago, and the current world-record holder in the 100-meter backstroke stood just a few feet away.
The media attention would be heavy during the final heats, which meant she would have to make her qualifying times long before then.
Besides Pete, only Lacey and Tara were in the pool area today. They had told her that a secondary team of U.S. Marshals was standing by outside. She also knew that they had teams at the other two meets she planned to attend over the weekend in case Malloy showed up again.
CJ was swimming under a new alias today, and Doug had already decided that she would use a different name in each competition. Only when the Olympic trials approached would the FBI step in and provide documentation to consolidate all of her qualifying times under one name.
At first, CJ wondered how she could compete in the trials with qualifying times under multiple names, but Tara finally revealed that Doug had met with the chairman of the Olympic Selection Committee a week earlier. Without revealing the sport involved, Doug had explained that he was protecting an athlete who would be competing under aliases to qualify for the Olympic trials. Doug and the chairman agreed that the FBI would provide documentation for all of CJ’s races so that her qualifying times could be resubmitted under her legal name.
CJ could hardly fathom the amount of work Doug had done to help her follow her dreams. He had asked her once why she couldn’t just wait and compete in the next Olympics, especially since she would still be young enough to be competitive. Now that he was engaged and looking forward to starting a family of his own, she thought he was beginning to understand.
If she followed her dreams now, she had a chance to achieve the goals that she and her father had worked toward for so many years, and a chance to move forward with her life with Matt. If she waited another four years, she would have to choose between swimming at the Olympics and starting a family. She had little doubt that her desire to have children with Matt would quickly win the battle over her dreams of Olympic glory, especially when faced with waiting for another four years. This was her one chance to see if she could really make it to the games without putting her future on hold.
As she watched some of the top swimmers in the country preparing for their races, nerves fluttered in her stomach. She tried to visualize her race, but images of Malloy at her last meet kept pushing their way into her mind. With all of the extra security, she knew she should feel safe, but doubt still lingered as she stretched. Doug had even warned her that once her times were posted, she might be identified. Of course, he was optimistic that they could get her out of the area before anyone realized who she was, or he never would have let her compete.
Throughout warm-ups, CJ tried to ignore the talk about the LA shooting, yet it seemed like no one was talking about anything else. By the time she checked in for her race, she had a pretty clear picture of what had happened. Several of the swimmers at the meet had been right next to her double when she was shot.
As they approached the blocks, CJ realized why Doug had neglected to tell her where her double had been when the incident occurred. CJ’s hands began to shake as her race neared, and she spent more time looking at the people on deck and in the stands than concentrating on the pool.
She pushed aside the frightening images, instead focusing on the roar of the crowd. Today, none of the cheers were for her. She had convinced herself that it didn’t matter. Now, in the midst of competition, she could remember all too clearly what it used to be like.
Paralyzed by her emotions, CJ sat down on the chair behind the blocks. She dropped her head into her hands, praying silently. “Father, please help me get through this safely. Help me do my best.”
Her head came up as her event, the 400-meter individual medley, was called. For a fleeting moment, she considered staying in the chair. After all, this was the event that she was the most unsure of. She didn’t have to take this opportunity to qualify, since she probably wouldn’t make the Olympics in the 400 IM. Annoyed at her train of thought, she forced herself to stand. “I can do this,” she muttered to herself.
Determined to enjoy the moment, she glanced at the swimmer next to her, Kristin Hart. CJ had dreamed of situations like this. Kristin Hart was arguably the best woman in this event—not only in the United States, but in the world. Just two months before, she had broken the world record in this event at the U.S. Nationals.
Forcing her gaze back to the pool, CJ scolded herself. How could she swim her best if she kept letting her mind wander? This is an opportunity, CJ thought. Surely she would not face a more formidable opponent than Kristin before the Olympic trials, especially since her biggest competition in the breaststroke was Bridget Bannon. The marshals would undoubtedly keep CJ away from any meets near Philadelphia, which meant she and Bridget probably wouldn’t cross paths before the trials.
CJ’s thoughts were interrupted when the whistle blew, indicating that they should step up on the blocks. CJ pressed her goggles into place. Her heart pounded as she let her arms dangle by her sides, trying to keep her muscles loose as the tension continued to build. She had already made it into the trials, she reminded herself. This was just another opportunity.
When the command came to take her mark, she gripped the front of the starting block and every muscle in her body tensed. At the starting buzzer, her body responded instinctively, stretching out over the water in a r
acing dive. The shock of the cold water enveloped her and she moved through the water with rapid dolphin kicks. She could see Kristin out in front of her when she surfaced, but she quickly schooled her eyes on the far end of the pool. Her arms cleared the water with each stroke, entering when they were nearly straight in front of her. Beneath the water, her hands moved efficiently, reaching for deep water and pushing her forward with amazing speed. She found her rhythm two strokes into the race and managed to stay close to Kristin through the butterfly. On the backstroke, CJ fell behind, two swimmers closing in on her as she tried to apply the skills Pete had taught her over the past couple of weeks.
When she turned into the breaststroke leg, CJ came alive. She hunched her shoulders then thrust her arms out in front of her as her powerful kick propelled her forward. With each stroke she pulled away from the rest of the field, gaining on Kristin. CJ could feel the adrenaline and the power of her stroke rushing through her, and though her muscles began to tire, she ignored the fatigue. She knew she couldn’t afford to give anything less than her best, and with each stroke she became more determined. When they turned into the final leg, CJ was within two body lengths of Kristin. However, Kristin then maintained the distance between them, finishing with a solid time. CJ finished over three seconds behind her.
As the swimmers finished, the scoreboard lit up with the times and places. CJ’s time was the second best in the preliminary heats. Most importantly, she had achieved her Olympic-qualifying time, by far the fastest 400-meter IM she had ever swum.
Her heart still pounding, CJ rested on the lane rope and reached out a hand to Kristin. “Congratulations. That was a great swim.”
Kristin took her hand and gave her a puzzled smile. “You too.”
“Thanks.” CJ looked back up at the scoreboard at their posted times, and could still hardly believe the number next to her name. If all went well, her time might actually be fast enough to send her to the Olympics in the 400-meter IM.
CJ climbed out of the pool and grabbed her towel from behind the block. Pete appeared at her side a moment later, her swim bag in his hand.
“Good swim,” Pete said, taking her by the arm and leading her away from the pool.
“Is something wrong?” CJ asked when she saw Tara heading toward them.
“After you cool down, we’re going to take off,” Pete stated casually.
CJ studied him for a moment, relieved that there didn’t seem to be any urgency as they walked. When they moved to the parking lot, CJ noticed that she was being shielded, with Pete and Lacey walking on either side of her and Tara directly in front of her.
When they finally got out to the rental car, Lacey turned to her. “The media is already setting up for this afternoon’s races. We can’t take a chance of keeping you here.”
As soon as they were all in the car, Tara added, “Doug said that they have cleared the meet in Texas, so that’s where he wants you to swim your 100 freestyle and hopefully the 200 IM.”
“Am I still going to swim the 100 breaststroke?” CJ asked anxiously. “I’ll give up the other two races for the breaststroke.”
“We’ll see how everything shapes up at this next meet,” Tara replied quietly.
* * *
Pete stood on the deck of the natatorium on the Texas A&M campus, soaking in the atmosphere. The beautiful facility featured an eight-lane Olympic-sized pool flanked by spectator seating that could accommodate over a thousand people. The diving well on the far end of the competition pool doubled as a warm-up pool.
Throughout the day, the spectators at the pool had grown progressively louder. Though many of the seats had remained empty for the early preliminary races, the crowd grew as the end of the preliminaries approached. The final heats were next. CJ was already in the pool warming up for her second race of the day, the 200-meter individual medley. Just watching her, Pete could feel the anticipation build. Her freestyle was classic, perfect arm strokes with a long reach and a powerful underwater pull. The wake that followed behind her as she crossed in front of him sent a ripple of excitement straight through him.
Pete knew that CJ could win the 100 freestyle today, and he was debating whether he should let her try. He was starting to think that she needed to remember what it felt like to be on the medal stand. Though he had only coached her for a short time, Pete knew that CJ’s focus had been on achieving qualifying times since she had started training in Philadelphia nearly a year before. He thought perhaps her ego could use the boost a medal would give her. She had posted the fastest time in the preliminaries, and though she had obtained her qualifying time, he was sure she could improve on it.
When he saw CJ switch to breaststroke, he had to fight back a grin. It wouldn’t do for a coach to look overconfident, especially with a swimmer who needed to keep a low profile. Still, his lips curved up slightly as he watched her hands pull uniformly through the water, her knees dropping deep before her feet whipped out and around to push her forward into a long, steady glide.
She was at home in the water, just as he had been so many years ago when training had kept him in the pool nearly ten hours a day. He wondered if she too felt that comfortable sensation come over her the minute she smelled chlorine or when the water surrounded her each time she dove into the pool.
CJ climbed out of the water, took a minute to towel off, and then walked over to her coach.
“Are you ready?” Pete asked, casually estimating that she still had another ten minutes until her race.
“I hope so.” CJ nodded.
“Don’t let these big girls intimidate you,” Pete remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Just stick with them until the breaststroke leg of the race. Then show them who’s boss.”
CJ lifted an eyebrow and looked up at him. “I’m not short.”
Pete leaned closer, challenge gleaming in his eyes. “Prove it.”
She just handed him her towel and grinned. “See you in a few minutes.”
Pete just nodded and watched her go.
CJ was still grinning when she checked in at her lane. She glanced at the girls on either side of her, each of them several inches taller than she was. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Pete move closer to the competition pool. As he looked at her competition, his raised eyebrows all but shouted “Shorty!” across the pool.
She didn’t even notice how relaxed and loose she felt as she stepped onto the block, waited for the buzzer, and began her race. To her surprise, she entered the water even with the field, despite the height advantage of most of her competitors. Thinking of her 400 IM just the day before, CJ pushed herself in the butterfly, anticipating that she would lose ground on the backstroke leg of the race.
Her backstroke felt smoother than it had just the day before, and CJ worked her way through her weakest stroke. As she crossed under the flags and anticipated turning into the breaststroke, her excitement grew. When she made her turn, she rolled her eyes to either side, surprised to find that she led the race. Afraid that another swimmer might be right behind her, she refused to look back.
She could hear Pete’s instructions running through her head as she made the turn into freestyle. Kick, reach, finish hard. Her hand slammed into the timing pad, and she looked up to see her time. Her jaw dropped when she saw the time posted. It not only shattered her personal best, but it was a full five seconds below the qualifying time for the Olympic trials. CJ wondered if the time could be an error, but then she looked around and saw the closest swimmer just reaching the finish.
As soon as the rest of the women completed the race, CJ climbed out of the pool and headed straight for Pete. He gave her a shrug as he handed her towel to her. “Not bad.”
Still stunned by her time, CJ smiled. “From you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Go cool down. You only have about an hour until the finals for the 100 freestyle.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I’m swimming in the finals?”
He gave her a curt nod. “Doug said
they haven’t had any security concerns here. Besides, it’s about time you bring home some souvenirs.”
“I think I’d like that.” CJ nodded excitedly. Then she headed for the warm-up pool, oblivious to the fact that for the first time in months she actually felt normal.
Chapter 17
CJ rested her eyes, trying to ignore the turbulence as the plane began its descent to the San Diego airport. She rolled her shoulders as she tried to relax in the first-class section of the airplane. She had flown coach on her way to the meet at Texas A&M, and she was grateful Doug had upgraded their San Diego flight.
The plane jolted once again as they descended through the clouds, and CJ looked out the window at the city lights below. She wasn’t sure what time it was, and she didn’t want to think about the hour-long drive they had to make tonight before she could crawl into bed.
It hardly seemed possible that she had left the West Coast only twenty-four hours before. Though her body was weary from traveling, at least she had the satisfaction of knowing she already had Olympic-qualifying times in both the 100-meter freestyle and the 200-meter individual medley. She still couldn’t believe her times. As stunned as she had been by her 200-IM time, her freestyle time surprised her even more—just a fraction over 55 seconds.
Her final race in Texas had gone without incident, except for the photographer who had snapped her picture after she took the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle. CJ still felt bad about that man’s camera; it had sunk like a stone when it splashed into the pool. She wasn’t sure how Tara had managed to get the camera strap to break, but she knew better than to ask.
The Deep End Page 13