by Laura Acton
As Kyle laughed and then launched into an explanation of the Beast of Nephilim game, Dan’s mind wandered to the team. He missed them all. He hadn’t called or seen them since he left Toronto. At first, he was too depressed. He slept through his trips to Toronto for the nerve blocks. All he remembered was getting on the plane in Ottawa and waking up in his bed here. And lately, he was too busy climbing stairs and collapsing in bed after to call.
He mainly wanted to talk to Lexa now that he could string together more than a few words. Maybe he would call her after he went to bed tonight. He and Kyle finished washing the dishes and Adam came into the kitchen to dry and put them away.
The rest of the evening slipped past, and by the time Dan made it to his room he was too tired to call Lexa. He fell asleep as his head hit the pillow.
Toronto – Vortex Industries – 11:45 p.m.
“Ray, status,” Jon called out again when he didn’t get an answer to his first request. He raced to Ray’s last known position. The team spread out as they went after the subjects. Jon rounded the corner and rushed forward to Ray lying prone on the ground. He scanned the area for the subjects and not seeing any took a knee next to Ray. “Found him.”
Ray groaned as he came around.
“Lay still, Ray,” Jon directed, then said, “Boss, we need EMS. I lost track of the subjects.”
Bram stated, “Lexa and I got one.”
“EMS on the way,” Nick said.
Loki continued to scan the traffic cameras near Vortex Industries searching for the other three twerps. He and Ray had been patrolling and came upon the four men assaulting a woman. The subjects scattered.
Ray went after them while Loki stayed with the woman until backup arrived. Bram and Lexa came first and went into the building to back up Ray. A few minutes later Boss, Jon, and Rob reached the location. Jon and Rob headed into the building. The Boss stayed with the woman while Loki linked into the traffic cams from his laptop.
“Three subjects just ran across Eastern Avenue heading up Trinity,” Loki informed the team.
Lexa looked at Bram. “Go. I’ve got him.” Then she tugged on the teen’s arm to move him forward again. This subject was about seventeen years old. It saddened Lexa he was already starting a life of crime. What a waste of his life.
Bram took off at a sprint as he asked for the latest location from Loki.
Ray rolled over and peered up at Jon who knelt next to him and Rob standing and scanning the area. “I’m fine. Go.”
The word fine struck a chord in Jon. “Fine, fine or Dan fine?”
A chuckle escaped from Ray followed by a wince. “Fine, fine. Only wind knocked out of me. Get them. They have Blooddrop Crew tattoos.” He sat up and put a hand to his aching head.
Jon looked at the rookie. “Stay with Ray. Help him outside to the medics.”
“Copy,” Rob said as he leaned down to give Ray a hand up as Jon raced out toward Eastern and Trinity.
Rob and Ray made it to the medics as Lexa finished putting one of the subjects in a patrol car. She bounded over to Ray. “What happened in there?”
Ray grimaced. “One of them jumped on me from above while I focused on the two standing. They looked like they were trying to decide which way to go, but now I know it was a ploy so the other one could get the drop on me. I should’ve looked up.”
Lexa nodded. Dan’s tactic in the shoot house when playing the villain against other teams was to go high. A good tactic usually. She recalled Ray’s comment to Jon. “Blooddrop Crew? Isn’t this out of their normal area?”
Ray nodded. It is way out of their normal area. He worried they might be expanding their territory. They were a brutal gang, not that he knew that when he was fourteen. Ray learned how brutal when he was to be initiated. His best friend died saving Father Lopez when they refused to kill Lopez.
As he was getting checked out, Ray saw Bram and Jon leading back two of the three and overheard Jon say the other one disappeared. Ray recognized one of the two. Shouldn’t he still be in prison?
Alonzo Nores glared at the pig he took down. Recognition and hatred sparked. “You should’ve been dead years ago, Palomo! Better watch your back, or you’ll be stuck like all little piggies deserve.” Then Alonzo made squealing noises like a pig being killed.
Lexa whipped her head between Ray and the subject. “How does he know you?”
Nick walked over and diverted Lexa’s questioning. “Ray, are you okay?”
Ray nodded but winced.
Loki trotted over and eyeballed Ray with concern. “Don’t scare me like that again, buddy. When you didn’t answer …” he trailed off thinking about Dan when Dan was in the ravine with Basto. Loki hated gangs.
“I’m all right,” Ray professed. “Only a bit of a headache.”
Jon handed off his subject and then stormed over to Ray. Loudly and with a definite edge, Jon declared, “You went in alone! Without backup! I might expect that of Dan or even Rob—but not you. What were you thinking?”
Nick shut Jon down. “Not here, not now. Save it for debrief.”
Jon pinned Ray with a glare. “We’re not done talking about this. Understand?”
Ray winced, not from pain, but from the intense glare Jon held him with. Until now, he had never been on the receiving end of Jon’s wrath. Damn, this is what it must feel like to be Dan. That thought unconsciously sparked Ray’s reply, “Yes, sir. Won’t happen again.”
Jon pivoted and strode away. Dammit, Dan is rubbing off on the team. As he sat in the SUV, Jon gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white. Jon blew out a breath, and his mind once again thought about Dan.
He missed Dan. If anyone would’ve told him a year ago he would miss Broderick, Jon would’ve laughed in their face. But he really missed him. Nick called last week and got a brief update from the general. It didn’t sound good. “Dammit, Dan! Get back here. The team needs you.”
Do You Remember Brock?
57
August 26
General Broderick’s Home – Study – 10:00 a.m.
William stared out his study window and observed as Jeff and the other boys put the finishing touches on the obstacle course they built in the backyard. It had been five and a half weeks since he and Daniel had been shot. His son made progress and itched to try out the course.
Before Jeff would allow that, he required Daniel to walk to the mailbox and back without stopping. Daniel made it three-quarters of the way this morning, but a coughing fit sent him down to his knees before Zach or Kyle caught him. After that, William asked Daniel to play chess to keep his mind active. When Daniel had too much time to dwell on his condition or experienced a setback like this morning’s walk, his son slipped into a petulant and depressed state.
His gaze refocused on Daniel who studied the chessboard, William smiled. Daniel’s hair was getting rather long. Dan said he had been due for a haircut before everything happened. Yvonne offered to cut his hair, but Daniel refused and declared he would cut his hair when he was well enough to go back to TRF and not before. William’s mind wandered back to years ago when Danny’s hair was approximately that length.
Hearing Daniel growl in frustration, William decided to share his memory as a distraction. “Do you remember Brock?”
Dan glanced up from the chessboard. It had been a long time since he played and even longer since he played such a challenging opponent. “Yes, sir. I remember Brock very well. Why?”
“Did you know how he came to be in charge of your physical fitness?”
“No. He just appeared one day.”
Yeah, Brock just appeared one day, one of fates nicer actions for you son, William thought. “Let me share with you how that came about.”
Flashback – Eighteen Years Earlier – May 20
SFATB Yukon – Outside General’s Quarters
Private Theo Brock’s apprehension level increased as he got closer to General Broderick’s quarters. Unsure whether he should be doing this his fingers toye
d with the small charm his brother Davey gave him before he left home this time. It brought to mind Davey’s smile and relaxed him.
He listened to all the sarcastic remarks about General Broderick’s volunteer posting. So many of his unit mates and others believed the request beneath them, and many commented they couldn’t be paid enough to do something like that—they were soldiers, not babysitters.
Theo pretty much ignored their cruel words. In his heart, he sensed this was the right thing to do. Not required, and this would cut into his free time, but he saw the little boy twice on base, and he seemed so lonely. The general’s son needed a friend, a playmate of sorts.
Brock understood his unit mates would rib him or accuse him of sucking up, but he could take it. His hand knocked before he could change his mind.
SFATB Yukon – General’s Quarters – Office
William closed the file he finished reviewing when a knock sounded on the front door. Corporal Ramirez went to answer it. William tried to work from the office in his quarters during the afternoons to be visible and available should Daniel need him. Sadly, his boy was still so closed off and stayed as far away from him as possible.
The past ten months had been rough for Daniel. His boy cried himself to sleep every single night, but if William tried to offer any form of comfort, Daniel closed-off more. The last time he tried to provide solace, Daniel ran from him and hid in the corner of his closet. It broke William’s heart.
William wished Daniel would allow Yvonne to hold him like she did before Sara’s death, but Daniel rejected her too. The wounded look in her eyes also broke his heart. She tried to hide it, but her eyes were so expressive.
Having Daniel here wasn’t the best solution, but better than having him in Ottawa. So traumatized by Sara’s death, Daniel would go catatonic at the intersection. There was no way to avoid the intersection either. They had to go by it on the way both to and from their home.
Mark, Erik, and Ryan all offered to have Daniel live with them. He and Yvonne considered their offers so Daniel could stay in Ottawa. But, the psychologist recommended Daniel live with at least one parent, or it would validate his erroneous belief they didn’t love him, and they blamed him for Sara’s death. So, Daniel came to live at Special Forces Arctic Training Base Yukon. A base not set up to handle children—not in the least.
Isolated in rugged terrain, SFATB Yukon had no towns within a hundred miles in all directions. One narrow dirt road allowed access to the base, and usually, soldiers arrived via helicopter from Fort McPherson. The remoteness of the location made it perfect for Special Forces soldiers training and occasional regular forces arctic weather training. It also served as the secret training ground for the Guardian Units.
Support staff manned this base year-round, which made SFATB Yukon their best choice given their limited options. Due to the inaccessibility and security of the base, William arranged for private tutors from the men stationed here. Corporal Royce Duffy, one of his direct staff, expressed a desire to become a teacher when he left the military. So Duffy offered to act as Daniel’s principal tutor. Several of the others stationed here offered to instruct him in various subjects including languages.
Daniel’s studies were well covered, the only problem now … Daniel had no one his age to interact with, and William recognized his son was lonely. Given the unforgiving terrain and weather most of the year, William couldn’t allow Daniel to leave the house unescorted. He feared Daniel would become lost and freeze to death. So essentially, his previously active little boy was under house arrest. A situation he tried to remedy for months.
William wished he could let Daniel run around and play outside alone, but the wilderness contained all manner of dangerous wild animals and others hazards—like the live fire range. The closest thing to a playground was the obstacle course. William chuckled. Someone might think him crazy for even comparing the walls, log runs, ropes, barb wire crawl pit, and such as a playground. Though really, Danny might enjoy the climbing obstacles.
His musing was interrupted by a knock at his study door. William called out, “Enter.”
Private Brock was shown to the general’s study and waited after entering and coming to attention.
General Broderick surveyed the private standing in front of him at attention trying to visually assess the man. After a moment he said, “At ease, Private.”
Brock went to parade rest and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was actually standing in front of General ‘Badass’ Broderick, and the general scrutinized him with hard, assessing blue eyes. It unnerved him.
“What can I do for you, Private?” William asked. He maintained a relatively open-door policy, but typically only his Special Forces soldiers came to him. The general recognized the private from the new group of techs who arrived last week in the Ops Command. He noticed Brock in discussion with Colonel Sutton on satellite positions.
Private Brock found his voice and was surprised it was steady even though inside he was shaking. “Sir, I’m here about the volunteer position you posted.”
William inspected the young man differently now. That opportunity had been posted eight weeks ago, and no one had approached him. “Why are you interested?”
“Sir, I have a little brother at home. I miss spending time with him.”
“How old is your brother?”
Brock grinned. “Davey’s twelve.”
“So you know what ten-year-old boys like to do?”
“Oh, yeah. Davey loves to play lots of games. When he was ten, we used to run everywhere. I played tag with him for hours before he …” Theo’s voice trailed off as the memory hit him.
His voice not quite as bright, Brock said, “Before Davey got hit by the car and became a paraplegic. That was two years ago this June.” Shaking himself out of his memory, Brock said, “We adjusted. Davey couldn’t run anymore, but I still could. I pushed him until he developed the strength to push himself. We still play lots of things like hockey, ping pong, basketball, … you name it we played it. The kid beats me in basketball.”
William listened to Brock talk. He let him go on about his brother Davey and all the things they did together and how he missed spending time with him. He almost gasped, only years of training kept him from doing so when Brock explained Davey’s accident. The private had been the driver and ran an errand for his mother to buy Davey a new basketball. When Brock returned, Davey ran out into the street without looking to retrieve their sister’s doll from a dog who had grabbed it and ran.
“How old are you?” William asked when Brock paused.
“Eighteen, almost nineteen, sir.”
“Why did you join the Army?”
“I wanted to serve my country and give back something for all the blessings in my life.”
That intrigued William. The private had a hard two years from what he shared. He was partly the cause of his brother’s injury, not that he should harbor any guilt, but he was driving. William pried a little deeper, “Blessings?”
Brock sighed slightly as an expression of peace and joy crossed his face. “Yes, sir. I’ve been blessed with an amazing family and parents who love me. Parents who helped me come to terms with what I did to Davey. They helped me see things might have been so much worse. Davey’s alive and healthy. We made some adjustments, but my family is whole. We all help Davey, and he’ll do fine in the world without the use of his legs. I feel blessed.”
William considered the man, he might be right for the job. “I must make you aware of a few things regarding my son before you decide to accept. Please take a seat. What I share is to be kept in strictest confidence. If you choose not to volunteer after what you hear, I’ll understand.”
He took a steadying breath. “Daniel is ten years old. Last year his little sister, my daughter Sara, was struck by a car and killed in front of Daniel. As a result, he is emotionally fragile right now.” William went on to share what happened to Sara and Daniel and how Daniel came to live at SFATB Yukon.
SFATB Yukon – General’s Quarters – Common Room
Private Brock headed into the small common room of the general’s quarters. What General Broderick told him in confidence about his son was heartbreaking. It was something Brock would keep to himself. Once he heard it, Theo knew he would make a difference in the boy’s life. Even if it is only a small one. Theo was happy he came here today.
He stopped at the entrance of the family room and notice the room had been set up with two desks in the corner to accommodate homeschooling, one for Daniel and one for Corporal Duffy who volunteered as Dan’s tutor. He saw the blond headed little boy curled up on a couch with a book in his hands. He entered and sat down on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
Dan peered at the soldier who sat on the general’s table. He lowered his book. “The general will not want you sitting on the table.”
Brock shrugged and stayed in place. “Hi. I’m Private Theo Brock, but you can call me Brock. What you reading, Dan?”
Dan couldn’t believe the soldier didn’t move and only shrugged his shoulders. If the general found him on the table, he would be dressed down big time. Dan stood and yanked on the private’s arm. “Get off. The general will be mad. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Brock stood. “What ya reading?”
Dan glanced down at his book. “The Fellowship of the Ring.”
“Wow, me and my brother Davey love that one. How far along are you?”
“Read it all several times already, but it beats studying Latin.”
Brock chuckled, wow Latin, so not a subject for a ten-year-old. This kid needed some fun in his life. “Good. We can talk all about it on our run.”
Dan’s head whipped to Brock. “Run?”
“Sure. Bet you’re tired of being cooped up in this house all the time. I’m now in charge of your physical fitness, and we’ll be spending an hour or so together each day. Do you like climbing?” Brock asked already knowing the answer because he queried the general on Dan’s likes and dislikes.