by Orson B Wolf
Paul entered and immediately recognized one of them: it was Matthew Garcia, his commander back in his days as a junior police detective.
“Matthew? What are you doing here?”
“Paul, Paul, Paul.” Matthew flashed him a broad grin and held his arms with both hands. “How long has it been, fifteen years?”
Without waiting for a reply, he introduced the second person in the room, who was carefully scrutinizing Paul.
“Paul, I’d like you to meet Ron Riser, CEO of GP&K Industries. Ron, meet Paul, the best detective I ever had, and a good looker to boot.”
Matthew stopped and examined Paul’s face for a moment. “Although you’ve lost too much weight. Kate hasn’t been feeding you lately?”
Paul didn’t answer. He merely smiled politely and shook Ron’s hand, while the latter immediately went to the business at hand.
“Hello, Paul, you must be asking yourself what you are doing here, so I’ll make it short.” He exchanged a brief look with Matthew before carrying on. “We need someone with your set of skills.” He cleared his throat. “For a special job. We’ve been instructed to fill this position as quickly as possible, and Matthew gave you his warm recommendation.” Ron paused and waited.
Paul seized that momentary pause to ask the question that had bothered him all the way to the GP&K offices. “Instructions from whom? Julia, your coordinator, wasn’t clear about the identity of the employer.”
Ron said nothing, and Matthew was the one who answered. “You’ve got to understand, Paul, we are merely acting as middlemen here. The employer prefers to remain anonymous at this stage.” He exchanged a glance with Ron. “But you have nothing to worry about, our company provides all the legal backup—including regular paychecks, a pension plan, health insurance, bonuses, and so on.” Matthew gave Paul a reassuring smile.
“Bonuses?” asked Paul.
It was Ron who answered this time. “We’ll get to that. At the moment, all you need to know is that the position is legal and by the book, and it involves performing a job suitable to your unique skills.”
“And I won’t know who my employer is?” Paul insisted. There was something the two weren’t telling him.
Ron hesitated for a moment. “Let’s just say that the instruction came from the highest levels, and that it’s extremely urgent.”
Paul sat in his chair. He wasn’t imagining things, then. They were really offering him a job, but what kind exactly?
Ron seemed to have been reading his thoughts. “We’re offering you an interesting position. A challenging one.” He motioned at Matthew. “Matthew will take it from here,” he said and extended his hand to Paul. They shook hands. “Pleased to meet you. Good luck.” He left the room with a brisk step.
Matthew winked at him. “So, on a scale from one to ten, how curious are you to know what job I’ve landed you?”
Paul gulped. “Eleven. Talk to me.”
His former commanding officer turned to the table and took the computer mouse in his hand. The large screen on the wall flickered for a moment, then depicted a large image of a dark-haired, pale, and scrawny youth. Obvious concern could be seen in his brown eyes.
“Paul, I’d like you to meet your job.”
Paul stood and looked at the screen. “I don’t get it.”
Matthew smiled. “Remind me where you live?”
7
Max
David sat on a bench in the park and thought of his meeting with Rachel. Even now, just moments after she had left, his heart was still racing with excitement.
He spoke to Max, “Did you see how cute she is? I think she likes you.”
The dog tilted his head, opened his jaws wide, as if about to answer, then sneezed loudly.
David burst out laughing. “You’re one of a kind, Max.”
A voice sounded from behind him. “Forget it, she’s way out of your league.”
David jumped and looked. He hadn’t thought anyone was listening. Three teenagers approached him. The tallest shuffled his feet toward him indifferently while the other two trudged behind with their hands in their pockets.
David tensed. He recognized the three from school. They were older than him. The one who had just spoken was familiar to everyone in school, and not for his good qualities. David thought his name was Jackie. He was always careful to stay clear of such characters.
Jackie looked at him derisively, examining him from head to toe. He made David feel like a little child.
“The bitch bites?” he asked David with a bored smile.
“Oh, I don’t think so. And it’s a he,” David answered.
Jackie came closer, and before David was able to realize what was happening, the tall teen snatched the cell phone from his hand. The two other boys laughed. One of them, a blond, cleared his throat and spat. The third teen, with a serious acne problem, merely shoved his hands further in his pockets.
David remained still. His heart beat wildly in his chest.
“So what do we have here?” Jackie examined the loot. “Nice. It’s the latest model. You’re not cheap, are you?”
David gulped and looked at the overgrown teenager. Jackie tapped the screen and twisted his face as if confronted with an extremely difficult riddle. He poked out his tongue and made it loll sideways, making his friends erupt into bouts of laughter.
“Looks like I need a password. What is it?” he demanded and held out the phone.
David reached for the device, but Jackie immediately withdrew his hand and chuckled at his friends. “What a moron.”
Max, who felt the tension in the air, exposed his teeth and began to growl at Jackie. The two other teens looked at the large dog hesitantly, but Jackie didn’t seem too bothered.
David tried to keep calm and tightened his grip on the leash. He knew that he didn’t stand a chance if it came to a physical confrontation. But perhaps a little diplomacy and lots of luck could help him get out of the uncomfortable situation. He took a deep breath, then spoke with a measured voice:
“Look, what did you say your name was? We don’t really know each other. I’m David.” He pointed at his dog. “And this is Max.”
Jackie gave him a weird look, then burst out laughing.
“I know who you are.” He stretched out a hand and stroked David’s cheek with a smile. “As smooth as a baby’s ass!”
His friends laughed again. David blushed and bit his lip.
Max began to growl again and tugged at the leash. Jackie didn’t seem to have even noticed the dog. He shoved one hand in his pocket and held the cell phone in the other. He spat again. “Listen, I just need your help,” he said quietly. “A good guy like you always helps a friend in need, right? I’ve got this important call I need to make, so tell me what the password is.” He gave David a searing look.
“You have your own phone,” David muttered. Sweat trickled into his eyes. He blinked, but was too afraid to lift a hand and wipe his eyes. To do that, he had to let go of Max, and the dog seemed as if he was about to explode.
“My phone’s broken,” answered Jackie and narrowed his eyes. “Come on, why can’t I use yours? What big secrets do you think I’ll find there?” He looked at his two friends and loudly added, “Maybe that cute girl gave you her number and you don’t want me to see it? Don’t worry, she’s not my type.” His friends chuckled again.
“Try typing ‘Max,’” the blond one suggested. “Like his dog.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow. “Not a bad idea.” He typed the letters and twisted his nose. “Wrong password, try again.” He raised his eyes at David and sighed. “I’m disappointed in you, but I’m not angry.” He turned to the others. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I know a guy who could hack this phone in a second.”
Jackie put the cell phone in his pocket and turned to leave, his two companions right behind him.
&
nbsp; David exclaimed, “Wait, you can’t take it! You don’t understand what might happen!”
Jackie’s reaction was as sudden as it was violent: he turned around quickly, grabbed David’s neck and pulled him until his face almost touched his mouth. David could smell his foul breath as he whispered, “I know exactly what might happen. I already told you, I know who you are.”
David’s eyes widened with amazement. That very same moment, Max bit his teeth straight into the overgrown teenager’s ankle. The surprised Jackie released his grip at once and howled with pain. “Get that ugly dog off of me!”
Max released his grip for a split second, preparing for another attack, but his jaws snapped shut on the empty air as Jackie quickly removed his leg. David pulled back the raging dog’s leash as hard as he could. The two other teenagers took a few steps back, looking at the black dog with fear.
“You son of a bitch, you’re screwed now!” Jackie screamed. His face was crimson with rage. “I’ll report it and they’ll kill your dog!”
David paled. He knew the law was on Jackie’s side. A biting dog would be immediately confiscated by the authorities, no matter what the circumstances were that led to the bite. He had heard stories of dogs that had spent months in quarantine. Some were even euthanized. He never thought this might happen to his dog—the friendly Max had never even hurt a fly. The thought of his beloved dog sitting on his own in a cold cage, waiting for his sentence, was insufferable.
David felt a weakness overcome him and collapsed to his knees. He looked up at Jackie, who towered above him, then at the other two, who gave him a harsh look. His hands still gripped Max’s leash. He was exhausted by the prolonged effort and realized he had lost the battle.
“Please don’t,” he muttered. “Don’t do it.”
“Tell you what, you give me the password to your phone and I’ll think about it,” Jackie hissed between clenched teeth, rubbing his ankle.
A light drizzle began to fall from the sky, a thunder echoed in the distance.
“Hey kids, what’s going on here?” a deep voice sounded.
The four looked aside and saw a uniformed policeman, a giant of a man. He wore a helmet and his eyes were concealed by sunglasses. He had a large scar across his cheek. His police motorcycle was parked on the sidewalk behind him, its lights silently blinking.
Jackie was the first to reply. “Oh, hello, officer. We’re just talking about homework.”
Jackie’s friends nodded.
The policeman gave them a closer look and said, “Really? You guys are all in the same class?” He turned to Jackie. “You look older. What happened, you been held back a few years?”
Jackie cleared his throat and swallowed the insult. “Are we doing something wrong, officer?”
The policeman took off his helmet and wiped the sweat off the top of his bald head. “We got a call about a loud argument, screaming. Could you explain what this is all about?” He raised his head and examined the sky. The dark clouds quickly gathered over their heads.
“Well?” He turned to look at Jackie. “I’m waiting for an answer.”
Jackie coughed once and answered. “Actually, this dog right here bit me.” He pointed at Max. “I didn’t want to say anything before, because I really like dogs and I feel bad about my buddy here.” He motioned with his head at David.
David’s heart sank.
“Really?” asked the policeman. “This cute canine bit you? A strong, sturdy boy like you?” He got closer to Jackie with measured steps, while the latter remained glued to his place, blinking uncomfortably.
“Why did he bite you? He seems friendly enough to me.”
“I don’t know why. This dog is fucked up.” Jackie pulled up the bottom of his pant leg. “Look, he tore a hole right into me. I’m bleeding.”
David held his breath when he saw the policeman bending and curiously looking at Jackie’s ankle.
“This little scratch?” he said dismissively. “You’ll live.” He turned to David. “Your dog is vaccinated, right? Because if he’s not, I’ll need to have him quarantined. You wouldn’t want that.”
David gulped. “Of course he’s vaccinated. I have all the papers.”
“But you can’t just let this thing go, this dog’s a psycho!” It was the blond teenager who suddenly erupted. His acned friend nodded vigorously. They drew silent as the policeman raised his hand and said firmly, “I want the owner of the dog to explain what happened.”
David took a deep breath and spoke quietly. “Max just wanted to protect me. They took my phone.”
The policeman didn’t seem surprised. He slowly turned to Jackie. “Give it back.”
A silence settled as Jackie defiantly stood up and faced the policeman. They confronted each other for a few seconds. A loud thunder echoed and the drizzle gradually turned into rain.
Finally, Jackie lowered his head. He took the cell phone from his pocket and handed it to David. “We were just having a little fun with him,” he justified himself. “We’re buddies.”
David took his cell phone, wiped the rain drops with the edge of his shirt, and put it in his pocket. “Thank you, officer,” he muttered to the policeman.
The policeman glanced at his watch. “Well, I think we’re done here. It’s starting to rain. Go on home, all of you.” He turned to Jackie. “And as for you…”
“What?” Jackie nervously blinked at him. His two friends exchanged agitated looks.
“Don’t forget to wash that doggie scratch.” The policeman stared at him with a blank face.
Jackie choked out a smile. “All right, I’ll do that.” He motioned to his friends. “Come on, time to go.”
The three turned around and started walking to the exit gate. A few steps later Jackie turned on his heel and hissed at David, “Just you wait. We’re not done yet, you and me.”
They drifted off, speaking in hushed voices, the limping Jackie leading the way.
“You’d better leave the other way,” the policeman said to David and pointed at the sidewalk. He began to march there himself, going toward his motorcycle. David silently walked beside him. The policeman sat on his vehicle, put on his helmet and lowered his eyes at David. “I’d try to stay clear of them if I were you.” His voice was deep and soft.
“I know,” David answered. “Thanks.”
The policeman nodded once, started the engine and drove off.
8
Relocation
The longed-for moment finally arrived and the girls fell asleep in their room. Paul and Kate sat in the living room, holding wine glasses.
A storm raged outside. Lightning flashed brightly, illuminating the outline of the city, revealing the tops of the trees swaying drunkenly in the wind. The closed window only partially muffled the sounds of the storm, and the powerful crackle of thunder could be heard, drawing nearer and stronger.
Paul had only recently returned home. He seemed tired, and there was dust in his wrinkled clothes, but in his eyes was a spark Kate had not seen in a long while. When she asked where he had been all day, he answered with a cryptic smile, “You’ll hear about it soon.”
The evening newscast began with coverage of the car accident that had taken place earlier that day in Green Pines. A large upturned truck was seen on the screen, going up in flames. The headline declared: Miracle in Beverly Square: No casualties.
Kate reached for the remote, lowered the volume and turned to Paul.
“Well? I’m dying of curiosity!”
Paul put down his wine glass and began to describe everything that had happened to him during the morning hours: starting with the surprising telephone call, up through his meeting with Matthew, his former commanding officer, to the generous offer he had received.
When he mentioned the salary, Kate’s eyes widened with disbelief. “How much?”
He laughed. “Y
es, my reaction exactly.”
“I don’t get it. All you need to do is watch over this boy?”
“And ensure his well-being,” Paul emphasized and picked up the wine glass again. “But no one can know about it, not even the boy himself. Weird, isn’t it?”
Kate wrinkled her forehead. “Wow. Somebody really cares about that kid.”
“He’s actually a teenager,” he corrected her. “Fourteen-and-a-half. Although he looks much younger.”
“What did you tell them? You’ll take the job?”
“I said yes, of course.” He hesitated. “Even though we’ll need to relocate.”
Kate opened her mouth to say something, but he held out his hand. “Hold on, let me explain.”
She was quiet.
“I’ll need to stay close to the boy, so I could get to him in a matter of seconds.” He frowned. “They’re financing everything—an apartment, a vehicle, anything I need to get the job done. So I thought we could do it in two stages. First, I’ll get settled there. And if everything works out, you three could join me. With this new salary we could get back to back to being what we used to be.”
Kate said nothing and bit her bottom lip. A moment later she quietly said, “I trust you. I know that our family is more important to you than anything. Just promise me one thing.” She drew closer.
Paul spread his arms and allowed her to press herself against him. He hugged her and whispered, “Promise you what?”
“That you’ll pack enough clean socks.” She laughed.
He joined her laughter. “As if you’re not the one who’ll pack the suitcase for me.”
Now that the tension had eased, she pushed herself and sat beside him. “Well, how was it? Did you actually start working today?”
“I did. And it was interesting.” He thought for a moment. “I can’t tell you too much, but there’s something about that boy.”
“Teenager,” she corrected him.
“Right.” He smiled. “It looks like he has enemies, as young as he is.”