ACER final

by Hargrove, A.

  “This.” I pointed to the rubber band on my wrist.

  “Ah, negative feedback. But that’s supposed to hurt.”

  “Oh, it did. But it reminded me of my youth. My brothers and I were a handful for my mom and we’d get into major fights with these.”

  “I see. That’s good you have a positive memory associated with it.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  We walked to group together and I grabbed a seat. For the first time since I woke up in the hospital, I was feeling pretty good. Until I thought about Isla. I had really fucked things up with her. Why had I done that? I snapped the band and decided to change that. With my rotten luck, I’d be too late. Snap. That was three in a matter of a few seconds. Man, was I ever in for it. My wrist was going to be raw by the end of the day. Snap.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  ISLA

  Immediately after receiving the news about Art, I went to his house to visit his wife. She was inconsolable.

  “Becky, did he say anything at all to you about work this morning before he left?”

  “I told him not to go. I knew something terrible was going to happen.” Tears flowed freely down her face as she tried miserably to keep them at bay.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He’d been acting strange. Closed off. He never disclosed much about work, but he’d been different lately. Isla, he was such a good man, a great husband and father. What am I going to do?”

  The only thing I could do was wrap my arms around her. I hugged her for a while until she calmed down some. Art was smart and careful. He was going to send something to Drex and whatever it was had to be here or in his car. That is, if it hadn’t been stolen by whoever had crashed into him.

  “Becky, this has to be the worst day of your life and I hate to do this to you, but I need your help. Art and I were working on something. You already know it was dangerous by the way he’d been behaving. Did he say anything, anything at all to you? It can be something small that at the time you didn’t think was important.”

  “Uh, not really. He did ask me to mail something for him today though, which wasn’t unusual. I was getting ready to go and do that when the police showed up to let me know about…” And she began tearing up and dabbing her eyes again.

  “Can you show me what he wanted you to mail?”

  She went to the kitchen and returned, handing me a padded envelope with Drex’s name and address on it. “Thank you. Did Art keep any files here at home?”

  “He worked on his computer a lot but he didn’t keep any paper files, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “His work computer?”

  “No, a personal one. A laptop.”

  I hugged her. “Becky, you’ve been a huge help and I promise you I’m going to do everything to find the person who caused this accident. Art was my mentor and a true friend. I loved him and will work my ass off until this is solved. I need to make a quick call. Would you mind if I took his computer? It may help solve this.”

  “You can take anything you need. You know, Isla, you were his favorite agent. I asked him once if you two were having an affair because you’re all he talked about. But he laughed at that. And do you know what he said?” Her smile was watery.

  “What?”

  “He told me you’d twist his balls off if he’d ever try anything with you. And then he said that I was the love of his life and he’d never do anything to jeopardize our marriage.”

  I shook my head. “That sounds like Art. And he was right. I would’ve twisted his balls off. But Becky, you were the love of his life. Every time he mentioned your name, his eyes glowed.”

  “I’m not sure how I’ll live without him.”

  I took one of her hands in mine. “One day at a time. It’s all you can do.” I gave her the advice I lived by. At first it was hour by hour. Now it was day by day. I prayed my plan for Acer worked because there would be no other man for me as long as he was in this world.

  I walked into the bathroom and called Drex.

  He answered after the first ring. “Isla. Have you made a decision?”

  “I have, but that’s not why I’m calling. I need a huge favor.”

  “Name it.”

  I explained the situation and he said he’d be here this afternoon.

  “Is there any possible way you can stay at Art’s? Whoever was hunting down that information didn’t find it so is probably still searching. I’m worried they may come after his wife or you. With Art out of the picture, you have no protection.”

  That hadn’t crossed my mind and it caused me great concern for Becky and the kids.

  “I’m not worried for myself, but Becky and the kids are another thing. I’ll stay here with her until you get here.”

  “Are you carrying?”

  “I’m a fed. What do you think?”

  “Right. See you soon.”

  I texted him the address as soon as we ended the call and then went to make some coffee.

  “What are you doing?” Becky asked as she followed me into the kitchen.

  “Making us some coffee. I’m spending the day here with you.”

  “Why?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  “Isla, I was married to Art for twenty-one years. I’m not blind or stupid. He didn’t tell me everything but I recognize the clues and signals. You’re protecting me and I want to know why.”

  A million things ran through my head. I’d never had to worry about a family or how much to tell them. Acer had been the only one close to me and he’d been involved in the case from the start. How should I handle this? What would Art say?

  “Becky, let’s sit and talk.”

  I wanted to be truthful because if she lost trust in me now, it would put her at risk.

  We both sat with our coffees, only hers went untouched.

  “You trusted Art and Art trusted me. So I’m asking you to trust me as well. At this point, I know the car accident wasn’t an accident. Someone did this to him on purpose because of what he knew. Somebody that I trust is on his way here to pick up what you were supposed to mail today, along with Art’s computer. We’re going to uncover exactly what Art knew. He didn’t tell me for a reason and that was because he wanted to keep me safe. I want to do the same for you and the kids. Can you trust me to do that?”

  After searching my eyes with her own, she nodded. “What happens next?”

  “When my friend gets here, we’ll do whatever he says. Are you prepared to leave and go somewhere safe?”

  “You mean a safe house?”

  “Yes, something like that.”

  She twisted her hands. “What about the funeral?”

  That put another kink into this dilemma.

  “All I know is that Art would put your safety above everything. The funeral may have to be postponed for a little while. This is difficult to discuss, but did you two ever talk about this type of thing?”

  “Well, yeah, because of his line of work. He always said he wanted to be cremated.”

  I let out a tiny laugh. “Sounds like Art. That can be arranged with a memorial service at a later date, if necessary. This depends on what my friend says.”

  “Isla, who is this friend?”

  “I may as well tell you that part of it.” I told her how I was going to resign and go to work for Drex after the case Art and I were working on was solved. “I’m pretty sure this is all part of it. Wolfe Investigations is the best at what they do and if anyone can help us, it’s them.”

  “Why protect me though?”

  “Whoever was after Art, was probably after what you were supposed to mail today. If they didn’t find it in his car, they’re going to keep looking for it and where’s the next place they would want to search?”

  “Oh, God. You think they’ll come here, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. That’s why I’m staying here and don’t pull your kids out of school. I know you want to and they have a right to know, but they’re safer there
for today.”

  “I understand. What time do you think your friend will be here?”

  “This afternoon. He’s flying in from Denver.”

  “Denver!”

  “Becky, calm down. I’m here and a trained agent. It’s going to be fine.”

  I moved around each room and checked the windows and doors to ensure they were locked and the alarm system was engaged.

  “Art has this place wired up like Fort Knox,” I said.

  “He had that done recently. He would sweep it to make sure it wasn’t bugged too. I kept asking him why so much security and he’d only say you could never be too safe. Now I know the answer. I didn’t realize at the time he’d die for it.”

  * * *

  Drex, Gemini, and Huff arrived at one-thirty. When the doorbell rang, I knew it was them because they’d called from the street.

  “Hey,” I said when I opened the door. “I wish I could say it was good to see you but…”

  “We understand,” Drex said. “Let’s get to work so we can come up with a plan.”

  “Great idea since the kids will be home from school around three.” I quickly made the introductions, then handed him the envelope along with Art’s computer.

  “Huff, can you get to work on this?” Drex asked, handing the laptop to Huff.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t have his login information,” Becky said.

  “Don’t worry, Ma’am, this is my specialty.”

  Becky eyed him with suspicion. “Becky, Huff is a computer genius and can do just about anything on them. Don’t worry, he’ll figure it out.”

  Huff took the laptop, sat down, and tapped away.

  Gemini opened the envelope to find a flash drive in bubble wrap. She opened the laptop she carried and inserted it. A series of files popped up on the screen, each one named, Traffic 1, 2, 3, etc. There were a total of nine.

  Each file contained information on people Art had suspected of being involved. When he ran into a dead end he flagged the person. If he was able to clear him or her, they were given an asterisk with all the information as to why.

  In the end, one name stood out. The deputy director. The second in command of the entire agency.

  “Holy shit. That’s why he told me we were in deep and wouldn’t give me the name over the phone.”

  “This is deep all right. No wonder all his leads were turning up as dead ends,” Gemini said. “He had one of the biggest in the bureau covering everything up. Hey, Huff, I know you’re busy, but come check this out. You’ll be interested in this as an ex-fed.”

  Huff came over and peered over Gemini’s shoulder. “Jesus, I can’t believe this. How dirty can you get?”

  “Very. He’s tied to the O’Briens.” I pointed at the information Art had listed. “Look here. Firearms and human trafficking. That’s where he made the connection.”

  “No drugs?” Drex asked.

  “Probably, but he hadn’t connected that yet. Remember, we found the leak in our office, but we knew he had to be reporting to someone higher up. I had no idea it would be this high up. Thomas has been fidgety as hell the last few weeks.”

  “Thomas Murphy, right?” Gemini asked.

  “Yeah, he’s the local agent and I used to consider him a friend.”

  “I didn’t realize he was a friend. I’m sorry,” she said.

  “So was I when I found out. Now what? I can’t just go marching into headquarters claiming this.”

  Drex let out a chuckle. “No, that would get you laughed right out of the building and then killed pretty quickly. We need to run an investigation of our own and find out as much as we can. When we get everything we need, the files will be sent to everyone who’s important in the agency.”

  My head clanged like a bell. I needed a massage. “I have some questions. How will we do this and in the meantime, where will Becky and the kids stay?”

  “Don’t worry about the how yet. I have people that can get the job done. We’re all going to Denver where everyone will be the safest. You’ll stay with us and Becky and the kids can stay in the corporate apartment. That place is a vault.”

  At first, Becky balked at the idea of leaving town. She still hadn’t made any arrangements for Art’s body.

  “I can take care of that,” I said.

  Drex stepped forward. “You’ll do no such thing. From now on, you’re dark. As in out of the picture.”

  He knew what he was talking about and had been dead-on with Acer’s case, so I agreed. He turned to Becky and said, “Pack a bag for each of you because as soon as your kids get out of school, we’re on to the airport.”

  “Do you need help?” I asked.

  “Uh, yes, please.”

  I followed her to the kids’ rooms where we packed their bags and threw what we thought both Allie and Jack would need for the time being. She was walking out when I saw Jack’s video games. I unplugged everything and grabbed some games, tossing them into his bag. Becky sent a grateful look my way.

  We made short work of Allie’s things, making sure to get her iPad and books. Then it was onto Becky’s things.

  “Ugh, I don’t know what to take.”

  “Don’t worry. You can buy whatever you don’t have.”

  “I don’t have the money.”

  “I’ll help you out. This is far more important. Besides, what can a few outfits cost. Just make sure you take any medications and your favorite things you can’t live without. We can get the rest later.”

  “Thanks, Isla. You’re making this much easier.”

  I thought about my stuff. So I checked with Drex.

  “Sorry, not a chance of you going home.”

  “Yes, there is. I have to get Ruffles. I refuse to go anywhere without her.”

  “Give me your keys. I’ll go get what you need.”

  I made the list, which included Ruffles’s things too. He left and was back right when it was time to pick up the kids.

  “Let’s load up,” Drex said.

  “Glad you rented an SUV,” I said as we threw our stuff in the back.

  Gemini cracked up. “As if the man would rent anything else.”

  Then I recalled the row of black SUVs that sat in the underground garage at his headquarters. “That’s right. How could I have forgotten so soon?”

  “Gah, the man knows of no other type of vehicle or color.”

  Drex bowed up. “That’s not true. I bought you that red car.” The guy actually cringed at the word red.

  “Only because I told you we’d get divorced if you wouldn’t.” Gemini stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. These two were made for each other. Oh, how it made me miss Acer even more.

  Becky directed him to the school, and Huff accompanied her to where the kids were spilling out of the doors. Surprise was written on both of their faces when they saw their mom. They were talking but as they got closer to the car, Jack began to argue. His face reddened and his arms flailed. He was fourteen so this wouldn’t be easy. Allie only watched. She would be equally as difficult at the age of twelve. Losing their father was going to take a heavy toll on both of them, but they weren’t aware of that yet.

  Ruffles wagged her tail at the sight of them. “Hey, Drex, can you roll down the window?”

  He did and I called out to them both. “Hey guys, there’s a furry critter in here who’s eager to see you two.”

  Allie reacted as I’d hoped she would, but Jack only pouted. Becky propelled him forward and both of them climbed in.

  “Hey there, Jack, Allie. These are my friends, Drex, Gemini, and Huff. We’re going for a ride.”

  “I want to go home,” Jack said. He sulked in the seat as we drove off.

  “Look who’s happy to see you.” Ruffles sat between the two of them as they shared the third seat.

  “Lucky us.”

  “Jack, behave,” Becky said, frowning.

  “I love Ruffles,” Allie said. “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”


  “I don’t want any surprises. I just want to go home.”

  “You might like this one.”

  We went to the closest county-owned airport, because it was much faster than flying out of Atlanta’s huge international one. When we pulled up to the corporate jet, Allie asked, “Are we getting on that?”

  “Yep.”

  Jack sat up higher in his seat and asked, “We are?”

  “We sure are. You ready to take a flight?”

  His eyes opened wide as he answered, “Hell yeah. I mean heck, yeah.”

  We proceeded to load on board as Drex gave instructions to someone regarding the rental car. Then the pilot came out to greet us and asked the kids if they wanted to see the cockpit. Jack practically knocked him down to get to it.

  “Excited much?” I asked Becky.

  “I know but wait until I ruin it with the news.”

  My heart dropped. With trying to distract him, I’d sort of forgotten for a moment.

  “I can do it if you want.”

  “No, I need to do it.”

  When they both came back and took their seats, they chatted nonstop about how cool everything was. The flight attendant, Ron, came out and took our drink orders, then delivered them with a hefty round of snacks for the kids.

  Not much later, we took off while Allie and Jack ogled the blue sky. When we’d leveled out, Jack turned to Becky and asked, “Hey, where’s Dad? Why didn’t he come?”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  ACER

  After a week of wearing the rubber band, I began to learn not to be such a selfish downer. It wasn’t easy figuring out my new brain, as my therapist called it. I was turning off my old brain and rethinking with the new me. As she said, it wasn’t a bad new, it was a different new. And this new me could offer a lot to people. I only needed to tap into my resources and put them to use.

  This brought up a lot of things. Initially, I’d wanted to become an FBI or law enforcement agent. Now, I wondered if that were still true. I wanted to help others, but could there be a different way? Maybe on a more personal level by sharing my story?