by Sharon Sala
She was so grateful to have a job that she went out of her way to be the hardest-working, most accommodating waitress there. Six years later she still was. She caught a ride to work from a neighbor who dropped her off at the pancake house at 5:00 a.m. Then she rode a city bus home alone when her shift was over.
She hadn’t had a boyfriend in two years. The last one went to jail for selling drugs, and she hadn’t known he was doing it. Now she was afraid to trust anyone for fear whatever they were doing wrong would take her down, too.
It was nearing the end of her shift when she noticed it was starting to rain. Just great. It would be a wet walk to the bus stop, but it wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last.
She grabbed a coffeepot and stopped off at all her tables to top off the diners’ cups. A half hour later she clocked out, and was all bundled up against the cold and the rain when Brenda, her boss, called out.
“Katrina! Wait!”
She turned around and saw Brenda running to her with an umbrella.
“You’re going to need this,” Brenda said.
Katrina smiled. “Thanks, Brenda! I’ll bring it back in the morning.”
“Keep it,” she said. “I have another one.”
“Much appreciated,” Katrina said, and popped it open as soon as she got outside, then hurried toward the bus stop.
For once, the bus was on time and she didn’t have to wait long in the rain. By the time she got home, she was cold and shivering.
First thing she did every day was change out of what she called her pancake clothes and throw them in the laundry. Then she slipped into warm sweats and thick socks, and made herself a cup of hot tea.
She was digging through the cabinet for honey to stir in it when her cell phone rang. It was a number she didn’t recognize, but it didn’t matter. Nobody called her, so a wrong number might be the only call she would receive this week. She answered.
“Hello.”
“Hello, may I speak to Katrina Delgado?”
“I’m Katrina.”
“Katrina, my name is Wyrick. I’m working for a woman who is looking for a granddaughter she lost touch with. I need to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?”
Katrina’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, I guess,” she said.
“Was your mother killed in a car wreck when you were seven?” Wyrick asked.
“Yes. She and my new dad, Andy Delgado, both died.”
“But your name was Sharp?”
“Yes, but I went by Delgado after my mom remarried,” Katrina said.
Wyrick began going down the list of facts that she’d gathered, checking them off.
“And after their deaths, you were put into the foster care system?”
“Yes, in the state of Illinois. I live in Philadelphia now.”
“Is your birthday June 4th, 1994?”
Katrina’s heart was starting to pound.
“Yes, it is.”
“And your mother’s name was Vivian Ray Sharp?”
“Yes.”
Wyrick sighed. “Katrina, your grandmother, Wanda Carrollton, has been looking for you.”
“Oh my gosh!” Katrina said. “Is she my mother’s mother?”
“No, she’s your paternal grandmother. Your father was her only son. Are you interested in reconnecting with her?”
“Yes, oh yes. I don’t have any family,” Katrina said, and started crying. “Where does she live?”
“She lives in Dallas, Texas. It’s where you were born, and where you lived until you were six.”
Katrina was stunned. “I have no memory of any of that.”
“May I give your grandmother your phone number so she can call you? My job was just to find you. However you two decide to begin a relationship or not is for you to decide.”
“Yes, absolutely,” Katrina said. “But tell her to call me in the evening after 6:00 p.m. I work from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at a pancake house, then ride a bus home. I don’t get home until almost 4:00.”
“Yes, I’ll tell her,” Wyrick said.
“What did you say her name was again?” Katrina asked.
“Wanda Carrollton.”
“Wanda. Oh my God! I have a grandmother! I have family! Real family!” Katrina said. “Tell her to call. I’ll be waiting, and thank you! Thank you for finding me!”
“You’re welcome,” Wyrick said, and disconnected.
The timer went off on her casserole. She jumped up from her desk to take it out of the oven, but she was still riding the high from her success. This was the best feeling ever, and as soon as she set the casserole aside to cool, she called Wanda.
She was going to make two women happy tonight. Not a bad day’s work, she thought, as she made the call.
When Wanda answered, Wyrick could hear the television blaring in the background.
“Hello?”
“Wanda, this is Wyrick, calling from Dodge Investigations. I have some news for you.”
“Okay?”
“I found your granddaughter,” Wyrick said, and then heard Wanda squeal.
“Oh Lord, oh Lord...bless you. Is she okay? Does she remember me? Does she want to meet me?”
“Yes, she’s okay. She does want to meet you, and I have her phone number, so you can be the one to reach out to her. But she doesn’t remember anything from her past. The reason you lost touch is that her mother remarried within a year of leaving. Then she and her husband were killed in a traffic accident. Katrina wound up in foster care and was never adopted.”
“Oh no!” Wanda said, and then started to cry. “Where does she live?”
“Philadelphia.” Then Wyrick gave Wanda the phone number and filled her in on the best times to call.
“I’m calling her the minute we hang up,” Wanda said. “How do I pay the final bill?”
“Your retainer covers all of it. Consider yourself paid in full. I wish you and your granddaughter many happy years together.”
“Thank you, Wyrick, thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am. You’re welcome,” Wyrick said, and disconnected.
* * *
Katrina Delgado was still overjoyed from the earlier phone call, so when her phone rang again, she thought twice in one evening was nothing short of a miracle. When it occurred to her that it might be the long-lost grandmother, and then caller ID came up with another out-of-state number, she grabbed it.
“Hello, this is Katrina.”
“Katrina, I’m Wanda Carrollton, your grandmother. I am so very, very happy that you answered my call.”
Katrina dropped down onto the sofa with the phone pressed against her ear, listening to a voice from her past.
“I didn’t know I had a grandmother...or any family at all. Thank you for looking for me,” Katrina said.
Wanda sighed, thinking of all the time they’d lost. “And you are my only living family, too. We have a lot of years to make up for, if you’re willing.”
“Yes, ma’am. I am very willing,” Katrina said.
“Not ‘ma’am.’ You called me Grammy when you were little.”
Katrina was laughing through tears. “Then Grammy it is. I don’t know where to start.”
“Just talk to me, sugar,” Wanda said. “It doesn’t matter what you talk about. I just want to hear your voice.”
* * *
Charlie went to bed thinking, after all of the chaos and drama, that he wouldn’t sleep. He kept remembering the feel of the young girl’s arms around his neck, and the intent look in her eyes when she told him she would never forget him.
Then he fell asleep to the sound of wind in the pines, and dreamed of Annie making pancakes for breakfast, and how she always sprinkled blueberries on the batter before she flipped them, and made smiley faces on his plate with the syrup.
&nb
sp; He woke up sad, feeling lost and empty...like he would never laugh again, then packed up and left Robbers Cave.
There was no hesitation in his decision as he took the highway out of Wilburton, retracing his journey back to Interstate 35 that would take him home to Dallas. The one positive about what had happened at the park was proof that there was no escaping life. As long as you were breathing, you got whatever was on the agenda.
* * *
Tony Dawson was awake and talking. Today they were moving him from ICU into a private room, which meant his mom and dad would no longer be restricted by the visiting hours of ICU.
Macie had gone downtown in Odessa to get her hair done and pick up their laundry, but Baxter was on-site when the move was made. As soon as they got Tony situated in his room, Baxter went in.
Just knowing he and Macie could come and go at will now, and talk without concern of bothering others, was huge. They already knew Tony was aware of his so-called friends’ deception for the trip, and that he remembered falling. He’d told them he had vague memories of crawling into a cave because he heard water. After that, he remembered nothing. They’d told him that the rangers couldn’t find him, and that they’d hired a PI, who ultimately did find him. But Tony hadn’t asked them a single question and they knew he had them.
“How are you with the pain, son?” Baxter asked.
“It’s bearable,” Tony said. “I’m so glad to have a window to see out of...and see sunshine. Where’s Mom?”
“Downtown getting her hair done and picking up our laundry.”
Tony glanced down at his leg...suspended in air with all the pins sticking out. His ribs were sore but healing, and it still hurt to take a deep breath. The staples in his head were healing enough that they were starting to pull and itch, and the bruising on his body was fading to faint purple and green. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever be whole again.
Then he looked up at his dad.
“I have questions, but I didn’t want to ask before because...I think I was afraid of the answers.”
Baxter nodded. “Ask away.”
“How long did it take to find me?”
“Charlie found you on the fourth day,” Baxter said.
“But why, Dad? Randall and Justin saw me fall. They could have led the rangers right to me.”
“They lied to cover their asses. Their story, after they were found out, was that they thought you were dead and didn’t want to get into trouble.”
The shock on Tony’s face was vivid, and then his eyes filled with tears. “Who does that shit?”
“Well, they did. Randall was jealous of you. He wanted to hurt you, and Justin went along.”
Tony was silent for a few seconds, and then he asked, “Has Trish asked about me?”
Baxter reached for Tony’s hand. “Son. That girl has worn out our phones checking on you. She refused to believe you were dead, and then when she found out what happened, completely blamed herself for all of it. She kept saying that if she had told you at the start that she and Randall had once dated, none of it would have happened. Whatever happens between you two is your business. But she told us that all she wanted was for you to be found alive, and that even if you hate her forever, it’s okay, because her prayers for you were answered.”
Tears were running down Tony’s face.
“I didn’t blame her then, and I don’t blame her now, but that’s what made Randall mad. That’s why he swung at me.”
“All I know is that I’m grateful to God that I don’t have a son like him. He’s got a bad streak in him.”
“What happened to them?” Tony asked.
“They’re in big trouble. Out on bail but facing federal charges, and it’s up in the air as to whether they’ll be tried as juveniles or adults.”
Tony blinked. “Federal?”
“All of that happened on federal lands...and then they lied to the park rangers, who are federal employees, and the story goes on. They hid your backpack so it wouldn’t be found, and I guess you crawling into that cave was what delayed finding you. They expected your body to be found right off, and when it wasn’t, then they were caught up in their own lies.”
“Oh my God. What are they going to think about me at school?” he mumbled.
Baxter smiled. “Nothing other than you are one tough dude to have survived what they did to you, and you have your girl to thank for that. We heard through the grapevine that she talked to the principal, who made an announcement at your school that you’d been found—and noted who was to blame for what happened. She wanted to make sure you didn’t come back to any troubles.”
Tony wiped the tears off his face. “She’s awesome, Dad. Really awesome.”
“Oh...that thing Justin said about her the night you guys had your fight... It was a lie. He admitted it to his parents and to the people we hired to find you.”
Tony sighed. “I already knew it was a lie. I knew my heart...and I knew my girl.”
Baxter patted his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Tony glanced at the time. “I guess Trish is in school right now.”
“I don’t think so. Macie said the rest of this week is parent-teacher conference.”
“Could I talk to her, Dad?”
Baxter grinned. “Yes, and I suppose you want me to leave the room while you do?”
Tony grinned sheepishly. “Just give me a few minutes.”
“You got it,” Baxter said, then pulled up her number and made the call.
* * *
Trish Caldwell was in her room hanging up laundry. She had opted out of going to the mall with her friends, to stay home and help her mom by catching up on household chores.
When her phone rang and she saw who was calling, her heart sank. It was Baxter Dawson’s number. Her hands were shaking as she answered, and all she could think was Please don’t let this be bad news.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, Trish. Baxter Dawson here. I have someone who wants to talk to you. Hang on a minute.”
Before Trish could think, Tony’s voice was in her ear.
“Hey, you,” he said.
“Tony! Oh my God... Tony!” she said, and burst into tears.
At that point, Baxter walked out of the room.
“Don’t cry, honey. Please don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault,” Trish kept saying. “I should have—”
“Stop,” Tony said. “I’m going to run out of energy fast, so just listen. I don’t blame you for anything. None of that shit was your fault, and I never believed what Justin said. That’s what made them mad. Because what they planned didn’t work. You and I are fine...if you still want it, I mean. I’m pretty beat up, and I may walk with a limp for the rest of my life, but I will be walking, and I still have two arms to hug you. I love you, Trish, and if that’s enough for you, then you’re enough for me.”
Trish was laughing now, and sobbing. “Yes, yes, always...you’ll always be enough. I thought I’d lost you, and then they found you, and that was enough. I love you, too, Tony Dawson. I can’t wait to see you again.”
* * *
Wyrick was watching news coverage on an update about the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian to the northern part of the Grand Bahama and the Abaco chain. There were places that had been completely leveled to the point that they were no longer inhabitable.
And that was when it hit her.
This was what she could do with Cyrus’s money. Charity was beyond him...even beneath him, and it was going to piss him off royally to know that was what she’d done with it. It would probably agitate their situation again, but she didn’t care. He wouldn’t leave her alone, so she felt no compunction in striking back where it hurt.
She was also working on a new file she called FAILSAFE that was going to stop all
of this shit. Everything she had, everything she knew and every piece of data she’d ever collected while working for Universal Theorem was going in it, including all of the genetic experiments they had in process worldwide, even videos of some of it, along with proof of their presence within the world of human trafficking, aka the Fourth Dimension, that she and Charlie had helped take down.
She was in the process of writing up a dossier about herself, telling how she was created, how many failures they had before her and what they did to her mother. How she cured herself of cancer, how they hounded her then, wanting her back. She was including names of all the men they’d hired to tail her, then stalk her. And then she named Cyrus Parks as the man who’d hired Darrell Boyington to kill her, which also pointed a finger at Parks as the person who took Boyington out when he failed. It would be up to the law to prove it, but it would also give Cyrus Parks way more to think about besides her.
And the more she worked on this, the more she understood Cyrus’s desire to kill her. She was living proof of every illegal thing they’d ever done, and once they lost control of her, she became a threat. Outing UT would end the privacy she enjoyed, but if she didn’t, they were going to end her life. It was going to be one hell of a trade-off, but there was no longer a way to hide behind it in safety.
Thirteen
The moment Charlie Dodge crossed the state line from Oklahoma into Texas, it felt right. Shit or no shit, he belonged here. He stopped at Gainesville to refuel, and grabbed a cold drink and some chips before leaving the mini-mart, then ate as he drove, licking salt from his fingers until the bag was empty, and the hollow feeling in his belly was gone.
When he finally reached the outskirts of Dallas, he merged onto the freeway and headed toward his apartment building. As he did, he thought of calling Wyrick, then didn’t. There wasn’t anything to say, and he’d text her later and let her know he was back.
He was almost home when he got a text from Baxter Dawson, letting him know that Tony was out of ICU and healing well. They thanked him again for giving them back their son.
