The Grey Man- Partners

by JL Curtis

  Jesse smiled. “I’d love it. For all practical purposes, we were roommates until Aaron got hurt. And if it saves money, so much the better. And we can finally get rid of that damn couch! Yours is much better!”

  Felicia hugged Jesse and said, “Thank you. I can even help with Jace and give you and Aaron some private time too. But don’t say anything until Aaron asks, okay?”

  Jesse nodded. “Yeah, let them think they’re in charge.” Jesse and Felicia both laughed at that.

  Cocking her head, Jesse said, “I don’t know if any of my maternity things will fit, but you’re welcome to them when you start showing.”

  Felicia looked at Jesse, “Since you’ve lost all your baby weight, I guess you aren’t using them are you?

  Jesse chuckled, “Nope, all that work paid off. I’m back down to one-twenty, which is about where I was before we got married.” Reaching up and touching the white streak at her temple, “And Jace hasn’t increased the white hairs, yet.”

  Felicia said ruefully, “I’m only thirty-five, and I’ve already got grey hair coming in. But that runs in our family. At least we tend to remain small and not blow up like a balloon.”

  Jesse nodded, “You’re still beautiful. Spanish heritage and all that, and I’ve seen your mother. She’s still beautiful too!”

  ***

  A week later the teams came back from the desert and Aaron had his reunion with the teams. Sergeant McKenzie was the first one to see him and said, “Welcome home, Gunny!” The others crowded around, backslapping him until Snake walked in. They fell silent and parted as Snake and Aaron faced each other.

  Snake put his hands on his hips, shaking his head slowly. “Damn, look what the cat drug in. A wanna-be Marine.”

  “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed Snake,” Aaron replied. “You still trying to make expert?”

  They met in the middle of the room and pounded each other on the back, much to the relief of the men watching. Finally, Aaron turned and said, “Snake, well, Gunny Snake and I go back to Quantico together. We were in the same Scout Sniper class. Ended up in the same platoon. We both made Fallujah. Sumbitch has been following me for years!”

  The Marines started laughing as Snake and Aaron went into the office. Snake pointed at the desk. “Still your team, Aaron. I’m just the fill in. Well, actually I’m filling in for both you and Mayhew. Don’t know if you heard, but he’s got severe infections in both legs. They still don’t have him cleared for duty. He’s been stuck at Balboa since January. He said he’s got his own drawer in the med lab’s fridge for all the shit he’s apparently dealing with.”

  Aaron moved behind the desk and winced at that. “Damn, Mayhew’s injuries didn’t look like they were going to be that bad. I thought he’d already have been back!”

  McKenzie stuck his head in. “Anybody want coffee?” Both of them nodded and Aaron looked slowly around the office.

  He looked at Snake and finally said, “Dunno if you heard, but I’m LIMDU for at least the next thirty days. Brill’s got me working at HQ. Rather than confuse the troops, I think it might be better if I just stayed out of the way. How did you end up coming in behind me anyway? I didn’t know… hell, I still don’t know what went on after I left.”

  Snake shrugged. “I was coming out of the schoolhouse at Quantico, orders to three/one and Patti was already on the way out here after the move. She’d taken the kids home for a couple of weeks to see the grandparents, and I was just starting the in processing. Shit, I didn’t even get to housing! They put my ass on an airplane that morning and I was at Herat a day later and at FOB Apache the next day after that. I didn’t even have a weapon, had to use yours. Least you coulda done was clean the damn thing!”

  Aaron laughed at that sally, and waved McKenzie in with the coffee. McKenzie asked, “So Gunny, when are you coming back?”

  “Still being decided, Mac,” Aaron said. “Don’t you like working for Snake?”

  McKenzie realized he’d put himself in a bad place and mumbled something as he quickly left the office.

  “Aaron, you gonna make it back?” Snake asked. “I know you’ve been through the mill these last few months and I gotta tell you, you’ve aged. You in a good place in your head?”

  Aaron bowed his head for a minute, then looked squarely at Snake, “When things went to shit over there, I knew I was dead. I just wanted to take as many of them with me as I could. I didn’t want these guys to get killed because I’d fucked it up.” He waved toward the team bay and continued, “That I’m even here is a miracle. That I have a wife that has stuck by me through all this is miracle number two. Miracle number three is Jace, my son. I’ll admit I got really depressed in Walter Reed, especially when they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Once they finally got the stump fixed, and I got moved to Brooke, things started looking up. When I held Jace for the first time, I vowed then to never give up. He’s what I’m living for. And its actually been over a year. Hell, Jace is starting to walk already.”

  A single tear rolled down Aaron’s cheek. “I got another chance, Snake. I’m here to tell ya, I’m not going to screw it up. The nightmares are still there. Just another set added after Fallujah. I talked to my father-in-law, John Cronin, about it. He’s a Special Forces ‘Nam vet and he said they never go away. The thing to do is to learn to manage them. He said he does that by beating them down with good thoughts and memories.”

  Snake leaned back. “I’m glad to hear that. Patti and I both were worried about you. Nobody here was getting any information or, if they were, it wasn’t getting communicated down to us. Now that you’re back, we gotta have you and your wife over for dinner.”

  “Great! Just no damn rattlesnake chili, okay?”

  “You’re never going to let me live that down are ya?” Snake asked plaintively.

  Aaron laughed as he got up, “Nope, never! I need to get back, and I know you’ve got to get the duty roster done. Take care of the guys.”

  Snake and Aaron hugged as Snake said, “You know it. I’ll talk to Patti, maybe this weekend for dinner?”

  “That’ll work. I’ll give Jesse a head’s-up.”

  ***

  Aaron checked into rehab at the Pendleton hospital and Doc Fischer and Chief Holt welcomed him back with their special brand of humor. Aaron sat gasping as he finished a round of machines. “Damn, chief, what are you trying to do? Finish the job?”

  Chief Holt grinned. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that, Gunny, they’d deduct my pay for that. I just need to get a good starting level for you. Doc says I’ve got thirty days, so I’m planning on getting you all the way back. You’re at maybe eighty-five percent now. You and I both know you can do better.”

  Aaron grumbled, “Only if I survive. Only if I survive. How many days a week?”

  The chief looked at his calendar. “I figure three days a week. I’ll give you weekends off since I know you’ve got a new baby. Can’t have you snoring and waking him up.”

  Aaron started. “How did you know?”

  “Your lovely wife brought him by. She hasn’t forgotten us, unlike some people I might mention.” Holt said.

  Aaron put his head in his hands. “Oh damn. I should have guessed. She told me she fed y’all, too.”

  “Oh yeah. That she did. You’ve married one helluva lady, Gunny, and I’m doing this as much for her as for you. Like I said, a class act.” Holt replied.

  “Don’t I know it,” Aaron said. “She stuck by me through all the BS. More than most people would have done. I know I didn’t treat her real well some of the time, and I’m trying to make up for that.”

  “There is another reason too, Gunny. They’re starting to do a lot more med boards. Seems like they’re putting a lot of people out, which is really stupid. With the facilities today and the technology in prosthetics, there is no reason to kick people out. Hell, the Army’s got double amputees still on active duty!”

  “Okay, I can take the hint,” Aaron replied. “You know I’ll do the work, Chief. If
we’re done here, I need to get back and cover the desk for Brill this afternoon. He’s going down to San Diego for the graduation this afternoon. His nephew is graduating today, and Brill’s been hosting his sister and her hubby up here.”

  Holt slapped Aaron on the shoulder. “Good. Take it to the showers, Gunny, and I’ll see you Monday.”

  ***

  Twenty-one days later, Doc Fischer stood in the rehab area and watched Aaron perform the required exercises and said, “Okay, Gunny, you’re cleared to return to full duty. I guess I won’t have to fire the chief. But, I do want you back here monthly for checks on the prosthetic. I think we’re probably going to have to do new socks and possibly a new cup for you before long.”

  Aaron smiled from ear to ear at those words, and said, “Thank you both. What now?”

  Doc Fischer handed Aaron an up chit. “Give this to the command. They can enter it in your records and put your lazy ass back to work.” With that, the doc was gone, leaving Aaron goggling at him and the chief laughing at his expression.

  Lawyering Up

  It took two days for Billy Moore to clear his calendar and his Lear 35 to land at Fort Stockton’s airport at eight in the morning. Bob picked him up and drove him back to the ranch. Billy walked into the house to find the old man standing at the stove cooking breakfast. The old man turned, “Two over easy, right?” Billy nodded as he flipped his briefcase onto the table and popped the latches. Taking out his ever present yellow pads, he stacked them and reached for a coffee cup.

  “More coffee?”

  “Yeah, top me off.” Billy poured his cup and topped off the old man’s cup, then rooted in the fridge for milk.

  “Getting soft in your old age? John asked.

  Billy grimaced, “Nah, too many lousy cups of coffee in too many courtrooms and courthouses. Speaking of which, I got copies from the filings Hector did and reviewed them on the way over this morning.”

  The old man slid Billy’s eggs onto a plate, added bacon and toast, and brought both plates over to the table. After he’d gotten his coffee cup he sat down saying, “Let’s eat first, then we can get into the BS on a full stomach.”

  Billy hadn’t waited and dug in to breakfast, nodding with his gray ponytail flopping. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes giving the old man chance to reflect on their friendship. Forty-two years. I’ve known this sly little sumbitch forty-two damn years. We’ve been through it together. ‘Nam, law enforcement, that DEA tour, losing Amy, Jack, and Pat. The ranch has always been my grounding. Billy, well he had Anh, but they couldn’t have kids so he poured his soul into being a lawyer. And he’s a damn good one. Big league and all that. But he’s always taken care of us. I can’t help but wonder how many more times we can go to the well.

  Billy finished his breakfast, picked up the plates and dropped them in the sink as the old man refilled the coffee cups. Billy rearranged his yellow pads and cleared his throat, “Alright, let’s take this from the top, John. Tell me everything you remember about the arrest.”

  The old man pulled out his wheel book and shuffled through the documents he had on his side of the table, then leaned back for a minute collecting his thoughts. He walked Billy through everything from witnessing the hit and run on the car at the truck stop, through Roland flipping the joint out the window, hitting him in the chest with it. How the license came back to a black Mercedes, Hertz rental, and theft of services from Los Angeles Airport. His thinking she was going to try to drive off. Breaking the window to turn the car off and hitting the door lock to unlock it as Trooper Wilson and Deputy Hart arrived on scene. Wilson forcing the young woman out with an arm bar, Roland fighting for a few seconds and Wilson putting the woman face down on the concrete as Hart led the boyfriend back to his car. Assisting Wilson in cuffing the woman, even as she continued to fight them. Trooper Wilson doing a quick search of the interior of the car, finding a purse and eight baggies of marijuana. Hart and Wilson performing the detailed search of the entire car and Wilson coming up with two baggies that appeared to be cocaine, as Hart came back with a handful of items, including two empty baggies, two more bags of marijuana, a bag with an eight ball of cocaine and a pill bottle full of valium.

  Yogi growling at Roland and her starting to scream and fighting to get away from the dog, Wilson doing the transport, the booking photos with Roland’s face scratched and the notation in the jail log. Then the whole TACO suit/suicide watch issue, and her threats to ‘own’ him. Throughout the recitation, Billy took copious notes, referred to documents in his pile, and mumbled to himself occasionally. Once the old man ran down, Billy finally said, “Piss break, refill on the coffee, and then it’s my turn.”

  After the break, Billy sipped his coffee and leaned forward, “Okay, three specific civil suits name you. One for false arrest, one for a fourth amendment violation, and one for excessive use of force. They were all filed over in Alpine with the US Attorney, now it depends on who they decide to use to investigate the complaints. Oh yeah, and Hector filed a general complaint for brutality against the entire department with the Rangers over in El Paso too. That one includes the TACO suit, and some jail issues, so we’ll worry about that one later.”

  “Now, since these were filed against you in the performance of your official duties, we’ve got a rule thirty-four issue with the insurers needing to be brought in as defendants in the suits. And a key point is going to be which investigator is assigned to the suits. If we get an older investigator, these will never make it out of the DA’s office.”

  Billy got up and stretched, putting his coffee cup in the sink he turned back to the old man, “Let’s go see the county lawyer and see what he has to say. I’ll be there as the CLEAT[2] rep for you also.”

  “The county lawyer is a she now, Billy. Times they are a changing,” the old man said as he cleaned up the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Billy just shook his head and mumbled something as he loaded up his briefcase.

  Bob wasn’t happy about the old man driving himself to town, but finally agreed as long as the old man and Billy checked in when they got to the office. The ride into town was quiet, each man lost in their own thoughts. Yogi was even quiet and stayed in the back seat, sensing their mood. Pulling into the parking lot the old man said, “Well, I guess I’ll have to turn in my badge today, but the gun is mine. I’m glad I got a CHL years ago, at least I won’t be unarmed.”

  Nodding, Billy didn’t respond. He just picked his briefcase up, got out of the car and waited while the old man put Yogi on his leash, took him over to his tree and let him do his business. Once that was done, the three of them walked in silence into the office. While the old man got Yogi settled in the office, Billy headed for the coffee pot, poured a cup and came back to the conference room. Juggling the briefcase and coffee he finally got the door open and walked in, only to stop dead. “Lurch? What the hell are you doing here?”

  Nancy Randall, a tall, slim and attractive lady in her early forties and the new county lawyer looked up in irritation, “Dammit Billy! I’ve told you not to call me that!”

  Laughing, Billy said, “Hey, when you’re almost a foot taller than I am, and weigh less than I do, you’re Lurch.”

  The old man walked in on the tail end of Billy’s comment and looked from one to the other, “Something tells me the two of you know each other…”

  Nancy sighed, “Yeah, I’ve been putting up with his bullshit for twenty years now.”

  “Hey, now.” Billy said, “I knew you when you were… well, a young lawyer just starting out with the DA’s office in Houston.”

  “So, do we have a problem here?” The old man asked.

  “Nah, but I may ask you to beat him occasionally,” Nancy said.

  Cronin and Billy both laughed, and Nancy just smiled. The old man went to the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee, and by the time he got back, the two of them were deep into the files. He took a seat, watching and listening to them go back and forth on the statements, evide
nce and complaints. Two more cups of coffee later, he heard them throwing around numbers and USC codes and finally asked, “Um, what the hell is eighteen USC two-forty-one and two-forty-two?”

  Nancy replied, “That’s ‘color of law’, and the complaint charges you did violate that and probably forty-one USC one-forty-one-fourteen. That one is general misconduct, and that’s what they filed against the department.”

  “They’re also saying you violated Title Six of the sixty-four Civil Rights Act too.” Billy chimed in.

  The old man threw up his hands, “What the fu… Hell! All I did was stop her, and she’s the one that instigated all the rest of the shit herself, by her own actions!”

  Nancy nodded, “True, and honestly I’m surprised even Hector would file something like this unless he’s getting a lot of money and assistance, read direction, to go forward with this.” Waving her hand at the documents and tapes spread on the table, she continued, “It’s a BS charge, and the evidence proves it. I’m betting he’s shooting for an out of court settlement, and figures the court in Alpine will give him that, as opposed to the court here.”

  They were interrupted by the sheriff, closely followed by a Texas Ranger entering the conference room, “Nancy, Mister Moore, John, this is Ranger Lambert from Austin. He’s here to conduct an investigation into our supposed brutality.”

  Ranger Lambert nodded at everyone and said, “I take it you’re Deputy Cronin?”

  The old man stood up, “Yep, that I am. What can I do for you?”

  Lambert asked, “I’d like to interview you now if possible.”