by Dale Mayer
“Why can’t you take over?”
“I don’t have the heart for it anymore,” John said quietly. “I’m not sure I’ll do this kind of volunteer work again. It’s almost like I’ve done my time. Losing three of my good friends, well, a little voice in the back of my head keeps saying, You could be next.”
Jace understood that. It was the first sign of a man losing his heart. “Then maybe it is time,” he said softly. “You’ve got a wife and children. Stick close to them. Because they could be the reason you stay alive.”
“Do you still need to meet with me?”
“If you’re willing to answer a few questions on the phone right now, that will be okay.”
“Sure. Otherwise, if you want, you can come here. My wife has gone to work. I should be at the TxSAR Center, but, well, like I said, things have been difficult for me.”
“Can you give me your address?” Jace wrote it down and listened to his directions. The drive was five minutes from where he was.
A few minutes later he pulled up to an apartment building. John lived on the ground floor. Jace knocked at the door and smiled as an older man answered it.
After they shook hands, John invited him in. They sat at the kitchen table and had coffee. “Do you know how long Ronnie was in the water?”
“No. We were all busy, getting as many people out as we could, and, although we keep an eye on our team, we rarely time the rescues. The water was rising steadily …” He shook his head. “Sometimes I don’t sleep at night, remembering it.” He glanced at Jace. “You’ve got military experience, don’t you?”
Jace nodded. “I know exactly what you mean about the nightmares. Some things you never forget.”
“I think I should go to a therapist for help,” he said with a broken laugh. “It’s not just that. It’s the whole damn thing. It’s so wrong that Ronnie and Howard both died like that.”
“It can happen to anyone.” Jace watched the older man’s face carefully. Sad acceptance confirmed what he thought.
“Oh, yes. Ropes can get caught. Hooks can snap free. Sometimes we make decisions to hook up people we’re rescuing, and our own ropes are not attached. We’re not supposed to do it, but I’ve done it. I know Ronnie’s done it.”
“You know anybody with photos from the accident site, or any when Ronnie’s body was brought in?”
“I imagine the police do. Have you talked to them?”
Jace nodded. “His gear was already partially off when he was brought in. The safety harnesses had been removed when they brought him to the morgue.”
“Yeah, those suckers are expensive. Besides, Ronnie didn’t need his anymore.”
“Did you see if his rope got caught?”
John shook his head. “I didn’t, no.”
For a second Jace turned his gaze away from John’s face. “Did you go to his funeral?”
“Yes. But I didn’t say anything to his wife.” He glanced at Jace. “It makes me look like a coward, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.” John’s eyes filled with tears. He shook his head. “Look at me. I’m just a weepy old man here.”
“There’s a whole lot worse things than to mourn for your friend. Imagine if nobody mourned for Ronnie. What kind of a world would that be? He and Howard were always there, helping out. They loved volunteering. They died helping others. That deserves our respect.”
“True. Ronnie and Howard both were well-loved.”
Jace stood and walked to the door. “Thanks for speaking with me.” He hesitated a moment. “By the way, do you have a life insurance policy? It’s a question I’m asking everybody. It’s a dangerous business you are in. I wondered how many of you look to protect the families you leave behind.”
“I didn’t. But after Ronnie’s death, I signed up for one.” He shrugged. “I feel stupid doing so now because I’m not sure about going back. I feel like I’ve lost my edge.”
“Maybe you haven’t lost it. Maybe you can’t find it for the moment. Grieve first, say goodbye to your friends, and then remember all the people they rescued, all the people you saved over these years. You might decide you need to be a part of that again. It’s your decision. The thing is, you can’t do what is right for everybody else. You must do what’s right for you.”
John smiled. “I’m glad you came by this morning. I feel much better.”
“Good.”
The two men shook hands, and Jace headed to his truck. As soon as he was in the driver’s seat, his phone rang. It was Ice. “John was at home. He’s still having trouble dealing with the loss of his friends,” Jace said, then relayed the little bit of information he got from John. “He did just take out a life insurance policy. But it’s with Prescott Health.”
“You didn’t ask him how much it was for, did you?”
“No, I never thought to.” He glanced back at the house. “Do you want me to go back and ask him?”
“No, it’s probably not an issue.” Her voice sounded distracted. “Look. I’ll call you back. Things are kind of busy here at the moment.”
He hung up the phone and sat in the truck for a long moment, thinking about everything. So far nothing had made him change his mind about his earlier theory. But how could he prove it? How did he prove somebody was killing off these men for an insurance payday?
He shook his head, started up the truck, and drove to his hotel room. He wasn’t sure if it was still booked for today or not. Ice had told him to come home today, and check out was at eleven o’clock. It was almost that time now. As he walked inside, he got a text from Ice.
Stay in town for the day. Keep the hotel for another night, and we’ll see where we’re at in the morning.
He stood at the front desk and thought about that for a long moment. He walked off to the side, pulled out his phone again, and called Emily. When he heard her voice, he smiled. “So is that offer good for tonight, or do I book my hotel room again?”
She chuckled. “Well, if you’re booking a hotel for another night, then I’m coming there. But it seems silly to spend all that money when my place has a warm bed.”
“Done,” he said with a grin. “You available for lunch today?”
“Absolutely. I wanted to invite you out. I was afraid you would leave, and we wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
“I’m staying in town for the day, unless my orders change,” he said. “But I’d like to spend lunch with you anyway. Tomorrow will come soon enough.”
“So you pick where we go this time,” she said. “Meet you in front in an hour.”
He grinned and spoke to the receptionist. “I’m here to check out.”
The woman nodded and started the paperwork. Inside he was delighted. As far as he was concerned, today was a great day. Who’d have thought he’d get a second night with Emily before he had to return to the compound?
Chapter 12
Emily’s conversation with Wilson had been intense, with him toeing the company line. Only when she threatened to contact the cops about it did he agree to talk to the head office again.
He warned her, “You know your job is on the line over this.”
She nodded. “That may be, but so are my ethics and honor. I don’t know for sure that anyone else is in danger, but, if we don’t tell the cops what’s going on, and something does happen, we are ultimately responsible.”
“That’s not fair,” he protested. “Like you said, you found no evidence anything is going on.”
She gave him a steely smile. “Make the call.” She got up and returned to her desk. She closed her eyes to regain some sense of equilibrium. It was damn hard. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do now. Wilson was right in that they knew essentially nothing.
It was almost time to go for lunch, and, for that, she was grateful. She shouldn’t tell Jace anything, but it would be hard not to.
Sitting at her desk was useless when she could be standing outside, trying to calm down for that extra five minutes. She gathered up her purse and her sweater,
logged off her computer, and locked up her desk. Outside she paced, her fingers shoved deep into her sweater pockets as she mulled things over.
There was an all-too-real possibility that she would end up looking for a new job. And that was both sad and exhilarating. Maybe the company would offer her a position in a different department. But did she want to stay even then?
Every time a vehicle pulled up, she turned to see if it was Jace. Each time the vehicle either drove off or turned into the parking lot, she groaned out loud. “Come on, Jace. I need to get away from here.”
At those words, he pulled up. She smiled, and, before he had a chance to turn off the engine, she opened the door and hopped in. “Let’s go,” she said.
He shot her a startled look. “Are you in a hurry?” He turned to check the traffic and then pulled the truck onto the main road.
“No, and yes. Another argument with my boss about a discussion with the head office. I might not have a job when I get back.” She shrugged. “I need to get away right now.”
Heavy silence filled the cab for a moment. “Something we did?”
“Not directly. It’s this whole case. I want to do something, and they won’t let me.”
Jace nodded. “Did you tell the cops what we found?”
It was her turn to shoot him a surprised glance. “You understand I can’t talk about it, right?” Her voice was tight.
“I know. Given that you’re a little on the stressed side, you should have a glass of wine with lunch.”
“Sounds good.” In her mind she was thinking a couple stiff drinks might be a better idea. But she didn’t dare go back to work with alcohol on her breath. “And considering we didn’t have breakfast, I’m more than ready for some real food.”
He pulled into a popular chain restaurant parking lot. “Will this do?”
“Absolutely. I could get into a big burger right now.”
He smiled. “A woman after my own heart.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently tugged her close. She turned and wrapped her arms around him and burrowed deep. He held her, not saying anything, gently stroking her back and waiting.
Finally she could breathe normally. She pulled away and looked at him. “Thank you. For being you.”
“I’m glad I’m here,” he said seriously. “As you well know, my time can be cut short at any moment.”
“I know. I guess that’s why I’m even more appreciative of the fact that you’re here with me now.”
He led her inside and asked for a booth in the far corner. There he let her sit with her back to the rest of the restaurant while he sat facing her. She studied his position and smiled. “So is our seating so you can see if anybody’s coming? Or is it so you can see if we’re safe?”
He slanted a look at her. “Does it make a difference?” His tone was light and playful but underneath was a serious tone.
She narrowed her gaze. “Did you stir up a hornet’s nest?”
His smile was bland, the look in his eyes even more so. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Then the waitress arrived. She handed out menus and asked if they’d like anything to drink. He ordered a carafe of wine for Emily. Then he quickly corrected his order. “Make that one glass, please.”
The waitress nodded and hurried away. Knowing Jace wouldn’t explain his actions any more than she could explain her morning, she chose to delve into the menu. There she found the chef’s burger. She read all the ingredients as she felt her appetite rising to the forefront. That was a good sign. When she was stressed, she had no appetite, even tended to forget about food. The sandwich sounded so good. She closed her menu and said, “I know what I’m having.”
He glanced at her and said, “A chef’s burger with a Caesar salad on the side.”
“How did you know?”
He smiled. “I want the same, only with fries.” The waitress returned with a glass of wine. He ordered two chef’s burgers, making the substitution for salad on hers. When they were finally alone again, he nodded to the wine. “Take a sip. It will help you relax.”
She laughed. “The hug did the most good yet.”
He gave her a slow dawning smile that sent her pulse racing. “If you could take the afternoon off,” he said suggestively, “I can do a whole lot more than a hug.”
She let her breath out slowly. “Oh, you are deadly.” She shook her head. “I might end up being forced to have the afternoon off. But I’ll go back in case I still have a job.”
“That bad?”
“Yes,” she said. “That bad.”
“Is it wrong of me to think maybe that’s a good thing?”
She set down her wine and stared at him. “That I get fired is a good thing?”
He shook his head. “Obviously not that part. But a new beginning. How do you feel about a new city?”
She snorted. “You mean, a city like Houston by any chance?” She watched in amazement as color washed up his neck. He dropped his gaze and stared at the table, his fingers folding the napkin in some complicated pattern. She leaned forward. “Are you too embarrassed to talk about it?”
As he raised his head, she saw his discomfort. “This is where your home is. And I don’t have any right to ask you to move.”
“It’s hardly a move. Sure it’s another city and another apartment I’d have to find and all the headaches that go with that. But I might already need to find a new job.” She shrugged. “It’s not that far out of the realm of possibilities.”
“I don’t want you to move because of me.”
“Can you move your job?”
He frowned. “I could move anywhere in the Houston area. Any farther than that would be hard, if not impossible.”
She nodded. “Well, I’ll consider it. It could be, when I return to the office, that things are fine.” But she doubted it. She’d basically issued a threat against the company. And there were names for people who did that. Whistleblower came to mind. She didn’t know for a fact that this had anything to do with the records being hacked. But she would be pretty upset if somebody else was hurt because she hadn’t stepped up and said something.
The rest of the lunch hour passed while discussing more neutral topics, and, when it was finally time to leave, she let him pick up the tab.
When he dropped her off at the front door, he asked, “You want me to wait?”
She gave him a brave smile. “No, my vehicle is here.”
She walked to the front door, which was locked, used her security pass, but nothing happened. She swiped her card a second time, and again nothing happened. She bowed her head.
“I guess that’s my answer.”
*
He hated to drop her off at the office. He didn’t have a purpose in his own current direction. But it felt wrong for him and Emily to leave off there. He hadn’t gotten more than five blocks away when his instincts wouldn’t let him keep going. Checking his rearview mirror, he pulled a fast U-turn in the middle of the road and drove back. He parked on the far side from the office building only to find Emily standing dejectedly outside the building’s front door.
Oh, shit.
He hopped out, raced across the road, and called out, “Can’t you get in?”
He loved the way her face lit up with joy at seeing him. That was what he had been missing for so long. Knowing somebody out there cared for him like he did for her. He knew they only had a fledgling romance, and so many things could go wrong. But he really liked who she was inside and out. The passion between them was a great start. And he knew that, if nurtured, it could take them the distance and be something so much stronger. He had to foster that strength. She reached out a hand for him, and he took it.
“The door’s locked,” she said.
“Come on,” he urged. “No point standing here, wondering if you’re fired or locked out. Find out for sure.”
She nodded, took out her phone, and dialed. “I feel like he would do this though. No confrontation is in
volved this way.”
“What about your personal stuff?”
She shook her head. “I brought my purse and sweater with me. I left an apple and maybe a granola bar in my drawer. That’s all.”
“Did you need any information? Should you leave any last notes or anything on your files?”
“I finished updating my files this morning. Two huge stacks remain to be done, another set on my desk. That will no longer be my problem.” She shrugged. “He’s not answering.”
He pulled out his phone, took the number off her phone, and asked, “What’s the chance he’s not answering because it’s you calling?”
She snorted. “That would be like him.”
He hit the Dial button and held it up between them. “If he answers, you take my phone and talk to him,” he said.
Sure enough Wilson’s voice came on a moment later. “Hello, who is this?”
She snatched the phone from Jace’s hand and walked a few steps away. “Wilson, this is Emily.”
Jace walked the other direction to give her a little privacy. This was a complication he hadn’t expected. When they talked about her possibly losing her job over lunch, it hadn’t seemed as real or as close as it appeared to be. He could hope, for her sake, that she still had her job, but he well knew what it took to walk away when your morals and ethics came into play. That’s why he and so many of his friends had all walked away from the military. If she did the same thing, well, he certainly couldn’t blame her for it. In fact he admired her all that much more. But that left him with a bit of a hole in his world. She would need help and likely quickly.
He waited another few minutes, keeping an eye on Emily’s face as she paced. He blocked out what conversation he could hear, but it was hard to miss bits and pieces. Finally she turned toward him and handed him his phone.
“I’ve been let go,” she said with a sneer. “They didn’t want to fire me in case I decide to contest that.”
He nodded. “They want their company name clear of this mess.”
She nodded. “And I understand that. But people are dying.”
“And, in all fairness, it may not have anything to do with the life insurance policies. Or directly related to the previous hack of the insurance records.”
