by Margaret Kay
“However long you need.”
After a minute or two she pulled away. “Thank you.”
Angel’s voice called from the hallway. “I’ve got a direct flight leaving on Southwest out of Midway in just under two hours.”
“Book it,” Cooper yelled back.
“I’ll never make it, that’s too tight,” she protested.
“I’ll drive you and your FBI credentials will get you through security, fast. You’ll need them to board with your gun. I’ll go in with you. You’ve never used the credentials to fast-track through security. Five minutes tops and you’ll be at your gate,” he guaranteed.
“I wasn’t going to travel armed.”
“You are required to be armed at all times. Even during personal travel. That’s why you have federal credentials,” Cooper reminded her. “Get your stuff and I’ll meet you in the parking garage.”
She nodded and sprinted down the hall to the interior staircase.
Cooper poked his head back into the conference room and notified Shepherd of the plan as she ran up to her office to gather what she needed. Shepherd would place a call to his FBI contact in DC immediately and get her cleared through security before she arrived.
“Tell her I said to stay as long as she needs. Van Joosten can wait,” Shepherd said. As Cooper left, Shepherd turned back to the others at the conference table. “Okay, you heard the case is on hold for everyone except you, Yvette. Dig deep so we’ll be ready to roll when Miller returns.”
The meeting broke up and everyone left. Shepherd placed the call to the FBI Deputy Director from the conference room.
Lassiter and Garcia headed up to the eighth floor. They met Madison in the hall as she exited her office.
“Hey, are you okay?” Lassiter asked, taking her into a hug.
“Yes. I’ll be better when I get to Phoenix.”
“You have my number. Text or call if you need me,” Lassiter said. He released her. “And if you have any medical questions, I’m sure Doc won’t mind you contacting him either.”
“Thanks, Joe,” she voiced sincerely.
Garcia immediately took her against his solid chest as well. “Hang tough, Madison.”
“Thanks, Anthony. You too. Good luck with your Op.”
She broke away and rushed down the hall to the elevator. She had her backpack and her laptop case slung over her shoulders. She had the FBI credentials as well as her passport card and driver’s license on her.
John Cooper waited by the black SUV when she exited the elevator in the parking garage. She rushed over and they both got in the already running vehicle.
“Angel pushed your boarding pass through to your cell phone,” Cooper told her.
She nodded.
Papa
It was a quiet drive to the airport. Traffic was uncharacteristically light, and they made it to Midway International Airport in less than an hour. Cooper pulled into the short-term parking garage nearest the terminal.
In less than ten minutes they had been cleared through the special security process and stood in front of the gate, waiting for the plane to come in, which showed a forty-minute delay at the same moment a text of the delay came to her phone. Cooper had told her the airlines always welcomed an armed federal agent, and they certainly had. She would board before the other passengers and meet the pilot and flight attendants before the remainder of the passengers boarded, another perk of traveling armed and with credentials. She’d have first pick of a seat.
“So glad we rushed,” Madison said with a smirk. “You don’t have to wait with me. You got me here and through security. Thanks, Cooper.”
“No worries,” he said dismissively. He pointed to the bar beside the gate. “Let’s get a drink. You have a good forty-five minutes before boarding, if the arriving flight doesn’t show another delay.”
They took a seat at the far end of the bar and placed their drink orders. Cooper also ordered a mixed appetizer plate. Madison’s mind was reeling as she sipped her Hendrick’s and Tonic with a splash of St. Germaine’s.
“May I?” He asked, pointing to her glass and bringing her thoughts out of her head.
“Sure,” she said and slid her glass to him.
“Oh, that’s good,” he said with a grin, trying to lighten her mood. “What’s on your mind?”
“What am I going to tell my mother about my new job?” Madison groaned and then took a healthy gulp of her drink.
“You’re going to show up armed and with a badge. I think that’s self-explanatory.” He took another drink of his rum and diet.
“What, tell her I’m an FBI Analyst?”
“Analyst, field agent, whatever you like. Madison, you have to be armed at all times. That’s a job requirement now.”
“I know,” she assured him quickly. “I just don’t want to worry my parents. Cooper, do you have family that you’re close to?”
“Just my brother Michael. He’s still active duty, USN, a submariner.”
“What does everyone else tell their families?”
Cooper’s lips twisted into his trademark smirk. “The lie. Look, no one can tell their family members exactly what we do. Jackson’s family knows not to ask him anything. They know it's some sort of special ops shit. Everyone else’s families have been fed the federal agent line and with credentials to back it up, there usually aren’t too many questions that come after you say, ‘it’s classified, and I can’t discuss it.’ But the initial I’m a federal agent lie isn’t one hundred percent an untruth. You do carry legitimate credentials. You just didn’t apply and complete bureau training, not that you couldn’t have.”
“Yes, and if I ever left this unit, I couldn’t go be a regular agent.”
Cooper laughed quietly. “Darlin’, you’re much better than a regular agent.”
“Thanks,” she murmured as the bartender brought their appetizer platter. Her phone buzzed. Another delay. “The incoming flight is delayed another hour, hasn’t even left Cleveland yet, weather.”
Madison arrived at the Phoenix International Airport and took the shuttle to the offsite rental car terminal. She got her car and drove directly to the hospital. Her mother had text messaged her father’s room number to her.
Approaching her father’s room, her heart pounded harder than it ever had in her life. Even during her time on the ground in Iraq, she had not felt this afraid. She peaked in and saw him lying in the bed, tubes hooked up to him, electronic equipment beeping out, broadcasting his heartbeat through the room. His face was pale, ashen, his eyes closed. She stood staring at him for a long time.
“Madison,” she heard her mother’s voice from behind her.
She turned and was swallowed in an embrace. Her eyes flickered to her sister, who stood behind their mother. When her mother released her, Madison engulfed her younger sister, in an equally ferocious hug. “When did you get in?”
“About two hours ago. If your flight had been on time, we could have shared a rental car,” her sister Megan, said.
That was typical Megan, complaining about spending money. Madison was sure she’d already whined enough that her mom would reimburse Megan for the plane fare and rental car. She pushed those thoughts away. This wasn’t the time for negative thoughts.
“How’s dad?” She quietly asked her mom.
“He’s resting. Go on in and take his hand. He may wake,” her mother said.
“I don’t want to wake him.”
“He’ll be glad to know you’re here. Go on,” her mother encouraged her.
Madison walked into the room and took his cool hand in hers. His eyes flickered open. A small smile pulled at his lips. “Maddie,” he said as his eyes focused on hers. “You didn’t have to drop everything and race out here.” His voice was weak and quiet.
“Sure, I did,” she said with a nervous smile. “Are you in any pain?”
“No, they have me doped up pretty good.”
“That’s good. A heart attack, Dad, did you have any warning?�
� She was still in shock over this.
“None that I heeded,” he said with that small smile. “Looking back, yeah, the classic warning signs were there.”
By this time Madison’s mother and sister came in and stood around the bed as well, a curtain of blond-haired, blue-eyed women surrounding the man with similar features.
“You know your father, stubborn as a mule,” her mother said, taking his other hand. She stood across from Madison. Her face was etched with worry. “Even this morning as he was having it, he paced around the house sipping his coffee. I had to call EMS. He wouldn’t hear of letting me take him to the hospital.”
Madison was glad she was here; glad Cooper had insisted she come. “A triple bypass,” she murmured softly.
“Yeah, the arteries are shot,” her dad said.
“No more sausage and bacon,” her mom added. “His diet is radically going to have to change.”
Madison saw the frown carve across her father’s face. Now was not the time for what he could and couldn’t do. She shot a look of warning to her mom. “I’m sure you’ll meet with a nutritionist before you’re released. Try not to think about it till then.”
They stayed and visited for a few hours. Her mother was obviously exhausted by the time Madison suggested they leave. Her father seconded her motion, more worried about his wife than himself.
It was dark outside by the time the three women left the hospital, a caravan of three cars. Madison appreciated the time alone, away from her sister, who was already getting on her nerves. Madison went into the kitchen and looked for something to throw together for dinner as soon as they entered the house. Her mom headed towards her bedroom. Megan got herself a glass of wine and plopped herself into one of the chairs at the table in the eat-in kitchen. Typical Megan, not pitching in.
A pork roast was thawed and in the refrigerator. No time to make that. She’d put it in a crockpot the next morning, so a good dinner would be ready when they got home from the hospital tomorrow evening. She found a frozen container of her mom’s meat sauce for spaghetti in the freezer and noodles in the pantry. That would do. She popped the frozen sauce from the container and put it in a pan on the stove. Then she filled another with water and set it to boil.
Her mother came into the kitchen several minutes later. “Madison, sweetie, you don’t have to cook. I’m sure you’re tired from your flight in.”
“And I’m sure you’re tired from worrying all day at the hospital. I’ve got it, Mom, have a glass of wine and relax.”
Madison’s mom wrapped her arms around her in a hug, her hand coming in contact with the .9 mm at the small of Madison’s back, where it had been hiding all day beneath her shirt.
Her mom flashed a shocked expression. “Madison, is that a gun stuck in your pants?”
“No, it’s holstered. It’s not stuck,” Madison said calmly.
“What the hell?” Megan demanded.
“Relax, both of you,” Madison said. She had thought about what she’d say at the hospital when her mom’s hand came close to the weapon during a previous hug. She pulled the credentials from her back jeans pocket where she had shoved it after the TSA screening. “I started a new job a month ago, working for the FBI.” She felt a pang of guilt, lying to them.
“Is that real?” Megan asked, getting up and coming in close to examine it.
Madison rolled her eyes. “Of course, it’s real.”
“Madison Marie, why didn’t you tell us?” Her mother demanded.
“I am now,” she said calmly even though her chest was thumping. “It kind of happened fast.” She wasn’t lying about that.
“Don’t you have to go to the academy at Quantico, like the TV show for a month?” Megan challenged.
“It’s actually twenty weeks for regular agents,” Madison said. “I’m not a regular agent or analyst because of my prior military experience. I did a two-week training session and was scheduled to go for another two weeks starting next Monday, but that will be shifted because of Dad’s heart attack.”
“I don’t understand,” her mother said.
“I was recruited into a special unit because of my military experience. I’ll do staggered training sessions, one to two weeks at a time over the next year. It’s all classified, and I cannot tell you much more than that.” She hoped her mom would let it go. She had phrased it to skirt the truth, not able to give an outright lie.
“Were you ever going to tell us?”
“I’ll be off for Thanksgiving. I was going to come in then and tell you in person, assure you I was fine.”
Her mom gripped both sides of her own temples. “That’s something at least.” She poured herself and Madison a glass of wine. “Are you allowed to have this, with the gun and all?”
A small smile formed on Madison’s lips. “Yes, one glass is fine, Mom.”
She sipped the red blend as dinner cooked. She insisted her mom remain seated, and she plated it for all three of them. Megan never offered to help, didn’t even pull her ass out of the chair to grab the plates once they were made. Madison felt like her damn waitress.
Madison’s phone buzzed that a new text message was received. She smiled when she saw it was from Cooper. “How is your father?”
She glanced at her mom and sister as she typed a quick reply. “Stable. Surgery is scheduled for nine tomorrow morning.” Her eyes popped back up to her mom’s. “Sorry, I know you don’t like phones at the table, but it’s my boss asking how dad is.”
“He’s an agent too?” Her mom asked.
Madison’s lips cracked an incredulous smile. Had to love her mom! “Yes, Mom, of course he’s an agent too. I’m sorry, I can’t tell you much more. What we do is classified.”
Madison’s mother threw her hands into the air. “I can’t believe this! You take this job and tell us nothing about it. You show up at the hospital carrying a gun.”
“I’m required to be armed at all times, Mom. I’m sorry this has upset you. I didn’t know how to tell you over the phone. I know I promised you, after Iraq, that I wouldn’t put myself in danger again.” She paused, her eyes tearing up. She glanced away and stared at the wall for a minute. “What I’m doing is important. My military experience gave me skills few others have.” Another text message’s arrival was announced by the phone vibrating on her lap. She didn’t look at it.
“I don’t care,” her mother practically yelled. “Do you have any idea what we went through when you were missing? The Army Chaplain stood on my doorstep telling me that my daughter was missing and possibly dead in Iraq.” Tears leaked out of her eyes.
Madison rose from her seat and wrapped her mom in an embrace. Her eyes met Megan’s, whose stare shot daggers at Madison. “Shh, Mom, please don’t cry. I’m sorry you went through that, and I’m sorry to upset you now.”
“Why would you take this job? You declined all the others when you got out?” Her mother’s small voice asked.
Madison returned to her seat. Her eyes stared at her mom’s teary-eyed ones while she considered what she could say. Her eyes shifted briefly to her phone before locking them with her mom’s. “Last week we worked a case of a little girl who is safe because of the unit I’m in. You wouldn’t have seen anything about it on the news,” she lied, “because we stopped something really bad from happening to her. Had we not been successful, you would have seen the story of a missing kid splashed all over the news outlets. That’s why I took this job, to help people right here in the United States.” Another small lie, or was it?
Her eyes slid to Megan, whose harsh stare had warmed. “Way to go, big sis!” Megan said with a smile. Madison felt pride billow inside her. “Does it pay good?”
And with that one question, all the good feelings about her sister evaporated. “It pays well enough that I don’t have to borrow money from Mom and Dad for anything.”
Megan must not have picked up on her inference because she continued. “A government job, so you probably have great healthcare and like, what? Th
irty days of paid vacation just like you got when you were in the Army?”
Madison nodded.
“Must be nice. I’m taking this time without pay,” Megan complained.
Don’t you dare try to extort that money out of Mom, Madison thought. She’d have a good talk with both her mom and Megan, separately.
“You really do need to find a better job, Megan-honey,” their mother said.
“It wouldn’t hurt if you finished your education,” Madison added. “That would open more doors for you.”
She read the text message from Cooper that had previously popped in while Megan complained that it isn’t that easy to just go back to school and finish her bachelor’s degree, whine, whine, whine. Madison didn’t listen. “Make sure you let me know how it goes,” Cooper’s message read.
