Love Me Last

by Rhea Wilde

  “This is where you’re taking me?” I said. “A hot dog cart?”

  “This isn’t just any hot dog cart. Ben makes the best dogs in the city.”

  “I don’t see anything remarkable about them.”

  “Are you kidding? Look at them. They’re wrapped in bacon.”

  “Extra fat.”

  “Extra flavor. Trust me. You’ll love it.”

  “Is he authorized to be selling food out here on the sidewalks like this? Does he have the necessary paperwork?”

  “Oh, come on! We’re supposed to be blending-in, remember? We’re just like everybody else in New Gardens. And the people in New Gardens love their hot dogs. Besides, I’m hungover and I can’t think of anything better.”

  I didn’t protest. I only watched as Ben piled on the mustard, relish and vegetables onto the bun, covering the hot dog completely.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said as she took the hot dog from him.

  I took the other dog and examined it.

  “Let it cool for a second,” Eva explained. “Let’s go have a seat over there.”

  We walked over to an empty park bench and took a seat next to each other. I looked forward at some kids playing football in the grass.

  “Can I ask you something?” she said.

  “Of course.”

  “Brandon… Your son… Do you have a photo of him?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Why is that?”

  “It’s a risk.”

  “A risk?”

  “If I were captured, having a photo of my son would make me vulnerable. It would make him vulnerable.”

  “What about your dog tags? It has your name on them.”

  “I don’t wear them when I’m on a covert mission.”

  “You’re wearing them now. Is this is a mission?”

  “This is different. This is personal. And I might need them to convince someone of who I am.”

  “Someone like me,” she said, nodding in understanding.

  I could feel her eyes on me as I remained staring at the kids before me.

  “I’m sorry about what happened to him,” she said. “Children are always innocent. It sucks that some adults are assholes and find ways to take advantage of them.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s not your fault.”

  “We’ll get the assholes responsible for this.”

  “I’m sure of it. I know Brandon will be safe when we find him.”

  “You know, for someone whose son was abducted, you seem awfully calm about it.”

  “…Have you ever cared about someone?” I asked. “Have you ever cared about someone so much you would be willing to do anything for them?”

  She hesitated for a second.

  “…Yeah,” she said. “I’ve been there.”

  “Did it ever get to a point you couldn’t do anything for them? Did you ever feel like no matter what you did, there was nothing you could do to help them even though you wanted nothing more in the world?”

  She hesitated again. Her reticence told me something but not what it was.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I know what that feels like.”

  “…Remember that feeling,” I said as I turned to her.

  “Why would I wanna do that?”

  “Because you want to be able to tell the difference between being able to do something and not being able to.”

  I locked my eyes on her, trying to get my point across.

  “I can still do something for Brandon,” I said. “My son is still out there. I haven’t given up on him. Worry, doubt, fear. It only causes unnecessary anxiety. That doesn’t help. All it does is push me into the position where I won’t be able to help at all.”

  She swallowed then shifted her eyes toward the hot dog in her hand.

  “I think it’s cool enough,” she said. “I’m not gonna wait for you.”

  I watched her put the hot dog to her mouth and take as big of a bite as she could. Her eyes closed, she savored the hot dog like nobody was watching her. I couldn’t help but smile when she opened her eyes and saw me staring.

  “What’s wrong?” she said. “What’s so funny? Do I have mustard on my lips?”

  “A little bit.”

  She shrugged her shoulders with indifference and took another huge bite.

  “I’m not waiting for you,” she said, her mouth half-full. “Come on.”

  “All right.”

  I finally raised the hot dog up to my mouth. She watched me the whole time as I took a bite.

  “Good, huh?”

  It was juicy and full of flavor, just like she suggested. I gave her a thumbs up of approval.

  “I told you it was good,” she said. “Best hot dog you’ll find in New Gardens, on the street or in any fancy restaurant. If you ask me, people like Lee Taurus are idiots because they don’t know where the real good food in this city is.”

  “The best in New Gardens, huh? I guess it has a certain appeal.”

  “You’re probably used to something better, huh? They’ve probably got some real exotic shit in places like Sudan. And I’m sure it’s not up to snuff for a Green Beret like you. The army must have special meals for you guys. MREs and protein shakes with steroids injected into them. I mean, look at you.”

  She reached forward and grabbed one of my arms. Her eyes widened as soon as she did.

  “Geez… What is that? You have a bowling ball in there?”

  “Why are you so surprised? It’s not something you haven’t felt before. Last night…”

  I didn’t know what came over me. I blurted the comment without thinking.

  But Eva seemed more embarrassed than either one of us. She hid her face behind another bite of her hot dog. I covered my growing smile just the same.

  She ate her hot dog with the gusto of someone starving.

  Eva was constantly looking around. I would have thought nothing of it if she didn’t seem strangely paranoid.

  “Are you all right?” I said.

  “What?”

  “You look like something is wrong.”

  “No, it’s just…”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s nothing,” she sighed. “How is it?”

  “I could get used to this,” I said. “Maybe I could retire here and have one of these all the time.”

  “You could. The city’s not like other fancy places. Sure, you have to get past all of the constant construction, the shaky crime rates, and the bad traffic. And this summer has been a lot hotter than usual. But for me, there’s no other place like New Gardens.”

  “It has a certain appeal.”

  “You say you’ve never been to New Gardens before.”

  “That’s right.”

  “What was your son doing here? His mom doesn’t live here either?”

  “He… He was staying with relatives.”

  “Relatives? Which relatives?”

  I didn’t answer immediately, instead taking another bite of my hot dog.

  “His aunt and uncle,” I said. “They weren’t paying attention when he was taken.”

  “Right,” she said with a nod. “Did you speak to them? Did you get any clues?”

  “They didn’t know he was gone until it was too late. They reported it to the police but the police—”

  “The police in this city are amateurs. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

  “You said it, not me.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “Loving this city means acknowledging its flaws. I’d still take this city over anywhere else in the world. Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Rome, some random city in Sudan. Nah, I’d rather be here.”

  I smiled at her then took the last bite of my hot dog.

  “How is business in a place like this?” I asked.

  “Business?”

  “You’re a private investigator. It seems like an interesting job.”

  “Interesting job for an interesting city�
�”

  She looked around and sighed.

  “It pays the bills,” she said. “I get a lot of work. There’s always someone who needs help.”

  “That’s admirable.”

  “Don’t get me confused with someone else,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s a job. That’s all it is.”

  “I don’t think so. I think it’s more than that.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “I think you care about these people who come to you for help.”

  “Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “Now that you mention it, I do feel for these people who have to deal with cheating spouses—”

  “There it is.”

  “But to be honest with you, it’s not just the money. I… I enjoy working alone and getting a job done.”

  “Thank you for making the exception.”

  “Don’t mention it, partner.”

  She winked sarcastically then giggled softly. She didn’t smile often but when she did, it was more than charming.

  “There’s a place in this city for everybody,” she sighed.

  “I can see it. After tonight, the people here will be proud to call this place home.”

  “Speaking of which, I’m kinda thirsty. We should get something to wash that food down with.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. To be honest with you, I enjoy the time we’ve spent together—”

  “Hold on a second,” she said as she put her hands up. “We’re just trying to blendin. Don’t get any ideas. Last night, I had a few too many drinks and…”

  She stopped when I started to smile.

  “Asshole,” she sighed softly but still loud enough for me to hear. “Come on. Let’s go get a drink.”

  “No alcohol.”

  “You don’t have to remind me, dad. I’ll be ready for tonight.”

  Chapter 9

  EVA

  Industry Street was one of the locations John had gotten a lead on. I wasn’t interested in heading to Underwood Avenue. That’s where most of the motorcycle clubs did their business. I had enough distractions as it was. Garden Street wasn’t as rowdy as Underwood, but shady business was always happening on every corner.

  Industry was a section of warehouses and factories a mile away from most of the buildings in the city. If someone didn’t know any better, they would have assumed this town was thriving with production. A closer look would show you Industry was only a name.

  The warehouses were empty. The factories weren’t running. It was an area of New Gardens that was nearly abandoned. A bad look for the city in more ways than one. Entrepreneurs were hesitant to invest and build. All of the jobs those buildings would have provided were non-existent. Industry was a ghost town of lost potential.

  I got dressed in a more appropriate outfit for the evening. A pair of jeans and some sneakers along with a top that covered me completely were more my style. I grabbed my camera and placed the strap around my neck. If we found more evidence, I’d need to do better than the camera on my phone.

  As I sat in the cab, I watched as the people started to disappear on the sidewalks. There was no sign of life except for the streetlights. That was enough to let me know we were headed in the right direction.

  The cab dropped us off in the middle of Industry. As soon as it sped off, it was so silent I could hear the sound of the warm breeze blowing in my ear.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “Now we head to this address,” John explained, examining his phone. “If the invoice is accurate, we should find some of the equipment they’re using to manufacture their product.”

  “Do you have a plan once we find it?”

  He looked up at me from his phone.

  “We destroy it,” he said plainly.

  “Whoa! Hold on a second.”

  I put my hands up in the air. John’s revelation almost made my stomach turn.

  “What do you mean ‘destroy it’?”

  “I mean we make it unusable.”

  “I’m not sure we can do that.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Listen, I’m sure you Green Berets play by different rules,” I said. “But out here in the real world, there are laws. We’re already gonna get busted for trespassing. Destruction of property is not something I’m interested in.”

  “Eva, they’re going to use this equipment to manufacture drugs.”

  “You don’t think I know that? New Gardens PD might be incompetent but they’d be able to trace something like that to us. I’m not interested in the prison sentence that comes along with it.”

  “So, what do you suggest?”

  I held my camera up with one hand.

  “I’ll take pictures of the evidence then send it to the police,” I said. “They’ll investigate themselves and lock up the people responsible.”

  “And you trust them to do that?”

  “They’re idiots, not evil.”

  “And how do you know that equipment will still be here by the time they get your evidence?”

  “Listen,” I said, taking a step toward John. “I’m not destroying anything. It might come easily to you but I don’t want any part of it. We came here to expose the truth. That’s what we’re gonna do.”

  John stared at me blankly. His face was as calm as it always was.

  “Okay,” he said with a nod. “We’ll play it your way.”

  “Thank you.”

  I sighed a deep breath of relief. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

  “Are you ready?” John asked.

  I didn’t say anything more. I just began the walk with him toward the address he documented.

  The silence on Industry was distracting. The only other sound was our footsteps against the pavement. With all of the thoughts racing through my head, the last thing I wanted was to be alone with them. I could feel a nervousness beginning to build in the pit of my stomach. Butterflies fluttering against my insides, giving me a feeling that spread through my entire body.

  Settle down, Eva.

  I never felt like this on a case. I tailed more targets than I could remember, all at the risk of getting caught. Never once did I feel uncomfortable about it. This felt bigger than everything I’d ever done. I had to tell myself not to let my feelings overwhelm me.

  “This way,” John said.

  He grabbed my wrist, the Green Beret’s grip on me stronger than the average man. I managed to yank my arm away after he pulled me between two empty warehouses.

  “You don’t have to hold my hand,” I explained.

  “I’m sorry. It was just a reflex. I’m not used to…”

  “You’re not used to what?” I said, an eyebrow raised at him.

  His eyes shifted to the ground before he said anything.

  “There are no women in my squad. There were no women in my unit when I was just a grunt.”

  “You’ve never been around a woman before? That’s good to know—”

  “That’s not it. Usually, when I’m around women, it’s a rescue mission. They’re hostages and I have to make sure they’re safe.”

  I looked up at him as he stood close to me. I could see it in his eyes. It was like he was trying to explain something he wasn’t able to.

  “It’s all right,” I said as I put my hand on his arm. “I think I understand. I… appreciate it. But I can take care of myself.”

  “We’re getting close to the address. We should be careful.”

  “Let’s get moving.”

  I raised my camera up and held it in one hand while I followed just behind John. We walked in and out of the shadows between buildings in silence. John had a way about him that would make you believe he had special training. His head was on a swivel, constantly looking around. Each of his steps was calculated like a machine.

  When we got to the corner of one warehouse, he leaned up against the wall and put his arm up to me.

  “Hold on,” he said. “It’s right here.”

  “Okay. What now?
”

  “Wait one second.”

  I leaned up against the wall next to him. I watched him slowly peek his head around the corner. I couldn’t tell what he was doing or what he was even looking at but he remained silent and still. His chest was barely moving as he breathed. It lasted for a few seconds before he pulled his head back and looked at me.

  “They have two cameras monitoring the warehouse,” he explained. “It’s one building over. That’s the address on the manifest.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m going to try to disable the cameras. After that, I’ll get inside and open the door for you. Get inside, take your pictures, and we’ll get out of here.”

  “Wait a second. You’re just gonna disable the cameras and walk in?”

  “I’m not going to walk in. I’ll go in through one of the windows.”

  “How can you… Never mind. I forgot I was talking to Spider-Man over here…”

  I rolled my eyes, contemplating how absurd John’s plan was.

  “How do you know it’s just the cameras? Maybe they have people patrolling.”

  “If they had people patrolling, they would be outside and I’d be able to see them. If they’re inside, then I can handle them.”

  “I don’t know if I like the sound of that—”

  “I’m not interested in killing anybody, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

  “Right,” I sighed a deep breath. “I just wanted to make sure.”

  “Once you see me deactivate the second camera, get to the building as fast as you can without drawing any attention to yourself. I’ll leave the door open on the side for you.”

  Just like that, he was gone, disappearing around the corner in a blink. I moved up to the spot where he was, leaning up against the wall and peeking my head around the corner.

  The warehouse was about five-hundred feet away. I stared at the lone building in the distance. From the side, John appeared. I watched him jump up and grab one of the security cameras hanging from the side of the building. I could only assume he was somehow disabling it. After a few seconds, he dropped back down to the ground and made his way to the other side of the warehouse. I watched in awe at the way he moved swiftly with nothing but the moonlight shining down on him.