Jason's Network

by Aiden Vaughan

  Laura hurried over and gave Jason a long and passionate kiss. She then pulled up a chair and sat beside Jason, holding his hand.

  “Having you kiss me again like that was worth all the pain,” Jason told her with a weak smile.

  “Don’t say that, Jason!” Laura said with an emotional voice. “I can’t bear the thought of what those men did to you! My handsome Jason, dragged through a meat grinder!” Laura burst into tears.

  Jason squeezed her hand and replied, “It’s okay, Babe. All the violence is over. The doctor says I am on the road to full recovery. It’s just a matter of time. They could tie me up and beat me up but they couldn’t defeat me! Now we are back together. That’s all that is important now. I know there are issues to be dealt with but you know that we can work everything out if we put our minds to it.”

  “I was so worried about you, and so freaked out about what those men did to me, not physically so much as mentally.”

  “Laura, I want you to tell me about everything that happened to you. I feel terribly guilty about the fact that you were used to get to me. That is the last thing I ever wanted to happen to you.”

  Laura took a few minutes to describe what happened to her Saturday morning until the exchange with Jason later that day. Then Jason told her the story of what was done to him.

  “I hope I am not burdening you with the details of what was done to me, Laura. The first time we did something like that, at that beach house, was such a great moment in our relationship. That was when I realized that I truly loved you and that I could tell you about my innermost feelings. I had no idea that this was coming. Daniel and I weren’t working on anything other than getting ready for his band tour this June.”

  “Jason, I am so afraid for us!” Laura said in a fearful voice. “Is there any way that we can ever be safe again? Do I have to be constantly looking over my shoulder because some thug or kidnapper might be after me?”

  “No, Babe, you can’t live your life like that! Just like any normal person you have to be careful when you are out in public, but what happened to you was an extremely rare occurrence. What is important in life is that you have people you connect with who are there for you, who love you and watch your back. People that you want to be with and want to be with you.”

  “Yes, I understand what you are saying, Jason, but when you are out doing dangerous things doesn’t that increase your chances of getting into trouble?”

  “I don’t know, Laura. I was home doing some web work for Daniel’s band when the call came in that I had exactly fifteen minutes to save you. I wasn’t out on a case, there was nothing new coming up, this was totally out of the blue!”

  “I know I told you earlier that I wasn’t going to stress about any of your outside activities any more, but inside that same fear keeps running through my heart, especially now since this weekend. Can’t you just give up doing any kind of detective work and concentrate on our relationship, playing basketball, being a good student, and running your Whatever Foundation?”

  “Those are always the things I want to do, Laura. You know that, and I have told you that many times. I have many friends, a number who are friends for life because of how we helped each other out in times of need or extreme danger. I can’t just abandon them, or say I never want to help out a person in trouble again. That’s just the way I am, Laura.

  “By the way, you aren’t the only one saying I should give up detective work. My parents are telling me the same thing! I’m pretty much grounded for now.”

  “I love you so much, Jason. But I am being torn up inside. Each time we part company I cringe to think that it could be the last time we see each other. It’s hard to live that way!”

  “Then don’t, Laura! Don’t live your life afraid of what might happen. You know that I will always be there for you as long as we are a couple, and I would even if we were just friends. I don’t know what more I can do to convince you. When you were in danger I didn’t hesitate to act! Just look at me!”

  Tears came to Laura’s eyes again. “Jason, I wasn’t making light of the sacrifice you made for me. If that isn’t true love, I don’t know what is. I just don’t think I am strong enough inside to handle it. When you are not with me out on a case, I am afraid to answer the telephone in case it is a report of something bad that happened to you!”

  “Babe, I need you to calm down. Right now I need your healing powers. When you are with me I feel safe and complete. When you show me your love, I feel good all over. Can we agree to just do that for the time being? Can you just kiss and hold my hand for now?”

  Laura leaned over and gave Jason another passionate kiss. After they finished, Jason smiled and said, “See? I feel better already.”

  Just then Bill Hunter and Dorothy Friesen walked back in the room. “Did you two have a good visit? I think we need to leave now, Laura, and let Jason get some rest.”

  “All right, Mother,” Laura said standing up. “Oh, I have this for you, Jason.” Laura opened her purse, took out Jason’s cell phone, and handed it to him.

  “Thanks, Babe,” Jason told her. “I’ll call you later. When can we see each other again?”

  “Soon, I hope, very soon,” was Laura’s answer.

  That afternoon, Edith Hunter stayed with Jason in his room. In between naps, small talk with his mom, and visits by the hospital staff who were taking care of him, Jason spent time on his cell phone, calling as many friends as he could, talking with them briefly about his current condition, and thanking those who took time out of their lives to search for him. He told them not to bother hanging around the hospital trying to get inside to see him. They would have security and the media to deal with. Instead he told them he would be spending the next few weeks at home. “Please come and visit me there,” he told his friends. “I would like to see you in a more informal setting, when I am feeling better. We’ll get caught up then.”

  There was one other person that Jason wanted to see right away, while he was still at the hospital. Of course that was his best friend Daniel, who had spearheaded the Jason’s Network campaign that ultimately saved Jason. They agreed to meet after Daniel got out of school on Tuesday.

  Monday evening, Bill Hunter came back over after closing his store at 6 PM. Again they had a hospital dinner together in Jason’s room. Bill Hunter brought over some of Jason’s things from home including his cell phone charger, laptop computer, and some schoolbooks. Jason was starting to feel a little bit better each time another piece of his life was returned to him.

  At dinner and for while after, the Hunter family continued their conversation about what should happen next in Jason’s life. Edith commented on how happy she was that Jason was planning to stay at home and have people visit him there for the next few weeks. Bill Hunter said that he was pleased with the doctor’s report, which indicated that Jason’s recovery was progressing normally.

  Then Edith asked about Laura’s visit.

  “It was very emotional to see her,” Jason reported. “I could tell that she has been having a difficult time dealing with everything. I told her that she shouldn’t worry so much. I told her that being with her helped me to heal. And that’s the truth.”

  Later, after his parents had left, Jason felt very depressed and sad about what had happened and how it had affected Laura. He could sense that the violent incident with Brice Thomason had reopened the rift they had about him doing detective work. It also made him realize that he was vulnerable to being attacked, and that his detective activities truly had put someone he loved in grave danger. For the first time, Jason had doubts about helping others through detective work.

  When they were back home, Bill told Edith about his conversation with Dorothy Friesen. “Dorothy and Donald are very worried about Laura and her relationship with Jason. They believe that it is tearing her up inside emotionally and consuming her free will. Donald strongly feels that the two need to be separated for a while, until they can get their heads on straight. Their plan is to take Laura o
ff on a long vacation this summer, well away from the Silicon Valley and Jason. They also support the idea that Jason needs to stop doing any detective work. They don’t think that Laura can handle the stress of worrying about him anymore.”

  “I hope you didn’t tell this to Jason,” Edith said. “Being separated from Laura will be a real blow to him and not help his recovery!”

  Chapter 27

  Jason and Daniel

  (Tuesday)

  The next day after school was out, Daniel drove over to Mercy Hospital to visit Jason. Even though he had seen Jason during his rescue in the cistern, when Daniel walked into Jason’s room, he was still a little stunned. He was used to seeing Jason healthy, vigorous, and leading the way on all kinds of adventures and activities. Instead there was Jason confined to a bed, wearing a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. The cold fluorescent hospital lighting seemed to call attention to his black eye and the wounds over his body from the systematic beatings he was forced to endure.

  For a moment, the impact of seeing Jason this way caused Daniel to tear up. Daniel started to say Jason’s name but had to stop and sniffle for a moment. Jason noticed this and began their conversation. “Do I look that bad, Daniel? The doctor said I looked normal enough for someone who recently danced with a grizzly bear.”

  “You look all right, Jason,” Daniel replied, regaining his composure. “But that grizzly bear sure had a mean left hook!”

  “The other day you said I looked like a hamburger patty.”

  “Sorry for the feeble humor. Right now I’m just grateful that I am sitting here talking to my best friend again. You put us through another scary time, Jason.”

  “I know that I didn’t mean to,” Jason answered. “This wasn’t my doing!”

  “No, of course it wasn’t,” Daniel said. “You paid a terrible price for helping your friends this time. And we did come close to losing you! Now don’t tell me you are sorry! You have no reason to be sorry because those predators plotted to get their revenge against you. Your good sense and planning, and best of all, Jason’s Network, your greatest weapon against them so far, worked to eventually save you.

  “This wasn’t just an assault on you, Jason, but rather an attack on all of us, your friends and family, those who wish you well in the world, and those who fight crime. Your body paid the physical price, but we all paid a spiritual price! If the Thomasons had succeeded in getting their revenge, it would be like a light was turned off in our lives, or a beloved landmark was destroyed by terrorists.”

  “I think you are exaggerating my importance, Daniel. I’m just a teenager trying to do some good in the world.”

  “Come on, Jason, you are much more than that. What you have done the past several years has touched all of the lives of your friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers. And now all of us need some significant time to recover from this latest setback so we can move on in our lives. And you really need a break from being a detective, Jason.

  “Look at what those bastards did to you! Worse yet, you have discovered the hard way that even the most self-sacrificing actions can have a terrible down side! You need to let your wounds heal and think things through about what your future should be. You know that I will continue to be your friend whatever you decide.

  “You are my best friend, Jason. We have been through so much together, some good times, some scary times, some triumphs and even a few failures. I know I have always been willing to help you out at the drop of a hat. But now the most important opportunity of my life so far is coming up with the concert tour this summer. I have to put everything that I have into it. I owe that to myself, my band mates, my parents, and for that matter, to you Jason, for all you have done to help the band get started.

  “So, as much as I am willing to help you do detective work, right now I just can’t! At this point everything for me, Eric, Tim, Nick, and Jonathan — your other friends-for-life in my band — needs to be focused first on the tour and second on your recovery. If you are up to it, you should come with us on the tour! After all you run our website. I think it is important for you to understand how the band will be affected by the tour, take lots of photos, and report on what happens during the tour. Besides, being involved with the tour would help you to get your mind off of what Brice Thomason tried to do to you! What do you say, Jason?”

  “Yeah, I want to go with you on your tour,” Jason replied, “that is, if my parents will let me. They are acting quite possessive of me since the attack. I suppose that is to be expected given what I have put them through lately. And I promised them that I would keep them in the loop when it came to any life or death situations. Right now they have ordered me to put all detective work on hold, so I am grounded in that regard.

  “I do know that I continue to be grateful for your friendship, Daniel. A friendship like ours is a two way street and I do depend on you a lot, Daniel, for your advice, loyalty, and companionship. Right now that is one of the rocks that is holding my current shaky existence together! Our friendship has meant so much to me over the past several years. And did I thank you for what you did to rescue me from Brice Thomason and his plot to do me in?”

  “You did, although you were somewhat delirious at the time. Even if you hadn’t said ‘thank you’ at the time, there really is no need to. All of your friends owe you so much for what you have done for us. None of us could rest until you were found. I hope you understand that, Jason!”

  “That knowledge was one of the things that kept me going while I was their prisoner. That and the fact that I was able to get Laura back from those horrible people. Now tell me, Daniel, did I do the right thing to sacrifice myself to save Laura?”

  “Again you did the brave thing, my friend, putting your life on the line for someone else. Unfortunately, this time you were cruelly set up by Roland and Brice Thomason. Everything was stacked against you, but somehow you survived. The network of people you put into place was there for you and pulling for you. That Brice character was lucky he was caught by the police and not by the kids in your network. Trust me, baseball bats would have come into play!”

  “As to whether what you did was the right thing, only you can answer that question, Jason. You will have to examine everything that you have done over the past few years and look at the consequences of your actions. I know that there are people who wouldn’t be here today doing what they are doing if it wasn’t for you. How many people in this world can say that?

  “But, Jason, remember that you are not Superman! It seems like you are at times, but I think now you understand that you are not invincible and you don’t have super powers. I know that there were times when I thought you did have super powers because of your incredible accomplishments. You have such a powerful personality and presence with other people. Unfortunately, you have also discovered that evil can have the same type of powerful personality and presence. How else do you explain the actions of a Brice or Roland Thomason?

  “The most powerful argument that you have when the discussion comes up about whether you did the right thing or not is that list of people whose lives you have saved. What you have done in three years would be a lifetime accomplishment for most other people. Most people are lucky to have one friend for life; you have at least half a dozen. So as you lie here working through the physical pain of what your enemies did to you, remember that your friends are all very concerned about you and will do anything to help you heal. We have all leaned on you the past few years. Now it is time for you to lean on us, Jason. I know that over the next few days and weeks they will all want to visit with you and reaffirm what I just said.

  “I know I am being very frank with you, Jason, and maybe that is the wrong thing to do right now. You are still hurting from the beating you took, and from the experience of being taken captive again by evil people who wanted to torture and kill you. You need to heal from those wounds and rebuild your self-confidence. You need to return to being that kickback Jason I admired so much when I first met y
ou. Can you promise me that you will at least try?”

  Jason put out his hand for Daniel to hold. He smiled a weak smile and said, “Let’s shake on that, Daniel.” His eyes were watery and on the verge of tears. “I am going to need your help. Those bastards really got to me this time!”

  Daniel stood up and began pacing around Jason’s hospital bed. “I’m here for you whenever you need me, Jason. Just let me know. In one sense, I feel some responsibility for what was done to you, because I was the one who pushed you into detective work in the first place. At the time we started our detective work you were experiencing the same emotional symptoms that I see now. Back then, I insisted that you do something about finding out why you were kidnapped because at the time, that is what you needed to do to heal. It never dawned on me that by doing that I was starting new careers for the two of us as detectives!

  “Today I see a different type of cure for what ails you. You need to focus on healing your wounds, recovering your strength, and rehabilitating your body so you can play basketball again at the high level you achieved this last year. After you get your strength back, the next step is getting your head back together. You have had these same self-doubts before, but in the light of day I don’t know anyone who is sharper and as mentally strong as you are, Jason. You have proved that in the classroom, on the basketball court, and during our detective work over the past years. Your focus now should be on the classroom, making up the schoolwork you are missing and playing basketball when you need to take breaks from homework.

  “Most importantly, you need to become involved in the Second Chance All Stars band tour. I want your participation to be a part of your healing process. I know it will be good for you to experience the world of music for a while and put your crusade against predators and those who would hurt kids on hold for the time being.”