The Jack Hammer

by Derek Ciccone

  Cam took another look at the still-playing video—he hit another ball over The Great Wall, making it appear that he hit it off one of the best young pitchers in the world, instead of Salvino.

  Geoff’s tone softened, “I understand that you don’t want to be compared to Dad. In fact, I might be the only other person on the planet who can relate. But my plan is to market you and Stepania together as a package deal to take the focus off you. We will call you Cameo.”

  “Cameo?”

  “It’s the combination of you and Teo’s names, like Bretasha.”

  “Bretasha?”

  “It’s what the media dubbed the actor Brett Modino and the tennis star, Natasha Kushka, when they dated. It’s a great marketing tool.”

  Cam just shook his head. “The only cameo I know is the one I’m making in this Geoff Myles production. I’m gone.”

  Cam headed for the door, but Geoff dashed in front of him.

  “Get out of my way.”

  Geoff refused to move, so Cam pushed his little brother out of the way.

  But Geoff wasn’t going down without a fight. “Typical Cam Myles. Can’t take the heat, so he’s going to quit like a little baby. You were given everything, Cam. People would kill for what you have been given and you act like you’ve been cursed!”

  Cam turned sharply. “What did you say?”

  “You heard what I said, quitter. You’re lucky our father isn’t around to see your sorry act. If you had half the guts I have, you’d be something. All you are is a washed up teen idol.”

  They were now nose to nose. “If I’m nothing like you, I take that as a compliment.”

  It never got this far before. Cam normally would reach a point where feeling sorry for Geoff overtook the anger toward him, and he would back down. But not this time.

  Geoff shoved him with two hands. Cam was stunned, but didn’t respond. A second push came, and then the third knocked Cam back a couple of steps. He still didn’t push back.

  “Go ahead, hit me—you know you want to,” Geoff taunted. “You don’t have the guts.”

  He pushed Cam again. And this time pushed too far.

  The punch wasn’t full force; full force might have killed him. It began as a left cross and ended with Geoff crashing to the floor.

  He was down but not out. He drove his prosthetic leg into Cam’s groin area. He let out a gasp and fell to the floor next to his brother.

  Geoff reached for Cam’s throat. Cam responded by pinning Geoff to the floor. The alpha cat had restored order.

  They both looked up and caught their reflections in a glass coffee table. By any measuring stick it was comical—two grown men grappling on the floor, out of breath, real legs entangled with prosthetic one.

  Geoff began laughing first, and Cam followed. “So do I have guts now?” Cam asked.

  “Yeah, and a great left cross.”

  Cam rose to his feet and he helped Geoff to his. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he noticed Geoff didn’t try to hide the problem with the leg. Or refuse the help. He limped to the refrigerator, took out ice and put it in a zip-lock bag, which he applied to his face.

  “Are you okay?”

  Geoff smiled through a grimace—the competitor to the end. “I’m fine. Just because you’re stronger doesn’t mean I’m not tougher.”

  Cam never questioned his brother’s toughness—it was everything else that worried him.

  Geoff continued smiling. “So do you want me to have the contract drawn up?”

  “Are you looking for a rematch?”

  “How about dinner instead … on me?”

  Chapter 16

  Anna Stepania had just started her shift at Nellie’s, a sports bar located on 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue. The place was filled with the usual suspects—big screen TVs, smoky haze, and the smell of sizzling Buffalo wings. The decorative motif was sports memorabilia.

  Anna had worked at Nellie’s for just over a year, and was popular with the regulars. She was courteous, affable, and a pretty good conversationalist for someone who’d only been in America for a short time. She was also a great listener, and made each patron feel like they were the most important person in the bar. Her great smile and cute accent didn’t hurt with her tips, either.

  Running late, she grabbed her tray in a rush and headed off to her first customer of the night. Her manager, Tammy, frowned at her tardiness.

  The routine had become, well, routine, and she was on autopilot as she reached her first table. A group of men in suits who ordered a round of Sam Adams and mozzarella sticks. She didn’t recognize them, in fact, no regulars were in … they usually started arriving around eight.

  She gave the beer order to the bartender, Shane. He was an actor, and very proud of his two-month stint on a soap opera that Anna couldn’t remember the name of, but that was over a year ago and he hadn’t had even a callback since. People came and went so fast at Nellie’s she rarely got to know them. But that was okay, for Anna this was about making money for school.

  She looked around the place, which was beginning to fill up. Lexie and Denise were working with her tonight. As always, they never seemed to have a care in the world. Anna had too many cares, like her biology paper that was due tomorrow, and her brother and mother back in Cuba. But lately her mind had been consumed by Tim O’Connell, and his pursuit of her father.

  Anna came to the United States legally—one of twenty thousand Cubans who won visas to emigrate to the US through a lottery system called El Bombo, a policy created between the US and Cuba back in the early nineties. She wished her brother Teo had been the one to get the visa, but she knew the Cuban government would never let a star baseball player leave on his own volition.

  She wrestled with her decision to leave Teo, and their mother, who had raised them alone since their father, a Russian soldier, had been re-deployed in a mission related to the battle for Chechnyan independence. He was killed in that battle … or so they were told in a letter. But both her mother and Teo insisted she go.

  She chose New York because of its proximity to some of the premiere universities in the world—her goal was to become a doctor. She’d received a degree from the University of Havana, but found it didn’t carry much weight in the United States. So she enrolled in classes at CCNY, and began the long journey to a medical degree. She met a girl in her biology class named Ling, and they now shared a tiny apartment in the Bronx. Making the grade wasn’t the problem—making the rent was.

  She took the job at Nellie’s to help make the payments. And it was here where she met fellow waitress Sam O’Connell. Sam was also going to school, for law, and she and Anna immediately hit it off. She was also nice enough to invite Anna over to celebrate Easter last year. She had no idea how meeting her brother that day would play such an important role in her life.

  One night last fall, Anna was working her usual shift. On the television was the favorite local baseball team, the New York Yankees. They were playing the Washington Monuments. The game was delayed because the Monuments were having a dedication ceremony for a statue of their most famous player, Jack Myles, who’d died many years ago in a car accident. When they showed a picture of Myles, Anna was shocked to see that he was a dead ringer for her father. Or as she would later find out, just a ringer—he wasn’t dead.

  Her schedule was tight—subway from the Bronx to Manhattan each morning. Tough classes all day, working at Nellie’s at night, and then burning the midnight oil to catch up on her homework. But every free moment she had, she made her way to the New York Public Library. Her research topic was Jack Myles.

  She didn’t know who she could confide in, but eventually found the courage to call on Sam’s brother, since he ran a private investigative business in Queens. It was the only thing that made sense at the time. He didn’t believe her at first—in fact, he thought she was nuts—but when she displayed her research in a methodical way, he could no longer doubt her.

  “Anna, you have a phone call
,” shouted Shane, pulling her out of the trance.

  He set the landline phone on top of the sticky bar. Anna picked up and answered politely, “Hello?”

  “Anna, it’s me,” Tim said. His connection wasn’t very good, and Anna had equal trouble hearing him over the ever-growing roar of the bar.

  “Tim, why are you calling me at work? Is everything alright?”

  “I couldn’t get you on your cell—I had a good night in our little project, and I couldn’t wait to tell you about it.”

  Cell phones were not allowed at work, and Anna’s was packed away in her handbag. She admired Tim’s enthusiasm, but worried it might lead him into trouble, as he would just run after hunches without telling anyone—like his trip to Russia a few months back.

  “Where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in days,” she replied with concern.

  She could feel Shane and the other waitresses eavesdropping. For people attempting to be actors, they sure weren’t very good at it.

  “I’m in Arizona. Guess who I just had drinks with?”

  “I don’t know. Tell me.”

  “Natasha Kushka.”

  Anna’s jaw dropped. Tim believed that Natasha’s father, Alexander Kushka, was another alias her father had used. Which as crazy as it sounded, would make the famous tennis player Anna’s half-sister.

  “That’s amazing. Did you learn anything?” she asked, now sharing his enthusiasm. But quickly lowered her voice. Nobody knew about their little project, including Sam.

  “We talked for about two hours. We really hit it off.” He then told her to take a look at ESPN SportsCenter, which was playing on one of the televisions in the bar. She was shocked to see Tim interviewing Natasha at a press conference. She was yelling at him with the bad words beeped out.

  “It sure doesn’t look like it,” she said, eyes glued to the TV.

  Tim laughed. “I admit we got off to a bad start, but I actually got her to meet with me last night … or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, we plan to meet again in Las Vegas this weekend. In the meantime, I have a hunch I’m going to play.”

  “Can you let me in on it?”

  “I’ll call you from Vegas on Saturday, I gotta go,” he sounded muffled, his reception beginning to cut out. “Sorry to bother you at work. I just had to tell you—it’s like it isn’t real until you know about it.”

  Tammy was now giving Anna a dirty look. She needed to get back to work—getting fired wasn’t an option.

  “That’s sweet of you … but just please be careful, Tim,” were her final words.

  Chapter 17

  Anna checked her list. Another round of Sam Adams to the finance guys. Buffalo wings and an order of Nachos to the loud, middle-aged men wearing shirts saluting the New York Rangers. Anna was never a fan of the rowdy hockey crowds, even if it was good for her bottom line.

  She also had two new customers just arrive at one of her tables. Judging by the way Lexie and Denise were giggling, it must have been cute guys or famous people. Anna hoped for cute guys—she wasn’t impressed by fame.

  She made her way to the newly occupied table. The two men seemed to be quite a contrast. The taller, slimmer one looked like many of the actor or model-types that frequented Nellie’s. He wore a striped, fleece pullover with a shawl collar, along with a baseball hat. The other was shorter with thinning hair, and dressed like he worked on Wall Street.

  She reached the table, and began the way she always did, “Hello, my name is Anna, and I’ll be your waitress tonight.”

  But when she made eye contact with the one in the baseball hat, she froze. The one in a suit took charge, and began aggressively ordering, but it sounded like he was a million miles away. She couldn’t believe it!

  When she didn’t respond, he said, “How about while we’re still young, Señorita?”

  She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

  Geoff began snapping his fingers close to her face. “Hablas inglés?”

  His brother stopped him with an angry look. When she peered into his light blue eyes, it confirmed that it really was him. Lexie and Denise were partially right—he was both cute and famous, but they left out the part about it being her half brother.

  Having researched both Myles brothers, their initial impression matched their reputations. Anna continued to stare at them, but then snapped back to reality. “I’m so sorry, I guess I just zoned out. Please accept my apology. Can I get you something to drink, or perhaps an appetizer?”

  They ordered a plate of veggie sticks, and two lemon waters. “Much healthier, than most of my customers,” she noted.

  “We are in training for our rematch,” Geoff said.

  She looked quizzically at him, and Cam replied, “Long story.”

  She wondered if it had anything to do with the swollen eye Geoff was sporting.

  “You know what,” Geoff said, just as she was about to move to her next table. “Actually, I want to change my order to a beer. Do you have Brooklyn Lager on tap?”

  She nodded, and jotted it down. When she looked up, she noticed that Cam was giving his brother a look of disapproval. She understood why—she’d read about Geoff’s downfall, which was fueled by drugs and alcohol.

  Geoff gave his brother a dismissive wave. “It’s just one beer. And besides, tonight we’re celebrating your …”

  Cam’s look turned from worry to mad, and Geoff never finished the statement.

  Anna continued standing beside their table, still staring at them with the googly eyes of a lovesick teenager. Geoff looked up at her with annoyance, “We’re done with you … shoo.”

  The rude reception made part of her want to cry, but she stood firm. “I just wanted to apologize again for my behavior. It’s just that I’m a very big baseball fan, and it’s an honor to meet such a famed player and agent.”

  “Yeah-yeah, we’re not here to sign autographs,” Geoff responded without even looking at her. He was obsessing on his buzzing phone. He looked at the caller ID and swore under his breath.

  “I have to take this,” he said, already bolting across the bar, and toward the nearest exit. Anna was impressed that he didn’t show any signs of a limp.

  Cam looked up at her. “Please don’t take what my brother said to heart. He can be an ass.”

  “Oh no, he was right—it was totally my fault.”

  He looked closer at her. “You’re not from here, are you?”

  “Because of my accent?”

  “No, because you seem really nice.”

  She smiled. “I came here from Cuba. It has been quite an experience.”

  “I imagine. Why New York?”

  “Because it had the universities I was interested in attending.”

  “What are you studying?”

  “Medicine. I hope to be a doctor one day.”

  “I’m impressed. I was unaware that Nellie’s hired non-actresses.”

  She got a chuckle out of that one. “Shh … don’t tell anyone, I will be fired.”

  “Your secret is safe with me. So where did you pick up this love of baseball you mentioned?”

  “In Cuba you are born to love baseball. It is practically a religion. My brother is one of the top players. A left-handed pitcher like yourself. Sometimes it’s hard because he never had a father to help train him.”

  She immediately regretted saying it, knowing that Cam also had to grow up without a father. She wondered if their father knew how much damage he did to those he abandoned.

  He nodded that he understood. He was so easy to talk to, and it made her just want to blurt everything out. But that would likely get her locked up with the crazy people, and she didn’t have time for that—she had to finish that paper tonight.

  A cross look from Tammy put an end to their conversation. Anna made her way back to the bar and placed the order with Shane. As she did, she noticed Geoff returning to join his brother—he had an agitated look on his face.

  She wished she had her phone handy t
o take a photo of them. She smiled, visualizing the look on Tim’s face if she sent him a photo of her posing with the Myles brothers. Her bothers!

  Her daydream was interrupted by Lexie and Denise, who took a sudden interest in her. “Oh my God, did you get his number?” Lexie asked.

  Anna played dumb. “Whose number?”

  Denise exclaimed, “Cam Myles … he’s only like the hottest guy ever. Do you even know who he is?”

  Anna smiled. She knew all too well who he was.

  Chapter 18

  Geoff stormed back through the bar and sat down.

  “Something wrong?” Cam asked.

  “Yeah, this place is disgusting.”

  The comment didn’t surprise Cam—Geoff only went to the top restaurants in the city; top meaning the most expensive. “The winner of the fight gets to pick the restaurant, isn’t that the rule?” Cam said, attempting a disarming smile. He pointed at his brother’s phone. “I meant the call.”

  “Just business. Something came up, so I’ve got to fly to Florida tomorrow.”

  Geoff craved order, and didn’t handle it well when things “came up” in life.

  “If you want to trade places, I’ve got to face Mom, and explain my latest career crisis.”

  “No you don’t. Come with me to Florida. My clients have always benefited from receiving the best mental and physical instruction, and that’s what I’m offering you.”

  “Well, I’m not your client. And in case you didn’t hear me the first ten times, I’m not interested.”

  “I’m just looking out for you.”

  “And yourself.”

  Anna returned with their drinks and veggie sticks. She traded smiles with Cam, and then made her way to a table filled with loud hockey fans.

  “So did you get her number?” Geoff asked.

  “No, I got a lemon water and a carrot stick.”

  “She was totally hitting on you. What’s that like to have woman throwing themselves at you all the time?”