by Dale Mayer
“I left several weeks before my eighteenth birthday. My mother OD’d and was no longer a threat they could exploit. As soon as I had the bus money to get the hell out of town I took the chance and ran. I joined the Navy within a week of arriving in California.” He took a sip of coffee, put his cup down, then added, “That was only days after my eighteenth birthday.”
“Have you seen any of them since?”
Chase shook his head. “Not until ten minutes ago.”
“Any idea how they found you?”
“No,” Chase said forcibly. “I have no family or friends from that time in my life, so I have no idea how they tracked me down. I’d hoped to disappear into the military and that worked so far, but something went wrong and they found me.”
“You’re no longer that seventeen-year-old scared boy. Your mother is gone and their hold on you is broken and you’re no longer alone. Your SEAL brothers have your back. But I do have to ask,” he said, “and you need to tell me the truth. Did you ever kill anyone during your years in that gang?”
“No.” Chase shook his head emphatically. “And I was never around to see any other shooting except at the beginning. I was already living one day at a time, and that huge crushing fear was constantly being reinforced by their threats. I never became a full member. I was always one of the initiates and never accepted.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I never forgave them for shooting my best friend. I never trusted them,” Chase said. “And they knew it.”
“So then, they never trusted you.”
“Exactly. I think if I’d stayed it would’ve been crunch time. That’s one of the reasons why I was trying to get away. But I couldn’t really leave my mother in their hands.”
“We need to tell the others.” Markus stared over the patio. “They need to know.”
“And here I was hoping to just ignore it all,” Chase joked.
“Not happening.” Markus stayed and discussed the issue a little bit longer. Then he stood up and said, “Have a chat with Mason. And we’ll do what we can.” He pointed at the piece of paper on the table and said, “And set up a meeting to see Amrit. There might not have been anybody to help you back then, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help another little boy right now.”
“That’s a slightly different case,” Chase said. “But I will call.”
“Not all that different. It’s still a little boy who needs help.” Markus walked out the door and closed it behind him.
Chase reached for the piece of paper, picked it up and pulled out his phone. Dialing, he then waited until a woman with a gentle melodious voice answered. He said, “Hi Vanessa. My name is Chase, and I believe we have a little boy we both know called Amrit.”
Chapter 4
Vanessa wanted to laugh for joy. She’d done it. She’d actually gotten a hold of Amrit’s friend Chase. She’d been trying for weeks.
“Thank you for contacting me,” she said. “Amrit has been asking for you.”
“I didn’t know he was stateside,” Chase admitted. “Last I saw, he was in the hospital recovering from his injuries.”
“He was processed through our center with a little special handling due to the unique circumstances of his leaving.” She left it there, knowing he should understand.
“Right.” There was an awkward silence, then Chase said, “How’s he adapting?”
“He’s struggling,” she said. “I’m hoping if he sees you here and you have a chance to talk, he may be able to move on with his life a little easier. His brother is doing much better. But at this point in time Amrit is trying to avoid school. In fact, he prefers to not leave his apartment at all.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Amrit I knew.”
“I only know the Amrit I have met here.”
“Do you think he’s scared of being attacked? Afraid his past is coming forward with him?”
“I have no idea,” she admitted. “I was hoping maybe seeing you here would reassure him he’s safe now.”
“Have you talked to the school about potential problems he might be trying to avoid? If he’s not wanting to go to school, it sounds more like school is the issue.”
“The school hasn’t been able to shed any light on it. Physically the boys are well.”
“His brother too? His brother was injured more severely than Amrit.”
“His brother has taken the name Peter and appears to be doing very well. I think he’s damn relieved to be here in America.”
“Good, and that’s the reaction I’d expect. When can I see the brothers?”
“I think his mother would like to see you as well. She never had a chance to thank you for saving her sons.”
“And she doesn’t need to. But I’ll be happy to meet with her and reassure her, I’ll do what I can to help.”
Vanessa quickly set up an appointment for the following day, a Saturday, early afternoon. “Let’s meet at Central Park around one o’clock.” When she secured his agreement, she hung up and let out a wild whoop.
When the others in the office turned to look at her, she just smiled and said, “Finally, something is going my way.”
The next afternoon, she was in the park a little early. When she turned and saw Amrit and Peter running toward her, their mother walking sedately behind, Vanessa laughed and gave them both a big hug. She smiled. “It’s a good day to be outside.”
It was, in fact, a lovely day. The sun shone brightly and there was a gentle breeze. The park was happily busy. Vanessa motioned to several park benches across the playground and said, “Go and enjoy. I’ll sit here while you two go to the playground.”
The boys looked at each other and then looked at her, almost as if to say they were too old. Then they laughed and raced off. Vanessa sat down to wait for Chase to arrive.
As she sat down, she realized there were several men standing on the far side of the playground. She didn’t recognize any of them, but there was an odd look to the group. More muscle than brains, maybe. Not a child anywhere close. Shaking off the thought, she turned to Sinja and asked, “How has Amrit been this last couple of days?”
Sinja just smiled. “When he was told yesterday he’ll be able to meet Chase he became very excited – much better. The days before that, not so good.”
They waited, watching the boys chase each other around the playground. They were small for their age. Nobody would’ve known they were ten and twelve. Maybe that was good – they could reclaim some of their lost childhoods. Just when she was afraid Chase wasn’t going to show, she noticed a man walking down the sidewalk, his gaze on the boys.
Dressed in a tight T-shirt, tattooed and muscle bound, he looked like he belonged with the men on the far side, but he stopped at the playground. He studied the boys long enough to make her uncomfortable. She was about to stand up and walk closer when he called out, “Amrit? Peter?”
The boys stopped what they were doing, saw him and raced toward him. He grabbed one in each arm, swung them up and spun around before dropping them back down to their feet.
“It’s great to see you two,” Chase cried, hugging them both. “Life is so much better over here. No sand,” he said with a big grin.
The boys were laughing and shouting and talking a mile a minute.
Vanessa smiled. Out loud she said, “So this is Chase.”
Young with blond hair, but he had that tough can-do attitude so many of the military men had. Chase was Navy, and she’d heard rumors he was a SEAL when she’d tried to track him down, but no one could confirm that. Of course they wouldn’t. Such was life in the military. Something she wasn’t a part of.
Still, she could believe the rumors. He looked to have what it took to be an over-the-top achiever like all the others. The stories were wild and too incredible to believe, but they served a purpose, and she had no reason to doubt they were at least half true.
With Sinja at her side, Vanessa got up and walked toward the three males. When Chase looked up at her, she almost gasped at the
scar slashing across his face. Taking a deep breath she held out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Vanessa.”
Chase shook it. Then he turned to Sinja and said with a gentle smile, “Hello. How nice to see you and the boys here.”
With the introductions over, they all moved back to the bench where the boys peppered Chase with question upon question. He showed great tolerance and patience as he answered them, then asked a few of his own in a teasing voice.
Finally, when all the chatter ceased, Chase had a chance to ask, “What’s this I hear about you not going to school very often?”
Amrit wrinkled his nose. “It feels funny. Like people are watching me.”
Silence fell upon the small group. Vanessa held her breath. Was that Amrit’s imagination or had some of his bad luck followed him here?
She glanced over at Chase, who was contemplating Amrit’s face. He pulled out a little notepad, wrote down a phone number and handed it to Amrit. “If you ever feel like you see somebody following you or that you are fearful of your life, call me. I can’t guarantee I will always be here because of my own job, but I’ll do the best I can.”
Amrit’s face burst into a big smile. He grabbed the piece of paper, pocketed it and raced back to the playground, Peter on his heels.
Amrit called back, “Thanks.”
Sinja shook Chase’s hand and left the two of them alone so she could stand closer to her sons.
“That went well,” Vanessa said with a smile. “Maybe he just needed to know he’s not alone.”
“Maybe,” Chase said in a noncommittal voice, his gaze on the boys. “Wouldn’t it be nice if all of life’s problems were so easily solved?”
“Yes, wouldn’t it.” Vanessa stood up and turned to face him. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Of course.” He motioned at the boys. “They certainly won’t be missing anything now. Their life is so vastly different from what they had before.”
Her gaze on the boys as well, she asked quietly, “Can you share a little bit about their life before?”
Chase explained about their living conditions, the father being dragged out of the village and shot in front of them, how the mother and boys had been beaten. How they’d scraped for food and run errands at the camp for the men in order to make a little bit of money on the side. He shrugged. “The opportunities to help the kids are endless. I wasn’t there very long. I’m surprised he remembered me,” Chase admitted. “I only played soccer with him for a few days. I’m sure many of the other men doing a tour over there had a bigger impact on his life.”
“I think it’s because you rescued him. All the other men faded, and it’s your face he remembers.”
He tossed her a bright smile. “Once he starts to adjust the bad memories will fade too.” He turned to walk toward the pathway and leave the park when she said impulsively, “You’re very good with children.”
Chase laughed. “I don’t know why. I do a lot of volunteer work with kids, but I don’t have any of my own.” With a last glance at the boys and the playground, he turned and started to walk down the pathway.
Too bad, she murmured to herself. He’d be a hell of a father. Just as she was about to turn away and head back the way she’d entered the park she realized he’d stopped. He spun around and frowned, his gaze not on the playground but on the men on the far side. He glanced at her, at the kids then seemed to make a sudden decision.
There was a hard spit in the air. And something slammed into the bench beside her.
She was thrown to the ground, a hot heavy blanket covering her, and harsh words in her ear snapped, “Stay down and don’t move.”
The heavy weight lifted as Chase took off.
She twisted her head to see him race toward the playground. Peter and Amrit were standing on top of the wooden structure staring at the bench, fear on their faces. Then they’d also seen her thrown to the ground. And heard the same sound she had. She sat up and glanced around the playground, but she couldn’t see anything wrong.
The group of muscle-bound men sitting by the park bench on the far side were all strolling back toward a vehicle. They didn’t have a sense of urgency, and neither were they packing any kind of firearms as far she could see. Just because they were big and strong didn’t make them hoodlums. They were too old and too well dressed for that. Besides, why would they walk away? What did she know about such things?
From where she sat she could see one side of the wood was snapped off. Peter and Amrit, Chase nudging them forward, walked toward the exit closest to their home over to the parking lot. Sinja was with them. Vanessa hurried to catch up. When she did, Chase looked at her and said in a hard voice, “I told you to stay there and stay down.”
She nodded. “The boys were here because of me. I need to know they are going to be okay,” she said in a low tone. Like hell she’d let those kids get hurt. Did she imagine it, or was it really a nod of approval from him? She straightened and smiled. That made her feel better.
Once the kids were back in the apartment, Chase gave some kind of dubious explanation of what happened in a cheerful voice. After good-byes, he led Vanessa back outside of the apartment building to the street. “Where did you park?”
“I’m at the far side of the park.”
“Good, let’s go.” He led her back toward the parking lot.
“What happened to the bench?”
“Not sure,” he said cheerfully. “But it seemed like a good idea to get the kids safely home again.”
“Then how did you know something was going on? You were walking to the parking lot when you turned suddenly and looked at the men on the far side.”
He turned to her. “Is that what I was doing?”
She pulled her arm free and snapped, “Yes.”
“Then that’s what I must’ve been doing.” He grabbed her arm again and tucked it back into his. “Let’s grab a coffee.”
Surprised at the turn of events, she wondered if it was his way of changing the subject, or was it a lead into giving her more of an explanation. However, not only could she use some coffee, she really wanted answers.
Besides, he was a nice guy. Frustrating but nice.
“Sure, as long as you’re going to fill me in a little more.”
He laughed. “Persistent, aren’t you?”
“Hey, you’re the one who pushed me to the ground and told me to stay there.” She poked his arm. “I presume that’s because I was in danger. But I’d like to know what I’m up against.”
“Interesting. What do you think happened?”
“I think someone shot at the bench, but I don’t think they aimed for me. I’d have been easy enough to hit if they had wanted to.”
“I think that was intended for me, as a warning.”
She digested that for a long moment. Had she done Amrit a disservice by putting him in contact with Chase? That was the last thing she wanted to do. “Is someone trying to hurt you?”
He shook his head. “Not exactly sure what this is, but I will find out.”
And she believed him.
*
He would find out if it was the last thing he did. But first he had to worry as to whether the boys were in danger. “When are Amrit and Peter due to move?”
“At the end of the month. Next week, in fact. We have a place closer to their school for them. And Sinja should be able to find work at the mall.”
“Hmm. Any chance of getting them moved earlier?” he asked. “I don’t think they are in danger, but why put them through anything else in their young lives?”
“Sinja hasn’t even started packing. It will probably take these few days to get her moved anyway.”
Chase nodded. He nudged her in a different direction across the road. After a few moments he led her toward a popular chain coffee shop and held the door open for her as she walked inside.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“Just a plain coffee,” she requested. “Thanks.”
“There’s
an empty table over there.” He motioned in the direction of the table. “Go grab it. I’ll bring the coffee.”
She nodded and wove a path through the crowd. When it was his turn, he ordered two coffees and, figuring she probably hadn’t had anything to eat, some cookies as well. Or maybe in truth, the cookies were for him.
At the table, he laid the coffees and cookies down and then took the seat opposite her.
He waited, expecting the question she had yet to ask. After a few minutes of stirring her coffee, staring at the table, she lifted her head and said, “Am I in danger?”
He studied her eyes and got a little lost in the huge melted chocolate look to them. Vanessa was gorgeous. Black hair, alabaster skin… He gave himself a mental shake. So not the time. He answered her question as honestly as he could. “I don’t know.”
“Really?” She laid the spoon down and shot him a look of disgust. “What’s your relationship to those men who were at the park?”
“I’m not exactly sure who they are,” he admitted. “But it’s possible it might be somebody who wants me to disappear.”
Her gaze widened in shock. “So this is that serious?” she exclaimed in a hoarse whisper.
He nodded. “I believe so.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.” He leaned across, resting his hand gently atop hers. “And on that same note, I feel like I need to ask, do you live alone?”
Her mouth formed an O, but no sound came out. He squeezed her arm gently. “Does that mean yes?”
She nodded.
Deciding she had the right to more than he shared so far, he gave her a shortened version of events.
He pulled his arm back and took a sip of his coffee. There was no doubt that had been Gregory on the bench. Ronnie hadn’t been with him, but he was sure to have been somewhere close by. And quite possibly it was Ronnie who’d fired the single warning shot. Why had they been at the same park?
They said they’d find him and they had. But how? When he’d known them they’d been goons not super sleuths capable of figuring out that kind of information. Somehow it had happened. And they’d seen him with both the boys and with Vanessa. He doubted the boys would be an issue. But he’d been sitting with Vanessa as well.
