George Hartmann Box Set

by Kelly Utt

  I lean over to talk quietly to Roddy as we walk.

  “Should we contact Miss Tessa to help us get us back to the boys his room?" I ask.

  "I think we can make it on our own given the discrete route she showed us,” Roddy says. "It was a pretty straightforward path from here to there."

  "Alright," I say. "I suppose if anyone stops us, we can tell them we were instructed to go this way. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes, right?"

  "I suppose so,” Roddy says with a laugh.

  Both of us seem to be in a better mood now. Maybe we feel better just shedding some tears and getting that emotion off our chest. Even though Ali is in rough shape, I know we feel better having seen her. Perhaps most of all, the talk of the snake and those motorists being flagged down give us hope that there's something bigger at work.

  "Miss Tessa says she leaves at seven o’clock. Her friend Girard, too," I say.

  That time is approaching quickly now. I have no idea how long the reporters are going to stay out front waiting on me. But we definitely can't have them following us back to the motel, so we're going to need to get out discreetly.

  "Noted," Roddy says as we walk back through the cafeteria.

  The smells of hot food make me realize just how hungry I am.

  "Hey, Roddy," I say as I grab one of his arms to slow him down. "We need some food. How about we try to get some here?"

  "Yeah, you're right," he says.

  He didn't take long at all to think about that.

  A middle-aged African-American lady wearing a Green cafeteria uniform approaches us. She's a big lady and she sort of lumbers as she walks. Her hair is styled in neat twists radiating out from around her head like a crown and giving her friendly face the look of sunshine. Her name tag reads Wilma Batts.

  "Can I help you boys with something?" she asks.

  I'm pretty sure she's younger than both of us, which makes it odd for her to call us boys. But she has a motherly vibe about her, similar to Miss Tessa. I wonder if they know each other.

  "We're looking for something to eat for dinner,” Roddy says. "I hope we're in the right place."

  "You're in the cafeteria, alright,” Wilma says. "The eating area is right out there."

  Liam and I look at each other. Even though we're hungry, we shouldn't risk sitting out there in the open. We don't want the news crew getting wind of our whereabouts.

  "Has Miss Tessa been taking care of you?" Wilma asks to our surprise.

  "Yes, she has!" I say. "How did you know?"

  Wilma smiles but doesn't explain.

  "Follow me," she instructs.

  I turn to Roddy and shrug, then we do as she says.

  Wilma leads us into a back room that looks much like the eating area of the main cafeteria, only it’s smaller and there's no one else here.

  "Sit down and wait on me,” she says. "I can get you one of the trays being served to patients tonight. It's too late to choose what you get, but if you can eat what’s served I can bring it right here to you."

  "Yeah, that would be great,” I say. "We’ll wait right here. Thank you."

  We don’t have to wait long. Wilma returns quickly with a tray in each hand. She plops them down in front of us and reaches into her apron and pulls out two cans of soda. The trays are covered with a plastic piece on top, so we can't see exactly what we’re eating yet. But we don't care. We just need sustenance.

  "Thank you, again,” I say to Wilma. "You and Miss Tessa and everyone else we've met here at the hospital have been very kind."

  "Happy to help,” she says simply as she turns to head back out of the room. "Leave the trays with your trash on the table when you go," she calls over her shoulder as she walks out the door.

  The meal is Salisbury steak with green beans and mashed potatoes on the side. Red jello for dessert. They must change the jello color for each meal. I’m reminded of the delicious food Marjorie and Roddy makes for us on many occasions. This stuff doesn't begin to compare. But I'm hungry, so I eat. It’s not too bad.

  When we’ve eaten almost all the food on our trays and are beginning to slow down, I turn my thoughts to what we're going to do next. Roddy does the same.

  "What's the plan, George?" he asks me.

  "You're still leaving it to me?"

  "This is your show right now," my father-in-law says. "We’ll do what you ask."

  I remind myself that I'm choosing to be a predator now and that I had better get back into predator mode. It’s amazing what a change in thought patterns can do. Our bodies respond remarkably well to the instructions we deliver.

  "Alright,” I say. " First, I'm going to ask Joe to hypnotize me."

  "Okay,” Roddy confirms. "Where?"

  "Right here in the hospital," I say. "How about Miss Tessa’s room?"

  "Fine,” Roddy says. "What else?"

  "Well, I want to check on the boys and hopefully see Leo. He should be out of surgery by now”

  "So, we go check on the boys, spend a few minutes with them, and then you ask Joe if you can speak to him privately, correct?"

  "Sure,” I say. "Assuming Joe will go along with me, how about you take over with the boys for a little while to give Mom a chance to walk around or whatever it is she wants to do. She must be exhausted by now."

  "No problem,” Roddy says.

  I know what he's going to ask next. We both want to know what will happen with Clive. That's a question I don't have an answer to. I wish I did.

  "The evening hours are going to pass by fast,” Roddy says. "Before we know it, nightfall will be here. Travelers will be checking into the motel and settling in for the night. It's going to be a lot harder to move around the property unnoticed."

  "Right," I say. "And the potential for noise complaints goes up exponentially."

  "We have to navigate the situation while remaining undetected. But the larger question of the end game here needs to be answered. Clive has seen our faces and knows who we are."

  I know that's true and I've thought about it myself. I've wondered whether or not we can let him go. If we can't, I hate to think about the alternative.

  “What is your plan, George,” Roddy asks.

  "I really don't know," I say. "I realize that I have to know. And quick."

  Roddy shifts his weight in his chair and leans forward on the table towards me.

  "Do you think Clive has told you everything that he knows?"

  "Probably not," I say. "He seemed most interested in taunting me and toying with my emotions."

  “Then think about it this way. If things could go your way, what would the ideal outcome be?"

  "Easy," I say. "But I don't know how realistic it is. We threaten or pay off Clive, whichever way ensures his silence. Then we let him go. But not before we put some sort of tracker on him. Maybe on his mobile phone. I don't know. But in my mind, I envision our drones keeping tabs on his and tracking his movements."

  "Alright," Roddy says.

  It sounds like he approves of that answer.

  "It would be great to be able to watch from the sky without Clive realizing it,” I continue. “We could see where he goes and then figure out who he associates with. It ought to be pretty easy to collect some important intel that way."

  “Sounds like our business just expanded operations,” Roddy says with a chuckle. "Funny how that happens."

  "Maybe so," I say.

  "Keep talking this through,” my father-in-law prompts. "How would we track him?"

  "I hadn't thought about it until today, so I'm not sure," I reply. "Off the top of my head, I think that simply tracking his cell phone via the cell towers would be simple enough. We could then use the triangulated location and have our drones follow him. It wouldn't work if he goes into an area without cell phone coverage of course. Although, if we lose the signal we should be able to pick it right back up again when he comes back online."

  "You're the technology guy here,” Roddy says. "What do we need?"
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  "To track his cell phone, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to write down his SIM card number. But that probably isn't even necessary. We just need his mobile phone number and maybe the name of his wireless carrier."

  "Are there other options?"

  "You tell me," I say. "Can we put a tracker into his body? Doing so would eliminate the concern about him ditching his mobile phone. But is that realistic?”

  “It's realistic," Roddy confirms. "The dilemma is how to get the devices and get them implanted quickly. I could reach out to some of my contacts. At best though, I suspect it would take a few days."

  "I’m no former intelligence agent," I say quietly. "But I know we can't stay at the same hotel for long. We have to keep moving."

  “That's precisely right,” Roddy says. "If we're going to hold Clive much longer, we’ll need to move him to a different location."

  "Yeah and I asked Liam to fly back to Ithaca tomorrow get business operations going. He can't do that and watch over Clive. Or can he?"

  "You want him to take Clive back to Ithaca?" Roddy asks.

  "I don't know," I say, the wheels turning fast now inside my mind. "They couldn't fly together unnoticed, but they could drive. Liam is going to rent a warehouse for the business anyway. That type of place should be pretty isolated and remote. Maybe it could double as a holding area and we could keep Clive there until we're ready to let him go."

  Roddy looks at me as if he thinks this is a decent plan. I'm kind of surprised. I guess this type of planning is par for the course for someone with his background. Maybe there isn’t one right answer here. Maybe my father-in-law is more interested in teaching me how to handle myself than he is about any single choice I might make.

  “If we go this route," I continue. "Someone will need to go with them. There's no way Liam can watch Clive all the time. He'll have to go to the bathroom, get gas, and sleep. We’ll need a second person."

  "I'll do it," Roddy and I both say at exactly the same time.

  We smile at each other. Roddy leans back in his chair.

  "I admire your dedication, George,” Roddy begins. "But you're a young man with a young family that needs you. My kids are grown. The years of my life are running out much more quickly than yours. Besides, I'm trained for this sort of thing. I'll go."

  "Are we even sure Liam will do it?" I ask, then I immediately think better. "Don't answer that. Of course, he will."

  "Then it's settled,” Roddy says. We’ll leave tonight. Liam and I will drive to Ithaca to get everything set up for the business. We'll keep Clive comfortable enough and will set him up in a longer-term holding space. He'll be there waiting for whatever you decide to do with him next."

  "What about you being here for Ali?” I ask "You heard Dr. Wong. It's still touch-and-go. What if she doesn't make it and you're not here to say goodbye?"

  Roddy tears up and I can see the thought upsets him.

  "Let's hope it doesn't happen like that," he says simply. "But if it does, I believe Alessandra would forgive me. I think she wants me out there doing whatever I need to do to eliminate the threat so that you and her boys can be safe. Those boys mean everything to her."

  I’m moved by Roddy’s willingness to sacrifice for our family. We’re lucky to have him. I’m grateful to call him not only my father-in-law but my trusted friend.

  "And Marjorie? Will she understand?" I ask.

  "She definitely will,” Roddy replies.

  We sit silently together, thinking, for what feels like a very long time. I try to think about all the angles related to what we're doing. I consider who might notice what and how it would potentially affect us. Duke and Taye might become suspicious. They’re our friends and they're good guys, but I don't want them to have to compromise their integrity over this. Not now. Not yet.

  "Do you think anyone will be looking for Clive?" I ask.

  "I don't know,” Roddy says. "His drifter lifestyle makes it seem like he doesn't have anyone who keeps close tabs on him. I don't think he has a wife or kids. Hopefully, no one will know he's gone."

  "Sounds like he doesn't live around here anyway,” I add. "What if media gets wind of this?"

  "Liam and I can most likely handle them," he answers. "They're focused on you and Ali right now, so they probably won't be working beyond that. Clive is peripheral. We'll take it one step at a time."

  "Then it sounds like we have a plan,” I say. “You’ll take the Jeep, right? I'll need to rent something else to drive while I'm here.”

  "You'll figure that out,” Roddy says with a reassuring nod. "All of the logistics can be sorted out. There's no reason for you to leave the hospital tonight anyway, not with this plan. You can rent another vehicle tomorrow.”

  "Right," I say.

  I'm again quiet for a moment. Roddy can tell what I'm thinking.

  "Don't worry about Liam," my father-in-law says. "I know, for sure, that he'll be glad to do this for you. We’ll all be back together again soon. Hopefully, Ali will be well enough to be transported to Ithaca soon. If not, Liam and I will come back to Lake Tahoe. Let's take it one day at a time, okay?"

  "I feel bad about not even seeing my uncle before you guys leave."

  "Don't," Roddy says. "Consider this another mission. Think in practical terms. If you're not with me, I can leave the hospital unnoticed without the whole disguise and escort by Girard."

  "True," I say.

  "Then let's get going," Roddy says. "I'll sit with the boys for a while as we talked about and then I'll leave to join Liam and Clive."

  "Do you need to go back to see Marjorie again?"

  "No, she already knows," Roddy says. "I'm ready."

  "Roddy?" I ask. "One more question."

  "What is it?"

  "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

  He takes a deep breath and leans his head back a little before he answers.

  "I mean about Clive," I clarify. "You don't think taking him to Ithaca is overkill? Sometimes, I wish you would take over and just tell me what to do."

  "If you want to question him again or if you want to get a tracking device implanted in his body, then taking him to Ithaca is reasonable. In Ithaca, he's on our turf and we have the advantage. We know the town and the lay of the land. We have the home-court advantage if you will."

  "Yeah," I say.

  "If you decide you want to let him go, we can do that here tonight."

  Part III

  The Hero

  9

  Recall

  Leo is out of surgery and back in his room when we arrive upstairs. I can hear his sweet little giggle before I even open the door. He must be feeling good from the effects of the anesthesia. I don't think I've ever been so glad to hear his sweet little voice.

  "Leo!” I say as I walk through the door. "Glad to have you back with us, little buddy."

  I walk over to my son's hospital bed and lean down to hug and kiss him. He holds his chubby little arms up and wraps them tightly around my neck. They feel so good.

  Mom and Joe are still here, but they're looking haggard.

  "Did Dr. Adams say how the surgery went?" I ask.

  Ethan comes over to hug my leg again as Roddy picks up little Will.

  "She did, Mom says. "Everything went precisely according to plan. No problems at all."

  "That's great news," I say. Then looking down at Leo, "good job, buddy. You did a phenomenal job. I'm so proud of you."

  “I am proud of him too," Ethan chimes in cheerfully. "My little brother did a good job. He had an operation and his body did good, good, good!"

  I smile at my boys. I love them so. We chat for a few minutes about dinner and colors of jello.

  It isn’t long before I can tell Ethan wants to ask me about Ali. I didn't prepare ahead of time for what I'm going to tell him, so I'll have to wing it as best I can. I sit down in the chair beside Leo's bed and reach one of my hands out to pat his little shoulder and arm. Roddy hands me little Will, who settles into my other arm an
d smiles happily. It seems like he's missed me. Ethan climbs up on my lap and tucks himself into the remaining space. I stay quiet for a few minutes in order to give him time to say what's on his mind.

  "Did you see Mommy?” Ethan asks, looking hard at me.

  Leo perks up when he hears the question and all three boys look at me intently.

  "I did see Mommy,” I begin. "She had an operation like Leo's, except hers took a lot longer. Her body was broken in more places and it was harder to fix."

  "Grandma told us that part," Ethan clarifies.

  I look at Mom and smile, appreciative that she's been here for my boys like this.

  "Good," I say. "I'm glad she explained it to you. I want you to know everything that's happening. I may be busy and not able to be with you all the time, but I can promise that one of the adults in our family will be with you. And you can ask questions about anything you want."

  "Did they fix Mommy?" Ethan continues.

  "They did," I say. "But her body was hurt so badly that they have to keep her sleeping in what's called a coma so it has time to heal. The doctors don't know if she'll be able to heal for sure, but they hope so."

  "Mommy might die," Ethan says matter-of-factly. “And if she does the baby in her belly will die also."

  I'm so taken aback upon hearing this, I jump in my seat. I look at Roddy, who appears just as bewildered as I do. How could Ethan have possibly known about the baby? I turn to look at Mom and Joe.

  "Did you know?" I ask them. "Who told you?"

  "Know what?" Mom asks.

  She doesn't seem to have any idea what I'm talking about. Neither does Joe. I take a few breaths to collect myself then turn my attention back to Ethan.

  "Did someone tell you there was a baby in Mommy's belly?" I ask.

  "Nobody said it to me,” Ethan answers. "It's in my thinking."

  "Wow," I say under my breath.

  "The spirit who will be our baby was here,” Ethan continues. "It was flying around up on near the ceiling."

  This sounds strange. I'm tempted to dismiss it as a child's imagination, but something tells me not to be so quick to do so. If Ali or Marjorie were here, I’m pretty sure they’d tell me not to be so quick to do so.