It was Monday morning and Jake had just walked Heather to the bus stop so she could catch the bus for work. He was on his way to the safe house to meet up with Chavez and Hawkins. About two blocks away from his destination, he saw a man turn the corner walk toward him. When Jake saw who it was, he quickly turned in the opposite direction and ducked into the alley he had just passed.
Leaning tensely against the wall of one of the buildings, Jake started clenching and unclenching his fists as the shock of seeing the man quickly turned to anger. He remained hidden in the shadow of the alley looking out toward the street until he saw the man walk by. Intending to confront the man, he stepped out onto the street and started to follow him. He weaved in and out of the people on the street while keeping the man in his sight. He stopped as he watched as the man approached a group of people on the street. He was close enough to hear the man ask, "Have you seen the woman in this picture? She's my niece and I need to find her. She's the only family I have left."
‘Oh God, he's looking for Heather. Worse he has a picture of her!' Jake drew in a shaky breath as he watched the man turn from the people and walk down the street.
Jake continued to follow the man after the group confirmed that they had not seen the woman in the photo. As they moved forward, Jake saw the man approach a woman with three young children at her side. The sight before forced him to reconsider his decision to confront the man as he realized that he would be putting innocent people at risk. He continued to follow the man, no longer to confront him, but instead hoping to find his base of operations. Once he had that he would go back to the safe house and get Hawkins and Chavez. He followed the man until he was forced to wait at the corner while a convoy of trucks sped by. When he was finally able to cross the street the man had disappeared in the crowd.
He looked around for landmarks that he could use to tell Hawkins and Chavez where he last saw the man. He looked across the street and saw an impressive three story brick building that was set back about five hundred feet from the road in the middle of a park-like setting. The pathway leading up to the building was lined with trees. The grounds on either side of the pathway were impeccably landscaped. There was a black iron fence surrounding the grounds with a gate at the top of the pathway way leading into the building. Attached to the fence next to the gate was a huge plaque that said in large block letters ‘Jennings & Rall'. As most people would, given the company's notoriety, Jake immediately recognized the name. Jennings & Rall had been the largest government contractor until 2004 when it fell out of favor when the methods they used to secure the contracts came under scrutiny.
About a half hour later, Jake entered the safe house. Chavez and Hawkins were sitting at the table discussing the plans for the day. Jake walked up to them and slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "That son of a bitch is here. I saw him and he's looking for Heather!"
"Jake, who are you talking about? Who's here?" Chavez asked.
"Constantino!" Jake exclaimed in an agitated tone before he began to pace the kitchen floor.
"Get a hold of yourself, Jake. Sit down and tell us what happened." Chavez said.
Jake reluctantly sat down. Agitated, he began to drum the table with his fingers. "I saw him turning the corner and ducked into an alley before he saw me. He stopped right outside the alley and I heard him talk to a group of people. As soon as he went by, I started to follow him. That son of a bitch has a picture of her! He was showing it around claiming she was his niece and needed to find her."
Hawkins, knowing that Jake often reacted without thinking, was surprised at what Jake said next.
"I wanted to confront him but then realized there were too many people walking the streets. I didn't want to risk it. I kept following him until I lost him. I wanted to know where he was going. "
"You did the right thing in not confronting him, Jake."
Chavez then joined the conversation. "It shouldn't be too difficult to find him. Everyone has to be off the streets by ten every night. He'll need to go somewhere. He'll have no choice but to go to Camp Cheyenne. We'll start our search there."
Chavez paused before continuing, "This man could have information we could use. When we find him, we'll bring him here for questioning. Jake, after he gives us all he knows it'll be up to you to decide what to do with him."
"What if we can't find him?" He saw the answer written on the faces of Hawkins and Chavez. "No way! She's already been through too much! No way, are we gonna use Heather as a decoy to draw him out. It's too dangerous!"
"Let's just cross that bridge when we come to it, Jake. The most important thing right now is to keep Heather out of harm's way and you're already taking care of that. She should be safe at work but with the picture Constantino is showing around you'll need to avoid taking her out."
Jake nodded his head in agreement before saying, "I don't understand how he knew to look for her here. This was the last place I expected to see him."
"He may have had an informant who knew Heather was here." Chavez replied,
Jake countered, "I don't see how that's possible. It would mean he would have an in with the army which isn't likely."
"Good point, Jake." When we find him, we'll tail him for a day or two before bringing him in. Let's see if we can find his informant, maybe he'll have some leads for us. Hawkins and I will start searching for him tonight when we're back at Camp Cheyenne."
"By the way, Jake, how is Heather?" Hawkins asked.
"She's okay, a little stressed about what we told her on Saturday but she's dealing."
"Think she can handle it?"
"I don't have a doubt." Jake said with conviction.
"Did you enjoy your time with Heather yesterday?" Chavez asked.
Jake, uncomfortable with the question, replied abruptly, "It was nice to get reacquainted again."
Chavez and Hawkins exchange a knowing look which was not lost on Jake. Wanting to steer the conversation back to business, Jake told the men what he had learned from Heather when they arrived back from the market the day before.
"Heather told me that there was a large farm on the outskirts of Cheyenne that supplied the town with food. She said she heard that the majority of workers are transported from Camp Cheyenne and that they had once farmed their own land. Coming from a farming community, I know that farmers are tied to their land in a way that's difficult for outsiders to understand. They would never leave their farms without a good reason. It might be worth looking into."
Chavez replied, "I agree. After we deal with Constantino, it might be worth going out to the farm to have a look around."
"Good idea," Hawkins replied.
"We need to get to work compiling and cataloging the information that Hawkins and I have collected since the bombs went off. I know it's boring work but the sooner it's done the sooner we can get to the important stuff."
"By the way, I received this report from the East today," Chavez said as he held up a piece of paper. Apparently, the government has lodged a formal complaint with the Cheyenne government. They're blaming Cheyenne for the increase in drug trafficking in the East. They say they have evidence that the drugs are being smuggled in from the west. I was asked in a separate communication from my superiors if I thought it had anything to do with our investigation. I told them I don't think it's likely but we'll add it to the mix and see what we come up with. Hawkins, I think this info is best categorized with the intel your compiling, why don't you add it to your pile."
"Okay, boss," Hawkins said in a joking matter as he took the report from Chavez.
Four hours later, when all the intel was categorized, the three men sat down and summarized for each other the intel they had reviewed. Once they finished, Jake mentioned offhandedly, "You know, this would have gone a lot faster if Heather was here helping us. You know she's great at this sort of thing." Jake said in a serious tone.
"I bet you think Heather's great at everything." Chavez asked, wanting to get a reaction out of Jake.
"Well, as a matter of fact . . ." Jake started to say as a far away look came over his face. Hawkins' and Chavez's laughter brought Jake back to the present. He returned their laughter with a cold stare and said, "Well, I have to go if I'm going to be at the bus stop when Heather's bus arrives. I'm gonna get my gun before I leave, with Constantino around I don't want to take any chances." Jake went into the bedroom where he and Hawkins had stored their firearms and electronics. When he came out of the room he said, "By the way, Heather's bringing something for dinner."
"Sounds good." Hawkins said as Jake was walking out the door.
After Jake closed the door to the safe house, Hawkins gave Chavez a strange look and asked, "What was that last comment about? Are you deliberately trying to antagonize Jake?"
Chavez chuckled as he sprawled onto the couch.
"I just think Jake needs to be reminded that Heather is an attractive woman and there are men out there who would be more than willing to step into his shoes," he told Hawkins as he propped his feet on the scratched coffee table in front of the couch.
"And you're one of those men?" Hawkins asked skeptically.
"Damn straight. She's beautiful, intelligent and brave. What man in his right mind wouldn't be attracted to her?"
Hawkins sat down on the couch next to Chavez. Cocking his head to one side, he considered Chavez's words.
"You've got a point, but you do know you don't have a chance."
"Of course I know that but someone needs to keep Green on his toes."
"True." Hawkins replied before both men started laughing.
Meanwhile at the capitol . . .
After receiving directions from the receptionist, Heather walked to Chief of Staff Valente's office. To say there was a lot riding on this meeting was an understatement. Not only would it speed up their investigation but it would also mean they could return to Jericho sooner rather than later. Heather was grateful for Jake's patience the day before as he answered the questions she had as she began to assimilate what Chavez and Hawkins told her about Valente. Going into this meeting, despite Jake's reassurances, she was still nervous and still wasn't sure she could pull it off. The thought that she had to face such a callous, power hungry man, who very well could be the mastermind behind a plan responsible for untold deaths and act like she didn't know anything seemed an impossible task. ‘This is a whopper of an example, where the less you know the better. I just hope I can pull this off,' she thought as she walked down the hall.
‘I don't know anything . . . I don't know anything,' Heather repeated her mantra for the day as she approached the suite that housed the Chief of Staff. When she reached the door to the suite, she took a deep breath and repeated her mantra one more time before entering the suite and approaching the receptionist's desk.
"Hello, I have an appointment at ten o'clock with Chief of Staff Valente."
"Let me call his assistant to tell her you're here." The receptionist replied and then made the call. "He's finishing up a meeting right now. His assistant will come to escort you to him once the meeting is over. Please have a seat. In the meantime would you like a coffee while you wait?"
"No thanks, I'm fine," Heather replied before going over to sit in the waiting area.
‘I don't know anything . . . I don't know anything . . .,' she kept repeating in her mind while she waited. After twenty minutes, of waiting her mantra ceased to have the desired effect and her stomach began churning and she started to tremble. She took a couple of deep breaths and focused on what Jake had told her that morning when she said that she was nervous. He had told her that one thing that attracted him to her was that once she set her mind to do something nothing could stop her. This, and her annoyance over being kept waiting began to replace some of the apprehension she felt. After ten more minutes, she finally heard the clicking of heels walking across the floor as Valente's assistant approached her. "Miss Lisinski, I'm Tara Wheeler, the chief's administrative assistant, the chief can you see you now. Please follow me."
"It's nice to meet you." Heather replied, before saying with hint of sarcasm in her tone but with a smile on her face. "I thought I might have to reschedule."
Tara Wheeler looked Heather up and down and with a smug expression on her face. "He's an important man, Miss Lisinski. It's best you remember that," she said haughtily before motioning Heather to follow her as she turned on her heels.
Heather heard the challenge in her voice, and not being the type of person to back down from one became determined to prove that she deserved a position in this office. Her determination went a long way in calming her nerves.
The assistant led her into a huge corner office. "Please have a seat. Chief Valente will be right in."
Heather took the seat in front of the desk and anxiously waited another ten minutes before Valente entered the office. "Miss Lisinski, it's good to meet you at last." Heather stood up and turned toward the sound of the voice.
Valente was a short stocky man who walked with a cane. He was bald with features that were almost too small for his round face and he had ears that stood out from his head.
He took a step toward Heather and held out his hand, palm side down. When Heather took his hand he gave it a firm squeeze and held it longer than necessary. He then walked behind the desk and sat down, motioning for Heather to follow suit. Heather had to actually raise her eyes to meet Valente's. He sat in a high back chair that was situated higher than hers. His unblinking stare unnerved her and she needed to take a deep breath and repeat her mantra in her mind to calm herself.
"Miss Lisinski . . . do you mind if I call you Heather?"
"That's fine."
"Heather, I was impressed with your report. It was very well thought out and I find your ideas about retooling factories very original."
"Thank you, sir."
"I'm interesting in hearing your opinion about why our present system of retooling factories isn't working."
Heather took a breath to calm herself and replied, "In the present system, the local governments have the last say in deciding what the retooled factory will manufacture. In many cases, the decision is made to manufacture goods that are needed locally. This results in many factories across the west manufacturing the same goods."
"Go on," prompted Valente.
"My idea is that the government should set up a national agency which would be responsible for determining what should be manufactured in the retooled factories.. They would work with regional agencies to make this determination and to hire management teams that would be responsible for not only running the factory but for setting up training programs to train workers on how to manufacture goods the factory will be producing."
"What would the advantages be to having a national agency?"
"I thought the answer would be obvious, but let me explain . . ."
‘I thought the answer would be obvious . . . most people wouldn't have the guts to say such a thing to my face. I'm impressed.' Valente thought before turning his attention back to Heather.
"The agency would be responsible for reviewing all requests for retooling factories. It would be their job to look at the bigger picture and determine what makes sense for the factories to manufacture. Based on what's currently being manufactured in the west, the demand for certain products, the region's demographics and natural resources they would make a determination on what the retooled factory would produce. The regional agencies, which would report up to the national one, would do all the initial screening and make their recommendations but the final say would lie with the national agency."
"I have to say, Heather, I'm impressed. Your plan could actually work, where would the workers for these factories come from?"
"There's a lot of expertise that can be found in the FEMA camps around the west. The government and factories could advertise at the camps and offer the families transportation to the factory locations. Part of the retooling projects would be building housing for the workers much like the factories provided at the beginning of the twenty first century. This way they wouldn't become a burden to the town. Of course, the townspeople would be given first priority to fill the job openings. It would also mean that all FEMA camps would have to offer placement services much the same way Camp Cheyenne does."
"Your plan does have its merits. I'm going to send it on to the cabinet members and get their take on it. I already have Secretary Sheridan's approval, as I'm sure you're aware."
"Yes, we reviewed it when I first wrote it."
"Good, good. How do you like your job, Heather?"
‘Here it comes . . . I hope I can convince him.' Heather thought.
"I like it. I find it very interesting. I'm learning a lot about what's going on in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm even making a difference."
"Well, I could use someone with your talent and brains on my staff. How would you like to come and work for me?"
"I don't know . . . I like it where I am. What position are you looking to hire for?"
"Well, I have an opening for a Senior Research Analyst. You would manage a staff of eight research analysts and work on special projects with me, some of them top secret, others not."
"It sounds like it could be interesting . . ."
"Secretary Sheridan highly recommends you. I'd like you to start immediately."
Heather bristled at Valente's assumption that she would take the job but kept her counsel knowing that getting the job was necessary to carry out her part in the mission.
"What about my security clearance? I know the government has adopted the old Department of Defense security clearance classifications of ‘Confidential', ‘Secret', and ‘Top Secret'. Won't I need ‘Top Secret' clearance?
"Yes, but that's not an issue. The HR department can explain why when you go fill out the necessary paperwork, which I want done today."
"I'll head there now," Heather replied, relieved that things had gone much smoother than she had anticipated.
"I'll expect you here tomorrow at nine o'clock. You can go now and tie up any loose ends you have." Valente said than put on his glasses and started going through the documents on his desk.
Realizing she had been dismissed, Heather stood up, walked out of Valente's office and made her way back to the Office of Reconstruction. She knocked on Secretary Sheridan's door.
"Come in," Sheridan called.
Heather walked into the office and sat down. "You were right, Mr. Secretary. He did offer me a job."
"I thought he would. I can't say you look very happy though."
"Well, the job does sound interesting but I felt like he left me no choice. He wants me to start tomorrow."
"Knowing Valente, I'm not surprised. We're going to miss you around here."
"I'll miss being here, too"
"Heather, you should be aware some people in this government do not subscribe to the high ethical standards that I do. You didn't have to watch your back here . . . but you may have to in Valente's office. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?
"Yes, I think so."
"Heather, if you find that you need someone to talk to or if you feel like you're in over your head, you can come to me."
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. Well, I have a few things to tie up before I leave. Thank you again for the opportunity you've given me. I have really enjoyed working with you."
"Likewise, Heather, but please don't forget what I told you."
"I won't." Heather said before she went back to her office to review the remaining news reports on her desk.
By six o'clock she had finished reviewing the news reports on her desk, had gone to the HR department to fill out the necessary paperwork and had cleaned out her desk. She took one last look around her office and headed to the bus top to catch the bus back to her apartment.
As Heather got off the bus Jake walked up to her, took her arm and started leading her quickly down the street. Heather noticed how Jake kept looking around him as they were walking down the street. He was obviously on edge. She stopped walking and turned to Jake.
"Jake, what is it? What's wrong?"
"We'll talk when we get to your apartment. Come on, let's get going. The sooner we're off the street the better." Jake said in an agitated tone.
Heather was more than annoyed at Jake's attitude but decided to hold her tongue until they got home. As soon as they entered her apartment, she turned to Jake. "Would you mind telling me what's going on? I don't appreciate being half dragged to my apartment without an explanation."
Heather watched Jake as he paced her living room floor. "Heather, I'm sorry. I couldn't take the time to explain. I saw Constantino today. He's here in Cheyenne."
"Are you sure it was him you saw?" Heather asked in a worried voice.
"Yes, it was him. I'm sure of it. He has a picture of you and he was stopping people on the street. He showed them the picture and asked them if they had seen you."
"He has my picture?" Heather asked in a thin voice.
Jake nodded his head.
"Okay, this is really spooking me. He knows I'm in Cheyenne and he has a picture of me . . . I don't get it . . . This is very scary."
"It scares us, too. Chavez thought it was a possibility that he has an informant, someone who knew that you were going to Cheyenne. I told him I didn't think it was possible, but maybe he's right. He also thinks that he'll be at Camp Cheyenne after the ten o'clock curfew. He and Hawkins are going to start looking there tonight."
"Oh, Jake. What are we going to do?" Heather asked with a worried tone in her voice.
Jake walked up to Heather, put his hands on her shoulder and looked straight into her eyes. He could see the fear in her eyes. "You're not going anywhere without Hawkins, Chavez or me escorting you. Do you understand?" Jake asked in a serious tone.
Heather nodded her head before Jake continued in a reassuring tone, "It's going to be okay. We're not going to let anything happen to you. Heather, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He then pulled Heather into his arms and held her until he felt her relax against him before saying, "We better get going, I told Hawkins and Chavez you were bringing dinner."
"Okay, let me get the soup." Heather replied then walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the vegetable soup she had made yesterday.
When they arrived at the safe house, Heather walked into the kitchen and put the soup on the stove to heat up. As the soup was heating, she set the table with four bowls and four spoons.
"Mmmm . . . smells good!" Chavez exclaimed.
"Thanks." Heather said as she carried the pot of soup to the table. She dished out the soup to the three men before serving herself.
There was silence at the table as everyone ate their soup. Heather commented, "We're all so quiet tonight."
Jake replied, "My mom always said it meant everyone was enjoying their food."
"It's very good, Heather. The best I've had in a long time," said Hawkins.
"Yeah," agreed Jake.
Once everyone finished, Heather got up and started clearing the table. She refused the men's offer to help and came back and sat down once the dishes were washed and put away.
"I suppose Jake apprised you of the latest development?" Hawkins asked.
"If you're talking about Constantino, yes, he did."
Hawkins nodded his head. "He also told you that you're not to go out alone until we resolve the problem."
Heather glanced at Jake, "He made that very clear. Don't worry. You won't get any arguments from me on that point."
Chavez took up where Hawkins left off. "We're going to start our search at Camp Cheyenne. We think he'll go there looking for food and shelter. I don't think it's wise for you to go to the camp on Wednesday."
"It might not be wise but I'm still going! The kids are depending on me to be there. One of you can stay with me and help with the class."
"Heather . . ." Chavez started to say before Jake interrupted.
"Don't bother trying. She's the most stubborn girl I know. She's not going to change her mind. I'll keep an eye on her. With any luck, we'll have him by then."
Heather shot Jake an appreciative look before looking at both Hawkins and Chavez, "He's right, you know, I can be very stubborn. There's no sense in even trying to change my mind. I'm going and that's final!"
Chavez chuckled. "Okay, okay. You win this round. So how did the interview go?"
"It went fine. Valente offered me the job. I start tomorrow."
"That's quick . . . what about your security clearance? You said the other day that you would need a higher one for the job."
"Joe, I guess things have changed. When I went to HR to file my paperwork, they told me that they had completed the additional investigation necessary for ‘Top Secret' clearance when they investigated me for ‘Secret' clearance. Standard practice, now a days, they said, due to length of time it takes to complete the investigation"
"What does your new job entail?" Hawkins asked.
"Well, I'll be a Senior Research Analyst heading up a team of eight research analysts. I'll also be working with Valente on highly confidential projects." Heather replied.
"That's good. You should be a big help." Hawkins said.
"Oh, by the way, I came across something on Friday while I was preparing for my meeting with Valente today."
"What's that, Heather?" Jake asked.
Heather than pulled out the news report about the town who had voted down retooling the factory and what the stringers had observed when they did a surveillance of the factory.
"Slavery," Hawkins stated. "What they saw points to some sort of slave ring."
"That was my first thought when I read it on Friday. Jake and I saw evidence of one at Black Jack when we were trying to trade salt for a governor to build a windmill."
"She's right, but this article implies its being done on a much bigger scale." Jake said.
Heather than pulled out her other document, "This was printed from the government archives. It's a list of all the factories in the West. You'll note that neither the factory in the report nor the brake assembly plant in New Bern is on it. It's like neither of them exist."
"Does it say who compiled the list?" Hawkins asked.
"No, but it was tagged as being sourced by the Department of the Interior. When I say sourced, it doesn't necessarily mean they compiled the list, they could have hired and outside firm to do it."
"Do you think there's a connection between this and the document that was given to Heather? Jake asked.
"Probably another piece of the puzzle, but we still have nothing that will help us piece the puzzle together," Chavez answered.
Jake thought for a minute before saying, "There's one possible connection . . . Ravenwood."
"Explain, Jake," demanded Hawkins.
"Well, Heather's document says that Ravenwood was hired to ransack New Bern to incite the war. If Ravenwood were involved with before the bombs, it makes sense that they would be involved in the slave trade."
"That makes sense and it's worth looking into as and when we have the time, but I think we all agree our first priority is Constantino." Chavez said.
Heather, Jake and Hawkins all nodded their head before Hawkins spoke up. "Jake, it's eight o'clock. Time to call home."
Hawkins went into the bedroom and came out with the phones. He dialed the number for the phone that Darcy had in her possession.
"Darcy, how are you?" Hawkins asked.
On the other end of the line, Darcy replied, "We're all fine, Rob. Can you put us on speakerphone? We have some Jericho news that we want both you and Jake to hear."
Hawkins turned on the speaker phone and placed the phone on the table where everyone could hear it.
"Okay, Darcy, you're on speakerphone."
"I'll let Eric speak." Darcy replied. At the sound of Eric's name, tears came to Heather's eyes. Jake noticed Heather's emotional state and took her hand and held it against his thigh under the table. ‘I wonder what that's all about.'
"Jake, Hawkins?" Eric asked.
"We're here. What have you got for us?" Jake asked.
"Maybe nothing . . . there's a land management company that just opened in Jericho. It's called RJ Land Development. Their agents have been going around talking to the farmers, saying that they have a deal to discuss with them. They've set up a meeting to discuss new opportunities for them. I voiced my concerns to Gray and he told me the agents requested a meeting with him when they got to town yesterday. When I asked him what was discussed, he vaguely said something about incentives in return for the town's help in getting the farmers to go along with their plan. He said the agents asked him to draw up a list of the town's needs and they would make every attempt to figure them into the incentives. Gray said that he offered them the use of one of the abandoned office buildings on Main Street. Other than that, he was really closed mouthed about the whole thing. It's set for Wednesday night." Eric explained.
"I don't like it," Jake said.
Darcy spoke up, "Neither do we. Eric and I talked it over. The company is looking for an administrative assistant. I applied for the job."
"Dee, . . . "
Darcy cut him off, "Rob, I'm going to do this. I want to help. Who knows? Maybe it's a piece of the bigger picture."
"I was just going to tell you to be careful." Hawkins replied. "We'll call again on Thursday at the same time so you can tell us about the meeting. Will that work for everyone?"
Darcy took a minute to consult with Eric and Gail. "That will be fine, Rob."
"Is there anything else you need to tell all of us?" Jake asked.
Eric replied, "We're all set and taking you off speakerphone now."
Hawkins switched off the speakerphone and took the phone and walked into living room.
"Dee, how are the kids?"
"They miss you, Rob. Sammy asks for you every day. Apparently, I'm a poor substitute for you when it comes to football now."
Hawkins chuckled before asking, "And Allison, how is she? Is she still as enthusiastic about border patrol now that she started training?"
"Yes, Jimmy's doing a good job with her. She'll complete her training in two weeks. Her training has been somewhat delayed. They opened school again. Classes are only half a day, to give the kids a chance to help with the chores at home now."
"How did they like getting back to school?"
"Sammy loves it but Allison would rather be on the training field. She's becoming more like you every day."
Hawkins smiled before saying, "Listen, Dee, I want to give Jake a chance to talk to his family. You be careful, you hear me? Keep Eric informed of what's going on at the company. If either of you feel that you're getting over your head, leave the job, promise me?"
"I promise, Rob. We'll let you know what's going on Thursday. I love you Rob."
"I love you too, Dee. Let the kids know I'm thinking of them."
"I will, Rob. Until next week . . ."
"Bye, Dee. I'm handing the phone to Jake now."
"Bye, Rob." Darcy then handed the phone to Gail.
"Jake, honey?"
"Hi, Mom," Jake replied.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. Keeping busy."
"Have you found Heather?"
"Yes, she's fine Mom," Jake said as he turned to smile at Heather.
"When will you be home?"
"I don't know. We're just starting our investigation."
"Well, be careful. Don't forget Stanley is expecting you home for his wedding."
"Don't worry Mom, We'll be home for it."
"Good. Honey, I'm going to put Eric on now. Be careful."
"Jake?"
"Eric, how are you?"
"Fine, Gray is as much trouble as we expected, but I'm trying my best to keep him in line."
"I'm sure you're doing a good job. Will you get a message to Russell for me?"
"Sure, Jake."
"Tell him that I saw Constantino in Cheyenne."
"What the heck is he doing there?"
"We suspect that he has an inside track with someone who told him Heather was here."
"Heather . . . so you found her?"
"Yes, she's right here with me."
"I need to talk to her." Jake noted the desperate tone in Eric's voice and turned to Heather. "Eric, wants to talk to you."
When he looked at Heather, Jake knew something was up. She was sitting at the kitchen table wringing her hands together. When she looked up at him, he noticed the tears in her eyes.
Heather took the phone from Jake and slowly got up from the table. She walked into the bedroom for some privacy. In Jericho, Eric walked into the kitchen also looking for some privacy.
"Eric, you don't know how worried I've been about you."
"Heather, I'm really fine." Eric hesitated, then continued vehemently, "They told me you were dead. You know that I wouldn't have left New Bern without you, don't you? Heather, I swear. Will you ever forgive me?
"There's nothing to forgive, Eric. Hey, I know what you'd do to protect me. . ." Heather joked weakly.
Eric closed his eyes in relief. When he had found out that Heather was alive, the thought that he had left her behind in New Bern had eaten at him.
"I can't tell you how happy I was when we found out you were alive. I just needed to talk to you to make sure you were all right."
"I am. I'm fine. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. If I hadn't tried to talk to that woman, we would have both gotten out of town safely. I'm so sorry. I should have been caught, not you!" Heather said tearfully.
"Heather, it's okay. We're both fine now and that's what counts. How are you and Jake getting along?"
"We're good, Eric. I'm so glad he's here . . . You were right, he does have feelings for me. We told each other how we felt the first night he was here."
"Did you tell him everything that happened in New Bern, Heather? You need to tell him. If you don't it will always be there, hanging between the two of you. Neither of you deserve that. Take it from someone who knows. Tell him and let him help you through it. It will only bring you closer together. Jake can handle it. Everything will be all right."
Heather wasn't surprised that Eric had figured out she hadn't told Jake what had happened to her in New Bern. She and Eric had become close friends while they were in New Bern. They talked about everything---Jake included. Eric knew about the kiss and how hurt and confused Heather had been. He was glad that it was over between Jake and Emily. Eric had suspected that Jake had had feelings for Heather that he wasn't willing to admit. He just hoped that Jake didn't screw it up again---that he realized just how good Heather was for him.
"I know. I'll tell him."
"Try not to worry.It'll be okay."
"I'll get Jake for you," Heather replied then she walked out of the bedroom and handed the phone to Jake.
Jake was angry at Eric when he saw Heather. Whatever Eric had said really upset her. He walked into the bedroom that Heather had just left and shut the door.
"What the hell did you say to her, Eric?" Jake asked angrily.
"We talked about New Bern."
Jake sighed, his anger replaced by anxiety. From the tone of Eric's voice, he instinctively knew he wouldn't enjoy hearing about Heather's adventures in New Bern.
"I know something happened to her there but she hasn't told me what. Do you know?"
"Yes."
"And you never mentioned anything to me?" Jake asked incredulously.
"When I heard she was dead, I just wanted to forget what happened. Then, when I found out she was alive, I realized that it wasn't my story to tell. Don't worry, Jake. She'll tell you when she's ready."
"I hope so, Eric. I hope so." Jake replied more calmly,
"So, Heather says things are going good for you two. Does this mean what I think it does?"
"Yeah, it does. We still have that ground to cover but we'll get there."
"Jake, just be patient with her. She went through hell."
"I will, little brother. I will."
"And Jake, you need to tell her about why you left Jericho and what you were doing those years you were away"
"She knows now. We talked this morning."
"That's good, Jake. You did the right thing. I'm glad to hear about you and Heather. You're lucky to have her. I'm going to go now. We'll talk next week."
"I am lucky. Thanks, Eric."
"Anytime. Take care, Jake."
"You, too. Good bye."
"Bye."
Eric hung up and walked back into the living room. "Is everything all right, honey?" Gail asked.
Eric smiled at his mother and said, "Everything is working out just fine. Let's go home, Mom."
Eric turned to Darcy and said, "Let me know how your interview goes."
"I will. Gail, I'll see you tomorrow at the Med Center after I drop Sammy off at school. I'm glad you convinced me to volunteer there. I hope I can still manage it if I get this job."
"I hope so, too, Darcy. You've been a great help there."
Darcy walked them to the door. "Eric, I'll let you know how the interview goes and Gail, I'll see you tomorrow. Good bye."
"Good bye, Darcy." Gail said and Eric repeated as they walked out the door.
In Cheyenne, Jake walked out of the bedroom. Heather was sitting at the kitchen table holding her head in her hands silently crying. Hawkins and Chavez hovered around her, unsure of what to do.
Jake put the phone on the table and went over to Heather. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders. He bent down and whispered to her. "It's going to be okay, babe. Let's go home."
Heather nodded her head and stood up. Jake helped her get her coat on and put his arm around her.
He turned to Hawkins and Chavez and said, "I'll meet you at the entrance to Camp Cheyenne tomorrow at ten o'clock. Heather can tell me how to get there."
"Okay Jake. See you then." Chavez said, then mouthed, "Take care of her."
Jake didn't take the bait this time. Instead, he gave Chavez a hard look; then with his arm still around Heather, he led her out of the safe house. They didn't say a word on the way back to Heather's apartment. When they arrived home, Jake helped Heather get her coat off and removed his. He took Heather's hand and led her over to the couch. They sat quietly together with Jake's arm around Heather and her head resting on his shoulder.
After a few minutes, Heather began in a detached voice, "You already know that Eric and I found out that New Bern was making mortars and was planning to attack Jericho. What you don't know is that we heard rumors of people being held in the building next to the factory. Eric and I decided to investigate. We watched the building for a few days after work and saw that there were only three guards patrolling the perimeter of the building and saw no one entering or leaving the building the time we there. We also noticed that two of the guards took dinner at the same time--at six thirty. We decided the next night that we were going to try and get into the building to see what was going on."
Heather paused and took a few deep breaths. Jake felt Heather tense and tightened his arm around her. He gently kissed the top of her head before whispering, "It's okay, babe. You can tell me anything."
Heather continued her story in the same detached voice. "The next day we were able to slip by the guards and get into the building. After we walked through the lobby, we came to this room and entered it. We saw two cells; one had young women in it, the other young men. Their feet were shackled together. When I walked over to the cell that had the women in it, one of them grabbed my arm and started pleading for help. Then, we heard footsteps. I couldn't get the woman to let go of me. Eric ran and hid behind a wall. The guard saw me and yelled at me telling me to stop. He didn't see that I couldn't move, that the woman was still holding on to me. When he finally saw the woman, he took the end of his rifle and pushed the woman out of the way. He grabbed me and dragged me to his office."
Heather was beginning to lose her composure but she took another deep breath and did her best to continue.
"He started asking me all these questions. When I wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know, he said he couldn't let me go, that I was going to suffer the same fate as the men and women I saw but first I had to be punished."
Heather started to sob into Jake's shoulder. Jake suspected what Heather was going to tell him next and he wondered angrily where Eric had been while all this was going on.
Although he needed to hear the rest of the story, he whispered soothingly to Heather, "Babe, it's okay. If you're not ready you don't have tell me the rest. I can wait."
Heather lifted her head off his shoulders and looked into Jake's eyes. The look she saw in them gave her the strength to continue. She put her head back down on his shoulder and felt Jake's arm tighten around her once again. "He was going to rape me, Jake. He was on top of me when Eric came into the room. Eric grabbed the gun the guard left on the table and shot him. He fell on me, I felt like I was being smothered until Eric pulled him off me. I couldn't move I was so scared. Eric shook me, telling me to get it together because we had to leave. I pulled myself together the best I could. Eric took my hand and we started running. As we left the building the other guards were coming back from dinner and saw us. They ran after us. As we turned the corner, Eric shoved me into an abandoned building. I peeked out the window and I saw the guards catch him. They roughed him up before dragging him to his feet and bringing him back to the building we just ran from. That's the last I saw of him. He saved me twice that day."
As soon as Heather finished her story, she burst into tears. Tenderly, Jake lifted her on to his lap and held her until her sobs subsided. Thoughts raced through his mind. He was glad the man who did this to her was dead. He just wished he could have been the one to kill the son of a bitch himself. He was grateful to Eric for everything he had done to protect Heather.
‘God, I owe him!' Jake thought then his mind turned to the woman in his arms. ‘What would I do without her? I need her so much. She completes me in way that no ever has.' He then realized, without a doubt, that he loved her.
When Heather stopped crying she asked a question that Jake hadn't expected. "Do you understand now? I want to be with you but . . . but it's hard for me right now and I don't know when . . ."
"Heather, look at me. Please." Jake pleaded.
Heather lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Jake spoke what was in his heart. "I do understand. I really do, but I need you to understand, that this . . . this thing that happened to you isn't going to make me run. I'm here for you, Heather. I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this together and we'll take things as slow as you need them to be. I already lost you once, I'm not going to let it happen a second time."
The look of acceptance, sincerity and something else she wasn't ready to put a name to told her everything she needed to know and without a doubt, she knew as long as Jake was by her side everything would be alright.
"Jake, I do believe you. I'm so glad you're here. Please hold me."
They sat on the couch cuddled together for a few minutes before Jake said, "Come on, you have a big day tomorrow. Let's go to bed."
As they did for the past two nights, Jake held Heather as they slept through the night.
Earlier that day . . . .
Goetz had received a message that his contact at the company he worked for wanted him to connect at 14:00 hours. At the designated time, Goetz raised his contact.
"My superiors are asking for an update on our latest venture. Do you have anything for me?" his contact asked.
"Things are proceeding as planned. We had no issues since the incidents since Nebraska and New Bern."
"Good. When is the first shipment expected to arrive in Mexico City?"
"A week from today."
"You know where to take the return shipment and where to deposit the additional money we'll be receiving for our shipment?"
"All set on both counts."
"How is Valente doing on getting us those mortar contracts?"
"He says he needs a couple of more days."
"Well, tell him he has a week before we start peddling them to the East."