Walker and Valerie Read online

  “Set up and monitor security systems, investigative work, and be a medic as I see fit. I actually don’t mind it. It’s been interesting and it is using some of my skills. Ammo has a workout regimen for me. I didn’t realize how serious he was with each operative’s training. He is giving me ideas on things I can do that don’t put too much strain on my heart, but I feel like I got a good workout afterward.”

  “Did you visit your parents?”

  “Yup, I stayed with them for two days. I might do that again around Easter. I know they enjoy seeing me even if I am bored out of my mind in their small town.” I did love them and the town I grew up in. I would probably retire there when the time was right. But I was not ready to live there again just yet. “How’s your dad?”

  “Great, you know him, jolly as ever. He’s happiest doing the Lord’s work with his flock.” Elder’s dad was a Methodist pastor and reminded me a bit of Santa Claus.

  “How are Marie and the baby?” There was a pause. I knew Elder had been developing feelings for Marie, but I also knew he wouldn’t easily act on them. Marie’s status as a widow made things even harder for Elder. It didn’t help that she lived with her deceased husband’s parents.

  “They are good. Burt and Christine babysit almost all day so Marie can work and go to school. She wants to get her nurse practitioner’s license. It’s going to take her two years with school and her clinical hours. But she feels if she does this, she will be able to make it with her and Jr.”

  “Well good luck to her. It’s not an easy program, but she is a great nurse so I am sure she will make it. Well, I am going to let you go.”

  “Yeah, I got some things to do myself. Don’t forget to check in now and then, all right?” Elder said.

  “Same to you. Take care.”

  “You too.” He hung up.

  I sat on my couch thinking about how much life had changed in such a short time. Just over six months ago Randy was alive, Hunt was still part of it, and we were a solid team. We got our assignments, got in, got out. Now, Randy was gone, Hunt had retired and married, and I was thirty-three years old with a heart condition. The rest of the team was not a team anymore. Fuck.

  Chapter 6

  Valerie

  I had finished my paperwork, put in some orders for popcorn and drinks, and inventoried the candy. It was time to head home.

  “Gabby, I’m leaving for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I rolled past her.

  “Okay, Valerie. Call Walker and go out on a date. See you tomorrow.” She waved at me.

  Ugh. She wasn’t going to give it up. I got outside, thankful for my raincoat. It was drizzling and cold, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones. I had four blocks to go. With my grandparents’ help I had bought a three-flat apartment building close to the theater. Everything I needed was in rolling distance from me. I took over the ground floor and rented the top and garden apartments out. I knew my tenants; they were regulars at the theater. Domino had insisted on doing background checks on them for me. They were deemed good, which I already knew. Domino was a great friend. Yes, he was very bossy and pushy, but it was all done to help keep me safe.

  My grandparents lived in a house not too far from me. They had retired and spent the winters traveling. Gabby checked on their house for us. They were the only family I had left. I had not talked to my mother since the accident. She hated me; blamed me for my father’s death. While I was the reason he and I were in the car, I was not driving the dump truck that blew a red light. My grandparents were the ones that helped me recover. They finished raising me, then left me the theater.

  I got home. I was still dry under my coat, but I was cold. I went into the kitchen to put on the teapot. I also filled Tabby-Girl’s bowl with fresh water and topped off the food. She was a stray kitten that I found, and bottle-raised. The vet thought she was three days old, probably abandoned by her mother because she was so small. She was still small, but I liked her company.

  “I’m home, Tabby-Girl. Come get some water,” I called out. Soon I heard her hit the floor in the bedroom and run at full speed to me. I was prepared for her next move, which was for her to launch herself in my lap and rub her head all over me. “Hi, Tabby-Girl. Did you have a good day? Watch lots of birds?” After she had destroyed one of the mini blinds, Grandpa had changed all of them to verticals so she could get in the windows and I could have my privacy. She jumped up to the counter where I kept her water and food.

  I went back to my room to shower and change. While I loved the smell of fresh popcorn, it was not how I wanted my home to smell. After that I made myself a bowl of soup for dinner and settled in the living room. I would watch TV while I crocheted. I made hats, scarves, and ear warmers for the homeless. It was something that I could do to help someone less fortunate than me. As soon as I picked up my hook, my phone rang.

  “Hello?” It was an unknown number.

  There was breathing.

  “Can I help you?” No response. “I’m hanging up.”

  I put the phone down and started back on my project. The phone rang again. It was unknown again. I didn’t answer. They left no voicemail. They called two more times. I looked on the app that Forces installed so I could see all the camera feeds. Nothing looked out of place. Weird. The phone rang again. I answered without looking.

  “What do you want!” I yelled.

  “Val? You okay?” his voice asked.

  “Oh, I am sorry. I answered without looking. Um, Walker?”

  “Yeah. I just wanted to say thank you again for a great afternoon.”

  “Going through company information to get my number, I see. Well, you are welcome.”

  “Are you sure you are okay? Is someone bothering you?”

  “No, I am fine. Just watching some TV.” I really didn’t want to try to explain the phone calls.

  “If you are sure?”

  “I am sure. Thanks for calling. I am going to go now.”

  “Val, could I call you again sometime?” At least he asked this time.

  “If you want to.”

  “Well, yeah, even if you won’t agree yet to a date, maybe we can at least try to be friends. Don’t tell me you don’t have those?”

  I laughed. “Yes, I have friends.”

  “Ones outside of the movie theater regulars and employees?” Damn.

  “I have a few.” Tabby-Girl chose that moment to meow loudly. “See, there’s one”

  He laughed. “While cats do make good friends, I did mean human ones.”

  “I do. I’m making hats and ear warmers for them now.” I was friends with a few people who frequented the soup kitchen I dropped the items off at.

  “Oh, that’s really sweet. Handmade gifts are very special.”

  “Yeah. I like them best. Okay, I am going. Bye, Walker.”

  “Bye, Val.”

  I hung up. I didn’t need any complications like Travis Walker Larson in my life. Even if he had a sexy laugh, a fantastic body, and a gorgeous face. No, it didn’t matter how nice he was, how concerned he sounded, no. No, I didn’t need a guy, no matter how sexy he was. I’d made the mistake once and gotten involved with a guy. I didn’t want to go through that humiliation again.

  Chapter 7

  Walker

  We arrived at the address at 8:30 the next morning. We were a half hour early; it gave us time to scope out the house. I was with Lego and Oatmeal. I still couldn’t believe how Oatmeal got his name.

  “The name on the work order today is Jessica Murray. Newly moved from the East Coast.”

  “Jessica Murray? Do you have a picture of her?” I asked. I was getting a sinking feeling and the little hairs were standing up on the back of my neck.

  “Here, this is what Hack found. He didn’t get the background check finished yet.” Lego handed me the picture.

  “I cannot help with this. Her background check is going to come with five separate restraining orders and it looks like I will have to go file some more,” I said, ha
nding the picture back.

  “Huh?” Oatmeal was looking at me.

  “I met Jessica three years ago in a bar. We tried to date. It didn’t work out, and she has been stalking me since. I wonder how she found me now? Well, let me get out of here before she sees me.”

  “Hang on. Let me drop you at a coffee shop. You can ride-share home,” Lego said, starting the van.

  “We will see what we can find out. This setup might be to our advantage. We can keep an eye on her to make sure she is not after you,” Oatmeal said.

  “Yeah, just don’t be surprised if she tries to get in your pants. Don’t fall for it.” I could not believe she’d followed me. I was so hoping she was done. The last encounter we had ended up with her in jail for eighteen months for criminal trespassing and breaking and entering.

  They let me out at the coffee shop. “We will let you know how it turns out,” Oatmeal said as they went back to her place.

  I called Domino to let him know what was going. “Hey man, listen, I could not help with the install today.”

  “Yeah, I see that now. Hack just finished the background check. Where are you at?” Domino asked.

  “Irving Park and Laramie. I was going to get a ride-share back,” I said.

  “No, Binary is over there. We are texting her to pick you up. You can shadow her for the day. See how the back end of the install works.” Domino knew I hated not doing anything.

  “Sounds good, thanks.”

  “No, we should never have put you in that situation. I am sorry, Walker,” he said, and hung up.

  I waited a few minutes until I saw Binary pull up in a small black Jetta. I had my Jeep Cherokee parked in the garage back at Forces. When I looked at her car, I wished for mine since I didn’t know how I would fit in it. She leaned over and pushed the seat all the way back for me.

  “Hi, thanks for the ride.” I folded into it. After I got settled in it was not as bad as I first thought.

  She nodded in my direction. As soon as I was buckled in, she took off. I grabbed the oh shit handle and held on. The car had power, and she used all of it. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed I would arrive at Forces still alive. Soon I felt the car slow down and then stop. I opened an eye and looked at the familiar house. Thank God I was still alive and home.

  She got out of the car laughing at me.

  “I didn’t know you were a NASCAR fan.” I followed her inside.

  “Lots you don’t know.” She went to her workstation and put her bag down, getting ready to start her day. “Looks like I’m stuck with you. Sit. And try to keep up.”

  I pulled up a chair and took out my tablet. I watched as she started up her computer and brought up various programs. I knew nothing about programming, so I was not sure what I was going to learn today. But I was sure it would be interesting.

  It was getting close to lunchtime. I was ready for a break. I had seen how she make just about anything she wanted to work with some strokes on her keyboard. “You hungry?” I asked her.

  “Sure. Hey, Gena, did the order get placed yet?” she asked Gena, who was working with Domino.

  “I was about to ask what you wanted,” Gena responded.

  “My Tom Yum, please,” Binary said.

  “Do you know about the Chimpongs?” Gena asked me.

  “Ammo said the name, but I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I don’t know their menu, nor have I made it over there yet, but I’ll take something with chicken and veggies.”

  “I will be asked how hot you like your food. None, mild, medium, hot, your head explodes?” she asked

  “Mild to medium.” I liked it hotter, but I could not eat that way anymore. Getting old sucked.

  “Sure.” She went and got orders from everyone else in the building. I turned back to Binary. She had a camera feed up that showed Jessica talking to Oatmeal. She was flirting with him, rubbing his arm.

  “Slut, remove your hands before I break them for you,” I heard Binary mumble. Oh? What was that about?

  We watched Oatmeal step back from her. He got her signature on the paperwork and walked out. Jessica stood there with an unpleasant smile on her face. Just what was she up to?

  “Binary, is there any way for her to hack back to us from the system that was just installed?” I felt so uneasy.

  “She can try. It will only terminate her contract and get her sent back to jail. She didn’t read what Oatmeal had her sign. She doesn’t realize what tampering with our system will mean for her.” Binary had a feral look on her face. Wow, I didn’t want to cross her ever. “And before you ask how, that’s why we have the lawyer we do.”

  “Lunch!” Ammo yelled as he walked past the command center.

  Binary got up and I followed her. We went next door to Domino’s house. You walked right into his kitchen and dining room. He had a huge table there with bench seating up and down the sides. There was a Thai man at the counter handing out Chinese takeout containers.

  “Walker,” he called. I walked up to him. He handed me my container and a set of chopsticks. “Hello, so you’re the new one. Nice to meet you,” he said, put his hands together, and bowed. I returned the gesture. “I am Manoj. My family and I run the Thai restaurant a few block away. Everyone here love our food. I am sure you will too.”

  “Thank you, I am sure I will. Nice to meet you, Manoj. I’m Walker.”

  Manoj got out a notepad from a pocket in his apron. “I have heat preference, but what about meat, and anything else we should know about cooking for you?”

  “I should be eating chicken and fish and vegetables. I have to watch my salt and fats. I have blood pressure and heart issues,” I said. He wrote in Thai.

  “Okay, anything you like or don’t, like please tell us so we can add to notes,” Manoj said, putting away his notebook.

  “Thank you, I will.” I took my food and sat down next to Binary. She had a bowl of soup that looked delicious.

  “A little different than most restaurants. Most things are not found on the menu, anyway. April will text you when she gets home after school and ask you how you enjoyed your lunch.” Binary turned her attention to her lunch.

  I opened the container. It was filled with vegetables and chicken, all stir-fried together in a sweet sauce with the right amount of heat. I was sad when I polished it off. I couldn’t wait to try more. Binary was done and we headed back to the command center next door. She sat at her station. I took my seat next to her.

  “Well, well, let’s see what dear Jessica has been up to.” She opened some files. “Who is ‘Chow’?” She turned to me.

  “The guy who took over my old apartment when I moved here. Why?” I was very curious as to what she was up to.

  “It seems, she has befriended Chow and that’s how she found out about you moving and working here. He told her the company and gave her the number, so that is how she found us. We do not advertise. If you look us up on the web you find nothing. No phone number, address nothing. Hmm, she told her parole officer she is moving in with her cousin here and it was approved. She was transferred to another PO here and has not checked in with him yet.” Binary kept scrolling. She stopped and started typing. “Okay, her PO will be seeing her tomorrow to go over the terms of her restraining order.”

  “Restraining order? I didn’t have time to file that yet,” I said.

  “Our lawyer and Gena did it for you. You are not to enter the area of Lawrence to Irving Park to the north and south, Cicero to Harlem to the east and west. This way she has her defined area and will not cross your path. If she does, call us and we will contact the appropriate officer in your area.”

  Okay, I could do that. “Did she list the cousin’s name in her transfer?” I wanted to start my own searching.

  “Here, this is everything I found. And everything Hack found is now in this file.” She sent everything to my tablet and showed me where to find it.

  “Thanks.” I scooted my chair over to the next workstation. I logged on and it brought
up my tablet screen. I started searching.

  She said the cousin’s name was Nick Jones. I found that the house we did the install today was his. But I could find nothing concrete about them being family. I hated that she was in the same city as me. I was hoping after spending eighteen months in jail she would have been over it. I guess not.

  It was getting closer to 5:00 when Domino rolled up next to me. “Hey, you got a few minutes?”