The Lonely Hearts 06 The Grunt 2 (17 page)

“That’s what I’m here for.  Where are you going?  You just got here,” Diane said, not bothering to get up now that she had finally gotten comfortable.

“I’m going to go and do what you said. I’m going to put some urgency in him,” Courtney said, fired up.

“Not so fast.  It’s not just about picking a lawyer.  It’s about picking a good one,” Diane reminded. “Interview at least three; pick one with an A-rating and an impeccable trial record with references out of the ass and a sensible retainer.”

Courtney stopped at the door and turned around. “Do you want to help pick the lawyer, Mom?”

Diane smiled. “Well, if you need me to, I can send some people your way.”

Courtney shook her head and smiled. “Thanks. I’ll call you and let you know when to start looking.”

“Well, I already have a few in mind,” Diane said, raising a brow.  “Just in case.” 

***

While the kids slept peacefully, two old friends got reacquainted on the back deck under the large umbrellas.  Today was unusually cool with a calm breeze and patchy clouds, so it was just right to enjoy a few beers.  With the baby monitor beside him, Brett backtracked down memory lane with Gavin about all of their missions and the crazy things that had happened while they had been away from each other.  

“So, after years of misfortune, you finally got lucky,” Gavin laughed with his feet kicked up on the table.  It was good to hear.  Brett had been the example of “what not to marry” on the base for many years. 

“Finally,” Brett said, opening another beer. “Amy left me in the worst possible situation.  Kid. No babysitter. Bills. No money.  Marriage.  No wife.”  He was amazed how he could laugh about it all now. In truth, it felt like a lifetime ago. “She was leaving me for a Marine captain in Japan.” He paused.  “A Black Marine.”

“Yeah, I know, Joe told me.  I always thought she was racist from all the shit she used to say,” Gavin said.  Some of her quips had made him embarrassed to be in the same race as Amy. 

Brett was still stunned by that one.  “Me too.  Go figure.”

“Then the bitch goes down in flames literally,” Gavin said, astounded by the chain of events.  “And you end up with a fine, black surfer chick who loves your ugly ass and your bad ass kid not knowing she was Colonel Lawless’s only baby girl.  It’s ironic, but also blind justice in my opinion.”  Gavin watched his friend’s face twist into a smile. 

“I wouldn’t exactly put it that way but…yeah,” Brett said, feeling good about the situation. “I am happy…about my wife.”  He couldn’t say the same for everything else. 

“So, what’s next after this?” Gavin asked, looking down at Brett’s leg.  “You plan to get out and join the civilian work force or go to Admin and becoming an official person other than grunts (POG)?”

Brett frowned. “I plan to go back to Recon.” That was a stupid question. It wasn’t like his leg was blown off. It was just injured. 

Gavin pursed his lips together.
And now for the bad news.
“Oh man, I was like you?”

“Like what?” Brett asked defensively.

“I thought that I could work my way back in.  Go to physical therapy, get back in the game.”  He tapped his titanium leg hidden under his jeans. “But Recon doesn’t have a prosthetic division.  If they did, I’d be in it.”

“My leg is still attached,” Brett clarified.

“But it’s fucked,” Gavin added with a shrug. “They are not going to let you back in.  Tell me you know that already.”

“I don’t know shit and neither do you,” Brett said, looking down at his leg again.  “You forget.  I’ve been shot before, and it didn’t stop me.”

“You got clipped in the shoulder. The leg is sort of
required
in Recon.” Gavin released a deep breath and pushed back in his chair. “It’s easier to come to terms with it before they tell you that you’re going to the wounded warrior battalion.  The next thing you know, they’re slapping medals on you and showing you the door.  I wish someone had been there to tell me, but no one did and that’s life.  I’m not going to let you go through the same thing with blind ignorance.  That would be on me.”

“Look, I know it’s a thankless job, but it’s all I’ve got,” Brett said, unwilling to accept his friend’s advice.  It was nothing personal.  Gavin just didn’t have a clue about what he was talking about.   

Gavin didn’t come all this way to argue with Brett and refused to let something he had no control over get in the way of the little time that they had together.  It was better to just drop it for the moment.  Besides, he knew that eventually, they would arrive back at the conversation once Brett was ready.  “Well, you know better than me, man.  I’ve never seen anyone with more dedication than you to the Corps.  So, if you go back, just promise me you’ll get the mother fucker who killed your men.”  Even though he said the words, he knew that Brett would never see Afghanistan again.  However, he also knew, it never hurt to give another person hope.

“Damn right,” Brett said, thinking of his friends.  He had to go back an avenge them, but more than that, he didn’t know how to be anything but a Marine. 

“You know, my business is doing really well, but I don’t have someone like you on my team.  Private Security pays well.  We get contracts all over the world, and most of the time, all you have to do is put on a suit and a gun.  Beats carrying a 120 pound pack any day.”  Gavin’s eyes gleamed as if he got a clever idea. 

“Are you trying to recruit me?”  Brett asked, putting down his beer. 

“I may be,” Gavin winked. 
He was.

Brett couldn’t begin to talk about another job.  It would mean that Gavin was right about him having to give up the one that he already had.  “Hey, how long are you going to be here?” 

“A week or so.  Then I’m headed back to San Francisco.”

Brett thought about his son.  He had kept his secret from nearly everyone else in the world, but if he could trust anyone, he could trust Gavin.  “If you’re looking to make a little more cash while you here, I could really use your help.”

“How so?” Gavin asked, sitting back in his chair.  He didn’t need the money at all, but if his friend needed him, he wanted to help. 

Brett huffed.
This was embarrassing.
“I’m in the middle of a paternity suit.  Turns out, Cameron isn’t biologically mine.  Courtney and I found out shortly after Amy died, but we didn’t tell anyone. Now, this fucker I know absolutely nothing about is trying to take my son away from me.”

Gavin’s eyes bucked, but he tried really hard to hide his utter shock.  “Sure thing.  What do you need?”

“I need eyes in places I can’t be.  I want to find out who Leo Tabor is and what he really wants with my boy.  It’s hard for me to believe that after nearly five years, he suddenly wants to be in his life and play daddy.  There has to be some other spin on this.  I need to discredit him.  You know,” Brett paused.  “But I don’t want this to get out.  Amy made a fool of me long enough while she was alive, dude.  And I took the punches like a man is supposed to, but this is below the belt.”

Gavin would never say a word.  Hell, he felt embarrassed for even knowing about this.  “Full confidentiality just like any other client.”  He made the sign of the cross over his heart.  “You said that his name is Leo Tabor?” he asked, pulling out his cell phone to put his name into his notes.

“Yeah.”  Brett appreciated Gavin’s help. It took a load off his mind not having to entrust this to a stranger. “Whatever you charge, I’ll pay.”

“Bro, don’t offend me,” Gavin said, sending a text.  He looked up at Brett.  “That name isn’t common.  Let me do some digging for you over the next couple of days and see where you want to go from there. I’ve got good resources though, what I can’t get myself, my team back in San Francisco can.”

“Thanks, man.  I want to go to court and make a judge understand that taking my son out of his home for any reason and for any amount of time is not in his best interest, but right now, I don’t know anything about this cat.  He could be a fucking saint or he could be the biggest asshole that ever fell out of a woman’s crotch.”

Gavin curled his lips up.  “We could do some investigating to see if he’s worthy, or we could just kill the guy.”  He didn’t smile.

Brett chuckled and scratched his eyebrow. Only Gavin.  “I can’t say that I haven’t thought about it, but we live by a different code on this side of the fucking Atlantic, you psycho.  Plus, I think I’d be the prime suspect.”

Gavin laughed.  “I’m just saying.  There is always more than one way to skin a cat. And people die in car accidents all the time.” 

“Well, I think we should take the route that won’t get me locked up and sent away for the rest of my natural life,” Brett said, reaching down in the cooler for another beer.  He knew that Gavin suggested it jokingly, but he was certain that he’d do it if he asked.

Looking at his watch, Gavin stood up. “Well, I don’t want to stay too long.  I just wanted to stop by on my way to Morehead.  Gotta see a girl there about a
job
.”

“A job?” Brett was confused.  Gavin had spent an hour talking about his successful private security business.

Gavin grinned sheepishly and corrected himself.  “A blow job.”

Brett shook his head. 
Lord knew that he didn’t miss the single life.
  Standing up, he gave his friend another hug.  “Dude, you haven’t changed.”

“Never will,” Gavin said, patting Brett on the back.  “I gave you my number. Call me if you get any more information, and I’ll do the same.”   

“I’ll call you.  After all, I have nothing to do right now. I’m on 30 days of mandatory leave. It’s a perfect opportunity for me to get this taken care of once and for all.”             

You’ve got a lot longer than that
, Gavin thought to himself. “Well, just heal up and get better.  I’m sure all of this will work itself out.”

“I plan to,” Brett said, walking him back through the house.  He was about to escort him out of the front door when Courtney walked in. 

Halting in her tracks, she looked up stunned to see that they had company.    Based upon his frame and his overall demeanor, he had to be a Marine. 

“Hey baby, glad you made it back in time.  I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, James Gavin.  We came in together, served together, and fought together…the whole nine.  He was also close to Joe.” Brett hit Gavin on his back. “Gavin, this is my lovely wife, Courtney.”  

“Nice to meet you,” Courtney said, extending her small hand.

“The pleasure is truly all mine.”  Gavin shook her hand gently and looked over at Brett in astonishment. “Wow, she is even more beautiful in person,” he said, nearly unable to take his eyes off of her.  

“Yes, she is…amazing,” Brett said, smiling at Courtney. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

Gavin chuckled.  “Well, you are about to find out, because I’m going to steal her and take her back to California with me.”

“This is one time I’d come after you,” Brett joked. 

“I know you would,” Gavin laughed. 

Courtney blushed and took her hand back.  “Are you here for the funeral?”

Gavin sighed. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Well, before you go, you have to come by and let me fix you dinner.  Brett rarely has friends that visit,” she said, raising a brow at her husband.  “I think it would do him some good.”  Walking up beside Brett, she rubbed his large arm and kissed his cheek. 

“I’d be happy to.  I think a home-cooked meal would do me good, if nothing else.  I’ll await a call from your husband on the date and time,” Gavin said, continuing to be impressed.  How in the hell did he get her?

“I’ll call you,” Brett said, stepping past Courtney to let Gavin out.

Gavin waved goodbye to Courtney and stepped out the door.  Turning around, he slipped on his aviator shades.  “Don’t flake out on me about dinner. I want to see your smoking hot wife again.”

“I won’t flake out,” Brett said, looking out at the driveway.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Gavin turned on his heels and gave a big playboy grin. “I flew here, but this guy had it up for sale over in Sneed’s Ferry, so it looks like I’m driving back, baby.”

Brett stepped out on the porch for a better look at the candy red 1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 with black stripes, black leather bucket seats and radial tires.  It was a classic American muscle car that boys and men alike dreamt of having as their own.  “You really going to put that thing in the road and put all those miles on it?”

“Cars are meant to be driven my friend.  It’s in perfect condition.  Only one owner.  The guy who owned it passed away and the daughter put it up for sale in the front yard.  She didn’t have a clue what she had.  I got it for a steal.”

Brett shook his head. “You lucky son of bitch.”

“Tell me about it,” Gavin said, looking at the car.  “Well, dude, I’m going to get out of here.  Let’s hook up for dinner and that beer at the bar.  I’ll pick you up and show you what kind of horse power she’s working with.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Brett said, watching Gavin head down the walkway to his car. 

Stepping back inside the house, Brett found Courtney in the kitchen pulling out steaks to cook for dinner later.  Without seeing her face, he knew something was wrong by the way that she was slamming the spices down on the counter.  He walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist.