The Greatest of These by Greg Wendleton (booksvooks txt) 📕

“Conrad. The old guy who’s farm you go to and hunt?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy.”

“How does he know Chad and Jamie? Why would he send you an email about them?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Really? Well, I’m wide awake now and I’m all ears. Let’s here this complicated explanation.”

I paused trying to figure out how best to explain the relationship. “I work for him.”

“What? No, you don’t. I’ve met your boss and he sure isn’t Conrad.”

Oh shit, “I have a second job.”

“Garret Cooper, you better start talking and making some sense real fast.”

My mouth opened and the story started to tumble out. I told Fonda about his team, his relationship with the United States government, my first mission with Conrad. I even touched on the additional assignments I’d been given and that I had executed successfully over the past fifteen years.

When I was finished explaining the relationship, Fonda didn’t say a word. She stared at me coldly, with angry eyes and then slapped me like I had never been struck before. Chief jumped up on the bed and curled up as close as he could get to Fonda, as if protecting her from me.

“I’m so very sorry” I whispered.

“You better believe you are, you bastard!”

That was the first time I had ever heard a single word of profanity escape from Fonda’s mouth. I was devastated that I had caused that to happen. “I’m going to make this right. I’m going to fix this.”

Fonda turned her back to me and hugged Chief and began to cry, violent wracking breaths interrupting her ability to maintain any sense of composure.

“I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but I need your help. All I can remember from our call Saturday night is Mama’s Fish House. Do you remember anything else?”

“How can you be a spy, or an assassin, or whatever you are and not remember any details?”

“I’m sorry…”

Fonda cut me off before I could say another word. “I can’t believe you. Scott from Paradise Realty, the Kula Firehouse #13 and the Ocean’s Vodka Distillery. Now get packed, get out of my house, and out of my sight. Don’t even think about coming back here without Chad and Jamie.”

At that point, Fonda covered her head and, once again, began crying.

I, in turn, went into our bathroom and turned on the shower to begin the process of getting ready to leave our home. Was I leaving our home for the last time? What about our marriage? What about our life together? This year would be our twenty-third anniversary, or would it?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

After showering and getting dressed I packed clothes for a week, not knowing how long I would actually be away from home. In Hawaii or in San Antonio. I removed a Glock 17 9mm pistol from our gun safe and an extra magazine. I secured it in a locked carrying case and packed it into my suitcase. I would be declaring the registered weapon and checking it along with my suitcase at the airport.

Packed and ready to leave for the airport by 7:00am, I went into our bedroom to say goodbye to Fonda and assure Chief I was going to bring home his mom and dad. Fonda was still fully under the covers with Chief still curled up next to her. I touched where I believed her shoulder to be and Fonda shuttered under my touch.

“Don’t touch me, and don’t speak to me until you can tell me that Chad and Jamie are okay and on their way home.”

“I love you and I will bring them home safely.”

“You better. Good bye.”

With my marching orders well understood, I walked out of our bedroom and into my office to grab my suitcase and the backpack containing my laptop computer. Without any further comment or delay I entered the garage, opened the overhead door and started my car. I thought about if and when I would be back in this home and released tears and took a massive deep breath.

Regaining my composure, I put my Jeep Grand Cherokee into reverse and backed out of the garage. After closing the door and making sure it closed fully, I backed into the street, put my vehicle into drive and sped toward San Antonio International Airport.

I parked in the long-term parking lot and walked the relatively short distance to American Airlines check in counter. I hadn’t taken the time to print my boarding passes, so I let the ticket agent print them and attach my baggage claim ticket to my second pass. I completed and signed the handgun declaration form and then headed for the TSA Precheck security line. I was through security in a matter of minutes and by 8:15 I was seated at a café having coffee and preparing to order breakfast.

It dawned on me I hadn’t said anything to my boss yet. I was scheduled to be working from home this week, but now I needed to take time off. I sent an email to my boss and told him I would need to take off the next four days to handle a family emergency. Hopefully that wouldn’t raise too many questions, as we are supposed to schedule time off at least two weeks in advance. I hadn’t made a habit of this, but I had made similar requests to cover my other activities over the years.

My breakfast came and I inhaled it because I wanted to get to my gate well before the scheduled boarding time of 10:10am. So, I left cash to cover the omelet and coffee as well as a decent tip. I took one last gulp of coffee, grabbed my backpack and exited the restaurant heading first to the Men’s room and then to my departure gate. I was at the gate just after nine and found a seat away from the activity of the terminal and the gate counter. I opened my laptop and logged on to the airports WiFi service and