Dead Man's Land by Jack Patterson (digital e reader .txt) 📕

And I’m concerned that something bad is going to happen—to him and to us.”

“If only we knew what impending doom was about to befall us,” Hampton said with an eye roll.

Waller’s inbox alerted him to a new email. He clicked it open. It was from Doleman. “Well, I just might be able to figure that out now.”

Hampton got up and rushed over to Waller’s desk. “Did she finally give you something we can work with?”

Waller nodded. “I think so.” He scanned the document quickly, trying to fill in the blacked out sections with his imagination. He couldn’t get the full picture but he was starting to get a semblance of one.

“What is it?” Hampton asked.

Waller shook his head and turned his computer screen toward Hampton. “You’re not going to believe this.”

CHAPTER 26

MONDAY MORNING, CAL STUMBLED out of bed and tried to wake up in the shower. After he finished drying off, he found Kelly still snug beneath the covers. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“You need to get going if we’re going to catch our flight,” he said.

She shot up. “What time is it? Did we miss our flight? Where’s Maddie?”

Cal laughed. “Maddie’s with your mother and we’ve got about forty-five minutes before we need to leave in order to make it there on time.”

She squinted at him, her eyes struggling to adjust to the light beaming from the bathroom.

He tossed a t-shirt at her. “Don’t forget to wear this.”

She held up the Puget Sound Free Methodist mission trip t-shirt. “Pura Vida,” she read as she looked at the back. “Isn’t that what they say in Costa Rica?”

Cal shrugged. “Maybe they say it in Cuba too. I don’t know since I’ve never been.”

She sighed and her feet hit the floor with a thud. “It’s gonna be a long day.”

“Yes, but we’re gonna be in Cuba.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why are you so happy anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before eight in the morning.”

“Going to forbidden lands has a way of doing that to me—especially when we’re skirting the feds on this one.”

She entered the shower and shouted above the water pouring over her. “We’ll probably be on some no-fly list and I’ll just be ticked I lost out on a good night of sleep.”

“I’ll make you some coffee. Hustle up,” Cal said before shutting the door.

***

AT THE AIRPORT, Cal and Kelly met their mission teammates, who eyed them cautiously. They were happy to have the couple tag along with them, but they seemed leery about being used in such a way.

“Look, we really appreciate you guys letting us come with you. It was the only way for us to get into the country,” Cal said. “The result of this story is going to have a major impact on several people’s lives.”

“In a good way, I hope,” one of the men said.

Cal nodded. “Mostly good, but for some people who are defying the law, it won’t be so good.”

“Gordon Hammermill,” the man said as he offered his hand.

Cal shook it and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hammermill. I’m Cal and this is my wife, Kelly.”

Hammermill waved him off. “Nice to meet you, too, but, please, call me Gordon. I could probably be your father but not your grandfather. I’m not too comfortable with such a formal title.”

Cal slapped him on the back. “Well, Gordon, I’ll call you whatever you like. Now, since we’re going to be traveling together, I’d like to learn a little bit more about you. What do you do?”

He shook his head. “Is this how you start out all of your conversations with the athletes you interview?”

Taken aback, Cal cocked his head to one side. “You’ve read my stuff in the paper?”

“I know who you are. And you’re a good writer. I just find it puzzling that you would begin a conversation with a person you’ve never met with a question about what they do. I bet you didn’t ask Russell Wilson that the first time you met him.”

Cal shrugged. “I guess I already knew what he did and—”

“Oh, I’m just messin’ with ya, mostly because I hate telling people what I do since they stop talking to me almost the minute I tell them.”

Cal’s eyes widened. “That scandalous, eh?”

Hammermill shook his head. “No. I’m the founding pastor of this church. And most of the time when I tell people that, they run in the other direction.”

“Considering that we’re about to board a plane, I won’t get very far.”

“Everybody thinks we’re going to send a report to God about your behavior, so I either get fake conversations from people who start to list all their philanthropic efforts or ways they’re helping in their community—or they put their head phones on and don’t utter another word.”

“And pastors are people, too.”

“Darn right, we are. I like reading about the Seahawks and the Sounders, just like anyone else.”

“You like reading about the Mariners too, right?”

“Like I said, I’m like most people in this town.”

Cal smiled at the reverend’s subtle dig on the city’s baseball team. “Good point.” He leaned in and spoke softly, saying, “And these days, they’re not a lot of fun to write about either.”

Hammermill laughed. “I’ll be sure to let God know that you’re looking for another assignment. Who knows? Maybe you’ll just want to stay behind in Cuba.”

Cal shook his head. “Doubtful, but you never know what’s going to happen, right?”

***

AFTER A LONG FLIGHT to Cancun, Mexico, it didn’t take more than two hours to reach Havana. Cal informed Hammermill that they would reconnect with them later at some point, but they had some urgent matters they needed to attend to on Isla de la Juventud.

“Be careful,” Hammermill said. “And if you get a chance, go watch Seattle Prep play baseball. I read about them sending a team to Cuba this week.”

“Will do. Should be a lot of fun,” Cal said.

Kelly put her arm around Cal. “So, now what, Mr. International