A Distant Shore by Karen Kingsbury (books for students to read .txt) 📕

the meantime, Oliver allowed himself to go back to that dinner, the last time he was with Jack’s father. The man had been pensive over the meal. Missing his son, Shane, and longing for more time with Jack. Then the man had said something Oliver remembered still.

Something he wanted to share with Jack today.

There was a knock at his door, and as it opened, Jack entered. “Sir?”

“Come in, Jack.” Oliver stood and the two shook hands. “Have a seat.”

Jack did, but before he could say what was on his mind, Oliver took hold of the moment. “Did you know I had dinner with your father, a month before he died?”

It took Jack a moment. “No… No, sir, I didn’t. I knew… you two were friends.”

Oliver hadn’t brought this up before, because he was afraid it would make Jack doubt his work with the FBI. And that would not have been good for Jack. Because when Oliver found the boy back at Navy SEAL training, his commander had told Oliver one thing.

“That one pushes beyond the limits.” He had shaken his head. “I’m not sure he’ll make it out alive.”

Oliver agreed. And so with the consent of the Navy, Oliver had approached his friend’s son knowing one thing for certain.

Jack Ryder needed the bureau. Needed the work as an FBI agent so he’d have a reason to keep going.

But now… now, Oliver was fairly sure Jack had a different reason to live. Which was why he wanted to tell him this story. He leaned forward. “Your father and I, we talked a great deal that day.” Oliver narrowed his eyes. “He said something I thought you should know.”

The look in Jack’s eyes was that of a much younger boy. Looking for any information he could get about the father he had lost. “What did he say?”

“He was missing Shane. Missing the times when your family was together.” Oliver allowed a sad smile. “He said he wished he’d been more present. Thrown a ball with the two of you.”

Jack worked the muscles in his jaw and he nodded. “My father… he was busy. But he was a good man.”

“He was that.” Oliver breathed in deep. “At the end of the meal, he told me he was worried about you, Jack.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” Oliver looked straight at the young man. “He didn’t want you to work in politics or law or the military.” Maybe Oliver should’ve said this sooner. But there was no time for doubt now. “Your dad wanted you to have a different life, Jack. He wanted you to marry and have children and be present in their lives. Coach their Little League teams and play with them on the beach.” Oliver hesitated. “The way he wished he had done with you.”

Jack stared out the window. His eyes glistened, but he didn’t cry. Finally, when he had more control, he looked at Oliver again. “Thank you, sir. For telling me.” He nodded. “I’ll… keep that.”

“Yes.” Oliver studied his top agent for a moment. He was going to miss him. “Now… what did you want to tell me, Jack?”

“Sir… My anniversary with the FBI is at the start of July.” Again, Jack seemed to fight his emotions. “I wanted to tell you… I’ll be leaving at that time.” He was doing his best to hold it together. “I do want you to know… I have loved everything about this job, about working for you and the bureau, sir. I have loved it all.”

“But… there is someone you love more.” Oliver raised one eyebrow. “Is that it?”

The hint of a smile played on Jack’s lips. “Maybe.”

Oliver grinned at him. Jack didn’t need to answer questions about Eliza. The two hadn’t crossed any lines, and in fact their work together had been brilliant. “I’m going to miss you, Agent Ryder. You’re one of the best. And you never… ever give up.” He paused. “But I have to say… I think you’re making the right choice.”

“Thank you.” Jack looked like the weight of the world was suddenly off his shoulders. “Let’s just say… I’m going to make my father proud.”

TEXAS WAS NO longer an option for Eliza, not with so many traffickers aware of her identity. So in August she had been sent to headquarters in D.C. Her new case agent there handled her assignments. Through the fall she worked at a school near the capital, and in November she became a junior at a troubled academy in Virginia.

Through it all, with every mission and tense moment, she thought of Jack. She wore the necklace backward, but she wore it every day. His words as close to her heart as they could possibly get.

January saw her in Maine and February in New Hampshire. With every school, she helped bring down another gang of traffickers and drug dealers until she was one of the most hated informants in FBI history. Even so she wanted to see her year out.

Her case agent sent her to New Mexico in March and to Oregon after that. Traffickers weren’t organized enough to figure out where she was headed or who she was going to take down next.

Along the way, Eliza found another copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She had lost hers during the raid at the Palace, and never had a chance to finish it. But in April, she made the time.

The story was everything Eliza had hoped it would be. And as she finished the school year in California she fancied herself much like Queen Lucy, the valiant. Brave enough to take on whatever task was asked of her, and certain that Aslan of Narnia was looking out for her.

Because once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.

Between moments of danger, Eliza also read the Bible. She read how with God at her side, there was nothing man could do to her. Because man could only take her physical body, but never her soul. That would belong to God alone,