Chapter 2

Several hours later, Ryan grabbed his hat and prepared to leave to grab some dinner when there was a knock on the door. He expected a visit from the local police, but when he looked through the peephole he saw Lisa with a younger man, dressed in a white shirt, vest and tie. He wondered what she wanted and opened the door.

“Good, you’re here,” Lisa said. “Can we come in for a bit, please?” Ryan looked and saw no one else, and noticed the cart between them.

“I was just gonna go grab a bite to eat, but yeah, come on in,” he said, opening the door and standing back.

“You can put that on the table over there,” Lisa told the man with her.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, wheeling the cart to the table. As Ryan watched, the man took two covered dishes out of the box on the cart and set them on the table. He put a bucket of ice on the table and opened a bottle of wine, pouring it into two flutes, which he set next to the covered dishes. When he finished setting the table, he uncovered the dishes.

“Cornish game hens,” Lisa said. “It’s one of my favorites. Served with steamed carrots, onions, mushrooms and rice pilaf. And a nice Cabernet Sauvignon.” She turned to the man with her. “Thank you, Raul, that will be all. I’ll bring the dishes back with me.”

“As you wish, ma’am,” the man said quietly. “Enjoy your dinner, sir,” he told Ryan.

“Thank you, Raul,” Ryan said. The young man turned and left the room, pushing the cart before him. Ryan looked at Lisa.

“You didn’t have to do this,” he told her.

“I didn’t,” she said. “This was supposed to be Jake’s dinner tonight, but he’s in the hospital and I don’t think he’ll be in any shape to eat at home for a while. The staff worked on this for several hours, and I couldn’t just throw it out. Besides, Bob tells me all you eat are TV dinners and raw hot dogs, so I thought you might enjoy a real meal for once.”

“This was supposed to be Jake’s dinner?” Ryan asked. Lisa nodded her head.

“Yes,” she said.

“Well, then,” he said. “In that case, let’s dig in. I’d be more than happy to eat his dinner. How is Jake, by the way?”

“He’s been better,” she said, sitting down. “Several ribs are broken or cracked. His throat is damaged and the doctor said he’ll probably end up losing one of his testicles. On top of that, there’s a chance he’ll be paralyzed from the waist down for life. Whatever it was you threw him against did a lot of damage to his spine.”

“Well, you’ll pardon me if I don’t wish him a speedy recovery,” Ryan said, taking a bite of the bird on his plate. “This is delicious, by the way. My regards to your chef.” Lisa smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, taking a bite of her food. She considered him for a while before speaking. “What happened to you, Ryan?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You’ve changed,” she said.

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when the people you loved more than life itself screw you in the ass with no Vaseline,” he said, taking a sip of wine.

“I’m really very sorry about that,” she said. “So, what did you do after we split? I know Sarah tried to get in touch with you, but she was never able to. What happened?”

“I sold the place and got a small apartment,” Ryan said. “I spent a few months crying in my beer, basically feeling sorry for myself. When I saw the article about your marriage to Jake, I went to a bar to get drunk. Ran into an old Army buddy and he recruited me for a job. Spent the next nine years working as a ‘private security consultant.’”

“A what?” Lisa asked.

“A mercenary,” he said. “A gun for hire. Made pretty damn good money doing that, by the way. Also gave me a chance to work off some of the anger I felt toward the three of you.”

“You really must’ve hated us,” she said.

“You have no idea,” he said. “Every time I pulled the trigger, I saw you or Sarah or Jake.”

“Oh my God,” she said. “Ryan, I’m so sorry. I had no idea it would’ve hurt you like that. I thought you’d just find another woman and move on.” Ryan shook his head.

“Nope,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. I met lots of women. Even had sex with a bunch of them. But I’m done with relationships. Once bitten, twice shy, I guess.”

“What about now?” she asked. “Is there someone in your life now? A girlfriend or something?” Ryan shook his head.

“No,” he said. “Tried that once. It didn’t take. Like I told Bob, if I get that hard up, I go into town and rent someone for a couple hours.”

“You must be so lonely,” she said.

“I’m alone, but I’m not lonely,” he said.

“Do you still hate us?” Lisa asked.

“No,” he said. “Not as much, anyway. I’ve forgiven Sarah, in case you’re wondering.”

“What about me?” she asked.

“Well, after today, I feel like I can be in the same room as you without feeling the urge to strangle your pretty little neck,” he said.

“Thank you for that, I guess,” she said. “You forgave Sarah, why not me?”

“I read her letters,” he said. “Bob brought them out to me. I realized after reading them that she was manipulated. After all, she was young, inexperienced and impressionable. You and Jake took advantage of that. He dangled promises of expensive cars, an expensive education and trips to fancy places, and there was no way I could compete with that. She grew up, though, and realized what she had done was wrong. She tried to tell me back then, but I never got her letters. I’m sure if I knew how to use email back then, she would have reached out that way as well. Hell, I didn’t even know how to use a computer, let alone use email. I didn’t even know how to use a cell phone. I still don’t have one, by the way.” He took a sip of wine before continuing.

“You, on the other hand, had no such excuse,” Ryan said. “It’s not like you were drugged, or raped, or blackmailed. He seduced you and you went along with it. Then you helped him turn Sarah against me. That’s not something I can just forgive or forget. You destroyed me. Deliberately. Believe me, it would have been better if you had just blown my head off.”

“I never thought of it like that,” she said. “I really am so very sorry.”

“Anyway, I worked for an oil sheikh in the Middle East on my last job,” Ryan said. “He was under pressure to sell out and had come under attack. I was hired to help train his security forces. Guess who it was going after him?”

“Jake?” she asked.

“Bingo,” Ryan said. “You know, you’d be amazed at who hires mercenaries these days. Turns out Jake hired a bunch to seize the sheikh’s oil fields. Kinda like a carrot-and-stick approach. If negotiations don’t work, use force. Turns out Jake learned I was working for him, so he embedded some assassins to take me out. I guess he figured he’d kill two birds with one stone.”

“That’s how you lost your eye?” she asked. Ryan nodded his head.

“Yup,” he said. “They came close, but missed. The sheikh knew but never let on to Jake or his representatives that I was still alive.”

“How do you know all this?” Lisa asked.

“He gave me a dossier with all kinds of very interesting information,” Ryan said. “He also gave me a bit of fatherly advise. Something along the lines of getting rid of my hate before it kills me. He was right, of course. He paid for my medical expenses, gave me a very large bonus and suggested I find someplace nice and quiet. So I bought a place in west Texas and started my own little operation.”

“Operation?” Lisa asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve spent the last three years and about three million dollars keeping Jake under constant surveillance. Even recruited a few moles within Knight Petroleum. You’d be amazed at what I’ve found out.”

“That’s the dossier you spoke about earlier, right?” she asked.

“Yes, it is. Tell me something,” Ryan said. “All that stuff Jake said in the alley. Is that true? Did you really do all that to me?” Her face turned red and she looked down for a moment before answering.

“Yes, I’m sorry to say, but it is,” she said quietly. “I can’t begin to tell you how ashamed I am of what I did to you. You didn’t deserve any of it.”

“Suppose the shoe was on the other foot,” Ryan said. “What if it was me who cheated on you? How would you have reacted?”

“I’d be furious, of course,” she said. “I know, it sounds hypocritical.”

“That’s because it is,” he said. “Now what if I told you I have ironclad proof Jake actually did cheat on you? That, in fact, he’s been cheating on you for at least three years? How would feel about that? You were there in the alley. You heard what he said.”

“I’d like to see that proof,” she said. Jake grabbed his duffel bag, pulled out a notebook binder and handed it to her.

“There you go,” he said. “Written reports, DVDs with photos and videos, even certified copies of his children’s birth certificates and DNA test results proving he’s the sperm donor. I’ve been told there’s more than enough proof for a judge to grant you a divorce on the grounds of infidelity.” She flipped through the pages in the binder, shocked at what she read. Finally, she closed the binder and wiped a tear from her eye.

“Hurts like hell, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I’ve suspected for a little while, but I had no proof. I’ll bet this made you happy, didn’t it?”

“I gotta admit, when I first learned about it, I was somewhat exuberant,” Ryan said. “The cheater getting cheated on by the guy she originally cheated with? Talk about poetic justice. Then I remembered how I first felt.”

“At least I told you,” she said.

“Six months after the fact,” Ryan answered. “Speaking of which, how did it happen? How did he manage to turn the two of you against me?”

“You want a play-by-play?” she asked.

“No, the Cliff Notes version will do just fine,” he said.

“It started after I got hired as his PA,” she said. “At first, he was professional, friendly, polite. Then he turned on the charm. You know I traveled with him all over the world on business trips. We stayed at the best hotels, ate at the finest restaurants. I met a lot of what you would call ‘mucky-mucks’ – celebrities, members of Congress, business tycoons, heads of state. I even met the president once.

“Jake started making little statements here and there, telling me this could be my life if I chose. He constantly put you down, saying you were just a washed-up grease monkey who would never amount to anything and would never be able to give Sarah and I the life we deserved.

“After a while, I started seeing you the way he did. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but I lost all respect for you. On one hand, I knew you were working hard for Sarah and I and I knew you had your dream. But on the other, I knew Jake was right. The sex just came naturally, I guess.” She looked at the floor, her face red with shame.

“I’m so sorry, Ryan,” she said. “I realize now that I was just being a selfish bitch. Right now, all I can do is hope that one day you can forgive me.”

“I’m not your father confessor,” he said. “When did the abuse start?”

“About four or five years ago,” she said. “I accused him of having an affair. I didn’t have any proof, just a rumor I had heard at the office. We had a huge fight and he slapped me, hard. I told him if he ever hit me again, I’d divorce him. It didn’t happen again for quite some time. He didn’t hit me, but he roughed me up pretty bad. It happens now about once every couple weeks.”

“Why didn’t you call the cops?” Ryan asked. “You could’ve had him thrown in jail.”

“I was afraid,” she said. “I’ve seen what he does to people and I didn’t want to end up dead.”

“Dead?” he asked. She nodded her head.

“He’s the one who told me that you were dead,” she said. “The way he said it frightened me. He never gave any specifics, but somehow, I knew he was involved.”

“I see,” Ryan said. “By the way, There’s one other thing I think you should see.” He pulled an envelope out of his duffel bag and showed her the letter inside. It was one that Sarah had sent him years earlier. He pointed to a paragraph he had highlighted.

“I hate it here,” Sarah wrote. “I hate Jake and I hate Mom. He’s creepy, Dad. You have no idea. He stares at me all the time and he makes crude comments about my body. I swear if he touches me, I’ll kick him in the nuts the way you taught me. I wish you were here so you could kick his ass. I tried telling Mom, but she never listens. She’s too wrapped up in his money and his dick to give a damn.” Lisa handed the letter back, a tear falling down her cheek.

“Oh, God,” she said. “My own daughter hates me.”

“I don’t think she feels that way anymore,” Ryan said. “Judging from the postmark, this was written about a week or so after she turned 18. Still, it provides some insight into your home life at the time. Did you ever notice anything between them?” Lisa shook her head.

“I don’t really remember,” she said. “But she was right. I was pretty wrapped up in his money. And, his dick. I do remember her saying something to me about it back then, but I just chalked it up to teenage rebellion and blew it off. I guess I should’ve listened to her.”

“So basically, you looked and thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence, and learned it was full of chiggers, ticks and snakes,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Lisa said.

“So, what are you gonna do?” he asked.

“I’m not looking forward to another divorce, but I can’t go on like this,” she said.

“Well, whatever you do, you’d better do it fast,” Ryan told her. “Once the feds get what I sent them, the shit’s gonna hit the fan.”

“What kind of stuff are we talking about?” she asked.

“Most of it’s financial stuff – way over my head. There’s also bribes to foreign officials and some other things, like attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Against me, by the way. My attorney tells me Jake could end up in prison for a long time and Knight Petroleum could end up on the ash heap with Enron. Once they get started, they could easily freeze all of your assets,” Ryan said. “So if I were you, I’d strike while the iron’s hot. Get what you can before the feds close in.”

“You’re probably right,” she said. “I’ll call my attorney first thing in the morning.”

“I think that would be wise,” Ryan said.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Helping me, that is. After what I’ve done to you?”

“That’s easy,” Ryan said. “Sarah’s gonna need all the help and support she can get, and she’s got a young ‘un that needs his grandma.”

“Do you think that maybe once this is all over, that we could, you know,” Lisa began before Ryan cut her off.

“What? Get back together? Start over where we left off like nothing ever happened?” he asked. He shook his head. “I don’t see that happening. Been there once already. Like I said, I’m damaged goods. You said it yourself. I’ve changed. A lot. I’m not the man you knew 12 years ago. Besides, you’re Cornish game hens, champagne and caviar while I’m TV dinners, sweet tea and raw hot dogs.”

“I understand,” she said quietly. “Think maybe we could at least be friends? Maybe even with benefits?”

“I’ve learned never to say never,” he said. “I don’t know. Maybe, one day. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?”

“Can I at least come visit you in Texas?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t live in a mansion like you do, and I sure as hell don’t have servants waiting on me hand and foot, but I reckon you can, that is, if you don’t mind sleeping on the couch or the floor,” he said.

“The couch or the floor?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “I’ve only got one little twin bed and that’s where I sleep. If Bob’s there, he gets the couch. That only leaves the floor. But it is a fairly good size place, so there’s lots of floor.” She chuckled at that.

“I remember a time when we could make good use of a twin bed. Or a couch. Or a floor. But, at least it’s a start,” she said. “Speaking of tomorrow, when are you going back to the hospital?”

“I’m scheduled to see Dr. Fritz just before noon,” he said. “Bob’s coming by to pick me up about 10:00.”

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll see you at the hospital.”

“Okay,” he said. “And, thank you for the meal. It was the best I’ve had in years.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Why don’t you let me help you carry this down to your car?”

“That would be nice,” she said. “Thanks.” They gathered the used dishes, made sure the wine was closed back up and carried everything down to her car. After it was loaded up and secured, Lisa looked at Ryan one last time.

“I’m so sorry I fucked everything up,” she said. “I hope that one day you can set your hatred of me aside and learn to forgive me.”

“One day at a time,” Ryan said. “That meal was a nice start. Thank you again.”

“Any time,” she said, giving him a hug. She was surprised that he hugged her back the way he always used to. She got in her car, a tear falling down her cheek. How could I have been so stupid and selfish, she thought to herself. He waved and watched as she drove off, smoked a cigarette, then went back to his room.

...

The next morning, Bob picked him up right at 10:00 and they headed for the hospital.

“I heard you and Lisa had dinner last night,” Bob said.

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “She brought over a Cornish game hen.”

“The good stuff, huh?” Bob asked. “Say what you want about Jake, but his staff sure does know how to cook. You two have a chance to talk much?”

“Yeah, we did,” Ryan said. “I think we managed to get off to a good start. For Sarah and little Ryan’s sake, that is,” he added as Bob smiled.

“Of course,” Bob said. They got to the hospital and went to see Dr. Fritz.

“Mr. Caldwell,” the doctor said as they walked in. “Please, come into my office.” They went into his small office and the doctor closed the door.

“What’s the word, doc?” Ryan asked.

“Good news, Mr. Caldwell,” Dr. Fritz said. “You’re a perfect match.”

“Excellent,” Ryan said. “So when do we get started?”

“I’ve got a surgical suite reserved for 1:00 this afternoon,” the doctor said. “We’ll take both you and Sarah in at the same time, put you both under then we’ll get it done.” The doctor went on to explain the procedure, which sounded quite painful to Ryan. “Don’t worry,” Dr. Fritz said. “You’ll be under the whole time. We’ll keep you overnight just to manage the pain. You’ll be pretty sore for a little while, but it’ll wear off.”

“How long before we know if it works?” Ryan asked.

“We should know pretty soon after the procedure,” the doctor said.

“Good,” Ryan said. “Is it okay if we go up to see Sarah now?”

“By all means,” Dr. Fritz said. “We’ll need to get you checked in pretty soon, though, so don’t take too much time.”

“Got it,” Ryan said. He stood, shook the doctor’s hand and the two left. They went to Sarah’s room and gave her the news.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said. “I was told they might be prepping us for surgery pretty soon.”

“Have you talked to your mother?” Ryan asked.

“Yes, she popped in earlier and said she was going to see her lawyer,” Sarah said. “Is she going for a divorce?”

“I think so,” Ryan said.

“It’s about damn time,” she said. “Bob told me what you did to Jake,” she added. “You were too easy on him from what I heard.”

“Your mother said he may be paralyzed from the waist down,” Ryan said.

“He still got off too easy,” she said bitterly.

“Something tells me the real fun is just beginning,” Ryan told her.

“You mean, there’s more?” she asked. Ryan smiled and winked at her, causing her to smile. “Goody! I can’t wait.” After they visited for a while, Dr. Fritz came in with a couple nurses.

“Good, you’re all here,” the doctor said. “It’s time to get you two ready. Mr. Caldwell, please go with Nurse Jacobs here and she’ll get you checked in and into your room.”

“Okay,” Ryan said. He bent over his daughter and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Showtime,” he said with a smile. She smiled back at him. “It’s gonna be just fine,” he said. He followed the nurse out of the room and went to a desk next to the nurse’s station.

After filling out what seemed like a ream of paperwork, he was escorted into a room, handed a hospital gown and told to disrobe.

“Since we’re going to need access to your pelvic region, we’ll need you to strip completely,” the nurse said with a somewhat evil smile. After he was ready, they inserted an IV into his arm and checked his vitals. Before long, they wheeled him out of the room and into a rather cool surgical suite. They had already given him a sedative and he was feeling the affects. Dr. Fritz looked down at him and Ryan could tell he was smiling.

“Ready?” the doctor asked.

“Git ‘er done,” Ryan said. They put something over his face and he fell asleep.

The next thing he knew, he was waking up in his room. It took a while for him to get his bearings but as he did, he felt the pain in his hips. The doctor warned him this would happen. A few minutes after he woke up, Dr. Fritz came into the room and looked him over.

“How are we feeling?” he asked. Ryan laughed to himself. Why do they always use “we,” he asked himself.

“My hip hurts like hell,” Ryan croaked.

“That’s normal,” Dr. Fritz said. “We’ll give you something for the pain. Normally, we’d handle this on an outpatient basis, but since you’re in from out of town, I’m keeping you here overnight, just to monitor your recovery.”

“How’s Sarah?” Ryan asked.

“I think she’s going to be just fine,” the doctor said. “It’s too early to tell, but she seems to be responding better than we anticipated.” Ryan nodded his head.

“When can I see her?” he asked.

“Oh, not until tomorrow,” Dr. Fritz said. “I want the two of you to recover a bit first. Get some rest now, Mr. Caldwell. I’ll check in on you later.” A nurse came in, checked his vitals and gave him a pill for the pain.

“Get some rest now, Mr. Caldwell,” she said. “If you get hungry, just call the kitchen and let them know what you want, okay?”

“Thanks,” he said before falling asleep. He woke up a couple hours later and looked at the menu. He called the kitchen, placed his order and a worker brought his meal up to him – meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. It was somewhat better than the TV dinners he was used to, but not by a whole lot. Still, it took the hunger away. He had just finished when he heard a knock at the door.

“Yeah,” he called out. Bob and Lisa came into the room. They took positions on either side of him.

“How are you feeling?” Lisa asked.

“Sore,” he said. “But okay otherwise. Doc says I’ll be released tomorrow.”

“Good,” Bob said.

“How’s Sarah?” Ryan asked. Bob nodded his head.

“She’s doing better than anyone expected,” he said. “They’re very optimistic.”

“That is good news,” Ryan said. He looked at Lisa before speaking again. “How are things with you?”

“Frantic,” she said. “I saw my lawyer this morning and got the divorce started. I’ve also started the process to split our assets. This is a community property state, so technically I’m entitled to half of all our assets. The only fly in the ointment is the prenup he made me sign, but my lawyer thinks he can get around that.”

“Well then, you should be in good shape,” Ryan said.

“In theory,” Lisa said. “We’ll see. It’s not going to be an easy divorce, certainly not like ours.”

“I reckon not,” Ryan told her.

“I’m also getting a restraining order to keep him away from me, the house and Sarah,” she said. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, though.”