Chapter 4

I pulled up the next chapter of the book I was reading. I had the habit of always finishing a chapter before I closed a book. I guess that way I knew where to start up next. As I sat and read, it occurred to me that I was going to have to figure out what chapter my life was on. Especially since Renee had been fucked by several other men and I didn’t know where that fit in our story.

She had been beaten and tortured, a cop had been killed, her assailant had been shot in the balls (It was an accident officer) and had an eye poked out, my Mom and my kids were in danger but are now in a safe place at the cabin. The next chapter seemed to be that I needed to take care of Renee as she recovered. Then the thought hit me that I should visit my wife’s attacker, the cop killer.

It would not be easy getting to him, since he killed a cop, he would be under watchful eyes 24/7. I went to the nurse’s station and chatted for a bit. They all knew about the dead cop and about my wife’s close call. They had a lot of sympathy for my situation and after a long chat, they told me what room the killer was in.

I walked up to the killers’ room to find two police men outside the door. I recognized one of them from being outside my wife’s room the previous night before Officer Wicket came on.

“Hello Officer O’Reilly. How are you doing?”

“Oh hi. I’m still a little stunned. Wicket was a good cop and cute.”

“I guess she was a friend?”

“Not so much a friend as a colleague. We talked, and we crossed paths at shift changes. I’m married so there was not going to be anything there. I think she had a girlfriend, if you get my drift.”

“I understand. Look, Officer O’Reilly, is there any chance I can get into this room?”

“I don’t think so. I mean he tried to kill your wife and you shot him in the balls. Good shot, by the way.”

“It was while we were struggling over the gun.”

“Yeah, and while he was trying to stop you from putting out his other eye. It would not be good for you if he ended up mysteriously demised.”

“Officer O’Reilly you do have a way with words. I know that I’d be in a world of hurt if I went in there and he ended up in worse shape than when I went in. I would like to have a talk with him. I was told this morning to get my mother and kids to a safe location. I would like to know what I am dealing with.”

The officer looked at his partner and the other cop shrugged.

“Mr. O’Dell I am doing a Sergeant Schultz on this and so is my partner. Make it quick and do not, under any circumstance touch the guy.”

“Thank you.”

They opened the door and I entered to find the man in the second bed with a huge bandage around the side of his head from where I had taken his right eye and the blanket tented over where his lower wound was.

I walked to the side of the bed and stood over him. He must have been a bit groggy because when he looked at me it took some time for him to focus. Eventually he got his one good eye on me and there was a spark of recognition.

“You.”

“Yeah, me. You killed a cop and tried to kill my wife. I will take care of the rest of your body at a later date. You pass the word to the people you are working for that they are dead men walking. They will not escape, and they will die. If any further harm comes to my family then their families will die. If you have any family, I promise right now that they are going to suffer. Have a nice day.”

His monitors started beeping faster and I just smiled and walked out of the room after making a gun out of my thumb and finger and aiming it at his groin and dropping the thumb like a hammer.

“Thanks Officer. I really appreciate it. He seemed to get upset when he saw me, and his monitors went a little nuts. Maybe you should send a nurse in there to check on him. I never touched him and only talked to him.”

“I know nothing!”

I chuckled and walked back over to my wife’s room, where I sat in the chair to read another chapter on my phone for almost an hour before Renee came around.

“Mick. You’re still here.” She said in a weak voice.

“Yes. Do you remember anything from this morning?”

“I remember having a hard time breathing and then the bed shaking.”

I sat on the bed and took the hand without the IV and began the story.

“I came back from breakfast to find the officer that was watching you had been shot in the head and a guy had a pillow over your face and was trying to aim a gun at your head. You were fighting for your life and I took him out.”

“You saved me?”

“Yes.”

“After everything I have done?”

“We’ll talk about that later. But I am going to want to know everything that happened. How you got yourself into this mess and who these people are. For now, just rest and get better.”

“They are dangerous, Mick. Are my babies safe?”

“Yes, they are with my mom in a safe place.”

“Mick, they’re part of a gang. Their place is a front for running numbers.”

“Thanks for that. We’ll talk more later, right now, get better so I can get you out of here and somewhere safe. OK?”

“OK. Mick?”

“Yes.”

“I’m hungry.”

“I’ll call the nurse.”

I reached over and pushed the call button. When the nurse came in, I pointed her to Renee, while I pulled out my phone and called Rod Strong.

“Mr. Strong’s office. How may I help you?” The receptionist answered.

“Hi, this is Mick O’Dell. I need to speak to Rodney right away.”

“Yes Mr. O’Dell. Let me get him for you.” She must ave had instructions to put me straight through. There was a click and then elevator music and then another click.

“Hi Mick. What can I do for you?”

“I just had a short talk with my wife. She said that the guys at the place she worked were running numbers for some gang. I thought that you should know in case you didn’t.”

“We knew they were crooked, but this will help. Have you told the police?”

“Nope. I’m still your client, right?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I did something that might start some trouble.”

“What did you do?” He asked tentatively.

“I got into the room of the guy that killed the cop and tried to kill Renee. I told him to tell whoever he worked for that I was coming for them. I told him that if any of my family were hurt that I would see to it that they and their families were dead.”

There was a long pause before Rodney spoke again.

“We really need to talk. When are you available?”

“I am here at the hospital. If you want to come over, we can chat here. I don’t want to leave Renee alone.”

“Understood. Let me clear my calendar. You will see me when you see me.” He said.

“Roger,” I answered automatically to his response.

I disconnected the call and knew that Rodney and I had a little something in common. I went back to my book and cleared another chapter before Rodney walked in.

“Can we talk here?”

“I think so. Renee is pretty drugged up and has been in and out. Plus she just ate a little. We should be able to talk without being disturbed.”

“First, telling the hitman that you were coming after his boss was not a smart thing to do. Second, I did a little digging and if I can find this info so can the police. Be careful with what you are doing. Third, I knew your father. We served in Korea and Viet Nam, and I have friends that served with you in the sandbox.”

“Then you can suspect what I can bring to bear. I will protect my family at any cost.”

“I understand, but you know that this could turn into a major war, right?”

“I do. If it does, I will go scorched earth. I will leave nothing behind.”

“Do you have the right people behind you?”

“I used to. I haven’t called on them for a long time. They come to the house for BBQ’s. I will need to make a call or two.”

“Do it, but keep me on the periphery. I can’t be involved in anything that might turn illegal.”

“Roger that.”

I began making mental notes as we finished our chat with some chat about football and hockey. Rodney got up, we shook hands and I made a long overdue phone call.

“Wildman?” The person that answered was surprised.

“Recon! I need you,” I said quickly.

“Where and when?”

“I am at St. Luke’s hospital. Ask for Renee’s room.”

“Renee? How bad?” I heard concern and anger.

“Maybe the worst. Neck deep.”

“I’ll be there in a bit.”

I disconnected the call and sat back down. My phone became my book again and I tried to read, but my mind kept wandering from the story in the book to the story of the woman in the hospital bed. The woman that had come with me when my ex-wife walked away with Renee’s then husband to spend the weekend fucking.

She and I had rebuilt the company we bought from her ex and she had taken a couple of bullets for me when my ex went nuts and tried to shoot me. We had sold all of her husband’s holdings including several cars, a boat, a house in New Zealand and a mountain cabin. She had no idea about who I really was, and I was constrained by a family policy to keep that info from her until we had been married ten years.

After our twins were born, we took time to raise them and to enjoy our lives and then have MJ, Rachel and James. She knew nothing of the cabin that was safely housing my mother and children. And other than what Recon told her about my actions in Afghanistan she didn’t know about my history in the Marines, and since we had not been married for ten years, Renee didn’t know the specifics about my family’s history. I was finding it hard to believe that this woman would cheat on me. THIS woman was not like that. Something was going on. When I found out what it was I would set things right.

I was deep in my morose thoughts when I heard that voice.

“Wildman. You awake?”

“Yeah. I was deep in thought.”

“Planning something already?”

“Always planning. Hoping I don’t have to execute.”

“Brief me, Cap.”

I told Recon everything that I knew up to this point and then I sat there and looked at him.

“Where is Mom?” He asked.

“Safe at the cabin.”

“You trust your lawyer?”

“He is a Marine. He knew my dad. He knows a little about me.”

“Can I talk to him?”

“Sure. Maybe get Digger involved too.”

“Wildman, this might require some heavy lifting.”

“Yeah, I know it will. You thinking of Jack?”

“Unless you mean your son, yeah, Jack might be needed.”

“We use call signs so often. You know what? The other day I almost forgot that your name is James.”

“Yeah? Well my wife hasn’t, and she even remembers my middle name at times!” He chuckled at his own joke. “I better get going or she is going to be using that name in sentences with a lot of words even Marines don’t use.”

“That’s what you get for marrying a sailor.”