Chap 6 A Friend

by Shin

 

 

 

Matt and Alex finished the report on the investigation and submitted it to the Captain. Matt took the rest of the day off and drove to Hill Drive. Along the way, he picked up a six-pack.

It made sense to do the work he is doing, he figured. In Iraq someone else pulled the strings on what's right and wrong and all he had to do was pull the trigger. In law enforcement, he found a more personal aspect of the experience of justice. It put him on the spot of analyzing and making the decisions he had to, based on the guidelines.

He thought of his mother and figured that she would prefer the Iraq approach. As he viewed his experiences on both sides of law and order, he found the Iraq side still full of questions. His JPD experience was clear cut and straight.

It was much the same way with his mother. He thought it was what affected the relations he formed with women.

He turned into a side road when he was close to the hilltop and arrived at the look-out spot overlooking the city of Jefferson. From here, one saw the entire city and the homes surrounding it. It gave him a perspective. It also helped him to think, especially where he had to dismiss something that he found disagreeable.

He broke open a can and took a long, cool gulp.

His thoughts went to the eagle insignia he used to wear that formed the identity of his unit in Iraq. But he had liked working for Blackwater. It was the same service, the equipment was more efficient but mostly, the idea of private enterprise held a special nature of greater responsibility, rather than merely obeying orders.

In the marines, he had followed the manual. In Blackwater, they relied on a protocol that each soldier defined for himself and followed to the edge of hell. It was a greater professional nature and allowed for more certainty in matters.

He liked the insignia worn by paramedics. The rod of the Cadeuces. On the one side is the snake of principle and the other the snake of physical activity. Both climb up a staff that can only be defined as the ultimate protocol of life. If one does it well, it flies. The point would be to do it together.

He thought of calling Sara, but dismissed it. Then he picked the cell and called her.

“ Hi, its Matt,” he said into the cell when she picked up.

“ Hi,” she responded, “ what are you doing?”

“ Sitting here at my thinking tree having a beer,” he replied.

“ Can anyone join you?” she asked.

He was thrown but regained composure.

“ You serious?” he asked.

“ Yeah, “ she replied.

He paused.

“ Are we moving too fast?” she blurted out as if the question was on his mind.

“ What do you think, Sarge?” he responded.

“ I think we are,” she replied.

“ Come on over then,” he suggested, “ I think I've got the place covered. You can see the enemy coming from ten miles away.”

He felt a little weary as he took out the automatic and placed it in the glove compartment. Then he started on the second beer. She pulled up a short while later.

“ It must be a holiday,” she suggested as she got into the passenger side.

“ Its the place for kids hanging out,” he suggested.

“ I must have missed this,” she added, pulling on a beer can and breaking it open.

They looked out at the cityscape and took a moment to regain their composure.

“ I'm driving down to Willard on the weekend,” she informed. “ Its my godfather, he's a little off.”

“ Is he all right?” he asked.

“Just the usual walk-about, as the Aussies say. He thinks he's visited by UFOs.”

“ Knew a fella in the force that had the same problem,” he announced. “ Then he joined a nudist camp and got cured.”

She laughed.

“ You're kidding?” she suggested.

“ He said they flew in cylindrical crafts,” said Matt, making himself sound deliberately sure.

“ Yeah I bet,” she responded, realizing that they had wandered into a picnic area for sex.

Then without warning, she blurted,

“ Is your father still around?” She took a gulp from the can.

“ There she goes again,” Matt called.

She suppressed a smile.

“Does it bother you?” she asked.

“Well my mother had worked it into a world contender for sudden outbursts....I'm thinking its the only thing I got going to prevent myself sinking too deep into something....You think you could keep an eye on that for me?”

“Not a problem,” she replied.

“My dad left when I was sixteen. We kept in touch. Then one day he introduced me to to his young Armenian boy friend, with whom he has a once in a blue moon relationship.”

Sara's attention had narrowed. Matt paused.

“ You okay?” she asked.

He nodded.

“ It takes a circus trapeze to deal with some of the issues we got going,” he replied. “ But he opened the door for me.....I know he did it for a reason.....but I can't shut it now.”

Sara pondered deeply.

“ I'm a friend,” she said without emotion.

They reached out to hold hands briefly then withdrew them.

“ By the way, we got to the mat on Yang,” Matt announced. “ I owe you one.”

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Marie]

Good chapter, not too long, not too short; tells enough, not too much. Found a few errors; needs proofreading.