Bojan, page 15
“So, his mother’s death probably started Charlie’s downfall, but his sister’s death was the incident that set him off, and, for whatever reason, he’s blaming you, or maybe he was looking for something from you, didn’t get it, and now he’s spiraling,” Lacy suggested.
“There’s more,” Bullard said. “Get this. The doc told me that Charlie’s mom died. Of cancer. On the surgery table. Some ten years ago just after I fired him.” Bullard levied a stare at Lacy.
Lacy nodded. “The medical file that Bojan chose, from among the victims of that killing doctor. That matches. And with their mom dead, that left the sister in charge of Charlie, with all his anger issues that then developed into psychological issues as well, maybe some drug interactions or addiction added to the mix.”
“At least we know more about who and what we’re dealing with now. We just have to find Charlie, and that wouldn’t really be an issue, even without a damaged mind. However, someone with a damaged mind and extreme military experience may not be all that easy to bring in,” Bullard pointed out.
“Maybe not, but that doesn’t make it impossible either.” Then Lacy stiffened, but immediately relaxed as Bojan walked in the front door. Dave and Ryland followed behind.
Bullard looked at her with a knowing expression. “You haven’t had an easy time, but, since he’s arrived and after yesterday, sometimes you seem better. Yet other times it seems to be grating on your nerves.”
“It’s not even that so much,” she said, with a wry look, “but instead more about that feeling—when you reach out to give a big welcome to someone because you’re so delighted to see them because they’re so special in your world—and then you realize for the umpteenth time that you can’t do that because, in their world, you’re not special at all.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong, Lacy. That’s the way it was, not the way it is now. You’ve got to remember that, and you need to update your own memories.”
And, with that, Bullard turned and walked out.
*
Bojan walked in with his senses already alert, knowing she wanted to remain in the living room with him. He studied her and, without giving her a chance to say a word, he walked over, leaned down, and gave her a powerful kiss. Whistling, he then headed to the kitchen, leaving her behind. He heard the laughter around them and her furious message in his head.
Did you have to do that?
No, I didn’t have to, he replied, but I really wanted to.
At that came a stunned silence from her.
Yes, it’s a whole new day, he said patiently. It’s a whole new world, and it will take us a bit of time to get there.
Yeah, … well, it might take me a little longer than you.
We really don’t have a whole lot of time to spend on adjusting, and it seems we’ve wasted enough already.
Well, that is hardly my fault, she snapped.
You’re right. That’s not your fault. It’s mine, and I can’t do anything more than apologize, but I won’t spend the rest of our time hating what I did any more than I have to. So forgive me and get over it already. And, with that, he closed the door in his mind in her face.
Sometimes there was a great deal of joy in being able to close that door, and he was looking forward to the days when it wouldn’t be necessary and when they would talk without pushing each other’s buttons and setting them off. It’s almost as if he wanted a warning sign on that door, before shit was about to hit the fan. Bojan was just glad that she and Leia were not in the room right now.
As it was, the team had far too little information on their shooter, but, as Bojan listened to Bullard bring them up to speed, it made a whole lot more sense. “So, it is directed at Leia,” he noted, “though misdirected because our shooter doesn’t understand that whatever happened between Bullard and his sister just happened.” He frowned, yet with a nod.
“Well, I certainly don’t have anything to be ashamed about,” Bullard shared, standing in front of his men. “We didn’t have much of a relationship to begin with, and, as I recall, she had somebody else in her life she wanted to be with.” He spoke softly, his face thoughtful. “I’m not sure she ever told her brother about that because Charlie hated the guy.”
“Well, that would be another reason for Charlie’s confusion,” Bojan added. “If his sister had hidden that relationship, then it’s quite possible that Charlie wouldn’t have seen his sister’s growth in the relationship department.”
“He wouldn’t have taken it as being positive anyway,” Bullard stated.
“The bottom line is,” Bojan said, “we have to catch this guy before he does something to hurt anybody else, particularly Leia and Lacy, since he already hurt Lacy in lieu of Leia. As I see it, Charlie won’t hold off until he gets the right person,” Bojan winced. “He’ll just shoot because I don’t think his mind will be capable of sorting through all those details. Maybe before losing his sister he could have dealt with things better, but certainly not now.”
“He’ll continue to spiral out of control,” Bullard agreed, “and that’s bound to be bad news for us all.”
“Absolutely,” Bojan stated.
“So, on a more cheerful note, we get to keep the women locked inside, which makes security a bit easier,” Bullard declared, looking around at the others, “Agreed?”
“Humph, you can say that,” Bojan replied, almost choking, “but it won’t happen.”
“Well, if you don’t tell Lacy, then it will be a surprise when Leia finds out,” Bullard explained in a somewhat reasonable tone.
“Too late.” Bojan gave Bullard a wry look. “I closed the door to my mind when I came in, knowing what kind of conversation we were likely to have, but Lacy opened it a minute ago, and I’m certain she just heard that.”
Moments later, Lacy burst into the room, Leia on her heels, yet Lacy was fiery mad.
Knowing that he had to put a stop to it before it got out of control, Bojan got up, walked over, snatched her up into his arms, and laid the kiss of the century on her. When he lifted his head, Lacy sagged against him.
“That’s hardly fair.”
He looked over at the others to see them hiding smirks, but Leia was still glaring daggers at Bullard. Her gaze was on fire, and her tone could cut stones. “Are you trying to make me mad and my life even more stressful? You are not locking us up,” she snapped. “And don’t even think about trying Bojan’s tactics on me,” she muttered.
“Never.” Bullard was too damn struck to say anything else.
“I’m not carrying your babies for nothing,” she snapped. “But keeping us cooped up inside isn’t healthy for any of us, mentally or physically. I’ve got two babies that don’t need this added stress. It’s your job to protect us, so you either do just that, or you tell me that you can’t do it, in which case it’s an entirely different situation,” she muttered and continued to glare at her husband. “But it will be my decision on how I choose to handle it.”
At that, Bullard rose beside her, glaring. “Don’t ever imply that I can’t look after you,” he began, “but there is also a balance between keeping yourself safe and being foolish.”
“Yes, asking us to stay indoors for a long period of time is a perfect example. The babies need fresh air, and we do too, and that’s all there is to it.”
“Babe, we need to make calculated decisions here.”
“Find us a protected spot, even if you guys have to sit outside with sniper rifles at the ready,” she snapped. “And, if you want to continue this discussion, believe me, I’m down for it. But this one? … You will lose.” And, with that, she poked him in the chest once and then again, as she added, “And, if you think you will take on a pregnant lady right now and start limiting the few enjoyable things she can do, especially sitting outside in the sun, then you better think again. Your babies need the peace and quiet found in Mother Nature.” With another poke or two for good measure, she turned and walked out. “No wonder Lacy thinks I will deliver early,” Leia muttered, and Bullard heard every word.
At that, Bojan looked over at Bullard and started to laugh. “Well, I guess you know where she stands,” he muttered.
“Yeah, and I don’t think you will get away with much else,” Lacy added, yet still in Bojan’s arms. “Keeping us inside is a bad idea. And she’s right. We both prefer to be outside in the sunshine, so, if you can’t find a way to protect us out there, then something is wrong here. This may be deemed your home, but it is an enclosed compound, and, yes, I know you’re already fixing the security on the back side. So we’ll give you until tomorrow to have that fixed,” she declared in an ominous tone.
“How kind of you.” Bullard’s tone was biting.
“As Leia suggested, you may need somebody out there with sniper rifles to address any threat,” she muttered. “Surely this guy doesn’t have equipment beyond that.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Bullard corrected. “This guy could have access to the same type of equipment that we do.”
Lacy sighed. “You better find him fast because you sure don’t want to tell Leia that she can’t go outside. I already know what that answer will be. I’m not looking forward to the fact that I have to tell her that I gave you until tomorrow.”
He rolled his eyes. “Nothing scarier than a pregnant woman.”
“Yeah, there is,” Lacy argued. “A pregnant woman almost to term who’s carrying twins. Don’t bring out the warrior within—or the mama bear either. She and those babies don’t need the added stress at this time.”
*
The rest of the day Bojan watched as Bullard pulled every string in the book to try and set up the further enhanced security outside—both of the high-tech variety as well as extra manpower—even as he moved forward at top speed on the security efforts on the adjacent property he’d just purchased. Having Leia confront him made him face the fact that this would happen on her timetable, not his, and he needed to get after it, if he wanted to keep up with his very pregnant wife.
He had absolutely no doubt that life would get very difficult for all of them if they didn’t find the shooter really soon. They had already tracked down everything they could as far as bullets. The police had been brought in because of the deceased body found at Charlie’s apartment. That body had been identified as a long-term friend, who had been receiving treatment in the same therapy group. It was still undetermined whether the guy had committed suicide or had been murdered. The police weren’t talking, but having seen the scenario himself, Bojan was pretty darn sure murder was on the table. Which meant that this Charlie guy probably had a very short fuse and even now was looking for a way to get back at Bullard.
As Bullard walked into the huge dining room—where Bojan was working on a laptop, trying to track other places the shooter was known to haunt—Bullard dropped a folder on the table and announced, “Well, I know why now at least.”
“You do?” Bojan asked.
“Yeah, apparently the car accident took him back in time. Like seriously regressed his brain back almost two decades, to when I was going out with his sister, and Charlie’s memories stopped there. So, it has nothing to do with my behavior, her behavior, or anything else, but in his brain? … It’s still some fifteen years ago, and he hasn’t been able to let it go that his sister and I broke up. And it was his sister’s idea.”
At that, Bojan nodded slowly. “That makes more sense. … While my heart goes out to the guy, we still have to stop him.”
“Yeah, you’re not kidding.” Bullard glared down at the paperwork spread around him. “The doctor didn’t have any ideas where Charlie would go or who he hangs out with, except that he’d made a bunch of friends through his therapy group. It required some arm twisting, but the doc has just given us that list.”
“Good.” Bojan hopped up. “I can’t stand sitting around, so I’ll grab a bunch of those names and go.”
“I’m coming with you,” Ryland said.
“Twelve names are here,” Bullard pointed out, “so split them up. Get two or three teams out, and let’s cover them as quickly as possible. We need to find Charlie and fast. Meanwhile, this place is on full lockdown, so make sure you use full security measures coming and going. I don’t need to tell you how bad things can get.”
Within a matter of minutes, the three teams were gathered. Ryland grabbed the list and quickly divided the names among the groups. “We need addresses, and we don’t have them,” he muttered.
Bullard nodded. “Yeah, the doctor wouldn’t give me addresses for these guys, due to privacy legalities,” he noted, with an eye roll, “but I’ve already called the cops, and the ones they found right away are printing now. Just give me a minute.”
“Will the cops be okay if we go look for these people?” Bojan asked.
“They’re pretty short on manpower. They said they’ll be on their way, but it won’t be anytime soon. Therefore, we have to share whatever information we have. So, yeah, we can take a look first.”
“Works for me,” Bojan replied. “It’s better to have the local authorities on our side anyway. If we get there and get the legwork done before them, we’re still better off.”
“Exactly, so get loaded up and go. Here are the addresses we have. I will forward the others, as soon as I get them.”
And, with that, the three teams headed out. As soon as Bojan and Ryland hopped into their vehicle, Ryland spoke up. “Is there a reason why you grabbed these particular names?”
“Yeah. I remembered them from some of the background info we had on Charlie. At least two of the names here stand out. He worked with one of these guys at a previous job, and I figured he had a closer connection than others may to Charlie.”
“That would make sense.” Ryland nodded. “Let’s get after it.”
“Glad to see you guys don’t waste time.”
“No, we sure don’t,” Ryland confirmed. “Did you get any readings off the list?”
“Yeah, I did, and now my bet’s on this guy”—Bojan pointed at a name on their list—“but still something’s off about it.”
“Great,” Ryland muttered, staring at him for a moment. “Are we talking about a dead body kind of off, like last time?”
“Possibly,” he replied. “I don’t know what to say to that until we get there, and there’s absolutely no way to know.”
“Got it,” Ryland said.
“You want to go there first?”
“Yes.”
And that’s what they did. It was a small apartment on the lower level of a four-story apartment building. It appeared a little rough, but that was to be expected because they were in a low-income area. As Bojan got out of the vehicle, he studied the grimy walls and the dusty windows. “I guess this is the kind of place where Charlie would hide out, right?”
“Maybe,” Ryland said, “but you can’t ever count on that. Fortunes rise and fall.”
“Yeah, but don’t you often see those who are rising then sometimes fall again right afterward, as if they got money in, then it went right back out again?”
“Usually, especially when drugs are involved, you know?”
“Yep, we just can’t make that assumption yet.”
Agreeing with that, Ryland headed to the doorway of the first address, then looked down at the paperwork in his hand and asked, “So this is the guy named Ripper?”
“What kind of a name is Ripper?” Bojan asked.
“It’s a name he legally changed to, but it’s not Ripper. It’s Rippa,” Ryland clarified.
“I kinda prefer that pronunciation,” Bojan quipped.
With a chuckle, they knocked on the door and waited but got no answer. Putting an ear to the door, Ryland looked over at Bojan and shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a problem walking in and checking to ensure this guy is okay, since the previous guy was dead.”
“Works for me,” Bojan agreed. “Besides, you have a better handle on what you can get by with here than I do.”
“What I can get away with and what Bullard can get away with are two different things,” he noted cheerfully, as he quickly picked the lock, pushed the door open, and called out, “Rippa? Anybody home?”
There was no answer. They walked to the far side and quickly scanned the apartment but found no sign of anyone. Frowning, they stepped back outside, locked up the door.
“I didn’t see anything, did you?” Bojan asked Ryland.
“No, not at all, plus there was no paperwork, no mail, or anything like that. It’s almost like it wasn’t even lived in, or, if it was, it wasn’t a full-time location.”
At that, Bojan thought for a moment. “In a way that kind of makes sense. Maybe this guy’s got a girlfriend or something, but his money pays for this much.”
“I don’t know how that works, but, if he’s got disability payments or something that’s covering the cost of an apartment, then he’ll keep this regardless. The last thing he wants to do is lose that kind of government money. But you would think that they would move in here.”
“Right,” Bojan agreed. “He could also be in the hospital for treatment or something.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t considered that. These guys are probably frequent flyers. Maybe run a check and see.” They quickly ran the name through a hospital records program and found a match. “Bingo.”
Bojan stared at the data brought up in front of him and swore. “He was admitted for an overdose yesterday.”
At that, Ryland looked at him, frowned, and suggested, “Better call the hospital and see if we can get in to talk to him.”
“Will do,” Bojan confirmed. “Meanwhile, let’s keep driving and head to the second location.” Ryland drove toward the second address, while Bojan was still on hold with the hospital. When he finally got through, he was informed that the patient was allowed visitors, but only with supervised visitation, and they must have permission.
“How do we get permission?” he asked the nurse. By the time he got the doctor’s name, so he could request permission, he had everything written down and shook his head. “I wonder if we need to bring in the cops on this one.”
