Jasper, page 6
He couldn’t do the job if he didn’t have access to information. He understood that nobody would be particularly happy with his involvement, since he was an unknown factor, who nobody knew. The current investigation team would struggle with that. The investigators would be people who knew Mason, knew of the base, not somebody who came in out from the cold. Jasper also understood that to a certain extent, or at least he understood enough that he wouldn’t sit here and let it bother him. And, once they found out he was family, they would get him off the case anyway, but that just wouldn’t work for Jasper.
He did have some pull, though it might all be from back East, but he had it. As he walked into the room, silence came. Jasper noted four men, and he nodded, quickly introduced himself. Several people looked from one side to the other, and, with a hand raised and his tone cool, Jasper declared, “In case you haven’t gotten the memo, I’m part of the team.”
Heads turned to look at one man, who Jasper assumed would be leading the investigation. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. “I presume you’ve been told?”
“We have,” the head man confirmed, his tone easy but his gaze watchful. “We’re just not sure how you managed to get onto an investigation team when you’re clearly new to the base.”
“I’m new to the base but not new to investigations. I’m certainly not new to betrayals, and I’m not new to problems inside a base,” Jasper declared. “So, in this case, although I might be new to the people here, I can come at it from a very different perspective.”
“And is it a fair perspective? We know the people on base.” This investigator also came on strong.
“That’s right. You do know the people. At least some of you will know some of the people,” Jasper corrected. “I’m not here to step on toes, but this is what I do, and this is what I did back East. So, while I’m new here, I’m not new at all.”
A long moment passed, while everybody assessed his words, and then the man in charge spoke, with a scrutinizing gaze. “It’s not as if I have any way to argue with you or to tell you to get the hell out,” he admitted, with a smirk, “which I would do in a heartbeat if I thought it would work.”
“Save your energy. It won’t,” Jasper declared.
“I assumed as much, so the only thing I can say is welcome to the team. Expect to get some hard looks your way because we don’t know who you are.”
“That’s fine, and there will be hard looks going both ways, until I can clear people on this base from being involved in the assassination attempt on Mason.” When several of the men sucked in their breath, Jasper nodded. “No way that every person on this base is not a suspect right now. From the first moment Mason took that hit, that had to be on every damn mind here.”
“What’s your connection to Mason?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Tesla is my cousin,” he shared. “I’m the one who shut down the hospital an hour later than it should have been done. I arranged for the guards at the hospital, and you can bet we’ll all be taking shifts, making sure that Mason is well taken care of.”
“Obviously everybody on the base wants the best for Mason,” one of the men said coolly. “So it won’t go down well if you start accusing all of us too.”
“I don’t give a damn what goes down well.” Jasper refused to turn and look at the person who had just spoken. Keeping his hard gaze on the team leader, Jasper added, “My only concerns are catching whoever did this and ensuring nobody has a chance to go after Tesla.” A rumbling came all around him, as he turned to look around the room from one investigator to the next. “Please don’t tell me not one of you considered that.”
“No reason to think that she’s in any danger,” the head man replied. “However, it is something that I had wondered and had brought up with the brass.”
“I have too, and funding is in progress to cover the security,” Jasper shared. “Now, introductions, please.”
They all looked at each other, and then the leader began, “I’m Morgan. To your right is Sam, and you’ve got Lichen on the other side of you. Steve makes up the fourth, but he’s on medical leave, yet popped in to say hi.”
“I’m Jasper. Nice to meet you all.”
“Is it, or will you sit there and do a full check on us first?” Sam spouted off.
“I would be very derelict in my duties if I didn’t,” Jasper replied. “So considering that’s one of the things you brought up right away, let’s just deal with that first.” Sam may have been sarcastic, but Jasper wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity. “Where were all of you at the time of the sniper shooting?”
Shocked silence followed, as they all frowned at each other.
Jasper shrugged. “No way we aren’t having this discussion. So it’s your choice. Either here and now in front of everybody or later in private.”
Morgan spoke up first. “I was at the hospital, visiting a friend. I had to sign in, and I’m sure multiple people saw me.”
“Were you there when the ambulance arrived?”
“I was, but I didn’t know it carried Mason, not until a little bit later,” he shared. “Maybe fifteen minutes after the incident, we were called in to gather information.”
At that, Jasper turned to look at Sam.
“I was home with my wife,” he replied in exasperation. “Is this necessary?”
“If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be asking,” Jasper declared. “And your wife can verify that? Anybody else?”
“My wife is hardly someone who wouldn’t be considered trustworthy.”
“I don’t particularly like husband-and-wife alibis,” Jasper noted. “So, if anybody else saw you, it would be a lot more helpful.”
Sam shut his jaw and glared at him. “I was talking to my team within a few minutes of that,” he added. “So I can give you the names and the people I talked to, if you want to verify my location at the time,” he bit off.
“Thank you, that would be appreciated.”
Sam stared at him in shock. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“You damn-well better believe it.” Jasper turned to look at Lichen. “Unusual name,” he noted calmly.
“Yeah, it is, but that’s all right. I’m used to those comments,” Lichen shared. “And where was I? I was training, and you can speak with the armory personnel. I signed in, and I signed out. Unfortunately I was one of the last to hear about Mason.”
“The armory didn’t hear?”
“If they did, they weren’t passing it on, but we were all doing some pretty intensive training,” he explained, with a shrug. “You know what that’s like. Nothing stops until you complete it.”
Jasper nodded. “Give me the times in an email, will you?” He handed out his email address, so that everybody could send him their information in writing. Then he looked over at Steve, who was sitting back, his legs crossed and up on the table. “And where were you at the time?”
“Oh, I’ll answer, but I also want to know where the hell you were.”
“Good. I’ll answer that as soon as you answer my question.” Jasper didn’t give him any quarter on it.
“Where were you at the time of Mason’s shooting?”
“Jeez, I can’t believe that you suspect any of us,” Sam sneered.
Jasper didn’t take his gaze off Steve. Steve would be a tough nut to crack.
“I was in the offices here,” Steve shared, with an attitude. “I have a fair number of reports that I’m getting caught up on before I leave,” he muttered.
“So, did you sign in and sign out that day?”
He hesitated and then replied in the same condescending tone. “I avoid signing in and signing out as much as I can, so I’m not sure that I did.”
“What is your reason for avoiding that?”
“Because I don’t always want people to know where I am,” he admitted. “It’s damn hard to get work done if they can come in and find you at any time.”
Morgan rolled his eyes. “Damn it, Steve. We’ve gone over this. You know you’re supposed to sign in all the time.”
“Of course I know that,” he snapped. “And obviously, if I would have known somebody had just been shot, and I needed an alibi, that’s the first thing I would have done.”
“But, in the meantime, you don’t have an alibi,” Jasper noted.
Steve stared at him for a long moment. “I’m not sure that I do. What will you do about it?”
“Keep you on the suspect list,” Jasper declared, still giving no quarter. “So, therefore, I won’t be sharing any information with you, and I will request that you be taken off the investigation team for this case, which, if you’re truly on medical leave, you have no business being here now as it is.”
Chapter 5
‡
Tesla woke slowly, her back aching and her belly bouncing with the baby’s antics going on inside. It took her a moment to realize where she was and to remember the horrible situation they were in. She shifted, stifling a groan, and walked the two feet over to Mason’s bedside, where she once again leaned over, kissed him on the forehead, and whispered into his ear, “I’m still here. I will always be here, and, when you’re ready to come back to the world of the living, I will be here too.”
Checking his color with a wary eye, she noted that he was still holding steady. While no sign of consciousness appeared, he didn’t seem to be any worse either.
She made a slow waddling trip to the bathroom, as she rubbed her aching back. When she came back out, a nurse stood off to the side, checking the machines.
“How is he doing?” Tesla asked.
The nurse turned, with a smile, and replied, “He’s holding on.”
“Which is as good as we can expect right now, I suppose.”
“Honestly I’m delighted he’s holding because that’s a huge sign. The doctors are deliberately keeping him under right now.”
At that, Tesla nodded. “I figured.”
“We don’t want him to be awake and in pain,” she explained. “So, let’s get him through the recovery period after surgery, keep his vitals stable, and we’ll all be in a much stronger position to see where he’s at. The fact that he came through the night so well is a positive thing. Huge.”
And, with that, she did a few more checks, while Tesla watched. It had always fascinated her to see the medical world going on around her, but she’d never been so keenly aware of every move and how incredibly vulnerable they all were when they were in the hospital. Unconscious as Mason was, anybody could do anything they wanted to hurt him, and that thought was just unbearable.
Tesla hovered constantly, not getting in the way, but slyly taking videos and images to ensure that, if anything did go wrong, she had proof of who may have had something to do with it. She didn’t have enough knowledge of what was happening and what the nurses were doing to feel comfortable enough with their actions. Tesla didn’t think she would ever get to the point of being comfortable with that.
Right now, Mason was at the mercy of everyone, which is why Tesla wouldn’t dare take her gaze off anything.
When the nurse was done, she smiled at her and asked, “Now, what about you?” She eyed Tesla critically. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“I did,” she replied, “but you don’t need to worry about me. It’s all about Mason.”
“Yes, Mason is definitely our priority,” she confirmed comfortably, “but none of us want to see you in a hospital bed beside him.”
She winced at that. “Neither do I,” she admitted. “I need to be here for him the whole time.”
“Which is why we need you to take care of yourself,” she replied, with a motion at the cot. “I’ll get somebody in to change the sheets. Did you get any clothes brought over for you?”
“Not yet, I’ll make that arrangement today.” The nurse frowned at her, and she shrugged. “I’m not leaving Mason.”
“He’s doing better, so you could go home and get some clothing and maybe a bite to eat or something to make you feel better.”
Tesla just shook her head. “No, not happening.”
The nurse stared at her for a moment and then shrugged. “Maybe I understand that too.” And, with that, she was gone.
Tesla stared after her, as she returned to her cot and sat down again. It might just kill her to be here because that cot was anything but comfortable, but the thought of leaving Mason at anybody’s mercy when he was in his greatest need was not something she could ever do.
When the door opened and Evan walked in, he smiled at her and held out what looked to be coffee. “I wasn’t sure how much coffee you’re drinking with the baby.”
“Definitely one cup a day,” she admitted, “and I probably shouldn’t have more than that, but it’s pretty-darn hard, under the circumstances.”
“I can always get tea,” he offered.
She smiled up at him. “Thank you for caring so much.”
“Mason is our friend and don’t ever doubt that we’re here for any other reason than his benefit. And yours,” he added, as an afterthought.
She chuckled. “I did hear the afterthought in that.”
“No, at least it wasn’t meant to be.” He grinned bashfully. “Obviously we’re all concerned about both of you.”
“Thank you for that too,” she replied, with a nod. She settled back a little on the cot, as he handed her the cup he had brought over for her.
“You don’t want to go home? You can’t be very comfortable here.”
“No, it’s not comfortable at all,” she shared, “but that doesn’t matter. I’ll be content here, as long as I’m with Mason.” And her tone brooked absolutely no argument.
He smiled at her. “My wife was in the OR with Mason, so she’ll stop in to talk to you, when she gets out of another surgery she’s involved in.”
“She was part of his surgery?” Tesla asked.
He nodded. “She was called in as an extra because they were short on hands.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Tesla shared warmly. “It makes me feel much better, knowing that she was there and looking after him.”
“She was hoping you wouldn’t mind.”
“God no,” she replied. “It does show you how loved Mason is, with all that I’m hearing from people around here.”
“Very loved,” Evan confirmed, with a gentle smile, “but along with that love comes the opposite. Somebody out there doesn’t love him at all.”
“I know. I’ve been racking my brain, thinking who that could be,” she admitted. “I just can’t think of anybody in his work or in his personal life who would hate him this much.”
“There’s also the chance that somebody here was hired for the hit,” he suggested.
She nodded. “I know, and, for that reason alone, every time a nurse comes in, I’m watching like a hawk,” she shared, “and I know that I’m probably not allowed to, so it’s completely illegal, but I’m videotaping absolutely everything they do to Mason.”
He nodded with approval. “That’s not a bad idea, and the fact is, if you are keeping such a close watch, it will slow down anybody looking to make a second move on him.”
“I can only hope. I’m hardly much of a threat, and I’m sure people would look at me almost comically,” she conceded, “but I’ll make damn sure that, if anything happens to him, I’ll have some proof of it. I’m so frustrated that I know so little about the medical processes that he’s already undergone and could be undergoing again. Even when the nurses come in, I find myself questioning if they need to be doing what they’re doing or if somebody else will get at Mason.”
Evan walked over, sat down on the cot beside her, picked up her hand, and shared, “In that case, when my wife, Megan, comes in later, tell her that. Explain to her what you want to know more about, so, if somebody is up to something, you’ll be aware of what to watch for.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” she agreed, looking at him. “I could do some research on it too.”
He shook his head furiously. “You’ll just get tons of messed-up and even contradictory information,” he pointed out, standing his ground. “Let Megan tell you, and then, if you do see something that raises your suspicion, you’ll make an informed decision as to whom you need to contact. We all know how incredibly talented you are,” he added, “so let’s put that to good use right now, while we’re here. You are his number one primary watchdog, and we are the security outside.”
“Are you still standing watch outside?” she asked, staring at the door behind him.
“I have been, and now we have somebody else to take the next shift.”
“Who is it?” she asked warily.
At that, he let out a sharp whistle—which Mason slept right through—and Corey poked his head around the door.
She smiled up at him. “Hey, I’m so glad to know who’s out there.”
“About sixteen of us signed up,” Corey shared, “so don’t you worry. It will all be people you know, all people you can trust.”
With tears in her eyes, she nodded, as Corey stepped back out again. She looked over at Evan. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He smiled, patted her hand. “You don’t need to thank us. You know we love Mason, and we love you, so we’ll do everything in our power to get to the bottom of this. I know that it’s an upsetting thing to talk about, but I do need to ask you a few things.”
She took a deep, calming breath and tried to stabilize the chaotic emotions whirling through her and nodded. “Of course. Go ahead.”
“Did you see anything?”
She shook her head. “He had just arrived, and I was getting to him as fast as I could, but I was anything but fast,” she admitted, with a smile, patting her tummy. “I was so excited to see him, and I heard something. Then I saw the red all over him, as he stood still for a moment. I just froze. I was in shock, not quite understanding what had happened, and then I heard that noise again, almost … sounded like pew, pew,” she explained, imitating the sound. “The noises came very close together, which I hadn’t expected, I hadn’t expected any shots, so I don’t know what I’m talking about.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. “This is enough to make you crazy.”
