Chapter Seven
Terry stared at the phone for the longest time, trying to gain the courage to pick it up. He was stepping way outside the lines of what was appropriate for someone who had only been friends for a few weeks.
Still, it broke his heart to think of Dan being separated from his family. Terry knew what that felt like, except he had no chance of ever getting them back. He wanted Dan to have that chance.
Gathering his courage, Terry picked up the phone and dialed the number he had found online. It was amazing what you could find out about someone with a little research.
"Hello?" asked a rough voice.
Terry's mouth went dry. He had to swallow a couple of times before he could reply. "Mr. Wilson?"
"Yes."
"Hi, my name is Terry Iverson. I'm a friend of your son's."
"I don't have a son."
The man hung up.
Terry growled and immediately dialed back.
"Look, Mr. Wilson," Terry said as soon as the line was answered, "I don't know what your problem is, but Dan is a good man. He's also a good agent. Just because he didn't become a beat cop like you doesn't mean he doesn't work in law enforcement. If anything, he works harder. For you to ignore him because he didn't do what you wanted makes you look like a selfish prick."
"Who do you think you are to talk to me like this?" the man snapped.
"I'm your son's friend, and I've seen what it's done to him not to have your approval or have you in his life, and as someone who has lost both his parents, I know exactly what he's going through. But see, Dan has a chance at having that again if you'd just pull your head out of your ass. I don't. My parents are dead."
"He was supposed to be a cop."
"He is a cop!" DEA was law enforcement just like the FBI and a beat cop in the city. "He saves people's lives and puts the bad guys away every single day."
"That's not a cop."
"What do you do? Walk up and down the street handing out parking tickets and telling skateboarders to get off the sidewalk? When was the last time you drew your gun or arrested someone? Dan did it last week when he stopped a drug ring going through town. He probably saved hundreds of lives that would have been shot down the crapper if those drugs had hit the street. How'd you do last week?"
Silence met his statement.
"Look, Mr. Wilson." Terry lowered his voice to a more calm tone. "I'm not saying you have to be bosom buddies or anything, but refusing to talk to him because he didn't become a beat cop just makes you look bad, especially when Dan is such a great guy, something I'm sure you had a hand in."
He seriously doubted the man had anything to do with how Dan was now, but he could throw the old guy a bone.
"Just think about it. Dan misses you a lot."
Mr. Wilson cleared his throat. "I miss him too."
Yes! Terry pumped his fist in the air.
"If you want to talk to him, you can call him at this number, or better yet, come visit him in Cade Creek."
"Is that where he is now?"
Terry was very glad he had the strength not to snap at the man. He should know where his son was. "Yes, he transferred here a couple of months ago."
"I'll think about it."
Well, that wasn't a no.
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