Ethan
Ethan didn’t know much about therapy, but he believed they had made progress during their two-hour marathon session with Dr. Secada.
“When do we need to see you again?” Ethan asked as he stood from the couch at the end of the session.
“Anytime you need me, I’m here for you. The FBI understands that victim trauma comes in waves. You may feel excellent today and have a setback tomorrow. Let’s face it. If we had talked yesterday, I would have showed up at your house today, knowing what had happened. I’m not going anywhere. But do we need to see each other every week? Probably not. But I’m still available if you need me.”
“And we promise to come to see you if we do,” Blayne said as he reached down and picked up his coat from the couch. Blayne then grabbed Ethan’s and helped him into it without asking.
Dr. Secada opened the door to her office and started walking down the hallway toward the small reception area in the front.
“Agent Murphy?” Secada said. “Well, this is a surprise.”
Ethan pulled up behind Dr. Secada, and there was another person in the office he hadn’t expected to see. “Mr. J., what are you two doing here?”
“How did you get to campus this morning?” Mr. J. asked.
“We walked,” Ethan said. Ethan looked at Mr. J.’s face as it tightened into a stern grimace, as deep-set frown lines creased further into a scowl.
“You probably shouldn’t tell him you went for a jog this morning,” Blayne said. Mr. J.’s sharp, hawk-like eyes, flashing with frustration, narrowed even farther.
“Thanks, Blayne,” Ethan said sarcastically. “You’re the kid who used to tell on the other kids in class.”
“Pretty much.”
“How can I keep you safe when you keep doing stuff like that?” Mr. J. said in a low growl.
“Whoa,” Ethan said, holding up his hand. “I do this stuff all the time. What’s happened?”
“There’s been a credible threat against your lives,” Agent Murphy said.
“Just tell them straight,” Dr. Secada offered. “It’s best to just be honest with them.” She turned to Mr. J. and said, “I’m Dr. Esperanza Secada. I’ve worked with the Veterans Administration treating post-traumatic stress disorder before I came to work here at Pennington. I still see clients on the VA side, so I maintain my security clearance. When Agent Murphy sought someone local to work with Blayne and Ethan, she connected with me.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor,” Mr. J. said, extending his hand. “I’m Jameson Johnson, head of ZERO’s security. Not that I can head their security when I don’t know what’s happening.”
“Ex-Marine?” Dr. Secada asked.
“Something like that. Been mostly in private security for a couple of decades now.”
“So, what exactly is this threat?” Dr. Secada asked.
“We picked up chatter last night. The ringleader of the organization that planned the attack last night escaped. She vowed vengeance against the man who killed her husband and, by extension, also threatened Ethan.”
“What did she really say?” Ethan asked.
“She said she wanted to kill the murderous pervert and his homosexual lover,” Murphy said. “We’re taking this threat seriously. This woman is clearly unhinged, and we think losing her husband may be the tipping point. She’s going to do something—”
“Which is why we don’t want either of you going anywhere without a security detail,” Mr. J. added.
“I can’t exactly have a security detail around while I’m teaching,” Blayne said. “It would be awkward. Besides, how would I explain that to my students?”
Murphy turned and looked at Blayne. Ethan looked at Murphy’s face and didn’t like what he saw there. There was a look of sadness and pity. “Unfortunately, I’ve been in meetings with Pennington University officials today, and they ask you to take a leave of absence. You’ll be paid for the rest of the semester, and you can continue your coursework, but you’ll need to do it away from campus until this is straightened out.”
“I won’t take the leave,” Blayne said, looking at Dr. Secada. “They can’t do this, can they?”
“Shouldthey be able to do this? No.Canthey do this? Yes.”
Murphy said, “They can bar anyone from the campus if that person is a perceived threat. And like it or not,you’rea perceived threat.”
