Chapter One
Monday, March 19th
Wes Crockett settled behind his desk. Inhaling and exhaling, he tried to relax. Even the four-mile run followed by a two-mile swim did nothing for his rumbling gut. Today, the Chase Center for Training was expanding its programs with the addition of new staff he knew only by resumé and interview notes.
His fingers held the message his secretary handed him. It was only seven in the morning. He took a sip of coffee, ate some of his egg-white omelet, and dialed Mike Johnson’s number. The Deputy CEO of Chase Security International was doing double duty while the CEO, Martin Bailey, was on paternity leave. Why was he calling so early?
“Good morning?” Wes asked tentatively when Mike answered.
“Morning.” Mike’s voice was light. Too light.
Wes cringed. “What’s going on?”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah, hold on, I’ll close my door. Okay, we’re private.” His stomach tightened around his breakfast.
“I need to discuss something with you.”
“Discuss,” Wes sighed, stood and began to pace.
“Pat Hedges called me. Troy is plateauing in his treatment. His February surgery is paying dividends, and he’s gaining movement and strength in his legs.” Troy Bremen, former co-leader of the rapid response Bravo Team and current Assistant Executive Director of the flagship San Diego branch was gravely injured during an undercover operation in August.
“That’s great. Why didn’t he tell any of us?” His lips turned up into a brilliant smile.
“It is. He wanted to be sure the improvements were real. Now, he’s begging to come back to work. His vision has improved to 20/30; his upper body strength is growing, and with the improvement from the surgery, he is able to drive.”
“God help us. He couldn’t drivebefore,” Wes teased. “Can we get him a Humvee?”
Mike laughed, then turned serious. “Hedges is worried about his emotional health. He and the company leadership, plus Julian, discussed the situation. We were thinking with your new program, we could send him to you. We figure you could let him help you here and there.” Julian was the chief executive at the San Diego branch.
Wes’s shoulders rose. “Absolutely not. If you send him to me, he comes on as a full assist, an equal. As far as the program goes, if Hedges thinks it’s the right thing for him, we offer it to him. I won’t play games with Troy and jeopardize our friendship and his recovery,” Wes advised, his blood rustling through his ears.
“Jule knew you’d say that. What if he encounters difficulty?” Mike sighed.
“Same thing we do for any of us. We work through it. Period, end of sentence.” His muscles tensed.
Mike chuckled. “I’m signing off on Troy’s new assignment now. I’ll have his file sent to your new medical director.”
“Good. I promise I’ll take care of him. You won’t regret this decision.” Wes smiled.
“Good luck with the orientation today. Are you ready?”
“And if I said no, what would you say?” Wes asked flatly.
“I’d tell you to suck it up, buttercup. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Crockett out.”
Wes opened his desk drawer and popped two antacids, then tossed his coffee into the trash and opened up his schedule on his computer. At 0900, new staff would begin arriving to usher in a new beginning for the training center with the addition of three new programs and a satellite medical clinic. He ticked off his day’s agenda. “Staff meeting. Trip to building department to drop off underwriter’s certificates, individual division head meetings, check on arrival of new animals for equine-assisted therapy, canine program and children’s programming.”
Yvonne, his secretary, knocked on his door. “Hey, Wes. Can I come in?” she asked with a teasing yet maternal tone. At Wes’s direction, she walked inside. “TJ and Kenny called; they’re running late, stuck in traffic. Are you ready for the big day?”
“If I’m not, I’m destined to be a gate guard.” He chuckled a little too long, then looked over at two files. At least he knew them. TJ “Cuda” Poole and Kenny “Jockey” Clarke would be joining his staff as his new first deputy directors. Both from the Eagle’s Talon Bravo Team, they had recently completed leadership training at George Washington University.
“Knock, knock.” Christian Paulsen, his executive officer, joined him, sipping a green concoction from a clear plastic cup.
“Blech, I draw the line there.” Wes’s face contorted when he saw the drink. “Morning.”
