Page 98 of Lethal Weakness

“You’re right. Good job!” Linden smiles at her daughter, and for one brief moment, looks up at me before it falls again. “You’re doing a good job with the toddler stuff, too,” she murmurs, as she glances out the window.

For one second, the air feels lighter, as if there’s hope of getting through this without losing them completely, but I don’t let myself enjoy it. I can’t.

“Thanks, momma bird.”

Her eyes narrow, but there isn’t much anger behind them. “Can you at least tell me about the nicknames?” She sounds exhausted. Defeated.

“When I was growing up, my mom always tried to keep me connected to her culture. Her grandmother was the one who taught her everything about the tribe she was from, and I think she liked talking to me about her when I was young. It made her feel like she was still connected to something even though she was the last in her family, and moved away from home to be with my dad.”

Linden’s eyes track the road signs as I head north, but she doesn’t ask where we’re going, and I hope that means she trusts me.

“Birds are symbolic in Native American culture. Even if it was just seeing a hawk flying overhead, she never failed to tell me about the spiritual significance. It always felt important.”

“It was important,” Linden agrees, softly.

“After my parents D-I-E-D, I was lost. I joined the Navy to feel like I had a place in the world, but still felt pretty broken. It wasn’t until I joined my first SEAL unit that they gave me ‘Eagle’ as a call sign. It was just a coincidence, something randomly assigned to me, but I felt like I was connected to my mom again. That it was a sign that I was right where I needed to be.”

“What symbolism does an eagle have?”

“It’s believed that they’re strongly connected to the Great Spirit… Because of how close they fly to the heavens.”

“Wow.”

I glance in the mirror and see that Avery has already fallen asleep. “I was still trying to keep my distance from you guys when I saw you at the mansion during a party.”

Linden’s surprise is evident as she looks at me through the mirror.

“The night Avery was too close to the pool, I whistled a canary’s song to get her to turn around…” I watch her take in my version of events as I speak. “It worked seamlessly too. Got her attention as if she were a little Disney princess who could speak to animals.”

A soft smile tilts the corner of her mouth as she gazes at her daughter.

“After that, I started referring to her as baby bird in my reports, and of course yours, naturally, was momma bird.”

“Well, I guess that isn’t such a bad nickname then.” She huffs a sad laugh. “I hated those parties. I thought she was going to drown– Wait. What happened to that other guy?”

My silence grows and her eyes narrow again.

“He was a pervert.”

“What?” Her eyes cut to Avery quickly, and then back to me.

“He was flirting with your three-year-old.”

Her mouth hangs open. “Oh, my God. Why is the world so fucking scary? All I’ve ever wanted to do is protect her, and it feels like I’m being attacked from every direction,” she utters brokenly, covering her face.

“Not anymore.” I can see the dilemma on her face. She wants to believe me, but I haven’t earned it yet. The grief she’s feeling over her old reality will take time to fade. “No one can touch you guys ever again.”

“Did you kill him, too?” She asks apprehensively, but almost sarcastically.

“Yes.”

Her eyes squeeze shut. “I feel so empty.”

“Get some rest, Linden. It’s going to be a long drive.”

Her head rests against the side of the car seat as she watches out the window for several miles. “How can I trust you again, Jack? You’ve been lying for so long.”

“I know.” I watch her in the mirror as she accepts my response. “You don’t ever have to forgive me, Linden. I don’t deserve it. But I need you to know that even when I couldn’t tell you the whole truth, I was never a danger to you and Avery. I promise on my mother and father’s grave, you can trust that.”