Chapter 4
Oliver lingered in the comfort of his SUV for a moment, gazing upward at the majestic decommissioned lighthouse that stood as a sentinel over the rugged coastline. Adjacent to it was a building he imagined had once held the lighthouse keeper’s family. The building had been modernized into the facade of the LSIWC building, which continued underneath the ground.
Old and new blended. Sort of like me.
He had followed Leo and Natalie on the drive to work. He interrupted his gazing at the buildings to hustle so he could enter with them. With as many missions as he’d accomplished, the usual adrenaline wasn’t rushing through his body. Instead, a ribbon of anxiety wrapped around his gut, a stark contrast to the confidence he usually embodied. Shaking his head to dislodge the disconcerting emotion, he walked quickly around the path leading to the front of the building.
Natalie had gone inside, but Leo paused on the expansive stone and walled patio that overlooked the rocks leading to the ocean crashing below. The site offered an appreciative view of the untamed beauty of this location. For a silent moment, he and Leo stood side by side, overlooking the water. He recognized that as amazing as the view was, the work behind him, within the walls of the LSIWC building, was even more awe-inspiring. And the anxiety that accompanied his first day on a new job slowly morphed into excitement.
Leo’s voice broke the silence. “You ready?”
Looking to the side toward his brother, he nodded. They turned in unison, and just before they approached the door, Oliver said, “I appreciate this, Leo.” He felt Leo’s intense gaze burning into the side of his head and turned to confirm that Leo stared at him. Before he could speak again, Leo nodded.
“This isn’t the kind of career I would recommend for just anyone,” Leo said. “For that matter, I wouldn’t recommend just anyone for the Keepers, brother or not. While a Delta, I worked with a lot of good men and women. A lot of talent, a lot of dedication, a lot of heart. But even so, it takes someone special to be a Keeper.” Leo clapped his hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “It was my honor to recommend you to Carson.”
Oliver swallowed past the lump in his throat and dipped his chin. His stoic brother had surprised him with his pronouncement. Clearing his throat, he said, “Okay, then. Let’s get started.”
They entered the building, and as his eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight to the indoors, he spied Natalie standing next to a desk, talking to the woman who Leo had inferred ran the place.
“Oliver, it’s nice to see you,” the woman said, her smile welcoming as her hand extended toward him. “I know we’ve talked on the phone and through email, but it’s nice to meet you in person. I’m Rachel. I know you’ve completed most of the work I need for your employment record, so I’ll let Leo take you on back. Just stop by later today, and I’ll have a few more things for you to sign.”
He shook her hand, nodding. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Rachel. I’m glad to be here, and I’ll be sure to stop by.”
Following Leo, they passed Rachel’s desk and moved to a door, where Leo tapped onto the keypad, entered the passcode, placed his hand on the scanner, and then leaned forward for a retinal scan. The door opened, and the two men walked through.
“The retinal scan is new,” Leo explained. “LSI in Maine has used one since the beginning, but we’ve just added it to our security.”
“I assume I’ll get set up with all the security today?”
“Carson will take care of everything, and Rachel will ensure you’re good to go with your employment and security.”
Oliver’s introduction to the inner sanctum of LSIWC under Leo’s guidance was a revelation. They navigated through corridors and stepped into the munitions and equipment room. A barrel-chested man with steel-gray hair and a military presence about him was cleaning guns. The man turned and looked at him, then grinned widely. Oliver recognized warmth blended with the security persona.
“This is Teddy Bearski,” Leo introduced.
It was all Oliver could do to keep from chuckling at the teddy bear name that went with everything the man exhibited. But with a firm handshake and a welcome, he could see how the LSIWC equipment and compound manager was perfect for his job. As Teddy detailed the various equipment and inventory, it was evident the former military man was knowledgeable and held affection for the Keepers.
The rest of the tour included locker rooms, a gym, a break room, several conference rooms, and the main work compound area. Stepping into the room that captured the essence of the organization, Oliver’s excitement spiked again. He observed the men and women who he knew were not only Leo and Natalie’s coworkers, but the tight group was also their friends.
Oliver had learned the importance of camaraderie in the military, and that feeling came to the forefront now.
“Everybody, this is my brother-in-law,” Natalie said as she stood with a mischievous grin on her face. “He likes my baking and puts up with my grumpy ass! And… he’s single!”
Chuckles were heard throughout the room as the other men and women stood and welcomed him with handshakes. Now, he could put names to faces for them all. First to approach was his new boss and founder of LSIWC, Carson Dyer. He was formerly Army Special Forces, and Leo had told him that Carson’s wife, Jeannie, was a nurse, also formerly in the Army. He had already met Ian Ridgeway, also Army Special Forces. Now, he met Jonathan Dolby, Adam Calvin, and Terrence Bennett, former Army Rangers like himself. Chris Andrews, Rick Rankin, Jeb Torres, and Frederick Poole were former SEALs. Frank Hopkins had been an Air Force Special Ops pilot and now used his pilot license for LSIWC.
Besides Natalie, he met Poole’s wife, Tricia, and discovered she was an electrician who now specialized in security installments. Rank’s wife, Abbie, had been a CIA Special Operator. Her brother worked with the original LSI in Maine.
Once the introductions were over, he spent the rest of the day with Carson, as his boss highlighted the vast and varied work ahead. Oliver navigated through the files of their open investigative cases, the security installments they were designing and supervising, and the upcoming security missions already on the books.
It was one thing to have been told the scope of his new job, but as he finished the day, he had to admit, it was as daunting as it was exhilarating.
“I’m sure you have many questions,” Carson said. “Never be afraid to ask any of us questions. You know from your brother that we emphasize working together. And don’t worry if something personal occurs and you need our help. It could be moving furniture into a new place or coming to the rescue when your girlfriend needs help.”
At the last statement, he chortled and shook his head. “I don’t think we have to worry about that,” he said. “I don’t have any furniture yet, and no girlfriend is on the horizon.”
“Well,” Abbie began with a twinkle in her eye and a smile. “That has a way of changing on the job.”
Natalie had given him the rundown on how most of the Keepers had met the women in their lives during missions. At the time, he thought she was exaggerating, but after hearing Abbie’s comment, he was no longer sure. Deciding he’d ask Leo later, he turned his attention back to Carson.
As the Keepers looked down at their tablets or the screen on the wall, Carson asked for reports on current assignments, then gave updates on previous missions they’d completed. Several new assignments were to be undertaken, and they discussed which Keepers would take the various missions.
Turning to Oliver, Carson said, “You’ll spend this week learning the ropes as well as getting up to speed on current and upcoming missions. I anticipate you’ll work with Poole and Tricia next week on a security installation project for a pro bono case. In fact, by Friday, they can give you their information so you can look it over and be ready for next Monday morning. Also, you’ll pull an overnight security here in the compound. I’ll have you work Thursday night with Jeb.”
Nodding his eager agreement, he was ready to jump in. Ian and Chris walked out with him at the end of the day.
“Leo mentioned you came through the Atlanta airport.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Spent time at the USO since I took a later flight.”
Chris grinned. “Did you get to meet a woman who worked there named Blessing?”
Oliver jerked slightly. “Yeah… um, sweet lady with an… um… unusual manner about her?”
Ian chuckled. “You can say that again. When I met her, she quoted some poet I’d never heard of. Said that it was all about timing. I thought she was just weird, but the timing worked out for me. Met my wife here, but we’d just missed each other at the USO and had known each other a few years before that. Anyway, Blessing seems squirrelly, but she was right about me.”
“Same here,” Chris added as they got to their vehicles. “She told me I had a journey in front of me, and she wasn’t wrong. Met my wife on that trip back to California. The crazy-ass journey we found ourselves on was definitely more than the destination.”
Oliver shook his head. “She told me it was time for home. I believe her, but I”m not sure that was too hard for her to figure out.”
“Don’t take her words lightly,” Chris said. “I still keep in contact with her occasionally.”
Ian nodded. “Me and Vicki do, too. In fact, Vicki said that she got a text from Blessing to expect you.”
The three men said their goodbyes, and Oliver thought of Blessing during the drive home. He’d wished he would have a home by the holidays. Maybe she’ll also be right about me.
He spent the rest of the first week doing what could’ve seemed by many to be mundane new employment tasks. Signing multiple forms for Rachel. Teddy had given him tours of the equipment and munitions rooms, ensuring he understood what was available to the Keepers for their various assignments. The rest of the time, he had been in the main compound workroom, becoming familiar with the various computer systems, security monitoring, and digital tools the Keepers used in the field and in investigations. He’d spent time with Abbie and Natalie to see what their specialties brought to the LSIWC missions. He had worked with members of the support Ranger team, performing the duties Natalie had with her Delta team. And while he’d appreciated their efforts and their work as part of the military missions, he was blown away by what she could add to the ongoing missions to the Keepers.
Abbie had a background in geospatial photogrammetry, and when he reviewed the past several missions where her information was invaluable, he was even more excited to begin in earnest.
On Thursday, Poole handed him a set of blueprints and security schematics. “Look over these. Become familiar with the building, and we’ll go there on Monday for a final walkthrough.”
He looked down at the title on the file—Bright Futures Home.
Carson looked over and explained. “At times, we become aware of a situation and take it on as a pro bono case. It might not be through official channels, but it’s usually something or someone who needs help, especially in the surrounding community. We believe in making sure our corner of the world is safe. Those missions are just as important as something the FBI brings to us.”
As Carson underscored their commitment to making a difference, he nodded his understanding of the blend of global assignments as well as community care. When he met Ian and Vicki at the Veterans Hospital, he heard their story, and LSIWC jumped in to assist with the threat to the hospital and the elderly patients. He wasn’t just joining a team but was becoming part of a family of Keepers dedicated to a cause greater than themselves.
By the end of the week, he was ready for a few days off. Driving away from the lighthouse, he stared at it through his rearview mirror and grinned. One week down, and he was sure he’d made the right decision… it was definitely time to come home.