Merry Christmas #2
Chen watched Simo carefully as Jessie left. “It seems that someone has surreptitiously left you a gift.” Chen moved out of the way, and on Simo’s desk was a beautifully gold-wrapped present. “Please, Simo. Do not get angry. She is young at heart. Can you not understand?”
Simo sighed and ran his hand down his long ponytail. “Yeah, yeah… thanks for staying until they left.”
“Of course. Well, I have work to finish.” Chen held out his hand and Simo shook it. “Happy Holidays to you, Simo. I will be on station and notify you should anything come up.”
“Thank you… I really… appreciate that we are friends.”
“I would not have it any other way.” Chen grinned and left Simo looking at Jessie’s present.
Simo took his seat and turned the small rectangular box around. A very small card was under the sparkling gold bow. He read it: Thank you for my life -Jessie.
Simo smiled at the gift. He very carefully unwrapped the beautiful paper, careful to not rip it.
It was his favorite cologne, and he had run out a week ago.
He folded up the paper along with the tiny card and put them inside his jacket pocket.
He then slipped the cologne inside his jacket as well, stood up, and left to meet Theo, who was waiting outside.
“You are smiling.” Theo grinned.
“Oh… yeah. Good to make you all happy.”
“A lot more than last year…”
“Courtesy of Joel and Irwin.” Simo chuckled. “Our work is only going to get harder now…”
“Joel?”
“No. Ari’s wealth will top over a billion… he will be busy.”
“Ah… well, if I were Ari, I would just give you a million bucks and a reminder that Joel deserves the bad accident he is due. Hell, I’d do it for free for what he did to JJ.”
“Yeah, and Ari said as much. But we don’t know what Irwin has planned for me if Joel ends up dead. Besides, I like the idea of Joel in prison…”
“Ha! He won’t last long.”
“Maybe…”
Simo was standing at his window, looking out at the Christmas decorations and lights adorning his condominium complex.
He was invited to have Christmas dinner with Ari, Christina, and Annabeth, along with Theo, but Simo thought it best that the Aschers have time to themselves.
Instead, Theo was making Christmas dinner at Becky’s for Gunnar and Jessie; Simo declined the invitation.
Solemnly, he wondered what his life would have been like if he had followed orders and passed on rescuing Jessie…
he thought about his ex-wife, Marina. She was happily remarried and had two sets of twins and one more on the way.
Her husband was a good man, after all, it seemed.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out.
Lilly was calling. He expected as much and let it go to voicemail, then put his phone down on a nearby table.
He blew out a long stream of air and watched the sky gradually turn darker. His phone vibrated again. With a sigh, he looked over at it and saw it was Eleni calling. He let that one go to voicemail as well.
He lost track of time as he stared out the window. When his phone rang again, it was dark outside and some of the Christmas lights were already off. He glanced at it and saw it was Becky. He ignored it, only to have Becky call him again. With a sigh, he answered it.
“Yes?”
“Hi, Simo… uh, we have a slight problem…”
“What?” Simo said commandingly.
“Jessie is gone…”
“What? Where?”
“We don’t know… Theo is out looking for her.”
“Fuck… what is it now?”
“Uh… she has been very upset.”
“Why?”
“Uh… well?” Becky squeaked.
“Spit it out, Becky.”
“She… she is upset about a lot of things… particularly, uh, you.”
“Fuck. Did she pack?”
“Uh… no. She left everything here. Her purse, her phone, her keys…”
“Start from the beginning.”
“Well… she’s been upset since before the Christmas party, and I could tell tonight she was faking being ok…
but I could tell she had been crying. Theo went to get her for dinner and she was gone.
He’s driving around with Gunnar. They didn’t want to bother you, but I’m really, really worried for her… she seemed so depressed.”
“Fuck. Do you have any idea where she would go?”
“No. Simo, she left absolutely everything. Her Christmas bonus cash is sitting on her dresser…”
“Call Theo and Gunnar. Tell them I’ll take over, and to come back and try to enjoy their dinner.”
“Yes, Simo. Thank you.”
“Sure.” Simo grunted and hung up, then dialed Chen.
“Chen, sorry to bother you. Jessie has gone missing… no phone or personal items. Is she with you?”
“No. I was afraid of this happening. You should have spoken with her.”
Simo sighed. “I’m too tired for all this, Chen. Any idea where she is?”
“Perhaps you can start at Santa Monica Pier. She loved flying around there… if not there, then try the Santa Monica airport.”
“Thanks, Chen.”
“Simo? If you find her… be gentle.”
“I’ll try.”
Simo hung up and headed for his garage. As he raced down the 10 freeway, his mind was jumping between different scenarios.
Was she suicidal? Was she doing this for attention?
Was she trying to get him alone? Was she hurt…
did she already do something? He found himself driving faster and, in no time, he pulled a U-turn on Ocean Avenue, his tires squealing.
He parked his Challenger and leapt out of his car.
He rushed over to the boardwalk railing along Ocean Avenue, but no one was in sight.
He peered out into the dark toward the cresting waves and could not see anyone on the starlit sand.
He jogged along the path toward the closed pier.
Then he saw someone standing out in the surf.
He jumped the rail and sprinted across the soft, dry sand, watching the figure stand motionlessly, staring at the waves.
As he got closer, he recognized that, indeed, it was Jessie.
She had nothing on but shorts and a tank top.
Her arms were wrapped around herself, as if she were cold, and her red long hair was loose and flying around in the cold breeze.
The urge to scream at her was boiling in his lungs, but he fought it down.
He slowed as he neared the calm waves where she was standing knee-deep in the water.
He noticed she was shivering as he came to a stop.
The urge to angrily yell at her was clawing its way up again and he took a few quiet, deep breaths to calm himself. He watched her for about a minute before he decided what he should say.
“Jessie, are you ok?” She spun toward him as if she were suddenly frightened.
Her hands came up to her mouth as she began backing deeper into the frigid water.
“I am sorry if I scared you…” Simo called out.
“We are all worried.” He was relieved as she stopped backing into the waves.
She dropped her hands and hung her head.
“It’s a shit time of year…” He yelled out and saw her nod, but she wouldn’t look at him.
He wanted to ask her what he could do to make things better, but he already knew that answer, and he simply could not allow himself to go there.
“Can I join you out there?” She shook her head no.
“How about we take a ride?” Finally, she looked up.
The lights from the pier shined on her face, and he could see the sadness written all over her. He knew she had been crying.
Her voice cracked as she called back her answer. “Why?”
Suddenly, a spotlight lit them up from behind, and a voice called out, “This is the police! Ma’am, are you ok?”
Jessie squinted at the light and managed a little wave.
“Sir, please step away from the lady. Raise your hands, slowly turn around, and approach the sound of my voice.”
Simo sighed, shrugged, slowly raised his hands, and followed the officer’s command.
“Sir, please stop and remain there with your hands up. Ma’am! Please step out of the water and keep your hands visible.”
Simo nearly chuckled out loud, as Jessie was nearly as dangerous as he himself. Simo saw from the corner of his eye that a police officer was wrapping Jessie in a blanket and escorting her up to the boardwalk. He could hear her answering their questions.
“Ok, Sir,” the police officer called out, “You can put your hands down. Please do not make any sudden movements. Come up to the boardwalk, please.”
Simo did as commanded and saw the police officer motion up the boardwalk, away from Jessie.
“Sir, are you armed?” the officer asked, as he continued to shine his flashlight in Simo’s face.
“Yes. My permit is in my wallet.” He could see the officer tense as his hand rested on his sidearm.
“Sir, why are you armed?”
“It is my job. I am head of security for my company. My name is Simo Petras. Please call your Chief of Police at his home and he can tell you who I am. I have his number…”
“Keep your hands away from your body, Sir.”
Simo heard the officer speaking quietly into his radio. “Of course,” Simo replied and leaned back against the decorative concrete railing and spread his arms out wide.
“Why are you out here?”
“Jessie, over there, is my employee. I think she is having a bad day… the holidays and all. I was trying to find out when you two interrupted.”
“Sir, do you think she intended to do harm to herself?”
“I doubt it. She has lived through far worse shit than even your U.S. SEALS could endure. She’s a survivor…”
The officer chuckled. “Oh, really? Want to elaborate?”
“We both took the same 7.62 bullet on a Turkish slave freighter in Greek waters. If you would like to know more, ask her, or call Mr. Mike Booker from the Central Intelligence Agency. I have that number, too…” Simo smiled into the bright beam of the flashlight.
“Oh! This is getting better and better by the minute…” the officer replied cynically with a laugh.
Simo heard the officer’s radio come to life and the officer’s body looked like he just snapped to attention.
“Sir, my apologies. My orders from my captain are to leave you two in peace… and forget that we ever saw you.” The flashlight turned off and the officer beckoned his partner over.