Forgiveness
Forgive and be forgiven
Chen pointed at the flat-screen monitor on the wall as he cued the video feed.
Then, after a moment, he paused it. “You can see Xan ducking right before Harding’s strike with the butt of his weapon.
I believe Harding must have learned his weapon was loaded with blanks before this point.
The next frames show Xan kicking out and buckling Harding’s knee, then again, another strike.
You can see that Harding’s knee is wholly ruined by the last kick. ”
Chen fast-forwarded the feed to a point after Xander had floored the Challenger and exited the garage.
“Here you can see Harding is in immense pain. After being hit in the head, he finds the rake and, using it as a crutch, exits hastily out the backdoor. The outside feed shows him hobbling away from Halo’s, where we lose sight of him.
I believe he had someone waiting to extract him.
Alabama is in the clear; he missed Harding by only a few minutes.
The FBI have issued a warrant for Harding’s arrest and are actively searching for him…
it’s been days and no further information is available. ”
“Use whatever resources we have to locate him.
He will have to have that knee examined and repaired.
Have Jessie search here in the US and Mexico for the top surgical doctors who specialize in knees.
Moving on. Any clue as to why Xander was seen with Gracie Flowers, the new Victoria's Secret model, in Florida yesterday? Jillian explained that Halo has seen the paparazzi pics and she talked to Xander... and we all have a meeting in two weeks at my home.”
Simo spoke up. “After I dropped Evie and her family off last week at Halo’s, I asked them if Xan knew anyone in Florida. They reported that he didn’t; maybe he was vacationing when he met Gracie Flowers.”
Ari nodded thoughtfully for a long moment. “Ah… how did Evie react to Halo at their meeting?”
“Good. She thanked Halo for risking her life for her daughter. In fact, they accepted Halo’s invitation to spend the next few nights there.”
“Good to hear this. So, what other locations has Xander visited recently?”
Chen spoke up. “Houston, Texas and New York City.”
“This is odd…” Ari drummed his fingers on the conference table’s glossy surface. “He has an agenda of some sort.” Suddenly, Ari smiled. “Chen, what are the locations of Flight 571 victims’ immediate families?”
Chen opened up his laptop and began rapidly typing. He looked up and grinned. “All those cities I indicated… also here in California, and Conway, Arkansas.”
“He is visiting their families?” Simo muttered.
“Guilt and atonement. He feels responsible.”
Chen began typing on his laptop again. “Gracie Flowers. She is the daughter of the captain of Flight 571… Charlie Flowers.”
Ari sighed and nodded. “Now that makes more sense.”
“Apparently, Gracie Flowers would be the last family member for him to visit… She has a home in Seattle. Hmm, one moment…” Chen began typing again. “Gracie Flowers is on a pictorial shoot in Miami for the next two weeks.”
“Ah! Ok, let’s get some eyes down there.”
“Want me to go?” Simo asked, smiling.
Ari chuckled. “No. I can tell you are still exceedingly angry with him. Let’s get some locals to watch him. I want to make sure he stays safe.”
Simo snorted angrily.
“For Halo,” Ari reminded him.
Simo sighed and nodded. “Yeah… of course.”
“We need to keep vigilant for Halo’s safety. I doubt Harding will make a move to harm her, but we best plan as far ahead as we can.”
“Wait…” Chen said as he was reading something on his laptop. “According to the TSA database, Xander has a flight reservation to Portland, Oregon.”
“Guilt trip…” Ari smiled.
“His ex-wife…” Simo chuckled.
Evie opened the front door, letting Eric step out onto her front porch, and kissed him good night. With a sublime smile on his face, Eric walked up to his Mercedes and slipped into the driver’s seat. With his mind full of happy thoughts of their lovemaking, he started his car and put it into gear.
He began driving toward his home in Portland. As he came to a stop near West Linn’s Hammerle Park, a deep, Greek-accented voice whispered quietly behind him and nearly sent him through the roof of the car.
“Don’t turn around. Pull into the park, now,” the chilling voice demanded.
In shock, and visualizing a gun at his back, Eric babbled out, “Y—yes.”
He did as he was told and put the car in park. “H—here, I have my wallet,” Eric sputtered.
Then the deep, ominous whisper came at his ear again. “I don’t want your fucking wallet.”
He heard the man sniff the air from behind his head.
“W—what do you want?” Eric mumbled, too afraid to look back and see Simo Petras there. The deep accented whisper came again.
“You would think I would forget… after all this time.”
Eric felt chills race down his spine as he wondered who he could have pissed off badly enough to want to kill him.
He came up with no one… except for Xander.
“For—forget what?” he stammered. He heard the man clear his throat loudly, then the man’s voice changed and chilled him all the way down to his balls.
“The smell of my wife after sex…”
“Xan—Xander?” Eric gasped. Suddenly, the rear interior light came on and he saw Xander in his backseat staring at him. “Oh fuck me, oh fuck! Xander! I—I am so sorry!”
“Really, Eric? My wife… OK, my ex-wife! You were my best friend!” Xander yelled.
Eric sat unmoving and watched Xander in the mirror. “Do you have a gun pointed at my back, Buddy?”
“Maybe, Buddy Boy. I can’t believe you are fucking my wife!” Xander yelled.
“I—I couldn't help it… I was helping your family and… and I just fell for her…”
Xander harshly interrupted, “Head or gut, Eric Rose? Tell me where you want it, right now! Head or gut?”
Eric froze, along with his mouth. He never suspected that Xander would want to kill him over Evie; maybe gut-punch him. Then it hit him, and he looked at Xander staring at him in the mirror. He found his voice. “Gut?”
“Your call, Buddy Boy. Get out!”
Eric slowly stepped out of the car, shut his door, and leaned back against it. He watched as Xander got out and stood in front of him.
“You sure about gut?”
“You really are the Last Boy Scout… fine. Yes, gut.”
Xander made a fist, held it up in Eric’s face, then cocked his hand back. Xander watched Eric grimace and squint his eyes. Then he let his fist fly. He stopped mere millimeters from Eric’s belly and began chuckling louder and louder at Eric.
Eric slumped against his car as his friend stepped back and winked at him. “Jesus Christ! I thought you were going to kill me, you fucking asshole!”
Xander clapped Eric on his shoulder. “It crossed my mind… since you are having sex with my ex-wife, in my old bed I presume… I think you should be the one buying the drinks tonight.”
Eric sighed with relief. “Nicoletta’s restaurant is right down the road… you sure you don’t want to kill me?”
Xander smiled and clapped Eric on the shoulder. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Eric held up his glass of whiskey and water and saluted Xander as Xander finished regaling him with his adventures. “I can’t believe you went through all that shit. You are one fucking heroic bastard. Who would have known?” He laughed.
“No shit, Eric. Not me, that’s for sure.” Xander chuckled.
“Hey, you know that Halo came looking for you, right? She has guts, that’s for sure...”
Xander looked down and nodded.
“I take it you haven’t spoken with her.” He watched his friend shake his head as his sadness seemed to deepen.
“It will never be the same… but she’s safe now.” He sighed quietly, his eyes downcast.
“Xander…” He waited until his friend met his eyes, then continued.
“I looked into her eyes… like you said I should try if I got the chance, remember? Man, I understand now. If there was any kind of affection for me from her? Oh yeah… I would have been lost to her forever. I so get it. Buddy, you need to go see her. If I ever had any advice for you, that is it. She loves you.”
“I… I can’t, Eric.”
“Why? Because you got your dumbass shot?”
“No! That was my own stupidity... I should have known she would be stressed out … I—I just seem to panic and not think right when it comes to her… and it’s all changed now from our time on the island.”
Eric sighed, then pointed his finger accusingly. “I can tell you still love her. You ever plan on seeing her again?” He watched his friend shrug with a deep sigh.
“I know I should… but I can’t.”
Eric looked to his friend’s chest and nodded toward it. “If that bullet hole were on the other side, you would be dead.”
“Might have been for the best. Let’s change the subject, please.”
Eric sighed. “Well, Buddy, again I am sorry about Evie. I was just trying to help her and all… it—it just happened. I hope you aren’t pissed that I fell for her.”
Xander smirked. “Hey, Athena says she’s happy. So, I’m happy that someone can make her happy. Never expected it to be your sorry ass, though.”
“So, we are good?”
“Yes, Eric, we are good, and I hope you both are happy for… forever and a day.”
Eric's eyes widened. “I don’t know what to say… thank you?”
“You are welcome. Hell, you are about the only friend I have. By the way… you still want to be my agent?”
“Hey, I thought you said you were a rich asshole now?”
“What I didn’t tell you is part of that money is from Ari for my story. Halo and I made a deal: eighty-twenty for the story. She made me take the eighty.”
Eric smiled wryly, then looked long and hard at Xander.
“Well, as your agent? You need to talk to Halo about it. Since you accepted the money, you are kinda screwed. Ari has you by the balls now. I can negotiate it for you, but you need to talk to Halo about it and get it squared away legally, like, right away.”
“Yeah…”
Eric shot the rest of his whiskey down and stared at his friend for a long moment. “Uh, were you planning on seeing Evie?”
Xander shrugged. “I think I should...”
“Yeah, I do too. Hey, you know Halo and…”