The Contingency Letter
Too little, too late
“Where is she?” Simo bellowed at Becky.
“Hurry!” she urged, and Simo burst into a run behind Becky as they raced down the hospital corridor with Theo and Ari bringing up the rear.
“She’s in there, but they won’t let anyone in. There! There’s her doctor.”
Ari recognized the doctor from his past visit with Irwin Miller. “Simo, let me talk to the doctor.” Ari rushed up to meet a weary-looking Dr. Gloria Goldberg.
“Mr. Ascher! I… I did not know you were related to Miss James.”
“Honestly, Doctor Goldberg, Simo and I are what constitutes as her family. She has no living blood relatives.”
“I see…”
Ari waved Simo over.
“Doctor, what is wrong with Jessie?” Simo demanded.
Goldberg pulled them aside and spoke quietly. “Her friend indicated that Miss James was drinking heavily and was ill. She fainted at home and 911 brought her here. I examined Miss James and discovered a freshly attended gunshot wound… besides others. Care to comment?”
“Doc, Jessie works for the government. What is wrong? Is she going to be ok?” Simo pushed.
“Well, that makes sense now... as to Miss James's condition, she has suffered an acute pulmonary embolism. A clot from her recent injury broke loose deep in her lung and lodged in her pulmonary artery. Uh… right now she is undergoing intensive blood-thinning therapy… perhaps if she arrived sooner?”
“Oh my God…” Simo groaned. “Is… is she going to die?”
“We need to run more tests before I can discuss this further. I am very sorry. We are doing everything we can to keep her comfortable. I need to get back to Miss James. It will be some time, but I will keep you updated when I can.”
Ari thanked the doctor, put his arm around Simo, and pulled him over to the waiting room. Becky and Theo followed.
Simo sat down hard and could only look at the floor, shaking his head. Theo came over and sat down next to him, put his arm over his shoulder, and spoke in Greek. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
Simo nodded, still staring at the floor, thinking of a few hours ago. He had gone looking for her to ask her to dance… he fucked up. He should have just asked her when he had the chance rather than just sit there frozen. The thoughts of Jessie dying kept rushing through his head nonstop.
Eleni showed up with Gunnar and Chen in tow. As fast as her crutches would go, she rushed up to Simo and gestured for Theo to move. She sat down next to him and watched Simo for a few moments.
“What is wrong with Jessie?” Eleni asked quietly.
“Embolism,” Simo choked out.
“No… oh no,” Eleni gasped.
Ari explained what the doctor had said to get everyone up to speed.
Simo ignored everyone. All he could see was the nap of the blue carpet between his dress shoes. In what seemed like hours later, the doctor came into the small room, and he jumped up.
“Doc?”
“Is there an Eleni here? Is that you, Ma’am?”
Simo interrupted. “She didn’t ask for me?”
“I was instructed to ask for Eleni first.”
“Ma’am, if you would please follow me?”
“I’m going…” Simo began to demand.
Eleni turned and put her finger in his face. “Wait! I will see what is going on… I will tell her you are here.”
“Fine,” Simo capitulated and started pacing for, again, what seemed like hours.
Eventually, Eleni returned and solemnly pointed at Simo to follow her.
“What did she say?” Simo demanded.
Eleni could only shake her head and held the ICU room door open.
Simo stopped in his tracks. Mike Booker was sitting next to an empty bed.
“What the hell are you doing here? Where the fuck is Jessie?” Simo barked.
“Simo. Please sit down and keep your voice down.”
Eleni nodded at Booker, tenderly squeezed Simo’s arm, then quietly left the room.
Simo felt as if he wanted to rip Booker apart, piece by piece, but he saw an envelope in the man’s hand that distracted him from his rage. Jessie’s handwriting was on the front with his name written on it.
Simo sat down on the chair Booker pointed at. “Here. This is for you.”
Simo took the envelope and, after pausing a moment, he sat down. “Where is she?”
“Simo… Jessie has… she’s gone.”
Simo’s heart fell through the world hearing Mike’s words. It just couldn’t be, he thought. She was supposed to be here. It took several moments for him to catch his breath. “I—I need to see her body,” Simo garbled.
Booker's eyes flicked away for half a second before he answered. “I had her transferred hours ago…”
“Then why the fuck did you keep me out there?” Simo roared. “I should have been with her!”
“Simo, please, keep your voice down. It was a risk I was willing to take… to help her.”
“It was not your fucking choice to make! It was mine!”
“Really? You don’t think we kept tabs on her? The girl was fucking miserable, and that was all your fault. How do you think she felt, with you doing anything and everything to keep her at a distance… not even like one of your team? Think about it! How callous of you.”
Simo glared hard at Booker through his tears, but he knew the truth of his words. “I had to keep her at arm’s length!”
“Oh… to keep yourself safe. Yeah, I heard. Awfully selfish of you, if you ask me. Simo, I put you both back together because you were meant for her. She was your perfect match. You fucked it up… and now look where you are.”
Simo couldn’t reply. He knew Booker was right. He stared at Booker, unable to speak for several moments. Finally, Booker broke the silence. “You should read that.”
Simo turned the envelope in his hand. “What is this?”
“Her contingency letter. We all have them ready for our… loved ones.”
“Oh… do you know what’s in here?”
“Of course I do. Read it.”
Another letter from Jessie was waiting to be read. He wiped his eyes, tenderly broke the seal, pulled out the letter, and, with trembling fingers, unfolded it. She had dated it the day after they dealt with Joel Miller.
He read it through, and the last paragraph destroyed his heart.
…Simo, in closing, I want you to know that I kept something from you.
I swore Eleni to secrecy as she was the only other person that knew.
You, my love, were my first and only lover in my entire life.
No man ever compared to you in my heart, mind, or body.
My love for you really is that endless. I am sorry if my act at the club hurt you.
I could not let you know until I was ready to tell you…
I hoped we would have made love again and I wanted that to be my heart’s gift to you.
Since you are reading this, it means that I am dead or lost behind enemy lines, as they say.
My dearest wish is for you to be happy and live a good life.
I am leaving all my worldly possessions to you, my One and Only Love.
Please don’t forget me. Jessie Veronica James.
Simo saw his tears dripping onto the letter.
He moved it away and watched the water flow and splash onto the floor in pools.
His heart felt utterly crushed. It seemed like he was sitting there for hours, choking up and dropping tears, in utter pain and the roiling guilt making his guts coil.
Booker looked at his watch. Simo ignored him, but Booker was now standing over him, tapping his watch.
“What the fuck,” Simo gasped. “You have another pressing appointment? Don’t let me fucking keep you…”
“Simo…” Booker sighed with true sorrow. “I am sorry. I did you wrong here. I did not realize how much you really loved our Jessie.”
Simo croaked, “I… did! I was trying… you know? Seeing Xan and Halo… I—I was trying to fucking ask her to dance… to talk to her to figure shit out… too fucking little, too fucking late…”
“Yeah…”
Simo watched Booker squat down, meet him eye to eye, and sigh heavily.
“I am going to break a promise here… I know you think I don’t keep promises…
well, maybe I don’t very well. Since I owe you my life, here it is: Jessie is in the wind.
I don’t know where; I gave her time to get to her chartered jet she had set up last week.
Wait!” Booker held out his hand at Simo, stopping him.
“She is still very sick. She told me she has one last thing to do. I think you and I both know what that is, and I think she’s the only one who can pull it off. ”
Simo wiped his eyes, trying hard not to pound his fist into Mike’s face. He sucked in a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. “Why are you here in LA and not in DC?”
“Ah… well, after the Joel incident, Jessie and I had a conversation. I thought I would be needed out here, and I was right.”
“Is she on someone’s hit list now that she left?” Simo demanded.
“No. She’s free to come and go.”
Simo’s dark eyes widened with hope. “I know what she needs to finish.”
Mike nodded and punctuated, “Just. Like. You. Had to do.”
Simo cleared his throat. “What was her fucking price?”
Mike shook his head. “Director Roark told me hands off. He’s under immense pressure from the Senate Oversight Committee on anything regarding Jessie’s op.
He won’t stop her, and silently endorses her, but she’s on her own.
Simo, she is truly an outlaw now. I tried to get her the help she needed, Simo, but she’s on her own.
Those women deserve her help… if she can find them. ”
“When exactly did she fucking tell you all this?”
Mike sighed, “Like I said, after your Joel Miller incident.”
“Fuck. And you won’t tell me where she’s headed?”
“Simo, I told you I owe you. I swear, if I knew I would use that to make us even. I don’t know.”
“She’s going to get herself fucking dead. Fuck. FUCK!”
“Shh!” Mike admonished.
“I’ll find her… how bad is she really?”
“She did have a real embolism. It was small and didn’t stress her heart too much. She is on blood thinners… and oxygen. If she gets cut, stabbed, or shot? Game over.”
“Fuck. She’s trying to be just like Xander Kostinos. FUCK.”
“Simo…” Mike sighed and hung his head for a moment for effect.
“Operations aside… personally speaking, I truly hoped you two would connect. We all see it. Speaking of Xander, you and Jessie are just like Halo and Xander in that same regard. You both just fit. I thought you’d have made that connection. Truly.”
“I have work to do.” Simo abruptly stood up.
Mike stood. “Simo, she might be done. You understand my meaning?”
“Yeah… when women are done, yeah, end of story. I was married once… I know about done.”
“If I hear anything I can share.” Booker leaned in close and in a whisper, he said, “Simo, can I have your word in keeping your mouth shut?”
Simo eyed him, then nodded. “I… have someone in play. Someone you met briefly some time ago. Speaks English… and doesn’t like boats anymore.”
Simo nodded in sudden remembrance and moved closer to Mike’s face. “Understood. That Tatianna woman at the apartment we spoke at. Where is she now?”
Booker watched Simo head right into the waiting room, and he followed behind. When Simo stopped, everyone stood up, worry across all their faces. Mike moved quietly behind and to the side of him.
Simo held out his hands. “Yes, I seriously fucked up. Jessie is gone with Mike’s ok. She is still in a bad way… but she has something to do. I need your help finding her…” He glanced at Mike, “Before it’s too late.”
Ari spoke, “Do you know what she is aiming to do?”
“She’s going to finish my mission. There are nine other women who were offloaded and transported to the US. She is not getting help from Langley…” Simo pointed at Mike to speak.
“Ah… for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mike Booker and I’m a senior case officer at Langley.
We won’t interfere with Jessie, and we cannot help her on her…
op. Director Roark… quietly is in support, but like I told Simo, he’s under a great deal of pressure from the Senate Oversight Committee regarding CIA-backed operations in the US.
I wouldn’t put it past the senate committee to notify the FBI of Jessie should they get wind of any of her actions outside of LA.
” He held up his hand. “She is free and can come and go as she pleases. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t bad actors out there willing to put a stop to what she has planned. And… I already have said too much.”
Ari turned to Mike. “Thank you, Mike. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have work to do. Oh… don’t forget that Jessie is part of my family. Make sure you make that crystal clear to Roark.”
“I will do so. Again, my apologies for… the cloak and dagger. But, hey, that is in my job description.” With a grin and a wave, he left the room.