part0047

The Kia Sedona came to a stop. Blake could see the driver eyeing him in the rearview mirror. With the phone still pressed to his ear, he lifted his finger to buy himself a few more seconds.

“Thanks again for understanding. I owe you, again. But I’ve gotta run. We just pulled up.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Harrison said. “Talk to ya later.”

The phone disconnected.

Blake tipped the driver and stepped out onto the street.

He looked around at the row of townhouses. The homes of the neighbors he never knew.

As nice a place as Alexandria was, there was a sharp contrast between life there and a place like Jamestown. It was evident in the speed at which people moved. They walked fast, drove fast, always heading somewhere.

Everyone was sequestered to the piece of the world they had carved out for themselves. Even the trees and shrubs were contained to boxes cut into the sidewalks or in small patches delineated by miniature iron fences. It was a sharp contrast to the lush landscape of the little island. With all of its plant life sprouting up wherever it pleased.

But maybe it wasn’t as it seemed. Blake knew that much of his own seclusion had been of his own doing. Secrecy and privacy had been a priority for much of his life. A necessity, really. Sure, he had a community, the Intelligence Community. But it no longer seemed to be enough.

After his early afternoon flight turned into a late afternoon flight, due to mechanical issues, Blake had occupied his time by reading about Jamestown and the area around the Narragansett Bay. Its history as a military stronghold dated back to the Revolutionary War.

Originally inhabited by the mighty Narragansett tribe, the land that would become the colony of Rhode Island was gifted to Roger Williams by the tribe’s Chief Sachem, Canonicus. A fierce and cunning warrior in his own right, Canonicus was highly respected by all, natives and colonists alike.

It seemed that Jamestown had a longer history of outstanding chiefs than Blake had realized.

Before reaching his townhouse, Blake stopped to collect the parking ticket from the windshield of his Challenger. He stuffed it in his pocket and continued on.

At the top of the steps, he punched in his code. The solenoid deadbolt drew back with a clunk. He swung the door open and stepped over the threshold.

No matter how many times he did it, there was always something satisfying about that first step into his home after being away for a period of time. But now, it was different. It wasn’t just his home anymore. It was their home. He and Haeli together. The idea of it made it all the warmer. All the more inviting.

“Haeli,” Blake called out as he dropped his bag and kicked off his shoes.

There was no answer.

Blake looked at his phone. It was late for her to still be at the gym.

He had texted that the flight was delayed. She hadn’t responded, which meant she was probably swimming laps at that time. But that was hours ago. Maybe she got sick of waiting and went out to grab a bite to eat.

Blake walked into the kitchen and flicked on the lights.

There, on the granite island, was a single sheet of lined paper. A handwritten note.

Blake picked it up and read it.

“Mick,” it said, “Thank you for asking me to move in with you. I know it was a big step, and I really appreciate it. Over the past few days, I’ve had time to think, and I realized it wasn’t fair for me to push you. You and I both have things we need to work through, and I’m not sure either of us are ready to play house. This isn’t about Anja, but it is about being realistic. I can’t move in with you. I’m sorry, Mick. I need to go away for a while. There are some things I need to do. Please don’t do your hacker voodoo to try to find me. I do love you. Please know that. -Haeli.”

Blake flipped the paper over. There was nothing written on the back.

The pit in his stomach travelled into his throat. It wasn’t right. He was ready. His mind was clear, and he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted her, more than anything in the world.

If only he could tell her. Make her see that the past no longer held sway over the future. He could change her mind.

She had asked him not to look for her. But had she really meant it. Was it a test? Haeli was not normally one for emotional games.

He read the note again, methodically picking apart each word.

There are some things I need to do , it said. Did it have to do with her father? Or Levi Farr, God forbid? Or had she just realized she didn’t want to be with him?

He dropped the note onto the counter and walked to the top of the steps that led down to the thick vault door. Behind it, the state-of-the-art computer lab would have all of the tools he would need to track her down. To give him one last opportunity to explain. To make it right.

The truth was, he had gotten caught up. First, by the shock of seeing Christa, then by the task of finding Lucy, then by the overwhelming drive to put an end to the murderous psychopath. Even to Haeli, it would have been understandable, if not considered unavoidable. But he had shut her out of all of it. Led her to believe she didn’t matter to him.

But she did matter. And it was for that reason that he felt compelled to respect her wishes.

Blake stood, perched on the precipice of that top step. The crumbling edge of the proverbial rabbit hole. He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath.