Prologue
Boredom had set in sooner than expected. After five years with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and four years with Thompson Security Agency, his own company, the quietness was about to drive Brian Elliott Thompson crazy. He was literally about to lose his mind. It was the tenth day since his release from the hospital, after a month long stay. His friends believed he needed more rest, he however believed it was time to return to work. Not to the pile of paper-work staring back at him from his desk, but to his real job, protecting the Attorney General of Virginia and his childhood friend, J.D. Harrison. That’s what he should be doing, not sitting around sifting through paperwork. He was so tempted to push the stacks of paper off the desk, but that would cause Jenny, his secretary more work.
Patiently waiting for a return call from JD, he stood and stared out of his office window. Below was the view of the very building he would be guarding once JD was elected to the Governor position, the Executive Mansion. A grin slowly appeared on his face as he remembered the day James Brooks, JD’s campaign manager, stood at that window and declared, he was setting him up in business to protect JD and his family once they moved into the mansion. James knew then that JD was heading in that direction. He wanted Brian to be free from the bureaucracy of the bureau to conduct protection for JD and his family as he saw fit. It was an honor to be given such a detail, especially since the man he was protecting was one of his closest friends.
Shaking his head Brian thought of their friendship. There were very few people he considered a friend and JD Harrison was one. The fact that he’d put that friendship in jeopardy, to this day, caused him internal turmoil. Looking back on the situation, he had no one to blame but himself. Kissing a man’s wife was wrong, and even worst if you called that man a friend.
As if on cue the bruises on his back began to ache, but he refused to take any of the medication the doctors prescribed for pain. It was two months ago that a gang had invaded JD’s home while his wife and two children slept in the bedrooms upstairs. Brian was able to get Tracy, JD’s wife and Jasmine, their six-week-old daughter out of the house. However, when he went back in to get JC, their three-year-old son, he was shot three times in the back. From what his friends and family told him, for weeks no one was sure he would be here today. After a month in the hospital and a few weeks on house recovery, the pain let him know, he was still alive. The pain of bullets he could stand, the pain of possibly losing his friend was unbearable. Although at the time of the shooting, he and JD were not on speaking terms, there was no way he would allow him or his family to be harmed. First of all, it was his profession and his pride would not allow him not to give one hundred and ten percent to the job everyday. Secondly, JD’s family was his family. He loved his friend’s children as if they were his own. And as for his wife, Tracy, well he loved her a little too much.
The door opened and then slammed before Brian could turn towards the sound. Recognizing the angry face seething at him, he realized his reflexes were slow. That was not a good sign.
“What are you doing here?”
Brian sat in the chair behind the desk before Pearl, could see evidence of the pain surging through him at that moment. Pearl Lassiter had become his champion since the shooting and seemed determined to make his life miserable by making sure he healed properly according to her rules. “I own the place,” he mockingly replied.
“Really, do you have a will?” Frowning he looked up at her. “I just want to make sure I get something out of caring about you one way or another.”
“Thanks for the confidence in my recovery. Do you want something this early in the morning?”
“Imagine my surprise when I stopped by your place to make sure you had breakfast and had taken you meds before I came to work, only to find you gone.”
“I’m sure you were, but as you can see I’m fine.”
She sighed, “Have you had breakfast?”
“No.”
She placed a McDonald bag in front of him, “Breakfast steak burrito. Have you taken your meds?”
Opening the bag and pulling out the contents he looked at her, “Thank you.”
“I take that as a no. I did not find them at your place, so I am going to assume you were at least smart enough to bring them with you.”
“Unlike other times your assumption is correct,” he stated as he bit into the burrito.
She placed her arms across her breasts. “Would you take them now while I’m here?”
Sitting back in the chair he replied, “I’ll take them when I need them.”
Putting her hands to her face in frustration, “Brian, I don’t have time for this today. JD has to fly out in an hour and I need to know you are okay before we leave.”
“Where are you going,” he asked eagerly. He may have something to do after all.
“We are campaigning in Northern Virginia. Avery and Gwendolyn Brooks are hosting a fund-raiser.”
“I’ll give JD a call see what time we are leaving.”
“We? What are you going to do if you go? You can’t take anyone down if something was to hop off.” Seeing the look of denial in his eyes, she softened her words. “Look, I know you want to protect your friend. However, at the moment, you are physically unable to do that. Give your body the time it needs to heal and you will be back on the job in no time. You’ll probably be better, if that’s possible.” She added that last statement to give him a compliment she felt he needed.”
“Thanks for the moment of reality and the pep talk. It doesn’t help my boredom, but I hear you. Go meet with the posse; I’ll talk to you later.”
Smiling with relief, “I’ll go as soon as you take your meds.”
He looked at her as he pulled open the desk drawer, took the pain pills, and swallowed them down with his coffee. “Satisfied?”
“Yes, I am.” She opened the door to leave. “I’ll call you later.”
Sighing as the door closed, Brian checked the computer for security updates on his clients. Presently he had four VIP clients that had top government clearance. Each had different levels of coverage, but none as high as JD. It was a foregone conclusion that he would be the next Democratic candidate for President of the United States. Until that happened and Secret Services Units were assigned, it was his job to keep his friend and his family free of harm. Under normal circumstances, JD would not make a move without him by his side, but not now. Since he could not protect his friend, he made sure that his top man, Samuel Lassiter was heading up the detail. Anyone going after JD would have to go through Shipwreck, as Brian called him, and that would not be an easy task. Samuel was fully capable and just as dedicated to protecting JD as he was, but it did not ease the disappointment of not being next to his friend. Then there was Tracy and the children. Magna Rivera, whom he was fortunate to get from the District of Columbia Gang Task force, and Ryan Williams, whom he’d taken from the streets, were handling the detail on them. To get through those two women, you had better bring an army fully armed with heavy artillery.
Yes, he had good men and women working for him, but it wasn’t him and that was the problem. Since high school, he’d been the protector of not only JD, but their other high school friends, Calvin Johnson and at times Douglas Hylton as well. It was hard being placed on the side lines. Like it or not, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, for now.
♡♡♡♡♡
Jeffrey Daniel Harrison, who most people called, JD sat at the desk in his home office and watched out the window as his wife Tracy and their three-year-old son JC played tee-ball. As his son hit the plastic ball with the matching bat, he smiled as the child like giggles echoed into his office. The scene only fueled his anxiety over the situation at hand. Brian has a son that he doesn’t know about. He is missing out on not just seeing his son grow up, but on his development as well. Promise or not, that was something JD could not be a party to. The only question was how he was going let Brian know about his son without straight out telling him. The day he ran into Caitlyn replayed in his mind. He tried to remember what he’d actually promised.
He and Tracy were standing at the podium holding hands and waving to the crowd of over one thousand supporters that had showed up to hear him speak at their Founders Day celebration. More than pleased with the turnout he whispered to Tracy, “I didn’t think Nickelsville had this many people living here and I’m more surprised to see a few of us here.”
“At least you had heard of this town. Today when we stepped foot off the plane was the first time I had heard of this place. But according to the internet, a family named Nickels built this town. It seems one of the Nickels sons fell in love with, married a black woman, and was shunned from Tennessee. He moved his family to the far end of the property, which happened to be in Virginia. It’s said that by marrying a black woman he cursed the family’s name and for several generations no sons were born to carry on the name, only daughters. Of the two daughters, one married a Béchamel. The town manager is a direct descendant from that family. The other daughter married and settled across the street in what is now known as Nickelsville Tennessee. If we go cross the street on Main Street we will be in Tennessee.”
He looked at his wife; she always amazed him with her knowledge. “I guess we better stay on this side of the street then.”
As they walked through the crowd shaking hands a young boy approached him. Pulling on his pants leg the boy called out, “Mister, Mister” and looked up at JD with the most excited eyes. JD looked down at the boy who appeared to be ten or eleven and smiled. He bent his six-two frame down to the boy to speak. “Hello,” he shook the young boys’ hand. “What’s your name?”
“Elliott, what’s your name?”
The boy’s speech seemed young for his size. But JD dismissed the thought a moment latter after realizing there was a possibility that the education system in this part of the state may be lacking. “My name is JD.”
“That’s not your real name. My mom says a name can say a lot about the man you are going to become.”
JD smiled, liking the boy immediately, “You’re right, my name is Jeffrey Daniel Harrison.”
Proud of himself the boy continued. “My mom say’s you are going to be our new governor and then president.”
“Your mom said that?” The boy nodded his head. “Where is your mom?” JD asked standing.
“Over behind the tree.”
JD stood and took the boy’s hand, “Let’s go find your mom so I can thank her for the kind words.”
Tracy smiled at her husband, “Looks like you have a new friend.”
“Yeah,” JD laughed, “He looks familiar to me for some strange reason. We’re going to find his mom.”
“Come on,” the young boy said. “I’ll show you where she is.”
JD and Tracy followed the boy through the crowd shaking hands along the way. As they reached the area, the boy indicated his mother would be, a woman stopped the young boy. She was a very slender woman with blonde hair, beautiful blue smiling eyes, and a welcoming smile. “Elliott are you brothering Mr. Harrison?”
“No ma’am. I’m taking him to meet my mom.”
“Mr. Harrison, I can take him to his mom.”
“It’s no bother at all. I would like to meet her. She has a wonderful son.”
“Well, if you are sure it’s no problem, she is passing out buttons at the third tree over yonder.
“Thank you,” JD replied with a smile as they continued on the short journey.
As they walked closer to the tree, Elliott called out to his mother, “Hey mommy look who I have.”
The woman turned to JD just as he was looking up from the boy and shock was a mild response to the look that appeared on his face. He looked down at Elliott who was smiling proudly at his mother and then his gaze returned to the woman.
“Caitlyn?”
The woman’s expression was a less intense match to JD’s as she stammered, “Hello JD.” If Caitlyn could have crawled under the tree stump she was standing next to she would have. For the entire day, she had volunteered to work on the outskirts of the event just to keep this from happening. Now she had to face her past. She extended her hand to Tracy who was watching the event wondering what was wrong with her husband. “Hello, I’m Caitlyn, Elliott’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Tracy smiled then looked up at her husband.
“Caitlyn, what—“the words did not seem to form.
Sensing Jeffrey and this woman needed a moment Tracy took Elliott’s hand, “How about you show me where I can get some ice cream,” she said bending down.
“Okay, come on. Y’all coming Mr. Harrison and mommy?”
“No Elliott, I’m going to stay and talk to your mom for a minute.” Waiting for the boy and Tracy to leave the area, his glaze fell on Caitlyn again. “How old is Elliott, Caitlyn?” He asked trying not to show how angry he was.
She stepped closer to him so they would not be overheard, “He is about to turn ten and to answer your next question, no, Brian does not know he has a son. JD you can’t tell him.”
“Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison.”
At the sound of his housekeeper’s voice, JD’s attention returned to the present. “I’m sorry Mrs. Gordon, what did you say?”
“Mr. Thompson is on the line for you.”
“Thank you,” he sighed. Talk about timing. “Hey Brian, what’s up?”
“I hear you are on your way out of town. Why are you leaving a brother behind man?”
“The four walls getting to you?” He smiled hearing his friend’s irritation.
“Man, you know I’m not used to staying still. If I don’t get some action soon I swear I’m going to go crazy.”
JD thought for a moment. “You know,” he sat forward as the plan formed in his mind. “I could use your help on something.”
“Name it man, I’m game for damn near anything.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal, and there will be no action it, but it would help me out.”
“Talk to me man.”
“I need an advance security check done on a location I plan to revisit. It’s a small town in southwest Virginia. I promised this kid I would come back through for a visit with his family. The town is nice enough, but there may be some security issues. It would be great if you could go there, be the advance man on this visit.”
“JD, I tell you I’m bored and you want to send me to Hicksville, Virginia?”
Laughing at his friends question JD pressed on. “It’s not that bad man. Tracy and I were there and it was nice.”
“If you were just there why are you going back?”
“I got a little attached to this kid and I gave my word to him that I would come back to see him. I want to take Tracy and the kids when I return and it is imperative that everything is in place. Look, I know this is not what you normally do, but I figure it will keep you out of trouble for at least a week.”
“A week? Don’t Calvin normally do this kind of stuff?”
“Yeah, but he is wrapping up the Munford case and can’t get away. B, look, normally I wouldn’t ask you to do something like this, but I’m planning on taking my children with me I need to know they will be safe.”
“Alright man, but you are going to pay for this big time. Transportation, hotel, meals and if there are any decent women around, you’re paying for them too.”
“You know I can’t pay for any women, man. I’m a politician.”
“I’ll put it down as food for my soul. What’s the name of this place--Hicksville?”
“Nickelsville, Virginia.” JD laughed as he gave Brian all the pertinent information for the assignment. He was certain once Brian hit the town; there was no way he would not run into Caitlyn or Elliott. Looking up he said a silent prayer, asking the Lord to forgive his little indiscretion, but he had his friend’s best interests at heart.
Brian cursed when he hung up the telephone after arranging for the trip. First, there was no hotel in the town JD was sending him too, just Martha’s Bed and Breakfast. Then there was no airport near the place, which meant he would have to drive the 323 miles to Nickelsville. If he wasn’t bored senseless he would have called JD back and told him a thing or two. But the more he thought about it, the more he warmed to the idea. A drive in the country could do him some good. “What the hell.” Brian locked up his office and began a journey that would change his life forever.