Heart At Risk
Kurt pumped up the pillow for the dozenth time and leaned back on the bed. The old Laurel and Hardy movie ended and he grabbed the remote and started to channel hop. Television sucked. It bored him royally unless it was a football or basketball game.
Besides, in the six months since his injury, he’d watched enough television to last him a lifetime. He loathed sitcoms, they were an unrealistic picture of family life—at least the family life he remembered. The multitude of crime and horror shows did nothing but demonstrate ghoulish ways to torture and murder. And as for all the alien and paranormal characters, there was no worse monster on this earth than a terrorist with an UZI or a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher in his hands.
Kurt turned off the tube and tossed aside the remote in disgust. He got out of bed and walked to the window. It was Saturday night and only a little past nine o’clock; the town had rolled up its streets already. Hot time in the old town tonight!
Well he was too edgy to stay cooped up in the motel room. He pulled on his jeans, shirt and shoes and went out. He should have taken up Gertie’s offer at the diner. Instead he’d gotten diverted by Maddie Bennett. Boy that woman was hot! But why in hell did she disturb him so much? There was something about her he couldn’t remember, but it would come to him.
Without any destination in mind, he ended up on Poorman’s Peak, the bluff that overlooked Stoneville’s shanties and railroad tracks where he’d grown up. Kurt parked, then sat gazing down on the site. Light glowed from the factory that sprawled several blocks in length. The second shift was hard at work.
He’d been raised on the “wrong side of the tracks” in the part of town disparagingly called Stoneville, because of the quarry that furnished the major employment for Stoneville’s residents. He’d had no siblings and had run with a tough group of boys. His folks had worked in the quarry and one night in Kurt’s freshman year of high school, his drunk father had staggered in front of a moving train. Two years later his mother had died of lung cancer.
He’d toughed it out alone and finished school. The morning following graduation he’d gone to Milwaukee and enlisted in the navy, got married three years later and six months after that went through a bitter divorce.
The United States Navy had been his salvation. It had steered him on a course away from the gutter he’d been heading into and toward becoming a Navy SEAL and ultimately a member of the CIA’s Dwarf Squad. It had given him the close brotherhood and inviolable friendships of the other squad members. Now faced with the possibility that the squad would be disbanded, he feared the loss of a family again.
There was no kidding himself. That was the real reason for his irritability, his impatience and disgust with everything that crossed his path. The writing was on the wall. Sure as hell RATCOM was going to be disbanded. His family was going to be busted up.
Kurt sighed and looked down on Stoneville. Yeah, for damn sure there wasn’t anything sentimental about this “sentimental journey” home. First thing in the morning he’d climb into his car and Vandergriff, Wisconsin, would see the last of him. This time for good.
Just as he turned the ignition key to leave a car drove up and parked a short distance away.
As he backed out, the headlights of his car revealed the driver of the other car. He recognized Maddie Bennett at once. What in hell was she doing up here alone? Waiting for some guy, no doubt. And he was probably married. Why else would they meet up here unless they didn’t want anyone in town to see them?
Well, uptight or not, it figured if she wasn’t still married there’d be some guy banging her. The thought disappointed him. Why did a gal with an angel face and Ava Gardner eyes have to settle for making out with a married man in the seat of a car?
Suck it up, Bolen. Not your problem. Your problem is that you’re not the guy she’s waiting for.
Chapter 2
Maddie’s brief encounter with Kurt Bolen had resurrected memories best forgotten, and she’d been in a near panic ever since. Ten years had only enhanced his dark-haired, brown-eyed handsomeness. She’d had a crush on him from the time she’d first seen him when the Bennetts had moved to Vandergriff her final year of high school.
Recalling those long-ago days was painful to her now—almost as painful as they’d been then. Since her father worked for the quarry company, they, too, were one of the “Stoners” that the town looked down upon.
It’s ancient history, Maddie, so why dredge it up?
She didn’t have to ask herself that; she knew the answer. How often in the past ten years had she driven up here to Poorman’s Peak and recalled the last time she had seen Kurt Bolen—the night of their high school graduation? And now tonight, she’d turned her head and there he was.
She’d had no close friends that last year of high school and spent most of her time alone, so why she’d even gone to the graduation party at Gertie Karpinski’s was still a mystery to her. After she’d sat in a corner being ignored for two hours, she had decided to leave. On the way out she’d encountered Kurt Bolen sitting on the steps outside.
Kurt and Joey were part of the same gang, but Kurt had never paid any attention to his friend’s shy, freckle-faced sister. Why should he? Every gal in the school had the hots for him.
Throughout the evening she’d stolen peeks at him. He’d spent most of his time sneaking drinks from the flask in his pocket and was too drunk to even remember her name. As if he’d ever remembered her name.
She had declined his offer of a drink, but had gotten up the nerve to sit down and talk to him. It was the first time they’d been alone—and he’d actually spoken more to her than “Hi.”
When she’d stood up to leave, Kurt had offered to drive her home. Even though he’d been inebriated, she’d accepted. On the way home he’d driven up to Poorman’s Peak and parked. Since it was still early and the party was still going strong, they’d been the only car.
But kids didn’t come there for the view; they came to make out. In his drunken state Kurt had leaned over and kissed her—and then kissed her again. She could still remember the smell of the whiskey on his breath, and even more intoxicating, the excitement of his nearness and thrill of his kisses. Having worshipped him from afar she’d been too enthralled to resist when he’d slipped the dress off her shoulders and made love to her. It had been the most divine memory of her life, and despite the hardships that followed, she’d never ceased to cherish those stolen moments. He had fallen asleep—or more likely passed out. She’d driven him home, parked the car in front of the shack where he lived and left him undisturbed.
The next morning she’d overheard Joey telling their mother Kurt had left town. A couple of months later she was certain she was pregnant.
Determined to raise the child, she’d refused to reveal the father’s name and ignored her parents’ suggestion to abort the pregnancy or put the baby up for adoption.
Her brother Joey had gone off and enlisted in the marines and shortly before Scotty was born, her parents were shot to death when the bar they were in had been held up. Aunt Beth had taken her in and helped her to raise Scotty.
With Beth’s help Maddie had been able to go to a junior college in the morning and work the second shift at the quarry. After earning an associate’s degree, and with her aunt as a cosigner, Maddie had been able to borrow enough from the bank to open a bookstore and tiny tea shop. It had been ten years of constant struggle and hard work, but at least her son would not end up as a Stoner.
And now Kurt Bolen had appeared from nowhere. She harbored no bitterness toward him. How could she, when he was responsible for giving her the most precious thing in her life—her son. But she also realized he could threaten everything.
Was it fair not to tell Kurt the truth about Scotty? Was she being selfish, and not considering what would be best for her son?
Obviously Kurt had no intention of remaining in Vandergriff, but what if he demanded equal parental rights? She knew nothing about him or what he’d been doing for the past ten years. He’d been pretty wild when he was younger. She couldn’t imagine turning Scotty over to this stranger on alternate weekends and such. And that could very well happen if Kurt demanded it.
And what if he was abusive or a drunkard? He’d always drank heavily, even on the night Scotty was conceived. To reveal the truth to him now would only open a can of worms that could have a negative effect on Scotty’s life and her own. No matter how much she’d held on to those girlish fantasies through the years of Kurt coming back to town for her, she was no longer an irresponsible teenager. Her responsibility—and only consideration—was for the welfare of her son.
She would not let anything or anyone threaten that welfare.
After checking out of the motel the next morning, Kurt filled the gas tank, went to the diner and ate breakfast then said goodbye to Gertie.
Once outside he took a final look around, climbed into his car and turned on the ignition. “Goodbye forever, Vandergriff.”
Last night had resurrected too many memories. He wanted to get back to Milwaukee then home to D.C.
He took a shortcut on a back road to get to the I-94 Expressway. Nearing an old abandoned quarry that had filled with water during the years, he thought of the many times he’d used it as a swimming hole when he was a kid.
He slowed his speed when he saw a young boy skimming stones into the water. As he got closer, he recognized Scotty Bennett, and saw that Elizabeth Bennett, wearing a floppy, wide-brimmed hat to shade her face and eyes from the hot sun sat on a rock nearby. Times sure had changed since he was a kid. Back then, no one thought you needed a babysitter when you were a nine-year-old playing outside.
Kurt tooted the car horn and waved. Scotty spun around, recognized Kurt, and attempted to wave back. He lost his balance, staggered backward and toppled into the water.
Kurt slammed down on the accelerator and sped to as near the edge of the quarry as he could get. Elizabeth had just reached it.
“Can he swim?” he shouted to her, dashing out of the car.
“Not very well,” she said. “Oh, dear God!”
Peering down into the hole, Kurt saw the struggling boy surface then go under again. He pulled off his shoes and dove in, then felt a shock of pain to his knee when he hit the water.
Visibility was poor in the murky water and without goggles it was difficult to see. After several painful dives, he caught sight of Scotty and brought him to the surface.
Elizabeth was on her cell phone calling 911 for help and came quickly to his aid to help get Scotty out of the water. Kurt’s knee was throbbing and by the time he succeeded in hoisting himself out, Elizabeth had Scotty stretched out on his back and was attempting to give him CPR to get some air into the unconscious boy’s lungs.
Kurt took over the rhythmic procedure and after several more attempts Scotty began to spit up water. Kurt quickly flipped him onto his side as the boy regurgitated the water out of his lungs. “Elizabeth, get the blanket from the backseat of my car.”
She nodded and hurried to get it. By the time the volunteer fire department and every other emergency vehicle in town arrived with sirens blazing and lights flashing, Scotty was wrapped snugly in a blanket and sitting up coughing a bit but coherent.
The paramedic with the fire department checked Scotty’s vital signs. Satisfied, he packed up his emergency equipment. “He’ll be fine. His lungs sound clear and the rest of his vital signs are okay, Ms. Bennett.”
Beth had remained calm and efficient throughout the whole ordeal. “Thank you, Kevin. How’s the new baby doing?”
“Mother and child doing fine,” he said. “And Sandy loves the sweater and booties you knit for the baby.” He shook his head. “Each summer we have to pull a kid out of that hole. The county should either drain it and fill it with dirt and rocks, or build a fence around it. Last year one of the kids wasn’t as lucky as Scotty here. We lost him.”
When the vehicles had all departed Elizabeth grasped Kurt’s hand. That steel control she’d maintained throughout the ordeal had dissipated, and her voice trembled when she tried to speak.
“How can I ever thank you enough, Kurt. Scotty would have drowned if you…” The bubble finally burst. She couldn’t go on, and broke down sobbing.
Kurt put his arms around her and let her cry. It would do her good.
“I’m sorry,” Scotty said sorrowfully, tears streaking his cheeks. “I feel real bad that I made you cry. Please don’t cry anymore, Aunt Beth.”
Elizabeth knelt beside the boy and kissed him, then dried her tears and held him in the circle of her arms.
“Sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault. I’m just so happy you’re okay. I think I better get you home and into some dry clothes.”
Kurt started to hobble back to his car. He had some pain pills in his pack, but rarely used them to avoid becoming dependent on them. Right now the pain was too severe to try and tough it out.
“Oh, dear, you injured your leg again, didn’t you?” Elizabeth asked.
“I’m sure it’s nothing serious. I aggravated it when I dove into the water.”
“Well I insist you come home with me and let me check it out. Besides, you’re soaking wet and should change into dry clothing.”
The last thing he wanted to do was go back into town. But he did want to get out of his wet clothes.
“I can change right here, Ms. Bennett.”
The sweet old lady’s countenance hardened into a stern frown. “I do not intend to stand here and argue with you, young man. You’re coming home with me.”
The issue was settled.
In a lighter vein she added, “Besides, you wouldn’t abandon us out here, would you?”
“How did you get here?”
“We walked. Are you able to drive, or should I?”
“My right leg’s fine, Ms. Bennett.”
“And please drop the formality,” she declared. “I’m either Beth or Aunt Beth. Whichever you prefer. And I think I should probably drive.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kurt replied, tempted to snap off a salute.
“Come on, honey,” she said to Scotty, slipping an arm around his shoulder and helping him into the car.
Once they were on their way, a twinkle appeared in Beth’s eyes. “You take orders very well, Kurt.”
“A habit I picked up in the military,” he said.
“Army, navy or marines?”
“Navy.”
“How long have you been in?” she asked.
“I enlisted right after graduation.”
“What’s your rank?”
“Actually, I’m not in the navy anymore.”
Her surprise was apparent. “What do you do for a living?”
“I work for the government.”
He was spared any more of the interrogation when she pulled into the driveway of a two-story, cream-colored house with black shutters and roof.
Scotty appeared none the worse for his near drowning. He jumped out of the car and raced ahead into the house.
Beth stayed behind to offer a helping hand to Kurt, who appeared to be the only casualty of the incident.
Beth insisted he shower to cleanse the quarry water off him. By the time he finished, the painkillers had kicked in and eased the pain considerably.
“Give me your wet clothing and I’ll wash it with Scotty’s.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll pack up and get out of here.”
“I won’t hear of it,” Beth declared as she took the wet clothes from him. “It won’t take long and in the meantime I’ve made a fresh pot of coffee. So just sit down and relax.”
She returned a few moments later, put a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table and poured them each a cup of coffee.
Beware of maiden aunts bearing chocolate chip cookies. What was she up to?
Suddenly the door burst open and Maddie rushed in. Kurt doubted she even noticed his presence. “Where is he?” she asked breathlessly.
“Relax, dear. Scotty’s taking a bath. Kevin gave him a clean bill of health.”
Beth could have saved her breath. Maddie rushed past and up the stairs. She returned moments later.
“The bathroom door’s locked and he won’t open it. He said he prefers privacy when he bathes.” Her mouth curved in the barest suggestion of a grin. “Privacy! I’m his mother! That little munchkin! I ought to warm his bottom when he comes out.”
“I know, dear, I got the same response, and I’m a nurse. So sit down and have a cup of coffee with us.”
For the first time since she arrived, Maddie looked directly at him. Kurt cut her some slack. Her concern for her son was understandable.
“Thank you, Kurt. Aunt Beth told me on the phone that you’re responsible for saving Scotty.”
“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Besides, if I hadn’t waved at him, he probably wouldn’t have fallen.”
“If anyone’s to blame, I am,” Beth protested. “I never should have let him get that close to the rim of that hole.”
Maddie took a deep draft of the coffee. “Please, neither of you are to blame. Accidents happen. I just thank God Scotty’s okay.”
“We all are, dear,” Beth said. “Except for Kurt. He aggravated his knee injury when he jumped into the water.”
Despite her anxiety for her son, Maddie looked contrite. “I’m sorry, Kurt.”
“No sweat. It’s happened before. I just have to take it easy for a while. I’ll have the doc check it out when I get back to the VA hospital.”
Beth handed him the plate of cookies. “It’s a long drive back to Milwaukee. And you shouldn’t drive after taking those pain pills. I think you should rest right here for a couple of days. There are twin beds in Scotty’s room, so you can double up with him.”
“It’s only a couple hours’ drive, Beth.”
“And you only took a couple pills. I won’t hear of it. We insist you remain right here.” Beth looked at Maddie for support. “Don’t we, dear?”
Aunt Beth was sniffing the wrong scent if she expected her niece to back her up. Maddie looked anything but supportive. “Well…ah…I understand why Kurt would want to get back to proper medical care.”
“I beg your pardon, Missy,” Beth declared, feigning indignation. “I happen to be a registered nurse.”
“But you don’t have X-ray eyes, do you, darling?” Maddie hurried from the room and went back upstairs.
They heard her pound on the bathroom door. “Scotty, you’ve been in that bath long enough. Unlock this door, or I’m getting the key and coming in.”
“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute,” the boy yelled back. “Boy, a kid’s got no privacy living in a house full of women.”
“Hasn’t any privacy,” Maddie corrected. “Furthermore, you’ll have even less if you’re not out of there in the next sixty seconds.”
“How can I have less of what I don’t have to begin with?”
“You’ll find out soon enough if you don’t listen to me.”
Beth smiled. “Hope you don’t get the wrong impression, Kurt. Right now Maddie’s aching so badly, she’s about to burst if she can’t get her arms around that boy and judge for herself that he’s okay. They’re very close and he’s her whole life.” She shook her head. “Lord, if anything would have happened to Scotty, Maddie would never have been able…”
Kurt reached over and patted her hand. “I understand. It’s not hard to tell they’re tight. What about his father? Is he alive, or is Maddie divorced?”
“Oh, he’s very much alive.”
“Where is he?”
“Right here in Vandergriff.”
“Does he know about the accident?”
“Yes,” she said. She looked up and smiled. “Scotty will be glad to hear that you’re staying for a couple of days. Now there’ll be another man in the house.”
“Beth, I didn’t say I was staying,” he said.
“But you will, won’t you, dear.” She smiled confidently and picked up their cups and carried them to the sink.
In the past ten years he’d been his own man, made his own decisions unless the military made them for him. But no one talked him into doing anything he didn’t want to do—and right now he wanted to get the hell out of there as quickly as he could.
With that firm resolution in mind he opened his mouth and said, “Okay, but just until tomorrow.”
Kurt glanced at Maddie who had just come down the stairs. She didn’t look happy—appalled would be more correct. He swung his gaze back to Beth. She looked like the cat who’d just swallowed the canary.
So why did he suddenly feel like he’d just stepped into a steaming pile of horse manure?
Chapter 3
“Boy, this is cool,” Scotty said when Kurt brought his backpack into the bedroom. “I never had a roommate before.”
“You mean you’ve never had a sleepover?”
“Oh, sure, but that’s not the same as someone staying for more than one night. How long you gonna stay, Mr. Bolen?”
“Sorry, pal, just for tonight,” Kurt said. Unless he could think of a good excuse for leaving right away.
“I cleaned out one of my dresser drawers. You can put your clothes in it, Mr. Bolen.”
“That’s not necessary, Scotty. I’ll keep them in my pack. And just call me Kurt. I’m not used to such formality.”
“My mom said it’s not polite to address an elder person by their first name.”
“Maybe a woman—but we fellows have to stick together, right?” He gave Scotty a high five and the boy grinned.
“Aunt Beth brought in some extra hangers so’s you can hang up your shirts and pants.”
“That was very nice of her, but I only have a couple shirts, and an extra pair of jeans. I didn’t figure on staying away too long.”
“You mean from the hospital in Milwaukee?” Compassion now glowed in the boy’s blue eyes that only seconds before were alight with happiness. “Does your leg hurt real bad?”
“Naw…nothing to worry about. Tomorrow it’ll be fine.”
“I hope not.” He blushed in embarrassment. “I mean, I hope you don’t have any more pain, but I want you to stay longer.”
As Kurt glanced around the room, a thought crossed his mind. “Do you have a computer, Scotty?”
“No, but my mom does down at the bookstore. Sometimes she brings it home with her. We could go down and get it.”
“No, forget it. I just thought I’d pass some time chatting with a couple friends on the Internet.”
“Sometimes when I’m at the bookstore Mom lets me play a game on the Internet, but that’s all. She said there are naughty pictures and per…”
“Perverts,” Kurt said.
Scotty nodded. “She said these perverts lurk on the Internet trying to se…ah…”
“Seduce?” Kurt asked.
“Yeah, that’s the word. They hurt young kids.” He frowned. “How can they do that, Kurt, if they don’t even live here?”
This was as bad as trying to explain the birds and the bees to the kid. “They pretend to be your friend to find out where you live. If you’re too young to come to them, they’ll come to you.”
“I guess I don’t have to worry ’cause I don’t have a computer. You can watch television if you like.” He walked over and turned on a small set on the corner of a desk.
Kurt picked up the remote, sat down on the edge of the bed and began to channel surf. The choices were limited.
“My mom had a chip put on the channels I shouldn’t watch.”
“Can’t get away with anything today, can you?”
He hit a news channel and was about to move on when the newscaster mentioned the world-wide spread of criminal organ harvesting. Recalling what he had observed while in Colombia, Kurt listened to the discussion between the panel of three men and a woman. He was surprised to see that one of the panelists was Dr. Escobar, the doctor in charge of the hospital in Colombia.
According to the panelists, organ donations were needed all over the world but the demand was so much greater than the supply that in many countries innocent victims were being attacked and would wake up missing vital organs.