hosted out of town guests for the weekend. To the untrained
eye, Bellevue represented a change-of-pace type city where people found it nice to move and set up shop. To the skilled eye, however, Bellevue existed as a dumping ground for people who needed to
vanish.
“She?” Stanzer asked. “She who?”
“You know who,” McCutcheon replied. “If her life’s in danger, then just put her in Wit Sec like you did me and let her join all the other nomads who call this town
home.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is,” M.D. replied, becoming more animated. “In fact, it’d be great. She’d already know some people, which would make the adjustment pretty smooth, and I
could…well, I could even go out and get her. Like be the one to go to Detroit, explain what happened, and bring her out.”
“She’ll hate you for it.”
“You don’t know her like I do. You don’t know what we have.”
“You mean had.”
Anger flashed in M.D.’s eyes. He refused to believe his relationship with Kaitlyn only existed in the past tense.
“You’re living in a fantasy world, son,” Stanzer said. “And you need to slay this dragon before it slays you.”
“It’s not a fantasy.”
“You’re delusional.”
“I love her, sir. And she loves me, too.”
“How long’s it been since you’ve even had a conversation with this girl?” Stanzer asked. “Since you looked her in the eye? Held her hand?”
“I made a mistake,” M.D. said. “And I believe once I explain it all to her, she’ll take me back.”
“I’m not going to argue logic with someone who is being entirely irrational.”
“That’s the beauty of love, sir,” M.D. said. “The fact that on one hand it makes no sense at all and yet on the other it makes all the sense in the world.”
Stanzer grunted. “Very poetic.”
“Not just poetic, true.”
“It’s like talking to a fucking wall right now.”
“Please.” M.D. looked at Stanzer with soft eyes. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. Can you just do this for me? Can you put Kaitlyn in Wit Sec?”
Stanzer rubbed his chin and considered his response. As the colonel deliberated his next words, visions of how wonderful life could be floated through McCutcheon’s head. Sunsets on the
hill. Friday nights sharing ice cream. Gemma getting a big sister of sorts.
Kaitlyn moving to Bellevue would be an unequivocal home run.
“You are so fucking delusional I don’t even know where to begin. Why you don’t get this?” Stanzer threw up his hands. “You think some girl you haven’t seen in
ten months is gonna just want to up and leave her life to move to corn-loving Nebraska in order to play a game of puppy love with the kid who turned her into a target for murder? What about her
family? Her friends? Her entire goddamn life? Kids like her don’t go into Wit Sec.”
“But kids like me do?” McCutcheon said.
“Her father went to college with the fucking lieutenant governor. Families like that, shit works different.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“I’m trying to say that you gotta let this girl go. Take yourself off the hook for whatever might happen to her. Maybe take a year or two off from our unit, too.”
“You’re cutting me loose?”
“I have no more assignments for you. Go clear your head. Get your spirit right and then see if what we’re doing is still what you really want to do in life. You’ve been spared
so far, but at some point every last one of us who does this kind of work gets bloody with stains that don’t wash off.”
“I know what you’re doing,” M.D. said. “This reverse psychology shit you are pulling. You’re telling me not to go because you know that it’s going make me
want to go even more.”
Stanzer shook his head. “Unbelievable,” he muttered.
“’Cause you know I gotta do this,” McCutcheon said. “Because if something happens to Kaitlyn that’s more blood on my hands. Like I already don’t have
eye, Bellevue represented a change-of-pace type city where people found it nice to move and set up shop. To the skilled eye, however, Bellevue existed as a dumping ground for people who needed to
vanish.
“She?” Stanzer asked. “She who?”
“You know who,” McCutcheon replied. “If her life’s in danger, then just put her in Wit Sec like you did me and let her join all the other nomads who call this town
home.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is,” M.D. replied, becoming more animated. “In fact, it’d be great. She’d already know some people, which would make the adjustment pretty smooth, and I
could…well, I could even go out and get her. Like be the one to go to Detroit, explain what happened, and bring her out.”
“She’ll hate you for it.”
“You don’t know her like I do. You don’t know what we have.”
“You mean had.”
Anger flashed in M.D.’s eyes. He refused to believe his relationship with Kaitlyn only existed in the past tense.
“You’re living in a fantasy world, son,” Stanzer said. “And you need to slay this dragon before it slays you.”
“It’s not a fantasy.”
“You’re delusional.”
“I love her, sir. And she loves me, too.”
“How long’s it been since you’ve even had a conversation with this girl?” Stanzer asked. “Since you looked her in the eye? Held her hand?”
“I made a mistake,” M.D. said. “And I believe once I explain it all to her, she’ll take me back.”
“I’m not going to argue logic with someone who is being entirely irrational.”
“That’s the beauty of love, sir,” M.D. said. “The fact that on one hand it makes no sense at all and yet on the other it makes all the sense in the world.”
Stanzer grunted. “Very poetic.”
“Not just poetic, true.”
“It’s like talking to a fucking wall right now.”
“Please.” M.D. looked at Stanzer with soft eyes. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. Can you just do this for me? Can you put Kaitlyn in Wit Sec?”
Stanzer rubbed his chin and considered his response. As the colonel deliberated his next words, visions of how wonderful life could be floated through McCutcheon’s head. Sunsets on the
hill. Friday nights sharing ice cream. Gemma getting a big sister of sorts.
Kaitlyn moving to Bellevue would be an unequivocal home run.
“You are so fucking delusional I don’t even know where to begin. Why you don’t get this?” Stanzer threw up his hands. “You think some girl you haven’t seen in
ten months is gonna just want to up and leave her life to move to corn-loving Nebraska in order to play a game of puppy love with the kid who turned her into a target for murder? What about her
family? Her friends? Her entire goddamn life? Kids like her don’t go into Wit Sec.”
“But kids like me do?” McCutcheon said.
“Her father went to college with the fucking lieutenant governor. Families like that, shit works different.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“I’m trying to say that you gotta let this girl go. Take yourself off the hook for whatever might happen to her. Maybe take a year or two off from our unit, too.”
“You’re cutting me loose?”
“I have no more assignments for you. Go clear your head. Get your spirit right and then see if what we’re doing is still what you really want to do in life. You’ve been spared
so far, but at some point every last one of us who does this kind of work gets bloody with stains that don’t wash off.”
“I know what you’re doing,” M.D. said. “This reverse psychology shit you are pulling. You’re telling me not to go because you know that it’s going make me
want to go even more.”
Stanzer shook his head. “Unbelievable,” he muttered.
“’Cause you know I gotta do this,” McCutcheon said. “Because if something happens to Kaitlyn that’s more blood on my hands. Like I already don’t have
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