funding arms dealers is still illegal. You need to own your mistakes. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes, sir,” Will smiled at the directive. Artie’s faith would never allow him to send Will out the door without some sort of lesson. “Thank you…”
“And then you’re coming with me to church too. We need to work on filling that hole in your heart.” He smiled. “Now go!” Artie directed Will with a hand on his shoulder; he was nearly shoving him now.
Glancing back one last time, he gave Artie a nod, and took off at a light jog toward the morning shadows along the edge of the road. The sun, peeking over the treetops, beat down on the dew-laden grass, evaporating the moisture as its rays crept across the ground.
Arthur Adair remained in the doorway for another minute, watching Will run off until he disappeared into the shadows. Frowning, he slowly shut the door behind him. There was going to be no more sleep this morning, so he grabbed his Bible and sat down to read. As he did, he whispered a quick prayer.
“Jesus, watch over that boy…Protect him, keep him safe. Reveal yourself to him so that he might know Your love and Your might. Lord, please help him.”
***
Dominic and Shannon arrived at their stakeout early the next morning, armed with a box of donuts and some gas station coffee from a local pump. They hoped the artificial sugar and caffeine would keep them awake and alert until their bodies’ natural clocks kicked in. The streets were empty as they pulled into their space down the street from the target location.
One lone car sat in the alley next to the café—probably belonging to the owner, inside preparing to open for the day. The rest of the street appeared dead.
The sun still hung low enough in the eastern sky to create a reddish glow on the horizon, but that wouldn’t last long. Soon it would rise above the buildings, its heat radiating down on the bustling street, with no clouds in the forecast to intercept and dampen its intense rays.
“Hey Shannon. Do you mind if I ask a bit of a personal question?” Dominic disrupted the silence. He figured being trapped together in a car for the next few hours was as good a time as any to get to know his partner better. At least she wasn’t going to be able to escape this time.
“Yes, I do.” Her curt reply and dark eyes cautioned him to back off, but he chose to ignore the flashing warning sign and forge ahead. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to crack through her outer wall of defense and begin to build a genuine relationship.
“Why did you choose to join this department?”
Shannon turned and glared at him. She paused, as if debating whether or not to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Finally, she pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “To make the world a safer place.”
Dominic chuckled aloud. “That’s an answer you give your interviewer when you apply for the job. What’s the real reason?” Shannon turned away and gave no response. He waited a minute and then forged onward. “I mean, I only joined because of my father. It was expected I’d follow him into the business. No one asked what I wanted to do with my life. I never really had a choice.”
He paused to gauge her reaction. Still no movement. “Don’t get me wrong…I love what I do. And it’s grown on me since that first day. But I still would’ve appreciated a choice. Who knows where I’d have landed if not for ‘dad’s legacy’ at SISA? I could be anything. Doctor, lawyer, businessman, maybe even a computer programmer for a software firm. Instead, I ended up here, doing intel for the government…all because of genetics and parentage.”
He glanced over at Shannon again, but she stared out the window, ignoring him. Frustrated, he turned away. Dropping his shoulders with a sigh, he shrugged and took a big bite out of one of the donuts. Cream-filled, his favorite. He decided to abandon the subject for now and focus on the mission. If she
“Yes, sir,” Will smiled at the directive. Artie’s faith would never allow him to send Will out the door without some sort of lesson. “Thank you…”
“And then you’re coming with me to church too. We need to work on filling that hole in your heart.” He smiled. “Now go!” Artie directed Will with a hand on his shoulder; he was nearly shoving him now.
Glancing back one last time, he gave Artie a nod, and took off at a light jog toward the morning shadows along the edge of the road. The sun, peeking over the treetops, beat down on the dew-laden grass, evaporating the moisture as its rays crept across the ground.
Arthur Adair remained in the doorway for another minute, watching Will run off until he disappeared into the shadows. Frowning, he slowly shut the door behind him. There was going to be no more sleep this morning, so he grabbed his Bible and sat down to read. As he did, he whispered a quick prayer.
“Jesus, watch over that boy…Protect him, keep him safe. Reveal yourself to him so that he might know Your love and Your might. Lord, please help him.”
***
Dominic and Shannon arrived at their stakeout early the next morning, armed with a box of donuts and some gas station coffee from a local pump. They hoped the artificial sugar and caffeine would keep them awake and alert until their bodies’ natural clocks kicked in. The streets were empty as they pulled into their space down the street from the target location.
One lone car sat in the alley next to the café—probably belonging to the owner, inside preparing to open for the day. The rest of the street appeared dead.
The sun still hung low enough in the eastern sky to create a reddish glow on the horizon, but that wouldn’t last long. Soon it would rise above the buildings, its heat radiating down on the bustling street, with no clouds in the forecast to intercept and dampen its intense rays.
“Hey Shannon. Do you mind if I ask a bit of a personal question?” Dominic disrupted the silence. He figured being trapped together in a car for the next few hours was as good a time as any to get to know his partner better. At least she wasn’t going to be able to escape this time.
“Yes, I do.” Her curt reply and dark eyes cautioned him to back off, but he chose to ignore the flashing warning sign and forge ahead. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to crack through her outer wall of defense and begin to build a genuine relationship.
“Why did you choose to join this department?”
Shannon turned and glared at him. She paused, as if debating whether or not to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Finally, she pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “To make the world a safer place.”
Dominic chuckled aloud. “That’s an answer you give your interviewer when you apply for the job. What’s the real reason?” Shannon turned away and gave no response. He waited a minute and then forged onward. “I mean, I only joined because of my father. It was expected I’d follow him into the business. No one asked what I wanted to do with my life. I never really had a choice.”
He paused to gauge her reaction. Still no movement. “Don’t get me wrong…I love what I do. And it’s grown on me since that first day. But I still would’ve appreciated a choice. Who knows where I’d have landed if not for ‘dad’s legacy’ at SISA? I could be anything. Doctor, lawyer, businessman, maybe even a computer programmer for a software firm. Instead, I ended up here, doing intel for the government…all because of genetics and parentage.”
He glanced over at Shannon again, but she stared out the window, ignoring him. Frustrated, he turned away. Dropping his shoulders with a sigh, he shrugged and took a big bite out of one of the donuts. Cream-filled, his favorite. He decided to abandon the subject for now and focus on the mission. If she
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