The Seal's Return

Gordon stared at him. Jubal noticed the boy’s gaze seemed more careful now, hesitating when he saw the tattoo on his arm. “What’s that?”

“I thought you were smarter than anyone else,” he said. “You tell me.”

“Military?”

“Yeah.”

“My sister thinks they’re all fascists.”

“So your sister is the source of all your information? You live with her, then?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me where you live, or I’ll call the police. Maybe those fascists can straighten you out.”

The boy’s face paled. “We just wanted to see if it would burn,” he said. “He said no one lived here.”

Jubal raised an eyebrow. “Who told you that? Your chickenshit buddy who ran out on you? I saw him run.”

Gordon didn’t say anything.

“Okay, have it your way.” Jubal took his cell out of his pocket. “The police chief is a friend of mine and I have his number. I didn’t know I’d need it so soon.”

“Don’t!” Gordon said, adding a belated, “Please.”

“You don’t want him to know a juvenile pyromaniac is running around the community?”

“I’m not... I mean, you can’t call the police.”

“Why not?”

“I’m...” Gordon’s voice trailed off.

“Yes?” Jubal said, and raised his eyebrow.

“I’m...on probation,” Gordon admitted with obvious reluctance.

“Burn someone else’s house down?”

“No!”

“Anyone missing you right now?”

“No.”

“Why don’t I believe that?” Jubal said.

“My sister doesn’t give a shit what I do. She’s too busy...”

“Too busy doing what?”

The boy’s lips closed.

“You’re not getting out of here until you tell me where you live.”

The defiance in Gordon’s eyes faded away. “She’s the new doctor.”

Jubal studied him for a moment. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“What?” Gordon said cautiously.

“Give me her address. I’ll drive you there, watch you go inside whichever way you got out. In return, you’ll give me ten hours of work. Productive work, and I decide what counts as productive.”

The kid looked disbelieving. “Ten hours?”

“You think it should be longer? Maybe you’re right.”

The kid looked trapped.

“You have a choice,” Jubal said. “I can call the police chief. I imagine you’ll be charged with arson. That won’t be the least of your problems if, as you say, you’re on probation.”

The last remnant of defiance drained from the kid’s face. “What’d you want me to do?”

“I’ll think of something. Yard work. Painting the dock. You start tomorrow. Be here at two p.m.”

Jubal watched the calculating look on the boy’s face. Despite his abject firebug skills, the kid wasn’t dumb. All he had to do was point out a house, then make a dash for an alley and disappear.

“I’m a hell of a lot faster than you,” Jubal said, checkmating that particular scheme. He kinda liked the kid. He didn’t give up. And he wasn’t afraid of former SEAL Jubal Pierce. Damn, had he changed that much?

“Who are you?” the kid asked.

“Name’s Jubal. Jubal Pierce.”

“That’s a dumb name.”

Jubal shrugged. “My dad was a rodeo rider. Jubal wasn’t all that unusual among that set.” He had no idea why he explained that, except maybe it would make an impact on a kid.

Gordon’s face showed more interest. “You ever ride in a rodeo?”

“Nope. And no more diversions. Deal or no deal?”

The kid nodded sullenly.

“A deal’s a deal,” Jubal said. “You break it, there will be consequences.”

“Why do you give a shit about a tiny fire?” The kid tried one last tact.

“Because I live here, and while I live here, I respect the property and the man who loaned it to me. It’s a matter of, shall we say, honor.”

“You come from the dark ages, man,” Gordon retorted.

Jubal shrugged. “Come on, let’s go. And take your wet clothes with you.”

The kid almost tripped over the dragging legs of Jubal’s sweatpants, but he followed Jubal to his Mazda. At least he couldn’t run, not without tripping.

He asked the kid for directions and retraced one of the routes he ran earlier. Gordon slouched in the corner of the car, his sullen voice barely audible.

“That’s it,” the kid said, pointing at a neat two story house. When Jubal stopped, Gordon opened the door.

“I want my clothes back,” Jubal warned. “Washed.”

“Whatever,” the kid said.

“Don’t use that word with me again,” Jubal warned. “It’s offensive and stupid.”

The kid’s lips clamped shut, then, carrying his wet clothes, he walked to the side of the house and disappeared in the back.

Jubal waited several minutes, saw a light go on upstairs, then decided the kid really did live there. He said his sister was the doctor, and he believed that. It would be too easy for him to check it out, and Covenant Falls was not big enough to hide in. He did wonder, though, if the kid would show up tomorrow, or was it today now?

Jubal also wondered what in the hell he was doing. He’d planned to leave in the next day or two. He was starting something he couldn’t finish unless he hung around longer than he intended.

He always finished what he started if humanly possible. It was in his DNA.

So why had he started something that might keep him here longer than planned?

The answer came too quickly.

He recognized that kid. It was him twenty years ago.

CHAPTER FOUR

LISA WOKE TO SILENCE. No sound of heavy trucks passing or the blaring of a horn. It took her a moment to realize where she was.

The flower print on the wallpaper was not the comforting light blue of her former bedroom. New house. New town. New job. She should be excited. She wasn’t. She was too worried about Gordon.

She looked at the clock. A little after seven a.m. That was late for her. She thought about the day ahead, mostly about Gordon.

Gordon had appeared at dinner yesterday and shoveled down his share of a casserole Lisa had found in the fridge along with eggs, milk, cheese, bacon and other basic items.

Although he ate well, he did it with a scowl and grunts when she’d asked him whether he’d met anyone his age yesterday afternoon. Then, completely ignoring both his sisters, he disappeared into the bedroom with his phone and tablet.

She’d checked on him at ten before she went to her own bedroom. His light was off.

She’d gone to sleep then. She was exhausted from the long drive yesterday, then unpacking most of what they’d brought with them. Some items still remained in the trailer.

So much to do today. First on the schedule was a meeting with Dr. Bradley, who was back home in Covenant Falls. Then she intended to drop by the clinic to look over scheduled appointments for the next several days and familiarize herself with the office.

Also on the “to do” list was a visit to the veterinarian’s office to look at adoptable dogs. Kerry, along with Gordon, had gone through two terrible years. They both deserved more than she’d given them. She was intent on remedying that.

Kerry, she knew, would be easier than Gordon. Her sister loved animals and reading. She was a good student, though her grades had also fallen in the past year.

Gordon was more difficult. He had been a strong student until their mother became so ill. He was good with his hands and had built a fort in their backyard when he was twelve. It was still sound. He could also look at any puzzle and solve it in half the time it took someone else. But since their mother died, everything had been different.

Lisa rose, put a robe over her nightshirt and headed toward the kitchen. To her amazement, she smelled the aroma of coffee and was even more surprised to see Kerry at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal.

Kerry turned around, sensing her presence. “I made coffee,” Kerry said.

“I smelled it. Thank you.” Lisa made a beeline for the pot on the counter. Coffee was her lifeblood.

“Can we go over to the veterinarian clinic and see if they have dogs for adoption?” Kerry asked after Lisa dropped two slices of bread in the toaster.

“Maybe this afternoon if she’s there. I have to meet with Dr. Bradley this morning and go over records.”

“What will I do this morning?” Her voice was plaintive.

“What about going to the library? You can ride your bike. Maybe you’ll meet some kids there.”

Kerry shrugged. “Gordon says they’re all weirdos.”

“And what, pray tell, qualifies someone as a weirdo?”

Kerry nibbled on her cereal and shrugged, ignoring a question she probably couldn’t answer. “Will you call the vet this morning and see if we can come this afternoon?” she persisted.

The eagerness in Kerry’s face warmed Lisa. She hadn’t seen it in far too long. She located the list of phone numbers Eve provided and found Dr. Stephanie Morgan’s number.

Lisa looked at her watch. It was eight a.m. “She might be in now. Maybe Gordon will come with us and help pick one out.”

“He probably won’t even be around,” Kerry said dismissively. “And it’ll be my dog, anyway. Will you call now, Lisa?” she begged.

To Lisa’s surprise, Stephanie answered on the second ring and must have recognized her name on phone ID. “Hi,” she said. “Dr. Redding? Eve said you might call. What can I do for you?”

“Eve said you might have some dogs available for adoption.”

“Music to my ears,” Stephanie said. “I have a couple of really good rescues. Would you like to come over today?”

“That would be great. My sister’s very excited.”

“What about noon?” Stephanie said. “I have a break between appointments then.”

“I’m meeting with Dr. Bradley at nine but lunchtime should be fine.”

“I’m really glad Doc found someone to fill in for him. His doctors told him he shouldn’t be working at all, but he’s insisted on seeing patients since there’s been no one else.”

“I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t need to see them now,” Lisa said.

“Good. I’ll expect you and your sister at noon.” The phone clicked off.

Lisa looked at her watch. Nearly eight. She needed to take a shower and dress. She had no idea what to wear in town. Black pants and a short-sleeved fitted blouse would probably do. She would take one of her white coats and drop it off at the clinic.

She went upstairs and knocked on Gordon’s door. He’d been far too quiet since he went to his room last night. He had a backlog of movies on his tablet along with games but...

No sound inside.

She opened the door. He was still sleeping. She looked around. To her surprise there were no clothes on the floor. She closed the door, then knocked. Hard.

Mumbling came from inside. “Just a minute.” Finally, Gordon appeared. His long hair was a mess. He was blurry-eyed as if he hadn’t had any sleep. “Wh-what do you want?” he asked rudely.

“I have to leave to meet with Dr. Bradley,” she said. “I may not be back until noon, and then I’m taking Kerry to look at some dogs. Want to go with us? Maybe help Kerry pick one?”

“You gotta be kidding. We’d never agree. She’ll want some little prissy thing. Besides, I have things to do. Going on a hike with a kid I met.”

“Where to?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t live here. Just going to show me around.”

Lisa swallowed hard. Nothing had changed. “You’re supposed to check in with the police department.”

“Tomorrow,” he said.

“I’ll make an appointment for you.”

“Whatever,” he said, and closed the door.

She wondered if he’d ever forgive her for bringing him here. It didn’t matter that she was trying to help him—help both of them. She’d hated to take them from the house they’d lived in all their lives, but it had become a house of ghosts.

She went back downstairs and took a hot shower, trying to erase all the doubts she had, the failure she felt. She washed and dried her hair and pulled it back, fastening it with a clasp. Not very fashionable or stylish but fast and practical.

She checked her watch again. Seven minutes until nine. The doctor’s office was just six blocks away but she was running late. She grabbed her white coat, the car keys, her laptop and stopped by the living room where Kerry was watching a talk show. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back but I promise it will be before noon. Try the library or maybe just explore this morning, okay?”

She gave Kerry her allowance in case she wanted to go into town. She knew from her own teenage years how important it was to have at least a few dollars for a soft drink or emergencies. She hoped Gordon would find a part-time job as she had as a teenager.

* * *

JUBAL TRIED SLEEPING inside the cabin but woke up drenched in sweat. He’d been in the hut again. No light. No air. Only half a cup of filthy water to drink. His wrists were bound with rusty chain that tore into the skin, and he bled from several gashes inflicted by one of his captors.

Forcing the images from his head, he glanced at the clock. A little after four a.m. He knew he wouldn’t go back to sleep. He stood and walked to the bathroom, turning on the light. He looked at himself in the mirror with disgust. Why in the hell had he bargained with that kid last night? Maybe he wouldn’t show up.

Or, Jubal thought, he could forget about it and leave now. He hadn’t promised Clint anything but a quick visit, and he certainly didn’t owe the juvenile delinquent anything.

He swore as he took a shower, washing away the sweat. He couldn’t take enough showers these days after two years without. When he’d reached civilization six months ago, he had a beard halfway to his chest and layers of dirt.

Jubal was too awake now to try to sleep. He always thought better when running or swimming, and the shock of cold water should clear his mind. He considered skinny-dipping since he doubted anyone was awake. But then Clint was his host; it probably wouldn’t help his job as police chief if his guest was reported for indecent exposure.

He resisted the urge and pulled on his swimming trunks before jogging out to the dock. He plunged into the cold water and his thoughts strayed back to the kid. Even if he did show up, what would he find for him to do?

Hell, he kept questioning himself. Why did he let himself get involved? The kid had a nice house from the look of it. Yet Jubal couldn’t escape seeing himself years ago. He’d lived in a nice house, too, but he’d been filled with resentment and bitterness. His mother had taken him away from the father he adored, the father who died a year later with no one to mourn him but a son who lived two thousand miles away.

Maybe that was why he inserted himself in someone else’s life, something he’d never done before. He remembered his own pain when his father died, the rebellion he felt against his mother whom he’d blamed for his father’s death. Wouldn’t have happened if he had been there, if his father knew he was looking on. This kid had not only lost a father but a mother as well. He didn’t know the whys or hows, but he recognized the hurt and loss inside and the urge to strike out.

It was obvious the boy was headed for trouble.

After returning to the cabin, he did his usual quota of push-ups, showered again, and at eight decided the hour reasonable enough to call Clint.

“Hey,” he said. “I’d like to meet the owner of the cabin.”

“Josh? Sure. He’d like that, too.”

“Can we make it just him and me?” Jubal asked.

“Sure. Either Josh or I will call you back.”

That was one of the reasons Jubal had always liked Clint. No questions. No explanations needed.

The phone rang within minutes. “Jubal? Josh Manning here.”

Short. Jubal liked that. “Thanks for the use of the cabin.”

“Happy to have you there. Clint suggested it was time to meet. How about lunch?”

“I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“You won’t,” Josh said. “Eleven okay? I’d like you to see the town’s main attraction, then we’ll go to Maude’s. Great diner.”

Jubal had planned to stay around the cabin to see whether the kid turned up early, but hell, it was the kid he wanted to discuss with Josh. “Sure.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up.”

“Thanks,” Jubal said.

Jubal made coffee and toasted several pieces of bread from the full larder. He had more than a few thanks to give Josh Manning in addition to his questions.

With another three hours to kill, he checked his laptop for recent news, particularly about the Middle East. Friends were there. He wished he were there, as well. He felt like a fish flopping on land in this peaceful town in the middle of nowhere.

One website led to another until he heard an approaching vehicle. He closed the laptop and went to meet his temporary host.

The top was down on a Jeep and his visitor was accompanied by a Belgian Malinois. Jubal recognized the breed from his SEAL days. It was the service’s dog of choice because of intelligence and size.

Even if he hadn’t known Josh Manning had been a soldier, he would have instantly recognized him as one. Although there was a slight limp, Manning walked with an assurance that came with being a career warrior.

They shook hands, each sizing up the other.

“This is Amos,” Josh said. “He’s also a veteran.”

The dog lifted his paw politely and Jubal leaned over and shook it. Jubal knew instantly he was going to like both his host and the dog. “Thanks again for the use of the cabin,” he said.

“Glad to have someone here to take care of it.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Jubal replied.

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Let’s talk while I show you around. Maude’s a great diner but it’s not a good place for private conversation. News and rumors travel with the speed of light.”

“I discovered that when one of your officers stopped while I was running and knew me by name.”

“Drove me crazy when I first came here,” Josh said. “Now I just accept it. People here are interested in what’s happening in their universe, and Covenant Falls is their universe. But there’s no malice about it.” He paused, then asked, “You walk up the mountain yet?”

“Yeah. Right after I arrived.”

“Me, too.” He turned a corner. “I thought I would show you the falls. It’s our main attraction. It’ll take a little more than an hour going and coming. We can talk, then stop at Maude’s for lunch. I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t take you there.”

Jubal mostly listened as Josh drove through town. They passed what looked like an old, rustic saloon with a dozen cars in the parking lot. “That’s the Rusty Nail,” Josh said. “It’s our watering hole. The owner is a vet and makes sure we feel welcome. He’s also a member of our Monday night vet poker game.”

They passed an inn with a sign portraying a whimsical camel that looked toward the mountains. “The Camel Trail Inn?” Jubal asked.

“My pride and joy,” Josh said. “My partner—another vet—and I finished rehabbing the inn two months ago. We’re getting tourists, but unfortunately we don’t have enough activities to keep them here more than a day or two. We want to start a wilderness adventure business but we have to have the right person.” He glanced at Jubal. “Would you be interested?”

“Thanks, but I don’t plan to stay more than a few days.”

“Heard and understood,” Josh said. “I’ll say no more.”

After a few more miles, Josh saw a large sign: The Falls of Covenant Falls. Josh turned left and followed a winding road through a virgin forest. Then he stopped in a parking area. “The falls are just beyond the bend.”

Jubal heard the roar ahead and walked with Josh around the corner to a picnic area. It was empty. The falls were grander than Jubal had imagined. Torrents of white frothy water cascaded over rocky outcrops into a gorge below. Water vapor hung in the air forming a rainbow.

“Impressive,” he said. He’d seen a lot of waterfalls, but there was a pristine beauty about this one that touched something inside him. He understood now why Josh wanted him to see it. “I would think there would be more visitors.”

“The locals come here on the weekend and special events,” Josh said, “but we’re trying to attract more out-of-town visitors and new residents. For a long time the majority of the town leaders didn’t want change or growth, but that policy resulted in a town that was dying off. My wife and others are trying to reverse that.”

“A new mission for you?” Jubal heard the longing in his own voice.

“Something like that. I didn’t know how much I needed one until I came here. But that’s not why you wanted to see me. I gathered from Clint that you have something on your mind.”

In the short time they’d been together, Jubal sensed he could trust Josh’s discretion. He told him about the kid.

Josh listened without commenting until Jubal finished. “He’s probably the brother of Lisa Redding, the new doctor in town,” Josh said. “I understand he got into some trouble back in Chicago.”

“It’s your property,” Jubal said. “I thought you should know.”

“And you want my input?”

“It’s your town. Your cabin. Your dock. I don’t want to do anything that would put you in a bad spot.”

“Can’t see how unless you intend bodily harm.”

“Other than throwing him into the lake?”

Josh chuckled. “Haven’t heard anything about it this morning so I think your kid is keeping silent.”

“He’s not ‘my’ kid.”

Josh met his gaze. “I would have done the same thing—except maybe throwing him in the lake. I don’t like cold water.”

“Yeah, but he’s the brother of your new doctor, who, I’d imagine, is important to the town.”

“She is. We’ve been looking for a doctor for months and Dr. Redding is said to be a very good one.”

“And,” Jubal continued, “according to the kid, she considers the military ‘fascists.’” He paused. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for her leaving because of this.”

“Well, I get the impression she’s made of stronger stuff than to turn and run. She also has a contract. As for the ‘fascist’ comment, I met her several weeks ago and she seemed perfectly fine with me, and I’m pretty sure she knows I’m ex-military. Eve did say Lisa was concerned about Gordon and it was the main reason she moved here.

“As for the kid himself,” Josh said, “he may not show up. If he doesn’t, I would forget about it. You probably scared the hell out of him. And if you didn’t, the lake probably did.”

“And if he does?”

“It would be a step in the right direction.”

“What could he do around the cabin?”

“Maybe build a bench on the deck?” Josh suggested. “I’ve always kinda wanted one.”

“And say nothing to the sister?”

“We probably should,” Josh said with a wry smile. “But then he might get defensive and act out more.”

“I know,” Jubal said. “Been there. Done that.”

Josh chuckled. “Me, too.”

“What will your wife think about this? I hear she’s the mayor.”

“Truth be told, I’m not sure. She keeps surprising me. She has a devious soul underneath an innocent facade. She can be more concerned about the end rather than the means. I think she would approve, unless we lose the doctor. Then there will be hell to pay.”

Jubal didn’t answer. He felt trapped in a spiderweb but then he was the one who decided to reform the kid on his own. He just damn well couldn’t figure out why he cared as much as he did.

Josh looked at him sympathetically. “Just don’t become a cause with my wife. You’ll never know what hit you. When I came here, I was a confirmed loner, mad at the world. Now I have a ranch, a wife, a son, five dogs, two horses and a crazy cat. And, God help me, I’m a businessman with a huge bank loan.”

Jubal had no idea what Josh had been like before, but now his eyes were alive with humor and, obviously, love. For the slightest sliver of time, he felt envy.

Josh interrupted the thought. “Now it’s time to introduce you to Maude’s steaks.”

* * *

LISA KNOCKED ON Dr. Bradley’s door. A kind-looking woman who appeared to be in her seventies opened the door.