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“DO YOU WANT to know?” Ash “Casper” McNabb asked his teammate Romeo after sliding onto a barstool beside him.
For the last five weeks, Casper had fervently searched for a ghost of his own. Romeo’s significant other, Daisy Mae, mysteriously vanished without a trace. She disappeared without a word to anyone, including her closest friends and family, leaving them all in the dark about her whereabouts.
While Romeo recuperated from his injuries on a treasure hunt, Casper took a personal leave of absence from his position at Hamilton Investigation and Security to track down the elusive Daisy Mae. Locating her had required all of his investigative skills and perseverance.
The air in the bar crackled with tension as Romeo turned to his friend, concern etched on his face. “I no want to know. I need to know.”
“What are you gonna do if she isn’t ready?” Casper’s voice was laced with doubt, reflecting the uncertainty that loomed over Daisy Mae’s readiness for a new relationship, given her history of running away.
Romeo’s confidence wavered momentarily before he responded, “She be ready. Besides, I thought ya would have my six on dis.”
Casper met the Cajun’s gaze with a reassuring smile and a nod of understanding. He caught the bartender’s eye and silently signaled for a beer, affirming his unwavering support. “You know I do,” he said quietly, his words carrying the weight of their unspoken bond between HIS teammates.
After Casper revealed Daisy Mae’s whereabouts, he had to physically restrain Romeo to prevent him from bolting from his barstool and pursuing the woman. “Dude, it’s midnight. You can’t do anything now. Let’s plan and figure out how you’ll do things right this time.”
During the next hour, under the dim glow of the bar lights, the two friends engaged in a spirited discussion as they delved into Romeo’s intricate strategy to win back the heart of Daisy Mae. Together, they painted a vivid picture of Daisy Mae relocating to Maryland with Romeo, envisioning a life intertwined with possibility and love. However, despite the allure of this future, Casper, with a steadfast commitment to their team, expressed his reluctance about Romeo leaving and following Daisy Mae wherever she would establish her charter business.
“How are you, really?” Casper asked.
Romeo, having recently been shot twice, nodded. “I be fine.”
Casper hesitated to trust the Cajun fully but ultimately let it slide. Keeping an HIS agent subdued for an extended period was a constant challenge. The agency’s men and women were relentless in their pursuit of mission success, a goal that Casper had also made his own. He refused to label it a triumph until Daisy Mae relocated to Maryland.
“I no can thank ya enough for dis,” Romeo said. “She be my everything.”
Casper nodded thoughtfully as he remembered when Romeo had been hospitalized, Daisy Mae fled, and Casper had been there for her. She had been distraught, feeling unwanted by Romeo, who had not shown his love for their commitment to a future together.
With an unexpected move, she managed to slip away from him, becoming the first person ever to evade his grasp. As a former Green Beret and Delta and now serving as an HIS agent, he took her escape as a direct challenge to his exceptional skills. Throughout his career, he had never failed to track a target or protect someone under his care. In this instance, he was responsible for her while his teammate was incapacitated, making her successful evasion a personal affront.
“Why ya do dis?” Romeo asked after requesting another brew from the bartender.
For the exact reasons he’d been thinking. Because he’d failed at his mission, and he’d had to make it right.
Casper took a leisurely sip of his beer, savoring the taste as he drained the last drops from his glass. Placing the empty mug on the polished bar, he paused before responding, “Because you couldn’t.”
He rose from his seat, gave Romeo a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and exited the dimly lit bar. Stepping into the quiet parking lot, he sighed heavily, contemplating the task ahead. His commitment to supporting Romeo in winning back Daisy Mae was unwavering. Casper was genuinely fond of her, recognizing her ability to bring out the best in his friend. Despite referring to Romeo as a friend, he couldn’t ignore the professional nature of their relationship as fellow agents. However, the bond they formed during their last mission to protect Daisy Mae had undeniably deepened their connection.
As he settled into the driver’s seat of his rugged Jeep, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of reluctance about the impending journey from the remote wilderness of Louisiana to the bustling city of Baltimore. With the hour growing late, he resigned himself to the prospect of seeking accommodation at the nearby bed-and-breakfast, hoping for a vacancy. Failing that, he knew he would have no choice but to venture to the next town in pursuit of a suitable hotel for the night.
As the engine hummed to life, he shifted the Jeep into gear and exited the parking lot onto the familiar backroad he had traversed countless times during their last operation. Glancing at the pier, he nodded, acknowledging the extensive repair work to mend the damage. The memory of the day when the explosion had rocked the area, causing significant destruction to the small pier, flashed through his mind.
He consciously tried to avoid dwelling on the past, instead focusing on his upcoming return to HIS and a genuine operation. He needed to visit the shooting range and discharge a few rounds to reacquaint himself with his skills. Four weeks of relentless tracking had mentally drained him. Daisy Mae had proven to be quite cunning.
As he drove through the night, he cranked up the radio to stave off drowsiness, yearning for the freedom of wind rushing through the open top of his Jeep. It felt like an eternity since he had truly savored his journeys. Maybe it was time to plan a proper getaway and escape to the beach. He struggled to recall the last time he had surfed the waves with his trusty board.
His idyllic upbringing by the water had been everything to him. However, Biloxi, Mississippi, didn’t offer the kind of waves suitable for surfing. He only acquired that skill after leaving home at eighteen to enlist in the Army. The decision went against his mother’s wishes, as it reminded her of his father, who had served in the Air Force and had deeply hurt her.
Hell, it had broken her. Yet, while he loved her as his mother, Casper couldn’t like the woman she’d become after the divorce when he’d been a budding teenager.
He shook his head and cleared his mind of the negative thoughts. His goal was to find a quiet room to meditate, which would allow him to regain focus on the present moment.
Arriving at the quaint bed-and-breakfast, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety about rapping on the door well past midnight. Would the owners welcome him with open arms or shoo him away for disturbing their peace? Regardless, he desperately needed rest before embarking on the arduous journey home.
When Casper’s phone vibrated, he knew it couldn’t be good. The late-night call signaled urgency, and he hesitated momentarily before reluctantly retrieving his phone from his pocket. As he glanced at the screen, his heart skipped a beat.
“Mom? Everything okay?”
“Ash,” his mother said, her voice wavering, “I need you. Your brother has done it this time. He’s in jail. It’s—It’s not good. They’re talking real jail time.”
Mixed emotions filled Casper as he contemplated the latest turn of events. On the one hand, he didn’t want his brother behind bars. However, Aaron had a habit of finding himself in trouble.
“What happened?”
“They’re saying DUI, but I know my son; he wasn’t drunk.”
Inwardly, Casper sighed. His mother always defended his baby brother, no matter what he’d done, sometimes refusing to believe the truth.
“It’s just like last time. The policeman set him up. They even said he was driving without a valid license. How else was he supposed to get around? If they hadn’t illegally taken it the first time—”
Casper drowned out the sound of his mother’s angry tirade as she made excuses for Aaron. The memory of his brother’s previous DUI and the resulting probation and loss of his license flooded Casper’s mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, hoping for peace and rest, but it seemed out of reach.
“I’ll be there in a few hours.” He’d have to stop and grab a caffeinated drink to help keep him awake. Although, thinking of all the times he’d bailed James out of trouble should do the trick.
“Hurry. They are arraigning him in the morning and are talking no bail. I need your help to straighten this mess out.”
As he watched the prospect of a peaceful rest and a return to normalcy slip away, he shifted the Jeep into reverse and drove out of the bed-and-breakfast parking lot. He couldn’t fathom why he always ended up having to fix things.
“Oh, Ash,” his mother said, drawing his attention to where the call had automatically connected to the Jeep’s Bluetooth speaker. “You must call your father.”
“Sure, Mom.” The call ended. He dreaded seeing his father and mother in the same space. Their inability to coexist had deeply impacted his teenage years. As he contemplated the situation, he couldn’t help but wonder about its potential effects on him now.
HIS eagerly anticipated his return, but deep down, he had a sinking feeling that his brother’s DUI might create a rift within the family that he would have to navigate and address.
He was aware of the time and understood the tasks at hand. With that knowledge, he pressed the button on his steering wheel to connect the call. “Call Jesse Hamilton.”
A groggy Jesse answered the call on the third ring. “What’s up, Casper?”
“I hate to ask, but I need more time. Something has come up at home.”
Casper was struck by the profound silence that followed his question. It made him wonder whether Jesse would deny his request for time off. After all, Casper had just taken five weeks off to pursue Daisy Mae. It occurred to him that his boss might be within his rights to refuse his request. If that were to happen, Casper wondered what his next action would be. Would he consider quitting for his family?
“Take as long as you need. Can we help in any way?”
“Yeah, you can knock some sense into my brother,” he said jokingly.
“If only it were that easy. I’ve navigated the twins growing up, so call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” He ended the call.
A minute later, he pulled to the side of the roadway and stopped. “That’s it. The top comes off.”
Casper labored to detach the soft top from the Jeep, carefully folding and stowing it. As the wind tousled his hair, he embarked on a journey fraught with the risk of losing his family. This time, he was stubborn and unyielding. His brother’s wayward ways demanded correction, and his mother’s overprotective nature required an end. He was prepared to sever ties with them if they did not mend their paths.
Lost in contemplation about the familiar comforts of home and the uncertainties ahead, Casper drove away, oblivious to the solitary figure standing in the middle of the road, urgently signaling for his attention. When he finally noticed, he slammed on the brakes, the force of the sudden stop pushing the seat belt to cut into his shoulder. The tires emitted a loud, high-pitched squeal.
“Oh shit!”