Hidden ascent hidden all.., p.21
Hidden Ascent (Hidden Alliance Book 2), page 21
Once his car was out of sight, Peter said, “He needs some time.”
“What?”
“Give him time. I was planning to have all you guys back next month. I’d like to debrief with you all about what happened. You learn a lot when you gain some distance from an operation. I thought it would be good to regroup and see what everyone thought.”
“Everyone?”
“You and Jay, Maddy, Charlotte and Will.”
“Oh. Okay. That sounds good.”
“I’ll organize it for a month or two from now. It will be best for all of you to have space.”
“You really think that will make any difference?”
“Jemi told me about praying with you the other night. You don’t need a relationship right now. It will only confuse you. You should take time and focus on learning about who God really is in your life without the distractions of dangerous missions and…other things.”
“You’re right. You’re always right.”
Peter laughed. “Not always.”
“Often enough.”
“I’ve got dinner in the oven. You planning on staying? I know Jemi would love to spend a little time with you.”
“How’s she doing?”
“The same.”
“She said you’re taking her sickness hard.”
“Did she say that?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s right. It’s hard to see her this way. She’s always been a strong woman. Stronger than me a lot of the time. I’m so confused about what to believe.”
“A wise man once told me that confusion is not in God’s realm. If you’re confused, it’s not Him doing it.”
“A wise man, huh?”
“A guy I know named Peter Black.”
“I can’t remember telling you that.”
“It was the first day we met. I was dealing with some issues in my team, and I had gotten lost in the drama. You helped pull me out of it. If you’re confused about Jemi, I’d say you’re letting fear get the better of you.”
“You sound like my wife. Annoying, but right.”
“She’s a smart woman.”
“Let’s go inside. I’ll finish up dinner, and you can keep Jemi company.”
“I wanted to say—” She stopped him before he went through the door. “Thank you.”
“You already said.”
“No. I mean, thank you for showing me what a loving father is like. Not everyone gets that chance. You’re always there for me, encouraging me and doing what you can. I know I can trust you and count on you, and that helps me see who God really is in my life. I struggled to see it before. But you show me what that looks like.”
He nodded, then went inside. Despite her disappointment about Jay leaving, she felt a great comfort knowing that God had good things in store for her future. She had a huge door open up in front of her to explore a life with God right by her side.
Isla knocked on the door, her heart in her mouth. It had been several months since she’d been back to Peter and Jemi’s house. It was only supposed to be a month before Peter gathered the group together, but with clashing calendars, it had taken almost three months before they could set a date. She hadn’t spoken to any of them besides Peter and Jemi in that time. She had thought she was over Jay, but knowing he was close, she realized how much she had been looking forward to it.
The door opened, and Peter pulled her into a big hug. “You’re looking fantastic.”
“Am I? I feel a little frazzled.”
“Bad day at work?”
“Not bad, busy.”
“Well, come in and take a load off. The others are already here.”
“I’m late?”
“Nope, they were early.”
Peter led her to the living room, and she waved to the room. “Hey guys.”
“Isla, great to see you again,” Charlotte said. Will was sitting beside her, and she had her legs draped across his lap. “Come sit down. We were talking about when Will and I had to escape out the window after opening Sharpe’s safe. I’m not a fan of heights, but here we are. Peter said everything’s turned out really well since then.”
“It has. But I’m glad we have this chance to catch up. You guys left before I could say thank you properly.”
“No need,” Maddy said. “We enjoyed ourselves.”
“You enjoyed almost dying?” Isla said.
“Did you notice how quickly I got to you when the shooting started?”
“Yeah. You beat me to it. I should have been the one to cover you.”
“That’s what I mean. My reaction time was superb. I wasn’t sure if I was fully recovered since I had been hospitalized, but that was the perfect trial. Thank you so much.”
Isla looked at Charlotte. “Is she always like this?”
“Always. She loves that stuff. The riskier the better.”
“Glad I could be of service. So, uh, where’s Jay? He’s not here yet?”
“He couldn’t make it,” Peter said. “I was going to reschedule, but he didn’t want me to. Asked if I’d go ahead without him.”
“Oh. That’s too bad. So you’ve heard from him?”
“Yeah. He’s doing really well. He’s busy and thought it would be better to let us all catch up ourselves.”
“Wait,” Charlotte said. “Isla, I thought you guys were together.”
“No. We met when all of this began. He was here to help me find the truth. Now, he’s moved on.”
“So, what was that thing before?” Maddy said.
“What thing?”
“When we first got here, I thought we were brought in because, initially, he didn’t want you to be a part of it. That doesn’t sound like a guy who was just doing a job.”
“I don’t remember.” Isla had spent a lot of time trying to forget.
“Yeah, when we first turned up. You escorted him into the kitchen to set him straight.”
Isla stiffened, fighting against the warmth in her cheeks. “That’s right. We talked about it, and I set him straight.”
Maddy laughed. “No wonder you brought us in. Jay was right. You’re a terrible liar. You both came out of that kitchen in a head spin. We all knew what happened.”
“Maddy,” Charlotte said. “Leave her alone. They obviously decided to cool things off.”
“Hey, I’m only calling it like it is. If you saw the way Jay looked at her when he found us at the Red Wolves’ hideout, you can’t blame me for getting it wrong.”
“I…didn’t handle things very well, and so it didn’t work out.”
“But you were hoping to see him here?” Charlotte said.
“I thought I might—Look, I don’t want to talk about Jay, okay? Can we stick to the topic at hand? We’re here to go over the operation, so let’s do that.”
“I don’t know if it matters,” Peter said, “but I know where you can find him. In case you wanted to.”
“I don’t. It doesn’t matter. He’s moved on.”
“Okay. But if you change your mind, he’s working with his friend on a new project.”
“What friend?”
“Carl Blanchet. He’s got a program going on with kids in gangs or something. I know Jay’s been helping him out.”
“What’s Blanchet doing with gang kids?”
“Getting them off the street. It’s brand new, but it sounds like it’s started off strong. You should go check it out.”
“Or not. Jay didn’t come because he didn’t want to see me.”
“Isla, I’m not one for the girl chasing the guy, but if the guy doesn’t even know he has a shot, how’s he know to go after her?”
“Thanks for the advice, but what I’d really like to do right now is eat that meal you promised. I’m starving.”
It was late by the time they left the dinner table. Jemi sat beside Isla on the couch, holding her hand.
“I’m really proud of you,” she said. “I can hear in the way you talked tonight how much you’ve grown over this short time.”
“Thanks. Every time I have to remind myself that God is close to me, I think of you, and I thank God that He’s close to you too.”
“That means a lot. Knowing that you’re praying for me is special.”
“And how’s Peter doing with everything?”
“Better, thanks to you. He told me what you said before you left last time and admitted to me how afraid he was to lose me. We both knew it already, of course, but because he opened up about it, it gave us the opportunity to talk through it. It’s been a lot better since then. Now he’s bringing me out to sit with him in the yard instead of me having to get our guests to sneak me out.”
Isla laughed. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“And how’s work going since everything that happened?”
“Really well. I’m part of a new task force they’ve created. I’m enjoying the work. It suits my strengths.”
“Does that mean no undercover work is required?”
“Not you too. No, no undercover work. But I’m in a really good place within myself now. I know myself better than I ever have before. And I’m trusting God in ways I never knew were possible. It’s changed the way I work, actually. I’m a much better agent because of it.”
Jemi rested her head on Isla’s shoulder, and the two friends sat in silence. Enjoying the peace.
Isla may not have gotten everything she wanted, but she knew above all that God was in control and wanted what was best for her, and she could be infinitely grateful for that.
Chapter 27
Isla parked next to the darkened neon sign. It was late morning, and she had changed her mind a dozen times before finally stopping the car.
After leaving Peter and Jemi’s a couple weeks ago, she’d put Jay out of her mind, determined that they would both move on with their lives, but over the last few days, everything reminded her of him, and it was driving her crazy.
When she’d decided to find him, her intention was to see how he’d moved on with life so she could move on with hers. Even though she hadn’t seen him in months, she was proud of the man he’d become since they’d first met, and she wanted to tell him that.
But now that she was here, all of that was obsolete, and she realized that the reason she wanted to see him wasn’t for any other purpose than that she missed having him in her life. But allowing herself to hope for that was only going to bring her down.
She lied to herself that seeing him doing well with his life would be enough, and she forced herself to put the car into park.
If she didn’t accomplish what she’d set out to do, she’d just keep going around in circles. She was determined to put an end to this today.
It took her several minutes to get out of the car, but from there, it was a quick walk to the bar door, which she found locked.
She knocked, ignoring her disappointment but resigned to the truth that she’d never see Jay again. She’d find no one at the bar, and she had no idea where else to check.
The door opened, and she jumped back. “Oh, sorry. I thought no one was here.”
“Then why’d you knock?” said an elderly man with a mop in his hand.
“I thought the bar would be open. I was surprised to find it empty.”
“Bar’ll be open tonight. Come back then.” He started to close the door, but she put a hand out.
“I’m actually looking for Carl Blanchet.”
“Carl? He’s not here.”
“You don’t happen to know where I could find him? Or a man named Jay Parker?”
“Don’t know any Jay Parker, but Carl could be down at the basketball courts. He’s there most mornings, from what I understand.”
“Great. And where are the courts?”
“Two blocks down that way, then hang a left. There’s a park down that road.”
“Thanks.”
The man tipped an invisible hat, then closed the door.
Isla followed his instructions, and her heart pounded when she spotted the park.
“I can’t wait to have this over and done with.” She pulled the car over a block down the road and closed her eyes, steadying her breathing. “This is turning out to be more stressful than my job.”
In her rearview mirror, she could see a group playing basketball on the court, but she couldn’t make out any faces from that distance.
“Just double-checking, God, that this is a good idea?” She turned off the car but gripped the steering wheel. “I can leave. Please tell me to go. This probably isn’t even you. I’m making a mistake.”
But even as she said the words, she knew she couldn’t get out of this encounter. She’d made up her mind, and chances were that she’d only find Carl here, not Jay. It would be good to see Carl and thank him for what he did for her at the Red Wolves. It was the least she could do.
Her eyes remained glued to the ground as she approached the court. When she reached the fence, she scanned the players, spotting Carl at the same time he noticed her.
“Hold up, guys,” he said. “Give me a minute.”
She smiled as he jogged over to her, and the guys he’d been playing with made a bunch of oohs and laughed. Carl waved them off, then linked his fingers in the fence where she stood.
“Isla. You’re the last person I expected to see. I hope you’re not here to ask me for another favor?”
“The first time you helped me, you said, if I made it out of that hospital alive, I should stop by and say ‘hi’. Here I am. From what I hear, the Red Wolves have disbanded thanks to you. You didn’t stick around long enough for me to say thanks for saving my life. You risked a lot doing that. It was…unexpected.”
“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me. I didn’t like the direction Sharpe was taking the group, and I couldn’t abandon those guys to a leader like that. It wasn’t right. They were a bunch of good guys—I mean, not good, but, you know.”
“I know.” She smiled. “It just goes to show I was right about you.”
“How’s that?”
“I knew you were a better person than you let on.”
“Don’t let those guys hear that.” He jerked his thumb behind him. “I need to uphold my reputation around here.”
“Oh yeah? Is that why you’re helping gang kids get off the street?”
“Kind of. These guys are a part of that. But don’t be too impressed. Just like the college tuition, I’m doing it for my daughter. More kids deserve a chance like her.”
“Sorry, but I’m impressed. I hear it’s going well too.”
“Yeah. So, is that why you came here? Just to say thanks and good job?”
“When I heard about what you were doing, I was curious.”
“Curious, huh? You know Jay’s been a big help, too.” By the way he looked at her when he said that, she knew he was fishing for something.
“Yeah, Peter told me.”
“He’s put in a lot of hours in helping me get this thing off the ground.”
“That’s good. I know he was trying to figure out what to do with himself after he worked with me. I’m glad you had a program he could sink his teeth into. It would have been good for him.”
“It is. Does he know you’re here?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to him in months.”
“He’d probably like to see you.”
“I don’t know about that. We haven’t been in touch at all. It’s probably better if we leave things the way they are.” She’d come all this way, and now, she was ready to chicken out.
Carl squinted at her like he was trying to work her out. “Can I show you something?”
“Sure.”
“You mind taking a walk? It’s around the corner.”
“I’ve got nowhere else to be.”
“Wait there a sec.” He ran back to his guys and spoke to them, grabbing a towel off the bench and draping it around his shoulders before rejoining her.
“And how have you been?” he asked as they walked down the sidewalk.
“I’ve been good. Plenty of work.”
“Getting a lot of us bad guys off the street?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. And thank you for your contribution with this work you’re doing.”
He stopped in front of a small church. “Here we are.”
“You’ve brought me to church?”
“Yeah. They approached me, believe it or not. The pastor came right into my bar one night and told me what he was thinking of doing. Asked me what I thought and if I had any ideas.”
“That was brave.”
“He knew what he was doing. Even when I told him to get lost.”
“How’d you get from there to here?”
“After he left, I started thinking. Turned out, I did have some ideas. I waited a few days, but I kept thinking he couldn’t help these kids, and I could. I didn’t want him to do it wrong.”
“So you came to sort him out.”
“Yeah. I stood out here on the steps. Wouldn’t go inside. I said what I had to say and left. A couple of days later, he came into my bar again. He said he’s implementing what I shared with him and wanted to let me know when and where.”
“And you said you’d help?”
“No way. I said buy a drink or get out. He was making my customers uncomfortable.”
“But you couldn’t help yourself.”
“Nope. And I imagine he knew the whole time. So here I am.”
“How’s Jay fit into it all?”
“He came in to check up on me. I told him what I was doing. He got his hands dirty immediately. If you ask me, he was desperate to keep his mind occupied. It just so happened I had just the thing.”
Carl led her up the stairs and opened the door. Inside, kids filled the foyer area sitting quietly at tables and chairs, focused on the papers at their desks.
“What’s going on?” Isla whispered.
“Reading test. Winner takes all. That’s how we keep them focused.”
“What do they win?”
“Different things each time. Whatever gets them learning. I don’t know if it’s the right thing, but it works. These are kids that don’t go to school. The idea is to transition them into school, but we’re helping them from the inside out. Working with whatever parental situation they’re in, among other things. We’ve got a specialist who’s recently signed up to work with us.”
