Page 110 of Airborne
“Wish we could move Heather out of danger.” Helpless best described him.
“She has to know the latest development.”
“I wanted to keep her out of it.”
“If you don’t tell her, she’ll learn the truth and feel betrayed.”
“You’re right. I’ll call her, tell her about my faith, and Powell’s ultimatum.”
“This will work out.”
God had paved the way for him to talk to Javier. Trusting God... was foreign, and Chad had fought it all the way. His relationship with God surfaced to another thought—they were unified in the same struggle.
His phone rang. He snatched it. “You’re right on time, Powell. I’ve accepted a job in Uganda...”
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
THE FLOUR POWERwhere Thomas worked his way through college still thrived. Heather sat outside Adam’s Island in the afternoon sunshine and read through an agent’s interview. The daughter of the bakery’s original owners now owned and managed the small business. She remembered Thomas and described him as charismatic and a hard worker. She’d been much younger then and suggested talking to her parents. At the older couple’s home, the agents found the two baking cupcakes for a neighbor child’s birthday. The man confirmed Thomas had worked over three years for them.
“Can you describe him?” an agent had said.
“Brilliant and talented boy until he lost his temper with a customer. I had to let him go.”
“What happened?”
“Thomas had an argument with a man who insisted he’d been shorted on a donut order. Instead of agreeing with the customer,Thomas went nuts. The wife and I didn’t recognize him. He grabbed two jelly donuts and smashed them into the man’s face, then chased him outside. Knocked him down and choked him. We pulled Thomas off the man and dismissed him. The man filed assault charges but later dropped them.”
“Ever see Thomas again?” the agent said.
“Why are you interested in him? He’s successful and rich.”
“This is only an inquiry.”
“I have nothing else to tell you. It was a long time ago.”
“Do you remember the date?” the agent said.
“I do.” The older man provided the month, day, and year.
Odd he remembered when the incident occurred... Heather closed her laptop screen. One agent had posed questions, and the partner recorded what transpired. Curiosity sent her back online. She used the date Thomas assaulted the man and searched Austin newspaper archives until she found a possible explanation for the older couple’s reluctance to relay info. Two days after Thomas lost his job, a fire broke out at night in the bakery. Investigators determined faulty wiring caused the blaze and not the bakery owners’ negligence. Heather saw the couple had three children in middle grade and high school at the time. Reason for them to protect those they loved. She sent ASAC Mitchell an email.
Her burner phone buzzed, and she responded to Chad.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” he said.
She still treasured the sound of his voice. Hard to get past it. “Getting stronger. How is Andy?”
“Much better. Going to a safe house today. His parents will stay with him, and his mom’s a nurse. Leigh Masterson has been at the hospital since he was shot.”
“Oh, something happening there?”
“Maybe so. Tell me, how’s the little guy?”
“Kicking.”
Chad laughed. “An indication of things to come?”
“I’m sure of it.”
