The Gray Man Ch. 47 - The Sisters

Angela's fingers danced anxiously over her phone's screen, her heart racing with each unanswered call to TJ. She had tried, time and time again, hoping desperately that he would pick up, that he would hear her out. But each ring echoed emptily in her ear, mocking her with silence.

With a deep breath, she dialed the number for Sentinel's offices, her last hope for reaching him.

"Sentinel's, how may I direct your call?" a polite voice greeted.

"I need to speak to TJ," Angela blurted out, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Just a moment, please," came the reply, and Angela held her breath as she waited, her nerves fraying with each passing second.

Finally, Ana's voice crackled through the line. "Mr. Gray's office, Ana speaking, how may I help you?

Relief flooded through Angela. "Ana, it's Angela. Is TJ available? It's urgent."

There was a pause, and then Ana's voice returned, tinged with hesitation. "I'll see if he can take your call."

Angela's heart pounded in her chest as she waited, her mind racing with a million thoughts. Would TJ even want to hear from her after all this time? Would he be willing to listen? After what felt like an eternity, Ana's voice returned. "He'll speak with you now, Angela."

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Angela braced for what was to come. She could feel the weight of her words pressing down on her as TJ's voice filled her ear.

"What do you need from me this time, Angela?" TJ's tone was cool, distant.

Angela felt her throat tighten, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke the words she had been dreading. "My mother... she's gone, TJ. Died last night."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then TJ's response came, clipped and devoid of emotion. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss."

Angela's heart sank at the emptiness of his words, a bitter taste rising in her throat. "Is that all you have to say?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "After everything we've been through, that's all you can muster?"

TJ's sigh crackled through the line, filled with irritation. "What more do you want from me, Angela? We're not exactly on the best of terms, if you haven't noticed."

Angela felt a surge of anger rising within her, the hurt and frustration boiling over. "I... I don't even know anymore," she spat. "You made it perfectly clear the last time we saw each other that I meant nothing to you."

TJ's voice turned cold, cutting. "And you made it perfectly clear with your lies and betrayal that I meant nothing to you either. You can't have it both ways, Angela. You're dead to me, Angela. Don't ever call here again."

The line went dead, leaving Angela alone with her thoughts, the weight of TJ's words heavy on her heart. She had known it wouldn't be easy to reach out to him, but she had never expected to be met with such finality. As tears welled in her eyes, Angela realized that perhaps some wounds were too deep to heal, some bridges too thoroughly burned. And as she stared at her phone, now silent and still, she knew felt alone, abandoned, and overwhelmed.

TJ hung up the phone, leaned his head back onto his chair, closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Ana had let Gretchen know that Angela had called, so she waited in Ana's office for the light to go off on her phone. Ana nodded that TJ was finished, so Gretchen walked into the room, "You okay Teej?"

It was obvious that TJ wanted to cry. "I hate being the asshole. Despite everything I still care about her."

Gretchen walked over and sat on the edge of his large desk, "Teej, you aren't the bad guy here. She made choices, bad choices as it turns out and she is just now learning that choices have consequences."

TJ took a deep breath, "I trusted her with all of me, Gretch."

His cousin sighed, "I know you did, and she betrayed that trust. That's on her, not you. She wanted space, you gave her space. She needed you to rush off to California when Jesse was killed, and you pushed all of the hurt aside and went to her. Amazing how for the last few months she's been silent, until another tragedy happens. I know you love her, and I think in her own way she loves you, but her love is hurtful."

Gray sighed, "Amazing to me that I can shoot a man without hesitation, but it hurts for me to push someone away from me."

Gretchen smiled, "You have always been a protector of everyone except yourself. Teej, you are transactional to her. She calls when she needs something, but is silent when she doesn't. Maybe, just maybe you need to protect yourself as much as you would me, or your folks, or Ana, or anyone else that sees you as 'Boss.'

TJ leaned forward and put his head in his hands, "I've got a headache and..."

Gretchen sighed, "... and your hands and feet are freezing, and your mouth feels like you've eaten metal." TJ looked up at her as Gretchen winked, "I have done a bit of reading up on your dragon, Mr. Gray, as have all of the people you work closely with. Isabella wouldn't sign off on anyone being at that table if they didn't know what to look for when your dragon needs to feed."

TJ felt his chin quiver - he felt truly seen... and loved despite his own flaws.

Gretchen smiled with concern on her face, "Go home Teej. Go to where you feel the most alive. Let yourself heal. Where would you go right now, if you could go to one place in the world that would renew your spirit.?"

TJ sighed, "You won't believe me when I tell you."

Gretchen grimaced, "If you say the mountains of Afghanistan I may have to strangle you."

Gray chuckled, "Actually, no. But the place that prepared me for Afghanistan. The mountains of West Virginia."

Gretchen couldn't hide the shock on her face, "West Virginia? I didn't know you had ever been to West Virginia other than to drive through it?"

Gray rolled his head, listening for the cracking in his neck, "I did a lot of training there at Camp Dawson back in the day. The mountains, the rivers, the people are amazing. Funny isn't it. The place that feels the safest and most like home is a place I have never actually lived."

Gretchen smiled at her cousin, "Just when I think I know all there is to know about you, you throw in a twist. Go, Teej. We can hold down the fort here. You need to go, decompress, renew and recharge. Take a week, a month - whatever you need. We can't have you collapsing at Arlington again. It's okay to take care of you."

Gretchen stood up and walked behind her cousin's chair and started to rub his shoulders. After a minute or so she kissed the top of his head, "Go. Please. I am worried about you."

Before Gray could get out of his office he had a bunch of paperwork to square away dealing with the merger, assets, property etc. Later in the afternoon as he sat behind his desk, his brow furrowed in concentration, the weight of the world seemed to rest on his shoulders. He barely noticed the gentle knock and the opening of his office door, but the sound of Rebecca's voice brought him back to reality.

"Hey, boss, got a minute?" the short Director of Intelligence asked.

TJ looked up and took his newly needed reading glasses off of his face. Rebecca noticed that the short hair at his temples was turning more and more gray. "Sure thing, Becca. What's up?"

Rebecca sighed, as her tone turned serious "Gretchen said you are heading out on some R&R here soon and I wanted to give you an update on Parisia."

TJ looked up, his eyes meeting hers as he leaned forward, eager for any shred of information. "Good news?" he asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

Rebecca took a seat across from him, her expression calm but intense. "We've narrowed down the possible locations to three different compounds in Argentina," she explained, her words measured. "It's not much, but it's a start. I've been able to eliminate three others from consideration."

TJ nodded, absorbing the information as he processed the implications. "What's the plan?" he asked, his mind already racing with possibilities.

Rebecca sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly with the weight of the task ahead. "Davey's putting some of his folks on the ground for further intel gathering," she said. "Hopefully, we'll have more concrete information soon."

TJ leaned back in his chair, his frustration simmering just below the surface. He was exhausted and the Post Traumatic was gnawing at the edges of his soul. He wanted to explode, to demand more, to question why it was taking so long but that wouldn't help anyone. "Thank you, Rebecca, for everything," he said, his voice tinged with gratitude. "I know this isn't easy, but I appreciate everything you're doing."

As TJ entered the bedroom later that evening he found Ana diligently packing his belongings for the upcoming trip. She moved with efficiency, folding clothes and gathering essentials into a duffel bag with practiced precision.

"Ana," TJ greeted her, his voice betraying the exhaustion that weighed heavily on him.

Ana turned to face him, her expression a mix of understanding and sadness. "I've got everything ready for you, Master," she said softly, her eyes betraying the emotions she tried to hide.

TJ sighed, running a hand through his hair as he took in the sight of her. He knew she wanted to go with him, to be by his side through whatever lay ahead, but this is a time he needed to be away from everyone and everything, even his pet. "Ana, you know I need to do this alone," he said gently, his tone firm yet compassionate.

Ana nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor as she fought to control her emotions. "I know, Master," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "But I wish I could be there with you."

TJ approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "You know I care about you, Ana," he said softly. "But you're still my slave, and there are times when you won't be included. This is one of those times."

Ana's shoulders sagged under the weight of his words, but she forced a small smile nonetheless. "I understand, TJ," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.

With a final squeeze of her shoulder, TJ turned away, heading out to his car where his bags awaited him. As he loaded them into the rear seat of his trusty Tacoma, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that gnawed at him. He hated leaving Ana behind, but there were boundaries to their relationship and this was one of the times he needed to be firm with those boundaries.

As he started the engine and pulled out onto the road, his mind drifted to his first time in the West Virginia mountains at Camp Dawson for Ranger training. The rustic beauty, the slow pace of life, the friendly folks - nothing like the stereotypes that most people believed. He even chuckled as he thought about the ridicule of marrying your cousin as he thought about the number of times he and Gretchen, his own cousin had fucked over the previous two years.

As TJ's truck sliced through the winding roads, his thoughts meandered through the tapestry of his life, each twist and turn of the journey echoing the complexities of his existence. Alongside the tumult of memories, there was the serene backdrop of the majestic mountains, their ancient peaks standing tall and resolute against the canvas of the night sky. He truly was a simple man with a very complex identity.

Amidst the stress and strain that had become his constant companions, there was a soothing solace in the rugged beauty of the landscape that surrounded him. The mountains, with their silent grandeur, seemed to whisper tales of strength and resilience, offering a sanctuary from the chaos of the world below.

As he navigated the switchbacks and hairpin turns, TJ couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the mountains that stretched out around him. The oldest mountains that held dark secrets embraced him with a familiar hug. They were more than just landmarks on a map; they were a part of him, woven into the very fabric of his being. He felt safe in these mountains, he was home.

And amidst the cacophony of memories and regrets, there was a flicker of warmth in his heart as he thought of the love he held for these ancient sentinels. They were a constant reminder of the simple pleasures in life, of the moments of peace and tranquility that could be found in the most unexpected places.

But even as he basked in the beauty of the mountains, TJ couldn't escape the shadows that lurked in the recesses of his mind. The broken relationships, the shattered dreams, the pain of his capture and torture at the hands of Aziz Omar, the death of comrades, the betrayal of friends. They all cast a long shadow over his soul, threatening to engulf him in darkness.

His mind fought the good fight as he pulled into the State Park and checked into his cabin. The cabin had two bedrooms, a balcony, a full kitchen, and a grill. TJ chuckled, "I guess this is roughing it." He brought all of his things in and made a list of things he would need from the grocery store. He would head that way tomorrow after a nice long run in the mountain air.

TJ was tired but wired. He looked at his watch and it was just past 9:00. Too early to sleep so he reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Small Batch Rye, a glass, and some ice and headed to a graveled area in the middle of the cabins that held a fire pit. TJ gathered some kindling and started a fire before walking over to some of the dried logs. The fire crackled to life, its orange and yellow glow lighting the graveled area with the heat warming the air.

TJ sat in one of the many Adirondack Chairs that circled the pit, pulled the cork on the bottle and poured himself a healthy pour of what had recently become his favorite whiskey. He leaned back in the chair and looked at the stars. He had left his phone and his smart watch in the cabin - for the first time in a long time he was fully disconnected. He felt himself relax in a way that he hadn't felt in years.

He thought back a couple of years to sitting around the fire at home when Gretchen and he talked about his failed startup and a chance to work in DC. In some ways it felt like an eternity. The countless women, having a baby with a known terrorist, and his best friend betraying him destroying his relationship with the one woman that he loved and being shot. Now, here he was the President of a private intelligence gathering service with a band of tier one special forces operators at his command. It had been a wild ride.

TJ had poured a second glass of Whistle Pig and put a couple of more logs on the fire when he heard a cabin door close and footsteps on the path leading to the fire pit. "Mind if we join you?" came the call from a woman's voice.

TJ smiled, "A good fire is always better with company. Pull up a chair."

He saw the silhouettes of two women, one tall and one shorter walk to the opposite side of the firepit and sit in the chairs. The taller of the two women spoke, "Thank you. I'm Beth and this is my sister Celeste."

TJ smiled, though they couldn't see more than a shadow through the flickering flame. "TJ, pleasure to meet you. Are you all here for the week?"

Beth replied, "Yeah, we both just needed some time to decompress away from the chaos for a while."

TJ nodded, "I feel that all the way down to my bones. I'd offer y'all a drink, but I only brought one glass. I can run in..."

Beth stopped him, "Thank you, but if I remember from my younger days, Wine before liquor only gets you sicker and we have had enough wine this evening."

TJ nodded, "I have some vague memories of making that mistake a few times in my younger days. None of them are good."

The three laughed as they sank back into the quiet of the fire. TJ heard some whispers from the sisters, but couldn't make out what they were saying, and in truth it wasn't any of his business. The only thing that he thought he heard was a whisper, "Nice ass" as he went to put another log on the fire.

When he returned to his chair he asked, "I just rolled in tonight, is there a time that we have to put the fire out?"

Celeste finally spoke, "There was something written on the instructions on the door."

Gray chuckled, "I'm a guy, I don't do instructions"

Both of the women chuckled, "You won't get any argument from us on that."

TJ commented, "I didn't see many cars around, are there many folks in the cabins?"

Beth shook her head, "There were a couple of folks here but they left this morning."

TJ shrugged, "I guess if there is nobody to rat us out, I can keep the fire going as long as I like." There was a brief chuckle from Beth and Celeste as TJ added, "I also don't much like rules. Followed orders for many years in the Army."

Beth followed up, "You served?"

TJ nodded as he sipped his Whistle Pig, "Career, retired officially a few years ago, but they pull me back from time to time."

Celeste was confused, "I didn't think they could do that."

Gray shrugged, "They don't for most people, but there are a few of us with some special training and skills that from time to time Uncle Sam needs so they call us back."

TJ could hear the genuine empathy in Beth's voice. "I'm a therapist and have worked with a couple of folks with those special skills over the years. Thank you for what you do."

TJ nodded, "It's been a wonderful career and I met a lot of amazing people. Like I keep trying to tell them though, it's a young man's game and I'm not the young lion anymore."

Beth had a thousand questions but kept quiet. Celeste asked, "What brings you here?"

Gray thought, "I did a lot of training in these mountains and right now life is complicated, so my cousin asked if I could go anywhere and decompress where would that be? I told her West Virginia which shocked her because we are both from Michigan and now live in the DC area. The next thing I know she walked into my office and said that the board had decided that I needed a break and here were my reservations. That was at 1430 this afternoon and here I am. What about you two?"

Beth spoke, "We are from Ohio, like I said I am a therapist and Celeste is our administrative genius. My husband died a few years ago, the nest is empty and the caseload is out of control. A friend of mine is from West Virginia and loves it here and told me about it and the times I have driven through to see my daughter in college I loved it. So here we are."

The West Virginia mountains stretched majestically around them, their peaks bathed in the soft morning light as TJ made his way back from his morning run. As he approached the cabin area, he spotted the two familiar silhouettes from around the fire.

Beth and Celeste, the sisters from the neighboring cabin, were seated on their porch drinking their morning coffee. They greeted him with smiles as he approached, their laughter blending with the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. "Morning, neighbor," Beth called out, her voice carrying through the crisp mountain air.

TJ returned their greeting with a nod and a warm smile, his eyes taking in the serene beauty of their surroundings. "Good morning, ladies. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Beth's eyes sparkled with mischief as she elbowed her sister playfully. "Isn't it just perfect, Celeste? she teased, her gaze lingering appreciatively on TJ's rugged form and darting down to the bulge in his shorts.

Celeste flushed slightly at her sister's boldness, shooting her a mock-scolding look and whispered, "Beth, honestly," she chided, though the corners of her lips twitched with amusement. "You have no shame."

Beth merely shrugged, a wicked grin playing at her lips. "What can I say? I'm a widow, Celeste. I can look at whatever--or whomever--I please."

Celeste sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "You're impossible, Beth. Absolutely impossible."

Beth chuckled, "You should look too, Holy Shit that man is hung."