The Sentinel Ch. 08

"Jack is fine. Maybe a little tired from the trip but fine."

"Oh," said Juan, a little too inquisitively. "And did he have any trouble with his wheelchair on the flight? I've always wondered how they do that."

Damn. Does Juan know Jack can walk? He had said no one knew so she took the safe route. "None at all. I was there to help, and he seems to be pretty good at getting around on his own."

"That's our Jack, a rather independent type."

The conversation turned to Juan's family and how he and Jack had come to know one another. Juan reiterated what Jack had said with an added declaration of admiration and devotion that spoke of a long, close friendship that went far beyond the office or board room.

As their driver picked his way through midday, midtown traffic, Jan responded and listened attentively to Juan while another part of her kept inspecting the picture she'd captured in her mind of the 'cyber' Lisa's look-alike. How could it be?

*****

Linda pulled her laptop out and set it on a writing desk, provided in her room. Logging into the ICB LAN at the office, she avoided her mail, not wanting to see anything the captain might have sent in an effort to find and persuade her. Instead she logged into her personal workstation for information inquiry and review of all the victims and their relatives.

After a brief search, she found Jack's file which provided full information on his company. Selecting the pages she wanted, they were saved to her desktop for printing later in the business center, offered by the hotel.

Making note of some of the information, she proceeded to find Pond's site on the web and browse its pages to see if anything of importance could be found. The only news of note seemed to be 'current plans for expansion'. Deciding there wasn't much she could use, she unplugged her laptop and headed down to print the things she wanted.

What are you up to, Mr. Pond? Linda wondered as she grabbed her room pass card and headed downstairs.

*****

Although Jack knew that Juan had figured out his secret, the look of surprise when he opened the door to let them in was genuine. Juan even looked a little damp-eyed as he stepped forward with the traditional Mexican greeting, reserved for someone you haven't seen in some time or just to reinforce or celebrate a moment - a bear hug and firm pat on the back. Then Juan stepped back to look Jack over from head to toe.

With a crooked smile on his face, Juan avoided the obvious as he commented, "Damn, Jack, I think you've lost some weight. Off to Miami for a couple of days and you come back a changed man."

"Si como no cabron. Let's eat. Lots to talk about." Jack led them to the nook off the kitchen where the first hour of conversation was dedicated to a close interrogation of when and how he had started walking again.

Finally turning to the business at hand, Juan gave a status report on the current negotiations with the 'Big Two' as they had come to be known while Jan picked up dishes and worked on clearing the meal. "Progressing nicely, Jack. They're both still at the table and seem to be entertaining the idea of working together with us. Dollars and percentages have been negotiated; concepts agreed to regarding trademarks and placement; and division of responsibilities outlined; the only thing we're waiting on now seems to be board decisions from both companies."

"Great, Juan. And how bad are we getting screwed?" Jack asked as he sipped some tequila.

"Ah, pinché gringos; always crying about something. We aren't, Jack. Actually, it's a deal that works for everyone. Together, the three of us could button up the market completely, even at a local level, in each country we serve."

It was sobering to think that the small family business his father had started in this very building was not only global but now, on equal footing with the big boys.

Retiring to the living room, the three of them sat around enjoying the moment as tequila disappeared, and Juan sat grinning like a school kid at his friend while he walked around the room, expounding on everything and nothing.

"Time for me to go, Jack; some of us do still have to work." Turning to Jan with a searching look, he finally stated sincerely, "I am very glad to meet you, Jan. I have no idea what you did, but today, I have my friend back. Thank you."

Turning to Jack, he continued, "And you, cabrón, que Te vías mucha a la chingada. How is it that you've been walking around for more than a year and didn't tell me? Pinché gringo loco."

After seeing Juan to the elevator, Jack returned to find Jan staring out the window as if distracted or concerned.

"What's up?" he inquired as he sat on the couch, a few feet away, taking up his last tequila and downing it in the traditional Hidalgo - the Mexican version of chugging.

"I think I saw 'cyber' Lisa today."

"On cam when you checked your mail?" Jack inquired with interest.

Distraught, she explained, using slow, concise diction as if talking to a six-year-old. "No, in a coffee shop on the ground floor of your building. I was waiting for Juan to come down so we could leave together."

He had expected many things, but a 'cyber' Lisa sighting wasn't one of them. "But how do you know? I'm not sure I would recognize her if I ran into her tomorrow."

"I can't be sure, and maybe, it's a woman thing. Maybe, I'll be able to put the composite together better from the information we have. But one thing is certain. She saw me and watched me closely as I got into the car with Juan."

Standing, he started to pace slowly in front of the window, occasionally looking out across the expanse of water at nothing in particular.

"Did you get mail today from Lisa?" he asked as he turned again to study the river.

"Yes, I did. The usual stuff, mailed early this morning. There was a comment about you... well, us, but nothing unusual."

"Have you told her where you are yet or that you're out of town?"

"I told her I was going on a business trip yesterday but gave no details. What do you think I should tell her?" Jan asked as she stood to clear the tequila bottle and glasses.

Following her to the kitchen, he sat at the counter and watched as she washed glasses and finished the drudgery of domestic life that for some reason didn't appear to be drudgery when she did it.

"Tell her you're in New York, staying at the house of a friend or relative that's out of town on a trip. You can do it tonight in chat. If there's any mention of me, tell her you abandoned me in Miami. I want to see if she asks for more specifics." Jack wondered what to do if she did.