Just Another Job (29 page)

“We’ll finish when you get back,” said
Sadie.

“What? But we were…”

“More reason for you to hurry home.
Especially because I know you’re going to take forever at Frank’s
house.”

“Frank’s house? Gerry’s over there hanging
out with Simone.”

“Yep. Louise is at Marie’s. The blue house
around the corner.”

“I can take the flash drive and upload it
from Frank’s computer. Are you really going to make me wait?”

“Hell yes. How does it feel? Maybe you’ll
think twice next time, sucker. Now get going. You’re babies miss
you. Maybe.”

Chris sat up and as Sadie walked past him he
grabbed her in for another kiss. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. Just show it now.” Sadie
walked out of the room.

Chris gave her a minute and then followed
her out. He grabbed his keys and was almost out the door before he
remembered.

“Shit. My car is still at the lab. Frank
dropped me off. He thinks the gas pump dried out or something. I’m
taking yours.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up. I’ll be waiting here,
all alone.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too. Bringing home some ice cream
wouldn’t hurt you either.”

Chris shut the door and rushed over to the
car. It would be faster to hit up Louise’s friend’s house first, he
thought.

Louise tried to hold back her excitement,
but Chris could tell how happy she was to see him. After Louise
told him, Chris never realized that this was the longest time he
had been away from his family. They caught up outside the front
door of Marie’s house. The discussion stayed firmly on what Louise
went through, but Chris was glad to hear it expressed and not shut
away. Chris purposely held back almost every detail of the mission
including the fake Supers. Eventually there wasn’t enough new
information Louise could provide him about her life over the past
week. Chris saw it coming and pulled her in for a tight hug before
again telling her how much he missed her. She said the same and
waved him off.

When Chris pulled up to Frank’s house, the
garage was open and Frank was fiddling around inside. Chris walked
up the driveway.

“Hey, you probably know why I'm —“

“What the hell took you so long? Sadie want
a little lovin'?” asked Frank. His eyes weren't focused on Chris,
but past him to the other side of the street.

“Sort of. What are you working on? I'm
surprised you're not inside holed up in the bedroom.”

Frank didn't say anything. He put his back
to Chris and focused on the bench. Chris came up to his side and
saw a handwritten paper. Frank's eyes didn't move from the paper as
his hands searched around meaninglessly. Chris finally took the
hint and read, “Somebody's watching my house. Car’s parked across
the street. Never seen before. Internet, TV cut off.”

As soon as Chris looked away from the paper
Frank crumpled it up and tossed it in the garbage.

“I know. Same thing at my house,” said
Chris. Frank gave him a dangerous look to stop right there, but
Chris didn't. “Everything is a mess and Sadie expects me to clean
it up.”

Frank figured out the approach and followed
along. “Yeah, the house got pretty fucked up while I was gone. I’ll
spend the whole weekend putting it back in order. Come on. You
better say hi to your kid before it gets too late.”

They went inside and Frank put his finger to
his lips to signal that inside was just as risky a place to talk as
outside. It didn’t really matter, because as soon as they were in
the house Gerry caught sight of his dad.

“Finally!” said Gerry.

“I know, I know. You sound like your mother.
At least give me a hug before you attack me any further.”

Gerry obliged happily. Frank took his family
into the other room to let Chris and Gerry catch up. Gerry wanted
to know everything about his father’s trip and all the bad guys
they stopped. It was very much the fantasy that Erik wanted people
to believe and Chris’s son wasn’t the exception. Gerry explained
the talks at school between other students and how captivated
everyone was with the amazing Supers out there protecting the
world. His pride in his father would have melted any man’s heart.
Even more reason for Chris to go through with his plan. He couldn’t
stand lying to his son let alone millions of other kids.

“You’re spending the night and I don’t want
to get in the way of you and Simone’s good time. I have to go talk
to Frank for a little bit and then get back to your mom,” said
Chris.

“Yeah, okay Dad,” said Gerry. He wanted to
keep talking even though most of it was just a repeat on the same
thing.

Chris walked with Gerry into the other room
where Simone was playing a video game and Frank and Gail sat on the
couch watching. Frank had his arm around Gail and she had her hand
on his knee with a smile that captured every ounce of joy at having
her family together again. When Chris stepped into the room she
jumped up and hugged him like a brother returning home.

“So good to see you and I’m so glad you kept
my Franky safe. I know what kind of trouble he gets into,” said
Gail, and kissed Chris on the cheek for reinforcement that every
word was sincere.

“Just doing my job,” said Chris.

Frank glared and then got up from the couch
too. “Come on you workaholic.” He shoved Chris out of the room and
down the hall to an office.

Frank immediately went to his iPod dock and
turned the volume up obnoxiously loud. Then he sat down in a
heavily worn leather recliner. Chris took his turn on the familiar
drummer’s stool repurposed for visitors.

“I don’t know if this even works, but fuck
it. We need to talk and I don’t want to write everything out,” said
Frank.

“Erik turned off the internet and TV at
—“

“I know. You were pretty obvious earlier.
This is fucking bullshit.” Frank slammed his fist on the desk and
stared at the wall.

Chris wanted to mock Frank’s abuse towards
the desk and also say ‘I told you so,’ but resisted. Chris needed
to move past the unnecessary taunt and wasted time that came with
it. “I have the reports typed on my flash drive. I wanted to use
your computer to upload it but that obviously needs a new
plan.”

“What? You typed up what?”

“The whole story and my notes from the
beginning. It tells how everything was set up and fake.”

“Who gives a shit about a document? That’s
not going to get you anywhere. Especially if you just upload to the
internet. Are you going to use Reddit? Do you even know?”

“That’s what I came to talk to you about. I
don’t know.”

“I guess Reddit. Or Facebook, but everyone
will just think it’s a chain letter and a joke. Nobody’s going to
read it. At least not first. You need something more.”

“We need a video. We can upload it to
YouTube.”

“And let it get buried just like the typed
version.”

“Stop telling me what’s not going to work
and help me with something that will.” Chris stood up from the
stool.

Frank’s first reaction was to stand too and
fight, but double checked this move. He swallowed pride, anger, and
probably some blood from clamping his teeth down so hard but stayed
in his chair and thought of what would work.

Chris eased off and sat down again to think
for himself. How could they reach more people? Would it even give
him and his family the protection he wanted? He had to do something
because there was nothing getting in the way of him quitting come
tomorrow.

Frank admitted partial defeat. “I don’t
know, but…” He turned down the music and looked around his office
at all the little artifacts that Gail helped him accumulate and
display. Chris waited on his friend’s deep thinking. It was the
longest Chris had ever remembered seeing the cogs turn silently in
Frank’s head. But eventually the thoughts had to come out.

“Gail!” said Frank, without moving from his
chair. It took a minute but the shout was heard and Gail gently
opened the door.

“Yeah, hon’,” she said, only half of her
sticking through.

“How do you see me?” asked Frank.

“What do you mean?” Gail smiled, somewhat
knowingly but just wanting to be sure before answering.

Frank moved his head in annoyed circles and
clasped his hands together tightly. It killed him to explain
further. “What kind of person do you think I am? What parts of me
do you think are the best? Don’t make me say any more.”

It was exactly what Gail wanted and so she
returned the favor. “Well… A loving husband and father first.” Gail
entered the room fully now and slowly made her way to her husband.
“Then we have just a slight temper.”

“I said the best things,” said Frank.

“It is, when it’s used right. Like when
you’re fighting for something you care about or someone you love.
You’re a fighter. In a good way. And you know when it’s time to cut
something loose and rebuild.”

“Bingo,” said Chris.

“Shut up,” said Frank to Chris.

Gail now had her hands on Frank’s knees and
leaned in for a kiss, but before she could plant a soft one on him
Frank pulled her in for a hard smothering kiss. Then he pulled her
legs out from under her and sat her sideways on his lap. Gail
looped her arm around the back of his neck with a flourish and
looked back at Chris without any shame. Frank squeezed her hard and
pushed out a squeal of laughter.

“Thank you,” said Frank.

“You’re going to do this with me, aren’t
you?” said Chris.

“I fuckin’ guess,” said Frank. He looked up
at Gail sitting on his lap. “I have to quit, it was all a bunch of
special effects and crap. The Supers aren't real.”

Gail smiled and then said, “It’s about time
you saved the world.” She kissed her husband and left the room.
Frank shook his head again. He still couldn't get past the extreme
measures being taken against them or the fact that Chris was
leading the way.

Chris and Frank sat in silence for another
minute verging on awkward. Then Chris said, “You have to pick me up
tomorrow, by the way.”

“Oh do I? Thanks for reminding me of the
obvious, ass,” said Frank.

Chris chuckled to himself. “I have to say it
– no matter how obvious – but I need to get home to get some
lovin’.”

“Get the hell out of here.” Frank stood and
waved Chris out of the office.

“I'll have a plan tomorrow.”

“Sure, I'll think on one too.”

“Yeah, but I'll have one. I just want you to
know that.”

“God, get out of my house.” Frank slapped
Chris on the back as they walked down the hall. “I'll drop Gerry
off in the morning too, but you better say goodbye now.”

Chris gave another long hug to his son
before heading out the door. The van across the street still sat,
as obvious as ever, watching every step they made. At least they're
afraid thought Chris. That's something.

He started up the car and made the usual
route back home. After about ten minutes of listlessly driving,
Chris took notice of the same headlights behind him. The whole
time, there had never been a break from their glare in his rearview
mirror. He realized the watching lights stayed with him since he
left Frank's.

Should he floor it and turn it into a chase?
No, get out of your imagination he told himself. They know where
you live and you're not going anywhere else tonight. Chris
continued on driving, but in a much more languid manner. The least
he could do was make it boring for them.

As soon as Chris made the slow turn down his
street, his pursuer took off in an irritated rumble. An identical
van to the one in front of Frank's was across the street from
Chris's house. He didn't remember seeing it there when he left, but
it made Chris laugh at how they couldn't or didn't bother to make
the two vans look any different from one another.

Chris gave the van a casual glance once he
parked and then went inside.

“I guess you don't want any of this,” said
Sadie from the couch. She didn't look up from her iPad but opened
her eyes as wide as they could to take in Chris's reaction.

Chris just smiled at the familiarity and
walked over. He leaned in to kiss his 'still not looking at you'
wife. She allowed one and then waved her hand to shoo him away.
Chris sat beside her instead.

“How were the kids?” asked Sadie.

“They missed me. I missed them. We talked a
little. I only talked to Frank for a little bit too. I swear.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So you ready to do it or what?”

“I think you're a little too late for that
mister. It's getting past my bedtime and I don’t see any ice cream
in your hands.”

“Yeah, you're right. Plus we're being
watched. I’m totally cool with being filmed naked. They can laugh
all they want but I wasn’t sure how you felt.”

“What are you talking about? I already told
you, you’re being paranoid. Just cause the internet and TV are out
doesn't mean we're being watched.”

“What are you doing on the iPad?”

Sadie threw the screen in his face. “Look at
how small they were.” Old family pictures. Chris swiped through a
couple of them.

“Yeah. So, are you down with getting down
while being taped?”

“Ha, ha, so funny. You’re ridiculous.”

“If you don’t trust me, look out the window.
It's twin is outside Frank's house. I don't remember if there was
one watching Louise at her friend's, but they also had someone
follow me back here.”

Sadie thought on it while still moving
through the pictures. Finally she looked up at Chris and squinted
her eyes to better evaluate the situation. “I still don’t trust
you. Maybe you're just trying to trick me into thinking that so I
will prove you wrong by having sex with you. Is that what your plan
is? Huh!?”

Chris laughed out loud. It was silly. All of
this cheap espionage that Erik put around them was silly. Sadie
went back to the iPad and swiped over to a video. She pressed play
and tilted the screen so Chris could see too. It was Gerry and
Chris sitting on the floor playing with action figures. They didn’t
know Sadie was filming them and were fully invested in the play
time. Gerry had a Hulk figure in his hand and in his deepest voice
for a five-year-old kept repeating ‘Hulk smash’ while Chris held a
Captain America and made fighting sound effects. The camera tilted
up to show Louise in the room too. She was reading on Gerry’s bed,
but took a break every few seconds to watch the action on the
floor. After a few more minutes of the greatest superhero war ever,
Sadie’s voice narrated ‘So adorable.’ Everyone looked up at the
unexpected voyeur. Chris switched into his most patriotic Captain
America voice, ‘Look a camera. We’ve been tricked by Doctor Doom
into fighting a war for a new reality show. We must put an end to
this charade once and for all. Avengers assemble!’ Gerry and Chris
then leapt at Sadie and the camera with their mighty superheroes
leading the charge.