The Trade (33 page)

June 20, 1994

San Francisco,
California

Thin clouds drifted high
above the city by the Bay. Craig and Stacey sat behind the APSoft
building on the large cedar deck. A gentle breeze caressed Stacey's
long, summer golden hair. Craig was having a very hard time
concentrating on the report in his hands.

"Do you want to hear
something weird?" Stacey asked.

"I don't know. Do I?"
Craig answered.

"Yes. You do," Stacey
said.

"Okay. Let's have it,"
Craig said.

"We're three for three
this year," Stacey said.

"I don't get it," Craig
said.

"On airplane crashes.
We're three for three."

"I still don't get it,"
Craig said.

"Listen. First you know
that guy in Turkey where the Blackhawks got shot down. Second, we
both know Rakesh who's been in Hong Kong where the plane that
crashed in Nagoya originated. Third, my friend in Mexico works for
that company that chartered that plane that crashed in Virginia the
other day. We're three for three."

"Better call the National
Enquirer," Craig said.

"Jerk," Stacey
said.

"We know somebody at
almost every airline or aircraft manufacturer in the world Stacey.
It'd be a miracle if we didn't know someone somehow related to
every crash," Craig said.

"You're still a jerk,"
Stacey said.

"Yeah I know. It's part of
my charm," he replied.

Stacey made a face at him
and rolled her eyes.

"Please," she
said.

"But you know what? You've
piqued my curiosity. I'm going to do some research and see how many
wrecks there have been in the last year. It does seem like there's
been an unusual amount doesn't it?" Craig asked.

"Nice try," Stacey
said.

"No. I'm totally serious.
Now that you've pointed it out, I really am curious."

"Um huh," she said
dismissively.

"Ready to throw it some
more," Stacey asked, dangling Craig's birthday Frisbee on the end
of a long slender finger.

"Not right now," Craig
said. I better get started on that research.

http://jtkalnaynovels.wordpress.com/

www.jtkalnay.com

JT Kalnay is an attorney and an author. He
has been an athlete, a soldier, a professor, a programmer, an
Ironman, and mountain climber. JT now divides his time between
being an attorney, being an author, and helping his wife chase
after seven nieces and nephews.

JT was born and raised in Belleville,
Ontario, Canada. Growing up literally steps from the Bay of Quinte,
water, ice, fishing, swimming, boating, and drowning were very
early influences and appear frequently in his work.

Educated at the Royal Military College, the
University of Ottawa, the University of Dayton, the University of
Cincinnati, Long Island University, and Case Western Reserve
University, JT has spent countless hours studying a wide range of
subjects including math, English, computer science, physics, and
law. Many of his stories are set on college campuses.

JT is a certified rock climbing guide and
can often be found atop crags in West Virginia, California, Mexico,
and Italy. Rock climbing appears frequently in his writing.

JT has witnessed firsthand many traumatic
events including the World Trade Center Bombing, the Long Island
Railroad Shooting, a bear attack, a plane crash, and numerous
fatalities, in the mountains and elsewhere.

Disasters, loss, and confronting personal
fear are common themes in his writing.

While “boy meets girl” appears to be JT’s
dominant genre, readers will experience a variety of styles and
themes in his simple yet complex writing.

Connect with jt online at:

www.jtkalnay.com

http://jtkalnaynovels.wordpress.com/