Page 68 of True Valor
“Thanks, I guess.”
“You’re welcome.”Cruz slowed, like he wasgoing to say something.The look on his face said it was serious.But then, he grinned.“Let’s go get a beer and pick up chicks.”
Chapter Twenty Five
A perfect day to jump.Hop and pops—quickies,so to speak.Jumping from three thousand feet and immediatelyengaging your parachute.
Before taking off, Nic was officiallywelcomed back by a locker that exploded with packing peanuts and adousing of IV fluid.
If anyone was nervous, it wasn’t evident.Matt was first to egress the plane, designated navigator today.
The rest of Bravo Squad followed.Looked intothe wind, stepped off, and pulled his rip cord.There was verylittle talk as they descended.
Nic broke the silence.“Hey kid, find us asoft place to land.”
Others cleared their throats.
DQ chimed in.“You better navigate betterthan you ride bulls, Rodeo.”
The kid laughed.“I ride bulls real good,sir.”
“As evidenced by your face?”
“What’s wrong with my face, Sir?”
The jump went well, except for the freakin’snow they had to deal with, both in the air and on the ground.Macflew the Pavehawk to pick them up, and they spent the early hoursof the evening drinking coffee to warm up and spreading gear out todry.
The triple funeral was planned for lateafternoon Monday.Julie wanted it in the morning, but there werescheduling conflicts.A few friends of her folks had stopped by thehouse and offered to take care of the food and the phone calls.Julie graciously accepted their help.
She tried hard to not look over her shoulder,but wasn’t entirely successful.Double and triple checking thelocks on the doors had become a ritual and she retrieved her dad’s“house gun” from the top shelf of the hall closet.She stuck it inher pack whenever she went out.
Her cell phone was programmed with all thenumbers on Cruz’s card, just in case.Yeah, right, like Nic andEric could just beam here if she needed help.Batman was good buthe wasn’t faster than a speeding bullet.
“Mixing up your superheroes, again, Jules.”Sorrow lodged in her chest.When had she ever felt so weary?Maybeit was just grief.Still, it sucked to not be able to concentrate.It sucked that all she could think about was…him.
His arms around her.The twinkle in his darkeyes before he kissed her.That damnable smile.But there was more.The way they’d danced.How he teased her about putting mustard onher fries.His firm grip on reality.The way he’d explainedeverything at SAR HQ.The way he cared about his team.
If only’soccupied her every thought.She’d picked up the card Cruz had left her at least three times aday, wondering if Nic would answer the phone if she called theSection.
What idiocy.
Once this was all over, she’d get back toRedding and get on with her life.By God, she would never have tolearn this lesson again.
Nic spent the weekend thinking about anythingbut Julie.And while he was not thinking about Julie, he wassnapping everyone’s head off and offending even strangers.Cruz hadapparently given up the ship, ‘cause he had said a few choice wordsand left the house.Batman had been suckered by a sweet face andfrightened eyes.And, at the moment he felt stuck in quicksand.
Sinking slow.
The funeral of Patrick, Ellen and JenniferGalloway was well attended by the residents of Lassen County.Juliemanaged to get through it without a complete meltdown, but walkedthrough fog.The reception following the funeral was held in thebasement of the Methodist church, even though the Galloway familyhad never been members.But it was the biggest place in town.
Julie felt stiff as she moved slowly throughthe crowd, thanking people for coming, accepting their condolences.Her mind hitched, though, when she overheard the wordssheriffandheadlinesin the same sentence.Shepaused to listen.
“Yes, apparently he never was a Green Beretand, if you can believe it, he lied when he said he was a POW.It’sall in this morning’s paper.”
Julie let out her breath on a sigh.Maybe theguy would get away with murder.She certainly hoped not.But atleast he’d get a bit of what was coming to him.She’d stop and pickup a paper on the way home.
Her plan was to spend another day or so tyingup loose ends before going back to Redding.A meeting with herfolks’ attorney was scheduled for early tomorrow morning.
In the parking lot of the gas station, whereshe’d stopped to get a paper, she read the entire article occupyingthe bottom half of the front page, just below the picture of thesmiling sheriff wearing his Army uniform.The headline read “StolenValor.”
