Page 37 of Special Agent Joseph

Long minutes later, he heard the sirens and breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping up the chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation had been tough but lifesaving. Not having time to think during this treatment, his automatic reaction didn’t faze him. Not until after the paramedics took over his patient and moved him into the ambulance.

Then Joe plopped down on the curb, catching his second wind and holding his head in his hands. Folks nearby called out with congratulations, and “good job, buddy” comments but he just waved to them rather than reply. Finally, stumbling to his feet, he took the bottle of water someone handed him, along with a smack on his shoulder as a way of cheering his actions and went to sit in his car.

Christ that felt good. Joe thought back to the beginning. He had no hesitation on what needed to be done or any restraints on reacting himself. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he’d have thought he’d been trained. He’d have to ask Kramer if the FBI went into that type of exercise. Another thought snuck in, and he didn’t have any answers at all. He knew exactly the medications the EMTs should use and the procedures they would be taking. How the hell could that be?

Arriving home, he shut down his thoughts and opened the gate so he could pull into his driveway. When he stepped out of the car, he heard a man’s screams of help interspersed with Jack’s snarling replies, and he ran to where the noise originated.

Recognizing the voice as he got closer, he went around the garage towards his front door to see Kramer perched on the porch railing with Jack on guard, the dog’s growls meaning business.

“Jack. Off. Come here.”

Instantly, Jack backed away from his position and ran to Joe, obviously expecting to be petted and acknowledged for doing his job.

Joe reached for the dog’s soft ears and rubbed them without fear. “Whatcha doing, pal? He’s one of the good guys.”

Pissed, Tom Kramer stumbled down from his perch. “About time you showed up. I’ve been stuck here for an hour.” He pointed at Jack and quickly pulled his finger back when Jack barked. “Fucking beast wanted to eat me. Wouldn’t let me move. Couldn’t even get my phone out. Bullying bastard.” Tom’s aggrieved manner would have been comical if his fear hadn’t been so real.

“Sorry, man. Guess Maria went to visit her mom and left Jack loose to guard the property. How did you get in?”

“Jumped the fence.”

Joe’s pointed look took the place of any words.

As if he felt the need to explain, Tom added, “Gate to the driveway was locked, and I wasn’t sure if you heard the intercom.” This time Tom motioned with his head. “Is he the dog you supposedly ran over? Seems like he didn’t hold a grudge with you but he’s a menace for the rest of the world. You might like to get him counseling for that mean streak.”

“Yeah. Poor boy’s totally mixed up now. Aren’t you, Jack?” Joe patted the head leaning on his thigh. “Guess I treated him differently before the accident. Maria said I taught him to guard the property using cruel, even vicious tactics.”

“Vicious?”

“According to her I used to kick and beat him to make him mean. She said he hated my guts back then. Go figure how one accident can bring about so many changes. Thinking of earlier, Joe’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, Kramer. Come make friends with Jack, so he’ll know you from now on.

Joe watched as Tom timidly reached out to pet the menace and how the agent smiled when Jack allowed it. Joe’s following command made the dog’s ears stand straight. “Tom’s a friend,Jack. He’s a good guy. No biting him, no scaring the shit outta him from now on. Just be nice. Okay?”

Over his fear now, Tom chuckled. “You really think the dumb bastard understands that nonsense?”

As if he understood Tom’s sarcasm, Jack pushed at Tom with his snout, a shove that meant business.

“He understands that you’re dissing him, and he doesn’t like it.” Joe chuckled at Tom’s expression and led the way into the house. “By the way, Joseph set the gate’s combination at six one’s. Guess he had a memory problem, so he made it easy to remember.”

“By Joseph, you mean you.”

“Yeah, of course. Anyway, if it’s closed when you want to visit, you can open it and drive in.”

Once they entered the kitchen, Jack went toward his fancy dish and fancy dog bed Joe had ordered for him, and Joe headed for the coffee pot, which was left filled and ready to be started with the push of a button. Smiling to himself and feeling lucky to have Maria to take care of things, he gathered some mugs, the tray with the honey and sugar and went to lean on the counter close to where Tom sat.

“So, Kramer, to what do I owe this visit?”

“Got news on the shipment. It’s arriving in LA in two days. No doubt Vinnie will be all over it.”

“He just wants to know if the FBI is aware of the drugs, and what your plan is so he can get to them before you do.”

Tom nodded, his expression inquisitive but he didn’t question Joe. Instead, he answered. “Of course we’ll set up a task force. We’d hate to disappoint the sick bastard. We just need to know what his plans are so we can intercept when they arrive in his warehouse. You know it’s important we catch his people in the act, right? So we can pin it on him and put him away where he belongs.”

Straightening, Joe stood, folded his arms, and scrunched his lips. “Okay. So what’s my next move then?”

“First things first. What’s happening with the kid… Lucia? You get any more leads, other than what you already phoned in?”

Shaking his head, Joe grunted. “I wish. Just what we got out of Bear. Nobody knows anything about the idiot she ran off with. At least, no one’s owning up to knowing. We figure the whole neighborhood is terrified of Vinnie and everyone’s backing off because of his influence. It’s hard on Megan, you know the woman I told you about. She’s Lucia’s bodyguard. The woman’s really broken up about losing the kid.”

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