First Class Hero (First Class Novels) Read online

  “That’s up to the selection committee to decide.”

  “I am the selection committee!”

  Father Todd chuckled. “One of the five, Maureen.”

  “Well I know who I would select from these letters of interest. I do believe if we are hiring a teacher we should not hire ones who can’t spell!”

  “I agree with you there,” Father Todd grinned. “It is rather ironic that a few of these have spelled Manhattan incorrectly. I thought everyone had word processors with spell check nowadays.”

  Maureen pushed the reject pile to Father Todd. “Have the secretary deal with these immediately. And this pile? I guess we reconvene the committee and narrow it down.”

  *****

  Ed and Paul sat eating breakfast together. They had been discussing the mission. They were still waiting on some crucial intel before they got the green light to move.

  “I guess my only question is why isn’t one of the other teams here instead of us? I mean, there are teams on deployment here. Why did they bring us all that way from home?”

  “SAS requested it. Technically, they are leading the mission and we are the support, according to the Admiral. And Captain McGregor requested us.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “Nope.”

  They finished eating and stood to leave as Captain McGregor and two of his men entered the mess hall. They greeted each other formally and then casually shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

  “Glad you boys are here,” the Captain said.

  “We are glad to be of service. Glad to be getting our people out safely,” Ed nodded.

  “You know I requested you,” Captain McGregor said. “You worked with some of my boys a few years ago in Iraq and we would have lost several had it not been for your team’s backup. So when I was asked to lead this mission in collaboration with the Seals I asked for you, but I was told your team was no longer intact as it had been then, so we found where most of you were. I wouldn’t risk the lives of my men with any other Yanks,” he smiled.

  “An honor to serve alongside you, Sir,” said Paul.

  “The honour is ours. Thank you.” And the Captain and his men stepped aside so Paul and Ed could leave.

  “Question answered,” said Ed. “We’re just too damn good,” he chuckled.

  *****

  The phone rang at a bad time. Nic’s eyes were closed, her hair full of shampoo suds and the phone five feet out of her reach. She threw back the shower curtain and stepped out to grab it. She didn’t recognize the number. And when she hung up a couple of minutes later, she was glad she had taken the call. She had a job interview…in Harlem…in ten days.

  Rinsing the shampoo from her hair she thought about all she would need to do in order to be in New York. The principal she had spoken to had said if she absolutely couldn’t make it, they could perhaps do a phone interview, but Nic was not going to accept a position in a school she hadn’t seen. Not that she was confident they would offer it to her, but just in case. She needed to make sure she would be a good fit. She wanted to meet the principal too. She didn’t want to take the risk that her new boss would be an absolute bitch like Jenny, her last boss. She considered herself a good judge of character and when Jenny had arrived at River Grove Elementary Nic had been immediately wary. Fake, shallow and self-absorbed were the adjectives that came to her as Jenny introduced herself to the faculty. Most of the other teachers agreed with Nic, but there were the few who were either just like her or needed to suck-up and they became her circle of minions. Nic and a couple of the other teachers had joked that they had been somehow transported into the movie ‘Mean Girls’ and Jenny was playing the role of Regina perfectly. Nic had remained friends with several of the teachers after she’d been fired and they met for coffee every few weeks. They had been sad to report that Jenny’s antics had only gotten worse since Nic had left. They didn’t see an end to the dismal morale and unprofessional antics. For several months, Nic had pined for her job, but now she was relieved she was not longer subject to Jenny. She had rid herself of the desire to return to River Grove.

  No, Nic needed to meet the principal and get a vibe for the school. She would go to New York. She needed to pray that Drew, the manager of Hank’s, would give her some time off too. But, she knew if it came down to it, she’d quit rather than not interview. She figured she could get another job as a waitress, but there weren’t many teaching positions available. She’d take the chance.

  With her hair wrapped in a towel and her robe tied around her waist, she sat at her computer and looked at flights to New York.

  “Eight hundred and thirty dollars??!!” she gasped. “There’s no way I can afford that.”

  “What’s eight hundred dollars?” Evelyn asked as she lay on the sofa and watched ‘The Price is Right’.

  “A flight to New York. I got an interview.”

  “That’s great.”

  “It’s not if I can’t afford to get there,” Nic sighed.

  “Take the bus,” offered Evelyn.

  “No thanks.”

  “Well take the train then.”

  Nic’s eyebrows rose. The train? She found Amtrak’s website and entered in her travel information.

  “One hundred and twenty dollars…each way,” she grinned. “It’ll take all day, but I can afford that.”

  “Problem solved,” said Evelyn.

  “Thank you,” smiled Nic.

  *****

  Sunday dinner at the Lathem home was almost over. The whole family was there except for Paul. But Maureen, as usual, had set a place for him and thought about him all through dinner. Well, almost all through dinner. Her younger grandchildren occupied her mind when her son didn’t.

  Ella sat between Janie, her mother and Matt’s wife, and Katy, her aunt and Mark’s wife. Maureen thanked God every day that her sons had married such good women. And Ella? Her beautiful two year-old granddaughter was the apple of her eye. She watched Ella play with her utensils, her favorite thing to do during dinner. She played with them like her dolls; there was a mommy and a daddy and a grandma and grandpa and then the rest were siblings. She had commandeered the butter knife because the family needed a dog.

  “Why don’t you just get her a real dog and then she wouldn’t have to play with knives and forks,” laughed Andrew, Maureen’s third son.

  “And when Isabelle asks for a dog are you going to get her one?” Matt asked.

  Isabelle was Andrew and his husband’s daughter they had adopted a few weeks earlier. She was sound asleep in her car seat next to her dads’ chairs.

  “Point taken,” he chuckled.

  Maureen watched Ella and was serious in her quest to find the perfect Kindergarten teacher. There was nothing of more importance to her than her family. And being a former teacher herself, she wanted to make sure she used her position on the board of St. Luke’s Prep School to ensure a solid foundation to begin her granddaughter’s education. She did not take that responsibility lightly. Her resolve was set. She would only hire the very best. Ella deserved nothing less.

  *****

  Nic didn’t usually work Sunday nights, but Drew had guilted her into coming in even though she had worked Friday and Saturday. He said it was the least she could do seeing as though he had agreed to remove her from the schedule for a few days so she could go to New York.

  And even though she wasn’t thrilled about being there, she was happy, hopeful, smiling and couldn’t help it. Brian noticed immediately.

  “You’re in a good mood.”

  “I am!” Nic replied.

  “Any particular reason?”

  “No. Just feel like maybe my life is moving in the right direction. This last year has been a little rough and the job interview this week makes me feel optimistic.”

  “Well, good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  Brian filled her drink order and Nic turned and walked away.

  The evening went by quicker than she thought it would. Sundays
weren’t nearly as busy as the rest of the week so she had assumed it would drag on. But to her pleasant surprise it didn’t. About ten o’clock, Nic was once again waiting for Brian to make a margarita and her eyes panned the room and came to rest on the television. It was on CNN and Nic absent-mindedly read the ticker tape that ran across the bottom of the screen. Apparently a football player had been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. Surprise! she thought. Not! Actually, she found it repugnant that it was considered newsworthy. That’s one of the reasons she had stopped watching the news; it didn’t seem to her that the networks reported much in the way of news anymore; it was usually what the latest celebrity was up to or who they were dating or whose baby they were having. That stuff didn’t interest her at all. She continued to read the scrolling news. There was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Argentina. There was some basic information that followed; no casualties and some minor damage.

  Then Nic’s heart stopped. Her hands began to shake and she felt instantly nauseous.

  “What is it?” Brian asked, noticing her face.

  Nic didn’t respond but continued to read the words as they ran along the bottom of the screen. ‘U.S. Navy Seal units suffer casualties in a rescue operation in Afghanistan. American journalist, Carrie Lymon and cameraman, Jessie Sinclair, have been rescued and are on their way to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. Their condition has not yet been released. The details of the operation and the casualties have not been released at this time.’

  “Paul,” she whispered.

  *****

  Nic went home after the bar had closed and turned on the television. She switched the channel to CNN and watched. The same ticker tape message ran across the bottom of the screen repeatedly with no additional information. Her eyes didn’t move and she barely remembered to breathe. She didn’t even hear Evelyn come in.

  “Hey! What are you still doing up?” She was shocked to see Nic awake and with the TV on.

  Nic didn’t reply. Evelyn assumed she hadn’t heard her.

  “Nic! Hello!”

  Slowly, Nic turned her head to look at her roommate. “Hey,” she said.

  “What’s up? Why are you watching CNN?”

  Nic turned her head back to the television just as they began the story of the hostage rescue.

  “What’s…”

  “Ssshhhh!” Nic said.

  Evelyn sat down next to her on the sofa and listened to the news anchor.

  “In breaking news, we have learned that during the rescue mission of American journalist Carrie Lymon and cameraman, Jessie Sinclair, who had been kidnapped last week while in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on assignment, one US Navy Seal has been killed and several injured. Their names have not yet been released. This rescue operation was a joint endeavor with the British Special Forces and Lieutenant Thomas Blakely of the RAF has also been rescued. He was held with Ms. Lymon and Mr. Sinclair. The hostages are on their way to a military hospital in Germany and we will bring you updates as we receive them.”

  Nic stared at the television. “Please, no. Not Paul.”

  *****

  Peter Lathem sat in front of the television, his heart beating a little faster than normal, relieved his wife, Maureen, was at their son and daughter-in-law’s apartment spending time with the grandchildren. Peter listened to the CNN anchor repeat the news of the Navy Seal casualties. Please God, not Paul.

  According to the report, the operation had taken place yesterday, Sunday, twenty-four hours ago. Peter hoped that it meant Paul was alright. Wouldn’t they have come to tell us already? he wondered.

  As Peter continued to sit in his chair in front of the television, the telephone rang and his heart lodged in his throat not wanting to hear who was calling. Ignorance was occasionally better than reality. He stood and walked the few steps to the phone and picked up the receiver. As he put it to his ear, his eyes welled with tears and he had to pause to compose himself.

  “Dad? Mom?”

  “Paul!” he choked.

  “I’m okay Dad…I didn’t want you to worry…I called as soon as I could.”

  “Paul,” Peter whispered. “Son, I love you.”

  “I love you too. I’m fine Dad. I’ll be home on Wednesday. Our assignment has been completed and I’m gonna come home for a few days. Tell Mom I’m fine will ya please?”

  “I will Paul. I’m glad you’re well. I’ll pick you up at the airport. Just tell me when.”

  “I’ll text you, k? I’ve gotta go. Love you.”

  Peter hung up the phone and sat on the nearest chair. He buried his face in his hands and cried tears of relief and joy. Once he had composed himself, he decided to call Maureen and tell her before she heard the news somewhere and panicked.

  “Your lunch is in the fridge, Peter. I told you that before I left this morning.”

  Peter smiled. “I’m not calling to ask about lunch. And for your information, I am quite capable of making my own lunch.”

  “I do not consider Cheetos and a string cheese lunch!”

  “I’m calling to tell you that Paul is fine. I just talked to him and he’ll be home on Wednesday for a few days. He sounds good but he didn’t want us to worry.”

  “Why would we be worried?” Maureen said, her nonchalant reply not fooling Peter for one second.

  “The mission is over and successful, but they sustained casualties. I saw it on the news today.”

  Maureen blinked a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay.

  “That isn’t good news. But I would know if something happened to my son. I’ll see you this afternoon, dear. Thank you for calling me.”

  “I didn’t want you to hear or see something on the news and be concerned. I love you.”

  “Love you too. Bye.” Maureen put her cell phone back in her purse. She looked up and saw Janie staring at her.

  “It’s fine, dear,” Maureen attempted a smile. “Paul is just fine. So whatever you see on the news, know that Paul is just fine.” She picked up her grandson, Christopher, and held him close to her heart. Keep it together, she thought. He’s just fine.

  *****

  The next couple of days for Nic were difficult. While she was excited and anxious for her short trip to New York and a job interview, she thought mostly of Paul and whether or not he was alive. Everything she did was done absent-mindedly as she wondered what had happened and if he had been injured. She wouldn’t let herself wonder if he was dead; that was too difficult.

  “I don’t get it,” Evelyn had asked. “You weren’t going to see him again. You aren’t interested in any kind of relationship with him, yet you’re totally freaked out by this news report. You don’t even know if Paul was even in Afghanistan, let alone rescuing hostages.”

  Nic hadn’t been able to answer. She had wondered the same thing. But any human being would be concerned right? she had told herself. It wasn’t weird at all.

  On Tuesday night, Nic packed her suitcase ready for the early train departure the following morning. Evelyn had agreed to drop her off at the station at 6:30am for her seven o’clock departure. Evelyn was not a morning person and so Nic had been grateful she had even offered. She would only be spending two nights in New York. She had booked a room at the cheapest hotel she could find on the internet, and she didn’t consider it cheap at all! She would be using a credit card for the trip. She wanted to keep her small savings account intact for when she had to move.

  After double and triple checking that she had everything she needed, Nic slid under the blanket in her bed and tried to sleep, but sleep did not come. Her mind wandered back to when she first met Paul on her Caribbean cruise several weeks before. He had come with his entire family for his parents’ wedding anniversary. She had been coerced into accompanying her former friend April for a girls’ vacation. She had not enjoyed herself at all and she had not been nice to Paul. She was embarrassed now by her conduct. He had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had been a real gentleman every time she had seen him. And he had looked her up wh
en he had come to Virginia to see his friends because he remembered her telling him she lived in Norfolk. Yes, he had been nothing but kind and friendly and she had been a jerk. He didn’t deserve her treatment of him. She was ashamed and he may be dead and she would never have the opportunity to apologize for her behavior.

  Finally Nic drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, but it wasn’t a restful sleep as she dreamed of Paul. She could see him in the distance and she walked in his direction, but the further she walked, the further away he became. When her alarm woke her, she was sad, so very sad.

  “This is going to be a great trip,” she muttered to herself as she quickly got herself ready for the ten-hour train ride.

  5.

  Paul sat in his parent’s living room while his mother fawned over him. She made him a sandwich and some lemonade. She fetched a blanket for him in case he was cold. And then she sat next to him and held his hand while he assured his parents for the umpteenth time that he was fine.

  In reality, he had suffered a severe concussion in one of the many explosions. He had protected the three hostages from the falling concrete with his body and, had in fact, saved Carrie Lymon’s life. He was black and blue over most of his body and had a couple of cracked ribs. Fortunately the continual headache was finally starting to ease with the pain meds he’d been given. But he‘d decided to keep all of that a secret. He was alive and that’s all his parents needed to know.

  In the early afternoon, his younger brother Tim arrived. He hugged Paul and told him he was happy he was home. Tim had watched the news reports and knew that Paul had been involved in the operation. It seemed obvious to him that Paul would have been recalled for such a mission. He was the best of the best.

  Shortly after Tim had arrived, Paul’s older brother Andrew stopped by on his way home from work. He wanted to make sure his mother was okay. The older his parents got, the more Andrew worried about them and he figured this event would have shaken up Maureen pretty brutally. He was pleased to see she was fine and happy to see his brother all in one piece. He couldn’t stay long as his nanny needed to leave early, so his visit was brief.