The Control Freak: A Kip and Ezra Novel

15.

Washington D.C.- Federal Bureau of Investigation Offices( FBI)

A rap sounded on Chief Jake Daniels door. He barely looked up from the file he was scanning.

    "Come in."

    "Sir?"

Daniels looked up and saw his secretary Amy.

    "Your wife is on line 1, Chief."

Daniels sighed and rubbed his forehead, abandoning his work to answer the phone.

    "Penny? Is everything okay? The kids alright?"

    "When are you coming home?" She asked.

Daniels looked at the papers spread all over his desk and office.

    "It's gonna be a while, Pen."

    "Okay."

    "Pen.. I... I.. have two of my agents in Manhattan tracking a very dangerous man. I..."

    "It's fine, Jake. I just hope you still remember your kids someday."

    "I-"

Daniels stared at the phone as he shook his head and then put it back in the holder.

Christine Ezra put down her cell with a sigh. She bit her lip as her daughter Gabby came into the bedroom.

    "When is Daddy coming home, Mommy?"

Christy cradled Gabby on her lap as she kissed her head and sighed again.

    "He's working, honey. I don't know when."

    "I miss him."

    "I do too, baby. I do too."

Willow Kip dialed her husband's cell phone again and it went to voicemail. Again. She threw it down on her bed and sighed. She couldn't think of anything she could say to convince Gordon that the baby was his. Really and truly... his. But maybe it wouldn't matter anyway. Gordon didn't want her.

Not that he knew what it was anyway.

She looked at her clock and she couldn't tell what sparked it but she knew what she had to do. She picked up her cell phone again and dialed, waiting for someone to pick up.

    "Hi. I was wondering if there were any one way flights from Chicago to New York?"

"Carter.. You... have to let me help you."

    "Why would I want you to help me?" he growled under his breath.

The physical therapist glanced at me and I dropped his arm and gave it to her, taking a breath, and walking out to sit on the bench and wait until the session was over. A few moments later, the PT walked out to talk to me.

    "My.. he's a fighter, isn't he?" she remarked.

I could only scoff.

    "He sure is. Can... you give me a timeline on when you think he will be able to return to work?"

The PT looked through the glass and shook her head, thinking on it for a moment before she turned back to me

    "Between you and me? He's got it bad. The knife ripped through his stomach lining and he's having a hard time. With pretty much everything. I would say it's gonna be more than a few months. At most But with his tenacity? Maybe less than a few weeks. ."

I sighed, looking at Carter trying to sit back down on a chair, wincing with every movement.

    "I'm about done for today. He should rest. Want to come say goodbye?"