Second Chances (Athena Group Novel Book 1) (19 page)

She called Liz. “Hey Shelby, what’s up?” Liz asked.

“Liz, I’ve been looking at the money transfers that Roger has been making over the past year. The information on the thumb drives appears to be a list of names that are for inpats from other countries. However, I can’t find any employees in his global employment services with these names. Nor have I found any recent inpats into Hawk Enterprises.”

“Shelby, how old are the girls?” Liz asked warily.

“They all appear to be in the age range of eighteen to twenty. But that’s not a definite. I wasn’t able to find any information in the databases for these women.” She told her.

Liz sighed. “Do cross references of the other women on the thumb drives and see if there is a match between Oleg’s other clients. I’m afraid that Roger was one of his clients. He couldn’t get anyone locally, so he branched out. The question is what happened to these girls?”

“Alright I’ll go through the information and let you know what I find. I have the same feeling you do. That’s why I called. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t letting my opinions cloud my judgment.” She hung up.

She was feeling queasy and just couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that was hanging over her. She turned to her console and pulled a picture of her sister up on the screen.

###

Monica had just graduated high school and getting ready for college. She got a scholarship from Hawk Enterprises to work in his office that summer and would intern while she went to school. She was guaranteed a job once she graduated from college.

She had been so excited that she was on the fast track to having the career she had dreamed. Within a few months she noticed some changes about Monica. She was working late hours and wouldn’t come to family dinners. She insisted that she was working and it was important to maintain her scholarship.

Shelby had been so dedicated in her college career at MIT that she understood why Monica felt it necessary to work so hard. But when school started in the fall Monica had decided not to go. She was assured by Roger Hawk himself that she would have a lucrative career right there at Hawk Enterprises working with him.

Monica had also fallen in love with someone. She couldn’t stop talking about him. He was someone that she worked with so she wouldn’t tell anyone who he was. He bought her gifts and took her to fancy restaurants. The night that Monica had lost her virginity she knew that she was in love. That’s what she told Shelby.

Within six months of working with Roger, Monica was dead. She had been killed in a car accident. That’s what the authorities had told her parents, but Shelby hadn’t bought that. They told them that she had been drinking and lost control of her car. Her car had gone off the bridge into the cold lake in late December. What the authorities didn’t know was that Monica didn’t drink.

At the funeral, Roger Hawk showed his condolences and had actually offered her a job. Monica wasn't even cold in the grave, and he had offered her sister a job to replace her. Shelby knew there was something wrong and immediately took a dislike to Roger Hawk. He had a sense of entitlement to him. But the way he looked at Monica’s casket, she knew immediately that he was the one she had been involved with.

She had watched him after the funeral. He had a beautiful wife, but there was no affection there. They both seemed so cold, and she knew that night that he had something to do with her sister’s death.

###

She closed the picture of Monica and got busy cross referencing the names on the thumb drives and there it was. He had been paying Douglas Oleg for a new girl each month. Why a new one every month? Where were these girls now? Definitely something she will figure out.

There was a knock on her door and Alex walked in. “Hi Alex.” She picked up a package on the table and handed it to her.

“Thank you Shelby. This means a lot to me.” She told her.

“Alex, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Hopefully this will be the information that I need.” Alex turned to walk out.

“Did you know that Ross had a twin brother?” Shelby asked her.

Alex stiffened as she turned to look back at Shelby. “No, I didn’t.” She was visibly shaken. She turned and walked out the door.

Shelby shutdown her console, and went upstairs to fix something for her stomach. She hadn’t been able to eat and she was tired all of the time. As she got on the elevator she was thinking that she never got sick. She figured that it was just the stress, but there was only one other time that she had been sick like this. That was when she was pregnant with Amanda. She stopped suddenly. No way! Oh, no….the night that Max had left when they were in the training room. She dropped her forehead on her desk and just sat there.

The next day she scheduled an appointment with her doctor. She arrived early for her appointment. She was sitting in the waiting room and saw all the young women. She was feeling old compared to them. She was only thirty five years old. The nurse called her back into the examining room. Dr. Tompkins came into the room and examined her. She instructed her to go into the bathroom and pee into a cup so she could do a pregnancy test. What was she going to do? She was scared and excited all at once. She had a feeling of déjà vu and she instinctively put her hand on her stomach.

A short time later the doctor confirmed what she already suspected. She was pregnant. What was she going to tell Amanda or Liz for that matter? The doctor left her a prescription for prenatal vitamins and something to help with the nausea. She went downstairs to find Liz and break the news to her.

###

“Shelby, are you happy about this?” Liz asked her a short while later.

“At first Liz I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I mean Amanda will be going to college soon and I’ll be raising another child as a single parent.”

“Shelby, you have to tell Max.”

“I know I do, but I can’t right now. He hasn’t bothered to call or contact me in any way since the night he left.” She rubbed her temples. She had the beginnings of a raging headache.

“You know that they have been busy with the investigation and internal affairs breathing down their neck.” Liz told her.

“Yes, Liz. I’m aware of that. Apparently he can’t get over what he saw in my office. I just don’t get it. John has some idea of what we are doing, doesn’t he?” she asked.

“John knows what I want him to know. Sometimes less is best, especially when dealing with straight laced bureau employees.” Liz said.

“Maybe so, I’ve just never given a second thought to what we are doing. I’m going to go back upstairs and lie down for a little bit.” She went upstairs to her apartment.

###

When she walked into her bedroom, she lay down and began to cry. She hadn’t cried since the night that Max walked out. Now she had a part of him growing inside her. Amanda walked in and sat down on the bed. “Mom, what’s wrong?” she asked.

She sat up and looked at her daughter. How was she going to react to the news? She dried her tears and scooted next to Amanda. “I’m pregnant.” Amanda started laughing. She had expected several different reactions but laughter wasn't one of them. “What are you laughing at?” she asked her.

“Mom, I figured you were pregnant. You’ve been sick and not sleeping well. Hello? It doesn’t take a genius.” Amanda was teasing her. “Besides the way you and Mr. Taylor were always together and looking at each other.  P-lease.” She rolled her eyes.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” She poked her in the arm.

“Mom, I’m seventeen years old. We’ve had the talk, the school has had the talk and besides I think it’s great. I’ve always wanted a brother or sister. Of course it’s a little late, but I still like the idea. You are an awesome mother and this kid is going to be spoiled rotten.” She jumped off the bed as she said. “R.O.T.T.E.N!”

Shelby watched her run out of the room and could only shake her head in amazement. Her daughter had grown up and was a wonderful young lady.

###

Over the next several months she finally got back into her old routine before Max came into her life. Before she knew it the holidays were around the corner and her morning sickness had subsided, but now she was eating everything in sight. Tabby, Jo and Alex all declared that they would be the godmothers of this child. Again, spoiled rotten.

Amanda was getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday with Steven’s family. This would be their first Thanksgiving apart and she was feeling a little lost. They were closing TAG for the week so everyone could go visit families or take vacations. She hadn’t decided what she was going to do this year. She would probably stay in and watch a marathon of Murder, She Wrote and veg out on the couch. They rarely got the occasion to do just that. They were always busy working, training or on an assignment.

Liz walked in, “Hey Shelby, what are you doing for Thanksgiving since Amanda is going to be gone?” she asked her.

“I am just going to stay here and take it easy.” She told her.

“I tell you what, why don’t you go to Progresso for the week. The weather is still nice. The warm sun will help rejuvenate you and I can guarantee that no one is staying in the house next door.” She smiled.

“How can you guarantee that?” she asked.

“Because I bought the house.” she quipped.

“Nice, actually that’s not a bad idea. It would give me a chance to get away from everything and think.”

“Good, I’ll make the arrangements.” She watched Liz walk out of her office. She felt relief and was glad that she was going to be away from all of this during Thanksgiving. She really didn’t want to be here and reminded of what she didn’t have.

###

“Amanda are you ready to go?” She called out to her daughter. Steven was going to be downstairs any minute to pick her up. Amanda came scurrying out of her room with her backpack and suitcase. “Do you have everything?” she asked her.

“Yes mom, I do. Steven said he would call when they pulled up downstairs.”

“OK, I just want to make sure that you have everything you need. I’m going to miss you Manda. I want you to call me every day and before you go to bed, ok?”

“I will mom; you know that we can’t go a day without talking to each other.” She hugged her and led her to the elevator. She waited in the lobby until Steven and his family pulled up at the curb.

“You be safe and call me no matter what time it is if you need me.” She looked at her daughter before she hugged her and let her go. Steven got out to help with her bags as she got in the car and drove away.

She went back upstairs to finish packing her suitcases and leave for the airport. Once she had everything ready she went downstairs to check in with security.

“Hey Jorge, how are you?” she asked him.

“I’m doing good Shelby. Ready to take off for Thanksgiving? How’s the baby?”

“The baby is doing good, growing and thankfully no longer making me sick. Is everything all secure for this next week?”

“We have all the floors secured and access is limited to the top floors. As soon as you leave all the doors to the building will be locked and won’t open until after the holiday when TAG opens back up.” He told her.

“Good, Jorge I can always count on you. Do you have any plans for the holiday?”

“Just going over to my family, eat too much food and watch football. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” He winked at her.

Shelby couldn’t help but laugh at him, “Yes, Yes it is. Ok, I’m out of here. Is the car ready in the garage?”

“I’m going to escort you to the airport this evening.” He told her.

“Jorge, you don’t have to do that.”

“This is a direct order from me.” Liz said from behind her.

Shelby turned around and Liz was standing there in jeans and a sweater. She looked positively stunning. She walked over and hugged Shelby. “You go and have a good vacation. That’s two in less than six months. Are you going to make a habit of this?” She laughed.

“You know Liz; this will probably be the last vacation I take for another seventeen years.” She laughed as she patted her belly. She still wasn’t showing, but it wouldn’t be long before the baby bump started to show.

“Alright, off with you. Enjoy yourself and I’ll see you when you get back. I don't want to hear from you until you are due back in the states. Clear?” She demanded.

“Yes, Liz it is.” She followed Jorge to the elevator to go down to the garage. He already had the car ready to go. Her bags were placed in the back and she slid into the backseat. She leaned her head back against the head rest and closed her eyes. Jorge had turned on some classical music. She listened to the music as it wrapped itself around her in a cocoon. She always lost herself in the music when she closed her eyes. Her body would slowly relax to the tune as it soothed her soul. She felt the car slowly come to a stop. She looked out and realized they were in the hangar.

The car pulled up and she got out to retrieve her bags, but Jorge had already beaten her to it. They were being stowed in the plane as she climbed on board and settled in. The attendant came by and offered her a soda with a glass of ice. They always knew what each of the members wanted when they were flying. She fastened her seatbelt and waited for takeoff.