“Terrific,” Jeanne exclaimed. “I’m excited to get on with that. The more I think about it, the more important I believe exposing all of this is. Someone has to do it.”
“Are you still planning on coming over this afternoon to spend time with Juliette?”
“Absolutely! I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to get some exercise in this morning. What about you? Are you still planning on visiting the ESU Academy?”
“I am,” Brian admitted. “With all this extra stress, I’m looking forward to it even more. I’ll be leaving soon for a three o’clock meeting, and hope I, too, can get in some exercise while I’m there. It would do wonders for my psyche.”
“I have a confession to make,” Jeanne said. “Last night I googled NYPD ESU, and I have to say, I was really impressed. Kudos to you and your wife. The training you guys went through is intense. I had no idea. You put your life on the line, literally. Have you really rappelled down skyscrapers and out of helicopters?”
“That and more,” Brian answered with a bit of pride, although he was usually more self-effacing.
“I’m truly impressed,” Jeanne said. “In French we say ‘très impressionné.’ ”
He laughed in spite of himself. “Je me rappelle the expression.”
“I’m not sure I’ll see you before you leave,” she said. “I’ve got to bike home and shower. But I’ll see you when you get back. Try to enjoy yourself!”
“Merci beaucoup,” Brian said. He then disconnected before bringing up Aimée’s number.
Chapter 31
September 2
The mere act of driving out onto the Floyd Bennett Field in the southeastern part of Brooklyn was therapeutic for Brian. He’d not been there for almost a year and had forgotten the effect of the huge expanse of 1,300 acres of mostly grassland, pristine salt marshes, and five enormous, decaying runways all within the confines of New York City. He knew something of the history of the place, as did all ESU officers who spent eight months training at the school. It had been a commercial airport in its early life but then was taken over by the federal government in World War II to be used mostly as a Naval Air station and a Coast Guard facility. It was now primarily administered by the National Park Service. The NYPD had used a small portion of the eastern part of the field as far back as 1934 for an aviation unit, which was still the case. The Emergency Service Unit’s headquarters and academy were also positioned there a bit later in four recycled Coast Guard buildings immediately adjacent to the aviation facility.
As he pulled up in front of the ramshackle admin and classroom building that served as the heart of the ESU complex, he had to smile at its appearance. When he’d been part of the unit, he’d been there so often that he never appreciated how decrepit the old buildings were. Perhaps when they had been built by the Coast Guard more than a half century earlier as hangars and barracks, they hadn’t looked too bad, but they clearly had never been architectural exemplars. When compared to the new, multistory NYPD Academy in Queens, the ESU Academy looked like a forgotten afterthought despite its enormously important mission.
After opening the car’s door, Brian hesitated as another part of his brain interrupted the pleasurable reveries he’d experienced driving onto the field. Like a sudden thunderstorm plunging a beautiful summer day into gloom, thoughts of Emma came back in a rush. It was here at the academy and in this very building that he’d first met her when she was a recruit and just starting her training. Brian could well remember the day because it had been one of his days off, and he had debated whether to go out to the academy to lend a hand with the new class of cadets. Little did he know that the day would change his life. He could vividly recall as if it were yesterday and from their first interaction how impressed he’d been with the way Emma stood out from her classmates. Her enthusiasm was palpable and sheer athleticism was obvious, especially as one of the very few females willing not only to take the physical punishment the training entailed but somehow enjoy it. It had been the same way he had reacted to the training when he’d been a recruit.
In an effort to regroup from a sudden paralyzing stab of grief, Brian reclosed the car door, shut his eyes, leaned his head against the steering wheel, and took a few deep breaths. It seemed so utterly impossible that Emma was gone. Despite the understanding both he and Emma shared as ESU officers that they were putting themselves at risk of death on a daily basis, they hadn’t given the possibility much thought. With their youth and health, it seemed a theoretical problem that had been easy to ignore.
Before leaving home to head out to Floyd Bennett Field, he had finally forced himself to call his mother. During the call he’d learned that the burial had indeed taken place. He’d also learned that he and Juliette had been sorely missed at the interment, but everyone understood the reasons for his absence. Aimée told him that at the conclusion of the ceremonies, Hannah had suffered a major emotional breakdown now that all the funeral planning she’d busied herself with was over.
“God damn it!” Brian shouted in the confines of the car as he pounded the steering wheel with his fist to the point of pain. Luckily both withstood the abuse. For a fleeting moment he thought about dashing into the makeshift weight room set up in the larger, hangar-type building to his left to let off some steam. But the urge quickly passed when he diverted his thoughts to Juliette, his new raison d’être. In a minor panic, he struggled to get his phone out of his pocket to put in a call to Camila. He felt a sudden urge to make sure everything was okay even though he’d only been gone an hour. Juliette’s fever of 102.2 that morning still plagued him despite its rapid resolution, especially since earlier he’d googled “psychosomatic fever” to learn that it was considered rare in children Juliette’s age, especially as high as 102.
Camila answered on the first ring and relieved him by immediately reporting that Juliette had eaten a healthy meal and that Jeanne had arrived. She added that they were all busy playing an old board game that Juliette enjoyed called Dinosaur.
“I just arrived at the academy,” Brian said. “I haven’t yet gone inside but I’m about to. I just wanted to check in before I get involved in a training exercise.”
“All is well here,” Camila assured him. “Juliette is acting completely normal and seems happy, so relax and enjoy yourself. Everything is under control. By the way, a call came in about a possible security gig. I said that you would call them back. Are you up for that?”
“Of course,” Brian said, trying to be positive, although if pressed he wasn’t entirely sure he could handle a difficult job under the circumstances. “Was there a rush on the callback?”
“Heavens, no,” Camila said. “It’s a possible wedding, but it’s not until December, and it didn’t strike me as a definite. Do you want to speak with Jeanne?”
“Tell her I’ll speak with her later,” he said, checking the time. “I’m on the brink of being late for my meeting.”
After a quick goodbye, Brian disconnected, turned the ringer off, and pocketed the phone. He then took a few more deep breaths. Hearing that Juliette was acting normal was reassuring, and he was confident Jeanne could help if need be. The sudden, paralyzing rush of grief reminded him he had a long way to go to deal with Emma’s loss, but at the moment it was important for him to hold his own emotions in check as much as possible. Translated into the near term, that meant he needed some income and benefit security and rejoining the ESU, if they would have him, would accomplish both. With that in mind, he reopened the car door and got out.