Karen Whiddon - Wyoming Undercover

Nothing new there. Men in power often went in search of women many years younger. But Jack would bet Sophia was in her mid-to late twenties or, at most, early thirties. That would make Ezekiel forty or fifty years too old for her. He couldn’t help but wonder how she felt about that.

“So.” Phillip clapped him on the back, still grinning. “She’s off-limits. But I know plenty of other girls still looking for a husband or fun. Once you get settled in here, I’ll take you around to meet some of them.”

Though Jack wasn’t even the slightest bit interested—he hoped he wasn’t around long enough to have to deal with any of that—he nodded. “Sounds good. Now, how about you show me what you want me to do with those cinder blocks?”

They were building more dwellings. Phillip had explained that all residence buildings were built from the exact same blueprints. No one’s home was better than any other’s. The only ones that were different were those built to house Ezekiel’s family members.

While Jack had never worked on a construction job site before, this one ran like clockwork. Everyone went about their chores with dedicated efficiency if not outright happiness. Lots of whistling and good-natured joking.

“All the workers seem to really enjoy their jobs,” Jack commented. “I haven’t heard a single complaint. Observing, they all seem focused.”

“Oh, they are,” Phillip said confidently. “Since childhood, we know we have to find what we do best, so by the time we’re adults, we can excel.”

“I’m guessing everyone is well paid.”

“Paid?” Phillip laughed. “Oh, we’re paid, all right. We have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and direction to help us strive to reach a higher level of consciousness.”

Jack stared. On the surface, everything inside the compound seemed ordinary. But he sensed there was more, lurking.

“The system here is simple,” Phillip continued, the earnestness in his expression letting Jack know this was important. “If you do well, you’re rewarded. If you don’t...”

Jack waited for his new friend to finish.

Instead, Phillip shook his head and asked a question, “You say you’ve been in the military, correct?”

“Yes.” Jack nodded. “The army. Afghanistan.” Which had also been where he’d suffered his injuries and nearly lost his life, though he didn’t say that out loud.

Again he thought back to the pretty little nurse. Sophia Hannah, promised to a man old enough to be her grandfather. He gave a mental shrug, aware he didn’t need to be thinking about her.

Suddenly aware Phillip watched him, he grimaced. “Why? What does my having been in the service have to do with any of this?”

“I just figured you’d understand our system more quickly, that’s all.” Phillip shrugged. “From what I understand, they use a similar system of punishment and reward. Helps you become the best soldier. Here, we think it assists you in becoming the best you can be.”

Jack nodded. “I understand.” Even though he really didn’t.

Phillip smiled and they went back to work.

The next day, Phillip told Jack he planned to train him on a new task. Jack was agreeable since, as of yet, he hadn’t seemed to be a good fit for any of the others he’d tried. Though he kind of sucked as a construction worker, now that he had the routine down, Jack thought he might improve with practice.

After he’d been injured and once he’d gotten out of the hospital and dealt with his addiction, he’d been adrift.

He’d tried to work as a police officer in a small town southwest of Fort Worth, but soon realized he was too jumpy. PTSD, they’d called it, but he’d never actually bought into the idea. For one thing, most of the time he’d felt fine. Sure, the occasional loud noise had him throwing himself to the ground, but that was to be expected of a man who’d nearly lost his life in an IED explosion. He’d been damn lucky to come out of it with only the scars.

He knew his refusal to get treatment had been part of the reason they’d politely asked him to leave. The other part? He didn’t like to think too much about that. He’d pulled over a robbery suspect and the guy had jumped out of the car and taken off. Jack had given chase and adrenaline—along with maybe something else—had kicked in. The backup officer who’d arrived had pulled Jack off the other man before he’d hurt him, sat him down in the back of his squad car and called their superior officer.

Ultimately, Jack had reluctantly agreed it’d be better for everyone if he left law enforcement.

Since then, he’d been drifting, working odd jobs to stay afloat until he figured out what to do. He’d decided to start up his own private investigation firm. The few small jobs that had come his way hadn’t been nearly enough to keep him afloat, and he’d begun to contemplate doing something else.

Until the Bartlett family came along, desperate to find someone—anyone—who’d listen to them and help them. They’d exhausted every other avenue and claimed the authorities had grown tired of hearing them ask questions.

They didn’t know it, but when they’d hired him, they’d given him a chance to make a go of the PI business. Plus, he liked them. They were genuinely nice people. If anyone deserved to find their son, they did.

So lost in thought was he, that he accidentally continued using the nail gun on a section of beam that didn’t need it, nearly getting his own hand in the process. Luckily, he jumped back in time.

Taking a deep breath, he stopped and looked up, only to find Phillip and one of the other workers eyeing him. Since he routinely made weird mistakes like this, he supposed they weren’t really surprised, but he found it embarrassing just the same. Some people just weren’t cut out for this kind of work. Apparently he was one of them. He wondered what the process would be to ask if he could switch jobs.

“Hey, you got a minute?” Phillip asked. “We need to talk.”

Here it came. Jack nodded. He followed his roommate over to the road, away from everyone else.

“It’s not working out.” Phillip sounded both nervous and regretful. “I just don’t think you’re cut out for this type of work.”

In all fairness, Jack had to agree. He could do the work, but he made mistakes, mostly because he found it boring. Yet being fired yet again rankled.

“I agree,” he said. “I was just wondering what the process would be to ask to be assigned somewhere else.”

“We don’t have a process like that.” Phillip’s tone came out flat.

“So, what now?” Jack asked, keeping his voice light. Part of him actually wondered if there would be some sort of punishment, since that had been brought up earlier.

“You tried but didn’t excel.” Now Phillip appeared miserable. “I really like you, Jack, and I’m sorry but I had to report this. Thomas has requested you be sent to him immediately.”

“Immediately? When exactly did you make your report?”

“A few minutes ago. Things like poor job performance are taken very seriously. That’s why Thomas wants to see you.”

Concerned, Jack nodded. “Friend to friend, Phillip. Tell me. You speak of punishment. What’s he going to do to me?”

“Probably nothing.” But Phillip’s answer came too quickly. “You’d better hurry and get up there. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Jack didn’t move. “Up where? I have no idea where I need to go.”

Eyes wide, Phillip shook his head. “Come on, I’ll show you.” He took off at a jog without looking back to see if Jack followed.

Of course, Jack did. Phillip led him past the residential area and into what Jack privately thought of as the upscale part of the compound. The houses were larger, more ornate. And the closer they got to the massive structure where Ezekiel dwelled, the more elaborate they became.