Page 70 of False Flag

Gravity caught up with him and all the weight he carried. Jake’s knees gave out, and he dropped to the deck.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Once the three divers were aboard, the captain returned to the helm to pull the anchor. Within minutes, they were heading toward Victoria. When Jake dropped to his knees, Staci had taken the phone from his hand and gotten the bare details from Gerard. He and the others were still en route to the hospital, but it had been at least twenty minutes since Lloyd had a pulse. An ambulance would meet them at the dock in the harbor, but it was probably too late to revive him.

No one knew why Lloyd had been found unconscious. He had no visible injury.

She relayed what she could to a glassy-eyed Jake. When he made no move to remove his scuba gear, she reached out to loosen the straps of his buoyancy compensator vest. He caught her hand and squeezed. Then he brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back. His voice was hoarse. “Thank you. I got this.”

She nodded and stepped back. He unbuckled, unhooked, and unfastened everything until at last he was free of weights, vest, and tank. “I’ll rinse everything,” she said. “You go change so you’re ready to go to the hospital the moment we reach shore.”

He nodded and left.

With Felix’s help, Staci gathered his gear and hers and used the hose on the deck to rinse away the seawater. After a few minutes, Felix sent her to change, saying he’d finish. He didn’t need to go to the hospital, but Jake might appreciate having her by his side.

She thanked him and headed to the changing room, where she took a quick shower and rinsed her wetsuit before dressing. She left her personal gear on the boat but grabbed her computer bag.

Just as they were pulling into the harbor, she emerged from below to meet Jake at the rail. He was ready to jump ashore the moment the dock was within striking distance.

She wasn’t so confident in her leaping ability and waited until the boat was alongside the dock before jumping, then ran down the length to catch up to Jake. He headed for the taxis that lined up by the pier and yanked open the door of the first one. Staci climbed in beside him. The cab pulled away from the curb at Jake’s rapid-fire instructions as she tugged the passenger door closed.

He was the Navy lieutenant. Giving orders. Taking control in a situation where he had none.

She buckled her seat belt, then reached over and took his hand in hers. He squeezed her hand, pulling it to his chest and holding tight as he leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.

In the emergency room, Jake was met with a sea of shocked faces. Gerard gave a sharp shake of his head and pointed to the reception desk. “You’ll need to give them your name, show ID. As his brother, they might tell you more than they would tell me.”

Jake didn’t know what Canadian laws were but wouldn’t be surprised to learn they had their own version of HIPAA.

He still held Staci’s hand—he couldn’t seem to let her go—and pulled her with him to the desk. He showed ID, and the receptionist immediately went to retrieve the doctor.

Staci’s arm slipped around his waist as the doctor informed him Lloyd was gone. He was DOA, but still, paramedics had tried to revive him in the ambulance and again in the hospital. His actual time of death was unknown, but he was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m.

Given the unknown cause of his collapse, an autopsy would be performed, and blood had already been drawn for toxicology screens. Police would take preliminary statements from everyone who was on the boat, but a deeper investigation would wait until they had a determination of cause of death.

Jake hugged Staci to his side, hardly aware he was doing it as he felt hollowed out. Stunned. Angry.

After the doctor left him to absorb the news, he pulled her to him, and she wrapped both arms around his waist and held him tight. He let out a loud sob that erupted deep from within his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Jake. So sorry.”

He had no idea how long he held her. How long he cried. It was forever, or it was just a minute. Time had no meaning.

Nothing did.

At some point, he released her, tears halted for the moment.

Police approached, and he and Staci both gave statements, including the details of the fight this morning and the tension the night before. Numbness had set in. Just enough to see him through this step, in which he told a total stranger that his last interaction with the only family he had left had been bitter.

As soon as the interview was over, Gerard approached him. “We’re heading back to Letora Island. I presume you’ll stay in Victoria tonight?”

He nodded.

“I can arrange a hotel for you.”

“No. Thank you.”

Gerard turned to Staci. “Are you coming back with us?”