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“Just the same. So what do you think?”
“I think we hit the jackpot with him. He certainly knows what he’s dealing with. You?”
“I agree. Linda did a great job finding him, and I’m sure that Kyle will be fine.”
“Thanks for babysitting us,” Max said, but there was much more behind the words.
“You’d do the same for any of us.”
Max’s cell phone purred. He reached into his pocket for it. The caller ID read CHAIRMAN.
“We’re here, safe and sound,” he said by way of greeting.
“Glad to hear it,” Cabrillo replied. “Was Jenner there?”
“Yes. Eddie and I were just talking about how lucky we feel to have found him.”
“Good.”
“How’s everything on the Oregon?”
“I just got off the phone with Langston. I think I need Julia to install a colostomy bag, because he ripped me a new one for driving the ship through the Corinth Canal.”
“Little angry, was he?”
“Oh, my friend, angry was not the word. Through back channels, he’s trying to convince the Greeks it wasn’t some terrorist plot to destroy the canal. They want to call out NATO, for heaven’s sake.”
Max winced. “What did I tell you about you and your damned plan Cs.”
Juan chuckled. "If any future operation requires a plan C, you can have my resignation.”
“I heard that, and Eddie’s my witness.”
Cabrillo turned serious. “How’s Kyle doing?”
“He’ll be coming out of the drugs pretty soon. We’ll know then.”
“You’ve got a whole boatload of people pulling for the both of you.”
“This has been tough,” Max admitted. “A lot tougher than I had realized.”
“He’s your son. Even if you two aren’t close, you still love him. Nothing changes that.”
“It’s just that I’m so angry.”
“No, Max, you’re guilty. Two separate things, and you’ve got to get over it or you won’t be able to help him. Life happens the way it happens. Some things we can change and some things we can’t. You just have to be smart enough to know the difference and act accordingly.”
“I feel like I let him do
wn, you know?”
“And there isn’t a parent in the world who doesn’t feel that way about their kids at some point in time. That’s all part of the process.”
Max digested what Cabrillo said and nodded. Realizing Juan couldn’t see the gesture, he grudgingly said, “You have a point. It’s just . . .”
“Tough. I know. Max, when we’re on an op, we plan out every detail, every possible contingency, so we’re never surprised. And, even then, we get thrown curves. Think about trying to do that in the other parts of our lives. It’s impossible. You’re doing what any good parent does. You’re there for Kyle now. You can’t say that this would or wouldn’t have happened if you’d been around when he was growing up. Just deal with the here and now. Okay?”
“You’re going to make a hell of a father someday.”
