CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
(part one)

Tuesday early morning — 4:20 A.M.

“Slow down. Slow down,” Sandy whispered into the telephone.  “I don’t understand what you’re saying. What happened?”

“It’s your father, Sandy,” Seth yelled over the siren of his squad car. She could hear the engine of his car rev as he drove.

“What is it?” Next to her, Aden sat up in bed. “What happened?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry,” Sandy said. “You have a half hour. Go back to sleep.”

Carrying her cell phone, she got out of bed and went out to the living room of the apartment they were staying in.

“What is going on?” she asked Seth again.

“Your father was transferred to county last night. No one’s sure if he killed himself or if someone did it for him,” Seth said. “The Feds are freaked out. Everything’s up in the air. Someone should be there to get you.”

There was a tap on the apartment front door. Sandy went to answer the door. MJ stood outside. She held the door for him to enter.

“MJ’s here,” Sandy said.

“Is that O’Malley?” MJ asked.

Sandy nodded.

“Great. I’ll call you from the jail,” Seth said. “Do not go anywhere without someone you know.”

“Someone I know?” Sandy asked.

“The Feds put out the word that this a contract hit out of China. Sandy, if it’s true, you’ll be the next target.”

Sandy dropped to the couch.

“I’ll be in touch,” Seth hung up the phone.

“What do you know?” Sandy asked MJ.

“Nothing. The LC called and said to get up here.”

MJ took a handgun from a holster on his hip. He flicked off the safety and cocked the gun.

“Oh no you don’t,” Sandy said. “We have little kids here. You put that safety back on that gun and cycle that action.”

“Sandy…”

“Do it,” Sandy said. “No one even knows I’m here. And anyway, who could get through all the security here? Ever since that Trevor thing, and you moved in, there’s security everywhere.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” MJ nodded.

“That’s what I’m saying. Cycle the action and put on the safety!”

Not wanting to upset her further, MJ did as she asked. They sat looking at each other.

“You don’t have any idea?” Sandy asked.

MJ shook his head.

“You’re just doing what you’re told?”

“You know how many people applied for my job? Eight thousand. So when the LC says jump, I jump.”

“I guess we just wait,” she said.

“We just wait.”

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow….