After getting her car started, she cooked everyone breakfast, then went to wake up Elise.  They started eating as they waited for her mother to wake up.  Elise was pumped about going to the zoo.  Her mother had been promising it for a few weeks, and she was ready. 

At eleven there was a knock at the door. 

“Elise, honey, can you get that?” Ginger called out from the kitchen, suppressing a giggle.  She snuck over to the doorway so she could see when Elise opened the door. 

The little girl unlocked the door and swung it open.  When she saw who it was, she squealed.  She flung open the screen door and leapt into Rock’s arms.  Elise’s grandmother hurried out of the living room to see what the commotion was about.

“Mr. Rock!  Are you going to the zoo with Mommy and me?” Elise asked. 

“Do you want me to?” he replied as she squeezed his neck in a hug. 

“Yes.  Yippee,” she shouted excitedly.  “Mommy… Mr. Rock is going with us.”

“I know, honey.  I invited him last night.”

Cheryl stepped into the hallway behind her daughter.  She wore a disapproving look on her face like armor as she surveyed the man standing in front of her, holding her granddaughter.  Her first thought was that he looked like a ruffian.  Bald head, beard, black leather jacket, engineer boots.  She half expected there would be the name of a motorcycle gang on the back of the jacket. 

Ginger walked over and kissed the big man on the cheek as Elise slipped out of his arms and into hers.  She let Elise drop to the floor. 

“Mom, this is Rock.  We work together.  I invited him to the zoo today with us.  He’s the one that brought me home last night when my car wouldn’t start and made arrangements to have it towed home by a friend of his,” she said, trying to work the frown off her mother’s face. 

“Ma’am,” he nodded toward her, putting his hand out.  When he shook Cheryl’s hand, his dwarfed hers.  “My real name is Clarence Rockford Meyers… but everyone called me Rock when I started playing football in high school, and then in the Army.” 

“I’m pleased to meet you, Clarence.  My name is Cheryl,” she finally managed to say.  “So, you were in the Army?”

“Yes, Ma’am.  Airborne.”

Cheryl nodded.  “You guys be safe.  I can’t wait to see my little Elise,” she said, picking up her granddaughter to give her a hug. 

Rock caught the older woman’s eye.  “They are safe with me,” he said, his expression serious before he turned back to Elise and gave her his warmest smile. 

Cheryl grabbed her daughter’s arm as Elise followed Rock out the door, “Are you sure you’re ok with him?”

“Yes, Mother.  Rock is a very nice guy.”

“Have you two…”

“No, Mother.  He just walks me to my car after late shifts to make sure I’m safe, and he’s always really nice to me.”

“Ok… but you be sure to call me a lot.  And send some pictures so I don’t worry.”

Ginger rolled her eyes, but knew it was pointless to disagree with her. 

***

They were supposed to get back before dark, but it was a couple of hours later when Rock’s Mustang pulled into the driveway.  Cheryl peered out through the curtains as Rock hefted a sleeping Elise in his arms, and Ginger unloaded a pair of giant stuffed bears from the other side of the car.  She was giggling like a schoolgirl as she followed him up onto the porch.  Cheryl opened the door, holding it for them as they passed. 

“Follow me up to Elise’s room,” Ginger said.  “She is really out, isn’t she?” 

He followed her up the stairs as she dragged the two giant bears with her.  A moment later, he re-emerged, softly treading down the steps.  He walked into the living room where Cheryl was. 

“Sorry we were late.  Elise saw a carnival and wanted to stop.  When she saw the stuffed bears, she wanted one, so I tried to win it for her.  Then ginger wanted one, too,” he smiled. 

Cheryl couldn’t help but smile back at him.  Despite her still thinking he looked like a ruffian, he looked like a happy kid, too.  That morning when she’d seen him, she had thought he was in his thirties.  As she looked at him now, she thought he might be thirty… or a little younger. 

“Ginger said she needed to get Elise ready for bed,” he added. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” Cheryl said, “I’ll go give her a hand so she can head back down.”

A couple of moments later, Ginger walked into the room and plopped down next to Rock on the sofa.  “Do you want a beer or something?”

“Water would be good, if it’s no trouble.” 

She hopped back off the sofa and quickly grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge, still smiling about the day. 

“Thanks for inviting me, Ginger.  I had a blast.  I loved hanging out with you and Elise.”

“I had the best time… ever… and I’m pretty sure Elise did, too.  We should do it again,” she said, hopefully. 

“Are you asking me out?” Rock said, jokingly.

“Is that what’s it’s going to take?” Ginger replied.  Her expression belied her seriousness.  “If this had been a date, Rock, it would have been the best date I had ever been on… and the fact that my daughter loves you…  If I have to ask you on a date, I can do that.  Can I take you to dinner?”

“Wow.  I don’t know what to say.”  He looked back at her seriously.

“I get it,” she interrupted.  “Dating a woman with a child is a lot different.  We can still be friends, though.”  Ginger looked down and pulled her hand back from his leg where it had been sitting after she turned toward him.

“Ginger,” he said, his hand slipping under her chin as he turned her face back toward his, “I would be delighted to go to dinner with you.  Sorry… I’m not very good at all this.  I’ve wanted to ask you out since the first time we worked together.  I was pretty sure you’d shoot me down, though.  I always thought a guy like Greg was your type.”

“You working tomorrow?” he asked. 

“Nope.  You?” 

“No.  First night off in nine days?”

“Going out with your girlfriend?” she asked. 

“No girlfriend to go out with.”

She raised an eyebrow as she looked back over at him.  He was so far from her type it wasn’t funny.  Her type was Greg, one of the waiters.  They had been out several times.  She spun around just in time to see him walking back out into the dining room with a handful of rolled silverware to put on the tables.  He was also tall, like Rock, but slim.  He had mid-length, very stylish blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.  He was gregarious and flirtatious, often having tables of women out for “girl’s nights” stopping in to see him. 

“Looks like you are almost done.  Let me walk you to your car,” he said. 

“Thanks, Rock.  You don’t have to… everything should be fine.”

He looked at her.  A year ago, a waitress had been assaulted.  Rock hadn’t worked there then, but he had always made sure every woman that worked there knew he would escort them to their car. 

A couple of minutes later, Ginger slipped her purse from under the bar and grabbed her jacket.  She counted out the tips from the tip-out jar from the waitstaff, to split between her and Rock. 

“You ready to rock it, Ginger?” he asked, smiling. 

She hopped off the stool and headed toward the kitchen to walk out the back, Rock next to her.  They circled through the prep area, both of them greeting a few of the kitchen staff, Rock dropping off a couple of tips to cooks that had helped him that evening or another. 

As they stepped out the door into the alley behind the restaurant, Rock turned to her, “You just upped my cred with a couple of the guys.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re jealous I get to walk you out.”

She smiled and grabbed his arm.  “My hero,” she joked. 

They continued to talk as he walked her to her car.  Since they were downtown, she was parked in a surface lot a couple of blocks away. 

“This is me,” she said, pointing to her boxy little car.  “Thanks again, Rock.” 

“Anytime, Ginger,” he said, holding her door and she slid in.  He gently closed her door as she slipped the key into the ignition. 

Click.  Nothing.

Click, tic, tic, tic.  Nothing. 

“Crap.  Let me call my mom,” Ginger said, climbing back out of the car. 

“You don’t need to do that.  I can give you a ride home.”

“Are you sure?  I’m like thirty minutes north.”

“Hey, damsel in distress… that’s why I’m here,” Rock replied. 

She really liked his smile.  His eyes were warm and comforting. 

“Thanks, Rock.  You’re the best.”

They started walking and he pulled out his phone and typed in a text quickly.  A moment later his phone vibrated, and he read the response. 

“I have a buddy with a towing company.  He said he can pick up the car and drop it at your house.  He owes me a few favors.  We just need to drop the key off to him.”

“You don’t have to do that, Rock?” she replied, her hand lightly settling on his arm. 

“Not a big deal.” 

It was about a ten-minute walk back to his car.  He was parked the opposite direction from the restaurant.  Ginger found herself enjoying the conversation.  She also appreciated the cool, but not cold weather as they walked. 

“Hopefully, mine starts,” he said as they approached his car, a late-model Mustang Mach I.  He held the door for her again, and she slipped into the seat.  He walked around, dropping into the driver’s seat.  His car fired up immediately. 

They continued their conversation as they met up with his friend to drop the car key off, then talking more during the drive to her house.  Ginger found that the more she talked with him, the more she enjoyed being with him.  They had worked together six months, usually sharing at least three shifts a week, and they had talked more in the hour since they had left the restaurant than they had in the previous six months.  It didn’t take her long to figure out that Rock was actually kind of shy.  He hid it well as he interacted with customers. 

“Rock, thank you so much,” she said as they sat in front of her mother’s house.  “You really went above and beyond tonight.” 

“I’m just glad I was able to help,” he replied as the tow truck backed into her driveway to drop off the car. 

“It won’t balance out everything you did for me tonight, but can I talk you into going to the zoo tomorrow with Elise and me?”

“I don’t want to intrude on time with your daughter,” he said awkwardly. 

“Are you kidding.  Elise adores you.  She’ll be thrilled.  It’ll be fun.  Please?”  She reached out and laid her hand on his. 

“I guess,” he said. 

“Awesome,” she said, excitedly.  “Meet us here at eleven.  She is going to be beside herself.  I’m excited, too.  I can’t wait.” 

She glanced through the peephole, expecting to see a badge.  Instead, she saw Walt Hooper… her pet hacker.  And his eyes were bugged out as he kept looking back and forth, up and down her hallway… the hallway that should have been secured and that he shouldn’t have had access to without going through the doorman downstairs. 

“What is going on, Walt?” she said, swinging the door open.  “How did you get into the building?”

“Your building security sucks,” he said, dropping a little contraption on the table in her kitchen as he removed his jacket and dropped heavily into a chair.  “I hacked the back door faster than most of the people here can get through with their keycard.”

“So, what has you so spooked?  It’s six-thirty-five in the morning.”

“Yeah… I waited as long as I could.  I’m going on vacation, and not taking a phone with me.  Feel free to lose my number.”

“What did you do?” she said, her eyes narrowed; accusation in her icy glare. 

“We couldn’t have this conversation on the phone.  No telling who would have listened to it.  Hell, they could still be listening,” Walt said, looking around the small dining nook.

“Walt, what are you talking about?” Vici said, pulling Walt’s eyes back to her.

“Your guy… David Cook.  I backtracked a few things.  I followed the leads you gave me last night… looked for the property records of the shopping center he’s in, and then tried to backtrack accounts… you know, the standard stuff.”

“And?”

“And… I don’t know who that guy is, but you need to let go.  Do a nice little story on his charity, if he wants you to, and then walk away.  This isn’t your normal shtick, Vici.”

“Geez, Walt?  I…  What?  I don’t get it.”

“Ok, here’s what I know.  Your guy… this David… he is not a criminal.  I’m pretty sure he’s not in witness protection.  His identity was created, about six years ago like you thought.  But whoever did the creation was not DoJ. 

“That shopping center… I’m pretty sure he owns it.  The account I thought he might be skimming from… pretty sure he owns that, too.  The other account that supports his charity work… that one is what rained hell down on me.”

Walt got up and walked into Vici’s kitchen.  He started looking around, and a minute later came out with a bottle of whiskey and a glass.  He poured himself a couple of fingers of the whiskey, and then corked the bottle again.  After putting the bottle back where he found it, he quickly downed the whiskey and set the glass on the counter. 

“I don’t know who he is.  I don’t know who the other person is.  But they know who I am.  I’m a good hacker.  One of the best.  I know that you just think of me as someone that can get into a lot of systems, but I am actually very good.  I’m not saying that just to toot my own horn.  The number of people in this country that are better at this game than me could all sit around this table with us.  You follow me?” Walt said, glancing around the room nervously again.

“Not really, Walt.  You are all over the map.  Calm down.  I can protect you.  The paper can protect you.  It’s going to be ok,” Vici told him, having no idea of what she said was true or not, but needing her friend to pull it together. 

“A few hours ago, I was sitting at my computer… the one that bounces its IP all over the planet.  I was tracing these accounts.  Then my burner phone rang.  My BURNER phone,” he said, his face only inches from her.  “A phone I have NEVER made a call from.  A phone I’ve never talked on.  I didn’t answer it.  A minute later a text scrolled across it… ‘pick up the phone, Walt’ it said.  Then it rang again, from the same unknown number.”

“Did they threaten you, Walt?”

“No.  That’s just it.  She couldn’t have been nicer.  She said, ‘Walt, you need to drop this.  Cook is a good guy, but you don’t need to dig any further.  You won’t get any answers, but eventually you will tick someone off.’  Then she asked me if I could let it go.  A second after that my whole system was remotely shut down.  I’m out of my league.”

“But there was no explicit or implicit threat?” she asked. 

“They called a phone I’ve never used.  Do you have any idea of the reach it takes to do that?”

Vici walked over to her corner desk.  She pulled out a flip phone and a charger.  Setting it on the table in front of Walt, she told him to take a vacation and keep it on, but to only use it to call her if he had a problem.  “Here’s some cash,” she said, dropping an envelope in front of him.  “I kept it for a rainy day.  It’s going to be ok, Walt.  Do you trust me?”

Currently, I have “New Life” out for its second round of “beta reads” with a different group than those that read it a couple of weeks ago. It is sitting around 90k words. My goal for a novel is 80k to 100k before adding any bonus content.

“Death Star” is sitting at about 45k words. I think that after I get done with New Life, this will be the next story to get a push. There are a few cross-over characters. And, like New Life, it shares a few character appearances from the Dixon-Prince series, but sits outside of that storyline.

Another of the novels I am working on is “At Arm’s Length“. If something is going to jump in front of Death Star, this is the one. I had one scene and the rest of the story has flowed out of that. I could easily slip a couple of Dixon-Prince characters into the story, but have resisted so far. It is sitting around 55k words.

I’m a little nervous about this one. It has a good premise, but I think I need to spend a little more time with it. I only have about 13k words in the story so far, but we haven’t really hit the main story arc. It’s called “Railroaded” and is about an unlikely friendship between a railroad executive and a waitress. This was another that had one scene that I needed to write.

NaNoWriMo is coming up in a few days, and I haven’t mentioned my project for that. “Sniper“. It has 0 words so far. I promised myself that I wouldn’t start writing it until November 1st. I have an outline (a first for me) and a good idea of where the story will take me. There are a few scenes kicking around in my head, but I am trying to avoid writing them… we’ll see how they change as they mature in my mind.

Finally, “Invisible Jack“. This may be the next installment of the Dixon-Prince series. Obviously, it is about Jack Dixon, and I think it will be more about his struggles coming to terms with his life. I feel like he needs to have a little more tarnish to get him from You Don’t Know Jack to Unknown Caller. He has come off as too perfect, but I know he really isn’t. No mistake, he’s a good guy, but not a saint. it is hanging at 22k words at the moment.

I have to tell them the specific changes that have been made. So, for each change, I have to give them a “location number” (which I think might be a paragraph, but I’m not sure) as well as the nature of the change… location 5476, changed word ‘ot’ to ‘to’ or some similar.

Well… I didn’t record all of that, and it is VERY difficult to go back and figure it out, so I have had to scour my books (I have done Planning Vengeance, Dig Two Graves, You Don’t Know Jack, Who What When Why?, and Grafton. I’m in the midst of Unknown Caller, then will be doing Triple Cross and finally Lies and Omissions. That is all eight of my books. Feel free to get a few of them.

If you already have a copy, you can go into your Amazon account and look for content and devices. Then, under content, search out the book titles (I order them by author… it’s easier because they are grouped together). Under the ones that have been updated, there is an “Update Available” tag. Click it and the new update will be sent to your app or device.

A word of caution… if you have notes, they might not survive the update. I think that has to do with the changes in location that can happen as words move. This is especially true if you have a much older version of the book.

None of the changes are truly significant. I’m not changing plot points, characters, structure or action. These are changes to words or (in a few cases) formatting. Typos, wrong words (I have a couple of hanger instead of hangar that I’ve found) and similar things. They are annoyances… especially to me. The most significant changes were VERY early in Triple Cross. Right after I published it I realized I had some of the timeline mixed up. I had changed some things BEFORE publishing and didn’t catch all of the related changes. I fixed it within a few days. But… if you are the other person that downloaded it then, you might have the old version.

Do I need to say that this doesn’t work with the print versions of the books? That is one of the reasons I don’t do the print versions right away… Readers spot mistakes and tell me, and I correct them.

The common thing I see on the webs is that if I wanted there to be no mistakes, I would hire an editor… and yet, reading BIG NAME authors, I often spot multiple mistakes, especially in first editions. They have a phalanx of editors and others that go through their books with a fine-toothed comb, and there are STILL errors. It happens.

I’m just trying to fix mine.

If you ever find an error, please let me know. If it is an old edition, there is a good chance I’ve found it, but if not, I will fix it for future editions. Because of the way Amazon does it, there have to be a bunch of changes to trigger an update, though.