Chương 8
“I’m sorry.”
Maya waited.
Richard looked at her.
“I knew my son wanted to make the demonstration more aggressive. Celia told me. I told him not to.”
“That worked.”
“No.”
He accepted the hit.
“I should have removed him.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t because I wanted him in the program.”
“Why?”
Richard glanced at Celia.
Then back at Maya.
“Because I’ve spent a lot of years confusing giving Derek opportunities with being a good father.”
Maya did not expect that answer.
It irritated her less than the apology.
Richard continued.
“My company counsel has told me not to say this to you without them present.”
“Then why are you?”
“Because lawyers are supposed to reduce risk.”
“And?”
“I think reducing risk is how I got here.”
Celia stared at her coffee.
Maya said, “You want something.”
Richard hesitated.
There.
The human part.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“I want you to know that if you decide to bring a civil claim against Derek or against the event, I won’t use the foundation’s funding as leverage.”
Maya’s expression hardened.
“I hadn’t considered that until you said it.”
Richard shut his eyes briefly.
“That was badly phrased.”
“Very.”
“I mean the company’s sponsorship will continue regardless of what you do.”
“That’s not yours to promise forever.”
“No. But I can commit the funding already pledged.”
Maya leaned back.
“Why tell me?”
“Because I don’t want you thinking the housing program is your responsibility.”
The diner noise seemed to recede for a moment.
Celia looked up.
Richard said, “It isn’t.”
Maya folded her arms.
“You’re the first person who’s said that.”
“It’s still true.”
She looked toward the window.
A delivery truck was trying to reverse into a narrow alley and failing.
The driver pulled forward.
Tried again.
Failed again.
Nobody in the diner paid attention.
Maya said, “Your son sent me a legal letter.”
Richard’s face tightened.
“I know.”
“Did you approve it?”
“No.”
“Are you paying for it?”
He did not answer fast enough.
Maya nodded.
“There it is.”
“I offered him counsel before I saw what they sent.”
“And now?”
Richard looked down at his hands.
“I stopped paying yesterday.”
Celia raised her eyebrows.
Maya said, “Why?”
“Because he asked the attorney to threaten the foundation too.”
“With what?”
“Defamation. Breach of agreement. Whatever he could think of.”
Richard rubbed one thumb against the side of his index finger.
A nervous habit.
“He thinks this is a fight he can win if he keeps finding somebody else to blame.”
Maya watched him.
“You taught him that?”
Celia inhaled softly.
Richard’s face went still.
Then he nodded.
“Yes.”
Maya had expected denial.
The answer took some of the satisfaction out of asking.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
The waitress came over.
“You folks eating?”
Maya looked at the menu she had never opened.
“Eggs.”
“How do you want them?”
“Scrambled.”
“Toast?”
“Wheat.”
Richard ordered nothing.
The waitress looked at him.
“You sure?”
“I’m fine.”
She shrugged and walked away.
Maya watched her go.
Then she looked at Richard.
“What did you know about me?”
His eyes met hers.
There it was.
The question beneath the question.
“At the mat,” Maya said. “You saw my hand and panicked.”
Celia looked between them.
Richard did not answer immediately.
“What was in that briefing?”
Maya’s voice cooled.
“Richard.”
He swallowed.
“Not much.”
“What?”
“Your name. Rank. Current assignment in general terms.”
“And?”
He rubbed his thumb again.
“A note that you had advanced combatives qualifications.”
Celia frowned.
“That was not in the public bio.”
“No.”
Maya’s shoulders tightened.
Richard continued.
“There were instructions from your liaison not to discuss your operational background unless you chose to.”
Maya looked at Celia.
“I never saw that version.”
“Neither did I,” Celia said.
Richard shook his head.
“It was sent to major sponsors and the board because there was concern someone would improvise an introduction.”
Maya laughed without amusement.
“Clearly the information-management system worked beautifully.”
Richard winced.
“There was also a note that the demonstration should remain controlled because your training level was significantly above Derek’s in certain areas.”
Maya stared.
Celia said, “Then why in God’s name did you put him on the mat?”
Richard looked at her.
“Because I didn’t read that part until breakfast the morning of the event.”
“And you still let it happen?”
“I told myself controlled grappling was controlled grappling.”
Maya’s eyes stayed on him.
“What else?”
Richard’s face changed.
“There was a reference to your deployments.”
Maya’s expression closed.
“Stop.”
He did.
Celia looked at Maya but asked nothing.
The eggs arrived.
Maya picked up the fork.
Her appetite had disappeared completely.
She ate anyway.
Richard sat across from her without touching the coffee Celia had ordered for him.
That restraint did more for Maya than another apology.
The following week made everyone worse before it made anyone better.
A national morning show requested an interview with Maya.
She declined.
Two cable programs ran segments without her.
One invited a retired officer who had never met her and a professional fighter who had never met Derek. They argued for seven minutes about military training versus sport fighting.
Maya watched thirty seconds at work before turning it off.
“Why would you do that to yourself?” Sergeant Lewis asked from the next desk.
“I was curious.”
“Were you rewarded?”
“No.”
“Growth.”
She threw a pen cap at him.
Online, the original slap accumulated millions of views.
A slowed-down version appeared.
Then a slowed-down version of the reversal.
People drew arrows onto Maya’s hand position and spoke with great confidence about biomechanics.
Some were correct.
Most were not.
One account claimed Maya had used a secret military nerve technique.
She sent that one to Hannah.
Hannah replied:
finally your classified wizard training is exposed
Maya wrote:
I can kill a man with office supplies
Hannah:
mom says stop joking about killing people
Maya:
why did you tell her
Hannah:
because i enjoy chaos
Maya laughed in the break room.
May you like
Then she felt guilty for laughing.
Then she became annoyed at the guilt.
