Native
Son Native
Son 
"She's never at home, she quit work at the Gap and at the school and she doesn't call me or return my calls," Ben said rapidly. He couldn't hide his fear. "Something's wrong. I know it." It was this bizarre behavior which made him call Jason, who was now sitting on his couch, his feet on the coffee table, drinking slowly from a bottle of beer he held in one hand.
Jason Hillock glanced at Ian who sat silently, absorbing his friend's anguish, knowing he could do little else but sit by and be supportive. But he could do more. Jason nodded. "I did some checking on her."
"Why?" Ben asked suspiciously. Jason was a cop, a beat cop aiming for detective. And if he said he did some checking, you knew he was looking at criminal behavior.
"She used to live with a guy who did time," Jason explained.
"So?" Ben asked, the fear he felt gripped him even more tightly than before.
"He's out now," Jason added quietly.
"And you think she went back to him?" Ben exclaimed, incredulous.
"He went back to her," Jason said. "Her apartment is actually his apartment. The lease is in his name."
"But Jaycee's the one who's been paying the rent," Ben frowned. He had seen her write out the checks and hand them to the super.
"I told you he was in jail," Jason repeated.
"For what?" Ben asked softly.
"Possession of heroin with intent to distribute," Jason said, reciting the legal statute.
"She had a black eye," Ben said, dropping his head into his hands as he realized what was happening. Jaycee hadn't been mugged, it was far worse than a simple mugging. "He hits her, doesn't he?"
Jason shrugged. "Don't
know. But it wouldn't surprise me."
Why, Jaycee? Why won't you let me help you? Ben thought. He was so angry at
her. Yet more than anything he wanted to take her in his arms and never let
her go. "So what do we do?" Ben asked with a heavy sigh.
"You don't do anything," Jason said. He sat upright and put the beer down on the coffee table. "I'll look into it." He got up and walked to the door.
"I mean it," Jason said firmly when Ben opened his mouth to protest. "Don't make it worse. If you go over there and start telling her what you know, you are just gonna humiliate her. Is that what you want?" When he saw Ben clamp his mouth shut, he understood. His message had been received. Jaycee was like a kid sister to him. It was this fact which made him understand her, maybe even more than Ben did. "We'll get her back to you," he told Ben, who simply continued to look miserable.
Jason nodded at Ian. "See ya," he said as he left. He was anxious to get started on the idea he had percolating in his brain.
"You heard him," Ian said, frowning as he saw Ben walk to the closet. "You're not doing anything."
"What?" Ben shouted. "I just sit at home and wait while Jaycee gets beat or worse?" He pressed his hand into his head. "I don't get it." What was going on with her? He knew she loved him. So what was it? Was this all something she decided she had to do to protect him, because nothing else made sense.
"You thinking about playing James Bond? Sitting outside her place and spy on her?" Ian asked. He knew Ben well enough to know exactly what he was going to do. "She'll see you."
Ben took his jacket out of the closet and put it on. "I'm Indian, remember? She'll never know I'm there," he said, his voice filling with anger. Anger at so many things, Jaycee, Jason, even Ian, but most of all at himself. He knew he should have never left her alone.
"So is she," Ian shot back, but his voice was calm. He got up and went to the closet and got his jacket out as well. "I'm coming with you."
Ben stared at him, then shook his head.
"Either that or I call Jason," Ian added, the beginnings of a grin appearing on his face.
For the first time in a long time, Ben smiled. "Let's go then."
Ian nudged Ben in the ribs. "Jason's going in." He and Ben spent every night that week as Ian put it, playing spy. Usually it was nothing, just staring at a dark and empty apartment or looking at Jaycee sitting forlornly by the window. But tonight a large man in a black leather jacket appeared and entered the apartment. It was all Ian could do to keep Ben from rushing up the stairs and killing the man, the man he knew was hurting Jaycee. "Wait a minute," Ian had told him. "Just see what happens."
They were still arguing the matter when Jaycee and the man came out of the apartment and walked to the bar down the street. Ben and Ian followed them on foot. When they reached the bar, they stood by the window, trying to peer inside. But they couldn't see much of anything. They were discussing the idea of going into the bar when they saw Jason. He was outside talking to some men. He appeared to be giving and receiving instructions. A few minutes later, Jason left the group and walked into the bar.
"Then so are we," Ben announced. When he and Ian went inside the bar, Jason spotted them and shot them a look of dismay. Jaycee saw them as well.
Ben wanted to take the stool beside her, but even he knew that would be too much. Something was happening and he wasn't about to interfere in whatever Jason had going on. He would just keep an eye on Jaycee. Lord knows someone had to. She looked like hell. The bruise around her eye had faded, but there was no life in her. Her hair was disheveled, lying about her shoulders, her eyes were sunken and dull, her skin ashen.
For a while nothing appeared to be happening. Jason was sitting by Jaycee's ex, the two men seemed to be arguing. Then it was bedlam. Jaycee's ex pulled out a gun and so did Jason. Ben began rushing toward Jaycee and she toward him. When they met, Ben tried to push her down, so she would be safe, but she appeared to be doing the same thing to him. If it wasn't for everything that was going on, Ben would laugh. Little Jaycee, whose head barely reached his shoulder was trying to knock him to the ground.
Then Ben heard a loud noise and felt his shoulder go numb at first then burn with a pain he hadn't ever felt. His knees grew weak and he sank to the ground.
"Ben, oh God, Ben," Jaycee murmured, cradling him against her.
Ben lay on the ground. He could hear the voices, see the faces, all hovering around him. He felt himself rise off the ground and then he was on a stretcher, being carried somewhere. "Jaycee," he said. But his voice could barely be heard.
But then Ian was there,
shoving Jaycee into the ambulance with him, arguing with the paramedics when
they protested. He saw Jaycee climb into the ambulance and sit beside him. When
she took his hand, he closed his eyes and his world went dark.