SECRETS OF THE PAST
Chapter Twenty-Two
Franklin lay there, unable to
fall asleep after the visit with Leah and Erica. He was closing his eyes when he
heard a noise outside his window. He got up and saw a figure in the moonlight.
When he opened the window, it turned out to be Leah.
"Leah, what the hell you
doing out so late at night?" Franklin asked, opening the window.
"I wanted to see you. Can
you help me?" She stepped onto a branch of the tree outside his window and
gave him her hand.
"Sure." He helped her
over.
When she got inside, she looked
at him in the darkness and kissed him. "Hmm…I missed that."
"So, what's up?"
Franklin asked.
"I was thinking over your
offer. I want your baby, Franklin." She knew this all seemed crazy, but
she didn't care.
"Are you serious?" He
wondered if he should have told her that earlier.
"Yes. Make love to me."
Leah kissed him with all the passion she had within her.
He pulled her to him and took off
her jacket. She took off his t-shirt and touched his skin like she had so many
times before. She brought his head down to her lips, urging him onto his bed.
He loved everything she was and everything she meant to him. If he had to kill
himself tonight, making a baby, he would, and he’d die a happy man.
*****
The next morning came quickly. He
lay there naked with Leah on his chest. He could imagine waking up like this
forever with her. He gently moved her so he could get up. He put on his boxers
and went into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he could see his grandfather
in himself. He looked up and whispered, "Grandpa, please, take care of me
for Leah's sake."
When he got back in bed, Leah
woke up. "Hey."
"Hey, beautiful. I gotta get
dressed. We leave in under two hours." He looked at the clock, wondering
if his father was with his mother, just like he had been with Leah.
"So soon?" She got up,
seeing the time.
"Yeah. I wish I didn't have
to go, but I promise I will come back to you." If he had to fight his way
back to her, he would.
"You’d better." She
kissed him, savoring the taste of him on her lips, because she didn't know how
long he would be gone. "I will wait for you." She kissed him again
and held him tight.
"And I will come home to
you." He looked into her eyes, wishing he could just marry her and not go.
She cried, not wanting to let him
go. He held her tight. "I promise, baby, on my life, I will come back to
you. Will you write me?"
"I will," Leah
promised.
He got out of bed to get dressed.
She did the same. When they were both dressed, he walked her downstairs quietly
so he wouldn't disturb his parents. He kissed her good-bye, then went upstairs
to go back to bed. He closed his eyes just for a little while. The next thing
he knew, his father was shaking him to wake up. "Come on. We are gonna be
late, sport."
"All right. I am up."
Franklin got out of bed and walked down the stairs with his dad.
Rose had made them both something
to eat. She kissed both of them good-bye and waited as Jack's car went down the
road. She ended up crying after they left. They were the only two things that
were precious in her life. She hadn't wanted either of them to leave.
*****
As Franklin and Jack reached the
airport, they didn't know how they were going to get their tickets. Then they
remembered that they probably had some waiting for them. Sure enough, their
tickets were under their names.
"Dad, are you scared?"
Franklin asked, handing his ticket over to the stewardess.
"Yes, Franklin, I am."
Jack hadn't wanted to admit it, but he was afraid.
"Oh. I thought it was just
me." Franklin thought his father was very brave, so he hugged him close as
they walked onto their flight.
*****
In the sky, Franklin was feeling sick.
The plane was making him sick. He had never flown before. This was his first
time. He ran to the bathroom and vomited. When he came out, he felt better.
They had been on the plane for hours. Just then, the stewardess announced that
they were almost there. Franklin sat back down in his seat as the plane started
to descend. When they landed, he got up and went with his father, holding his
hand.
They got off the plane, and when
they saw a sign with their names held by two MP's, they knew that something serious
was up. Franklin walked to the car with his father. No one said a word. All
through the drive, it was quiet, until they got out and walked across the naval
base. They ended up meeting Robert there.
"Jack?" Robert saw him
and Franklin.
"Robert! Long time no
see." He hugged him.
"Tell me about it,
brother." They hugged each other.
"Is this Franklin?"
Robert looked at him, amazed.
"Yeah." Jack said
proudly.
"Gosh, he's big. I am so
sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral. I was in surgery." Robert hadn't
wanted to miss the funeral, but he hadn’t been able to get away.
"Quite all right, brother.
Dad understood." He remembered the letter that his father had written.
"So, this is the uncle I
never met," Franklin said to his father.
"Aw…Franklin, I always sent
you presents for Christmas. Did you get the one hundred bucks I sent?"
Robert patted his head.
"Yeah, I did. Thank
you." He looked at his uncle. He seemed younger than his father. He
wondered what the secret behind that was.
"You’re welcome, I know it isn't
much, but I am pretty sure your father spoils you." Robert smiled at him.
"It's all right. You can
give me more at my wedding," Franklin said, hoping that his uncle would be
there for that day.
"You’re getting
married?" Robert was surprised. He was so young.
"Sure am. Just as soon as
this mess is over with." Franklin hated being there. He wanted to go home.
"Congratulations,"
Robert said, and shook his hand.
"Thanks." Franklin
smiled.
A man came into the room they
were waiting in. He looked at a paper. "Will a Frank, Jr., Robert, and
Franklin Abagnale come with me?"
They all got up and followed the
man to another room. There were three chairs inside. Each of them took a seat.
They waited as a man who was holding a clipboard went to talk to another man. When
the man with the military attire looked at them, he told the man with the
clipboard to leave. And so he did.
"Hello, my name is Major
General Hadden. You’ve probably wondered why you’re being called in. Well, I
will put it as simply as I can. First of all, so glad you could all make it
here. I apologize for the time we called you. Which one of you is the
pilot?" The major looked at them with a stern expression.
"I am, sir." Jack
raised his hand.
"All right. What we need is
a special crew for this mission, and someone told me that the Abagnales would
be good for this. Frank, Jr., you fly planes, right?"
"Yes, sir, but never
military aircraft. Only 747's, commercial airplanes, and smaller planes,"
Jack said, waiting for the man to continue.
"That's all right. There's
no need for that. You see, a few days ago, the Iranians got hold of a large
number of stolen bank drafts. It turns out that they are funding their whole
operation with these fake bank drafts. What we need you to do is find out who
is doing this, and then close down that operation." The major took a seat
and stared at them.
Robert raised his hand. "How
are we gonna do that, and why do you need a medic?"
"Robert, we need you,
because if anything should happen, these two are gonna need you, and frankly,
we couldn't spare one of our medics because of the war." The major looked
elsewhere and pulled out a map.
"I see." Robert looked
down.
"So, where is this operation
at?" Franklin asked.
"It's on the border of Turkey.
That's the last we heard. We will give you all the supplies you need for
check-making." Hadden saw the young man and wished that he could have done
this easier than sending him, but his officials had said that there was no
choice in the matter.
"But, sir, we know nothing
about making checks," Jack said, out of turn.
"I do." Robert raised
his hand.
"Robert, how do you
know?" Jack looked at him.
"Remember how you were
always with Rose, and I stayed home?" Robert remembered those days. He had
cherished them.
"Yeah?" Jack looked
confused.
"Dad helped me learn how to
make them if I was ever in a jam and needed the knowledge. He taught me all the
techniques, colors, printing, the works," Robert explained.
"So, that's why you were
always going with him to the store. Did you help him get the money into those
Swiss bank accounts?" Jack asked.
"None other. How do you
think I made it as a doctor without the help of Dad's company?" Robert did
not feel ashamed for not telling him about it.
"How could you have kept
this a secret from me?" Jack was angry that he had kept it a secret.
"I just didn't think you
cared," Robert said.
"I care about you a lot,
Robert." Jack felt like he had been betrayed by his own brother.
"Well, then, I will give you
gentlemen a few days to get your things together. Then, Frank, Jr. will fly you
guys to the airstrip on the border." Hadden got up, preparing to leave.
"Please, call me Jack,"
Jack said. He liked Frank, but without the junior.
"All right, Jack."
Hadden bowed.
"Sir, if you need them, what
about me? I am not even eighteen yet. I shouldn't even be here," Franklin
said.
"Franklin, you did the best
acting in--what was it--seventh grade as a substitute teacher. You are the one
who's gonna get in contact with these guys. You see, you’re innocent, so they
might think you’re a young man coming into his own, and once they know you’re
an Abagnale, you’re sure get in good with them." He had a good feeling
about this.
"So I am the stool
pigeon?" Franklin asked.
"You’re not a stool pigeon.
You’re the connection, Franklin." He wanted to make the young man feel
special, but in all honesty, he knew this kid was smarter than he let on.
"Great! Not only am I not
able to drink at my age, or vote, for that matter, but I have to lie for the
government," Franklin said, throwing his hands into the air.
"Don't worry, Franklin. By
the end of this, you won't have to worry about anything." Hadden tried to
make him see the brighter side of the situation.
"Yeah, if they don't kill me
first," Franklin said, walking away.