The Risk

Sorry for any poor use of any languages I've use, including English. Lol.

Well, here goes…..


Distance is just a test to see how far love can travel.-Unknown-


Chapter 21

Smoke and dirt clouded the midday sky. A thunderous boom shook the crowded outdoor food market in the southern Sudan. You could hear the cries of woman and children as they ran through the streets, only to be shot down in a hale of bullets or physically attacked by groups of rebels. Snap! Snap! Click! a photo of a dead mother with yams in one hand and her deceased child lying across her. Snap! Snap! Click the moment a brave father carried his school-aged daughter on his back and a sack of rice in his arms as he raced down an alley way, looking directly at the photographer, fear in his eyes before he scurried into the minimal visibility of the war zone. Turning to focus in on a merchant trying to salvage his peanuts when Kaboom!, a blow so earth shattering it knocked Nathan back several feet. For a moment he lost his faculties, sitting up in a daze, seeing only torture and mortality of the innocent all around him.

His heart raced as he jumped to his feet, making sure his equipment was still strapped around his neck. He had hoped to get off a few more rolls, but he knew they were coming, the bad guys.

The blood curdling screams of Dinka and the Nuer that were being abducted filled the skies, many would be slaves by morning.. The sound of jeeps and horses grew louder as he snapped photo after horrific photo. Survivors started to scatter and Nathan fled with the others, his long legs bringing him past many of the others as he searched for the journalist van hidden down a side road about a half of a mile away.

"C'mon..c'mon…c'mon." Johnny from MSNBC strummed his fingers along the steering wheel and prayed the darkness would keep them safe in the old Jeep Safari.

"They'll be here man….calm down." Nandi from the BBC was panted beside him, his arm tied off with a makeshift bandage from his button down shirt to cover the area where his arm was grazed by a bullet.

"I vish they vud hurry!" Janne kept her long golden locks pinned up under a hajib and her womanly frame in the floor board of the Jeep's back seat. Some of these evil bastards would love to abduct and have their way with the lovely Swiss investigator here secretly to study the Christian factor in this crazy war.

Bam! Nathan's large frame pounced in the backseat, his camera bag falling atop Janne as he turned back, looking down the dark street he searched out his friend and fellow journalist.

"Nyathera! Nyaaatheeeraa!" He whispered loudly and the sound of feet hitting the dirt road became clearer.

"Futuka! Futaka!" She shouted "go" in her native Swahili as her bag flew through the air and landed in the empty part of the backseat. She leapt across the ditch and Nathan caught the skinny Kenyan journalist. They were on the road before she could get comfortable, headed to a safe house in Juba.

"You never made it back before me, Scott…..Your little vacation has done you some good." The beautiful chocolate woman laughed, straightening her head scarf as she pulled Janne from her hiding place and moved close to Nathan to make room for the much taller female.

"I would like to go back without the bullet accessories this time, thank you very much." Nathan scoffed, before his mouth set tight and his mind went to her, the woman he loved. He had to limit his risk and hurry up and finish his job here. Damn, he missed Haley……

When they finally reached the safe house of a secluded wealthy Mahogany farmer, it was very late in the evening. Everyone rushed to get clean up and grabbed a bite to eat of the Italian food the home owner had gotten from a restaurant for them. They sat in silence munching on until the group caught Nathan with that goofy look on his face he seem to wear a lot lately.

Janne nudge him and Nyathera at the same time. "So, who is she?"

"She who?" Nathan said casually, noticing Johnny eyeing him through the rearview mirror when they stopped temporarily at a check point.

"De woman you fell in love with while you were home." Nyathera added with a smile, Janne nodding agreement.

Finally, they had a chance to goad Scott. Although they had pretty much worked together for the last two years, he was a loner and rarely shared any details of his personal life with them, but he had been different since he returned. He was sarcastic and funny. He was constantly smiling and running to find a phone or instant messaging on his hand held unit. as soon as they were on safe grounds. He would come back from his talks, humming or with a glint in eye.

He spent hours at night organizing his portfolio so that he wouldn't have to do it when his job was complete. He often told Nyathera how sweet and silly she was and Janne how beautiful her blonde hair was, touching it lightly with a sigh. That's when everyone knew he had found someone.

As handsome and charismatic as Nathan was, he rarely showed interest in woman. Nandi and Janne had slept around the world over, but in the years they have known Scott, the closest thing he had to a relationship, were occasional phone calls and letters from his best friend in the US. Everyone had the friend was male and Nathan gay, crushed out on his straight buddy until he let it slip she was a girl during dinner the second night he was back.

"I don't know what your talking about." The tall dark and handsome man smirked in the darkness.

"I beg to differ, cowboy." Johnny added with a southern twang and held up his palm pilot, waving it around for everyone to see.

It took Nathan to focus in on the video footage, but once he did he snatched the electronic device from the driver. "Son-of-a-bitch! Is it too much to ask for some damn privacy?"

Nyathera tugged her lover's device from Nathan and leaned over to Janne so they could absorb the information like to celebrity struck teenagers.

"Shouldn't do private things in public places." Janne added, Nandi, Johnny and Nyathera laughed.

"How did they even get that?" He dumbly question intimate photos of Nathan Haley during the showing and the restaurant afterwards.

"Yeh 're kidding!….. Every bloody Yankee journalist that was free was at y'r damn showing yeh talented prick!"

"They held off from making them public, but I know people in high places." Johnny bragged. "So that's your best friend?"…………………

"You know it's for you," Haley eyed the little girl rolling her eyes across the room. "Where's you're cell anyway?"

"It wasn't charged, so I left it at home."

She and Jersey were in the Imagination Station as it were called, wiping down the new pirate ship, adding dress-up clothes to the Lady and Knight Parlor, constructing a new public service area where the children could pretend to be fire fighters, police officers, EMTs, 911 operators, and filling the drawing lab with crayons, colored pencils and finger paints and other creative items.

They had just returned from a quick lunch at Subway.

"I don't want to talk to her." Jersey said adamantly, just as stubborn as her mother. "How could she hold me back like this? She knows I want to be an actress."

"Your mom is just concerned. You're still a kid and she wants you to enjoy that. I know being offered a Nickelodeon sit-com is exciting, but when you auditioned last summer, you mom didn't even know about it…………… You conned your dad, telling him you wanted to go to museum in Charlotte. Deception always catches up with you in the end."

"Whatever." Jersey muttered, opening another packet of construction paper and placing it in the art lab color coordinated cubicles while Haley went to get the phone from Brooke's secretarial desk.

"Jersey!" Haley called down the hall.

"Yes, Ma'am." She moaned politely.

"Your mom wants to know if you want lasagna for dinner? I know it's your favorite."

Haley covered the receiver with her hand when the girl only shrugged, leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded. "She's trying, Jersey."

The girl blinked at her a couples of times, before dropping her hands. "Alright." She huffed, "But I still want my own show." She whined dramatically and went back inside of the room.

Haley laughed to herself. Before returning to the call. She could definitely see how the little beauty had won a staring role.

"She said yes, Brooke." and smiled when her friend let out the breath she was holding.

"I hate when she's upset with me, Haley. But I have to be a good mommy first." She said sweetly.

"You are Brooke. She'll be over it by the end of the week and harassing you about something else." Haley reassured. "Besides, you're suppose to be on vacation, Miss!…..The school is only closed for two weeks. Enjoy it." She ended the call before she could protest.

Back in the Imagination Station, Jersey had been very busy, leaving Haley with little left to do.

"You don't have to waste your whole winter break hanging out with me. Wouldn't you rather be with your friends or your cousin?"

"Nah. I might as well make some extra money."

Haley smiled proudly, Jersey was such a hard working and good kid. Marvin and Brooke had done a very good job.

"Do you miss your aunts?"

"Yea, sorta. I get to feel like a teenager when they're around….. and they polish my nails and do my hair really pretty. But they hate football and make me watch some lame teen show with them. The guys aren't even cute, but they go bonkers over them! Weird! I never got to use the phone because Maxi was on the home phone and Mere totally took my cell!"

Haley giggled, " In another couple of years you're going to be the same way. But right now, I really admire your work ethic. You really learn to appreciate things more when you work for them yourself."

"Thank you, Ms. Haley." She blushed, looking down at her cute boots. "If it weren't for Mr. Scott. I would have given up on wanting to buy a movie camera and becoming a film maker."

"Is that so?" Haley said, intrigued. "How did he help?"

"He showed me how easy it was to use a camera and told me how you could make a story out of almost anything. You don't have to have a lot of money, experience or good actors. A kid like me can do it." She smiled brightly. "He's really nice, Ms. Haley. He didn't act like my dream wasn't important because I'm in middle school……oh, and he's pretty hot too." She giggled.

"He is, huh?" Haley bit her lip, hiding her smile and Jersey shook her head up and down adamantly.

"Anyway. I should have enough to buy my camera after Christmas. I'll guess I'll spend all my time making a movie, since I can't be a star." She pouted. "Good idea, huh?"

"Very." Haley felt her heart swell. No one had to remind her Nathan was a wonderful man, but it was good to hear others dwell on his finer points. Generally, he was a very private man, most people thought him to be cold. But with Jersey and her friends in North Carolina, he had opened up and let them in.

Be right back. I need a screw driver." Jersey skipped out the room, her feet making tapping sounds as she bound down the hall full of energy.

Haley was pensive as she filled a storage bin with brightly colored shoe strings. She knew it was too soon to wonder about her future with Nathan. She also knew she wanted forever with him, in a loving committed relationship.

She found herself daydreaming of what it would be like to live together all the time….to wake up together every morning. However, the situation wasn't black and white. They spent more time apart than together.

"You're suppose to be working, Hales." She told herself aloud.

Thoughts of Nathan only made her fret for his safety. Honestly, her worries never really died. How much longer could she pretend she was okay with the danger he was in? She knew he was working, but as day passed without a word from him.

"Ms. Haley?"

Haley plastered on a grin. "Yes, Sweetie."

"I put the padlock back on the shed door after I got lawn bags Saturday. The door is wide open now. Where you out there earlier?"

"No. I wasn't." Haley's eyes widened, her mind going to Smith. "Was anything out of place?

"Like what?"

"Any tools missing? Or yard equipment?"

"No, Ma'am…..Why do you think there's a thief around here?" She said with childlike excitement.

"Oh, no. Just asking." Haley said calmly, trying to appear nonchalant. "I wanted to know if any wild animals could get in there, like raccoons or squirrels."

"You think Mr. Smith broke in there?" Jersey said bluntly.

"Why would you bring him up?" Haley worked to remain casual.

"Gawd, would everyone quit treating my like a baby. I'm almost thirteen! ….Every time they talk about him on the news, mom and dad make me leave the room, which is a total waste of time since everybody at school knows about Mr. Smith. They say he's some kind of sick pervert that likes to hurt kids."

"I apologize, Jersey. I didn't mean to talk down to you. I had to fire Mr. Smith. That made him very angry. He was the one that damaged my house." She tried not to cringe. "I'm not sure if the other things he's wanted for are true. I hope he didn't do any of those terrible things and he's a long way from Tree Hill by now."

"I bet you he won't bother you again. He was probably just mad." She said pensively before re-tightening the screws on a Lil Tykes castle to make sure they were sound. "Mr. Smith wouldn't hurt kids, Ms. Haley……he's still one himself."

Haley gave her an odd look. The young were always so optimistic. But, Haley had learned that people often let you down.

"Telephone." They both groaned together, knowing exactly who it was.

"I'll talk to her this time," Jersey volunteered, marching out of the room.

Haley grinned when she came back singing. "So you get to the television show?"

"No….but mommy and daddy are going to help me write a movie script over the break!" She said giddily before reaching for her jacket and gloves. "I'm going to catch the bus home now. Maybe mommy can give me some ideas before dinner……I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Haley."

"Want a ride?"

"No, thank you. Mr. Felix drops me off at my house. Besides, I have to give him his Christmas present since I probably won't be riding again until after the holiday." She pulled a gift wrapped paper from her backpack. "It's a joke book. Mommy and daddy said he did a lot of pranks and kidding around when they were in high school."

"I'm sure, Mr. Felix will love it." Haley kissed the child's forehead and handed her several crisped bills from her pocket.

"Thanks, Ms. Haley!" Quite pleased with her salary, Jersey opened the front zipper of her bag and placed the neatly folded bills inside, closing it securely.

"You're very welcome. Bye."

"Bye bye." clutching the pack to one shoulder, she was gone……..

"Her name is Haley." Nathan smiled despite his need to appear cool and aloof.

"She's a pretty little bird and by the way yer looking at and touching her on this footage, she's a hell of a lot more than yer bessy china plate."

"I've been in love with her forever, alright! We admitted our feeling to each other while I was staying at her home during my recovery. She's my girlfriend now." He nibbled at his salad trying to hide his smirk.

"She's beautiful, smart, and the gentlest soul I know….. Now will you let it go?" He muttered. Actually, he could talk about Haley all day long, but they didn't need to know that. Besides, it only made him long for her more.

"Are you going to ask her to marry you? She looks like the settling down type." Johnny queried.

"When you and Nyathera finally jump the broom." He dared, trying to deflect the conversation from such a serious question about his own personal life. Sure, he thought about marry her and having a mess of kids….thought about it a lot. But with his job would that ever be fair to Haley? to their children?

Johnny leaned over and kissed his Kenyan love on the lips, knowing she was awaiting his answer. "As soon as she stops being ashamed of me and introduces my country ass to her folks."

"Johnny, they won't understand." She explained watching the disappointment in her fiancés face. "You're an American."

"Among other things…..That's what I thought you'd say." The sexy southerner with the movie star looks walked off, heading back to the sleeping quarters with his girl on his heels.

Nathan hadn't meant to create such a rift, but this was a constant argument among the pair. He wished Haley's parents were around to see how their relationship had blossomed. Actually, he knew they would've been happy for them.

"They still haven't found that jackass." Nandi shook his head, watching a news report on his notebook computer with Janne.

"Do you think he really killed those kids?" The brown eyed investigator asked her friend.

Nathan moved around the table, suddenly interested in their discussion.

"The bloody FBI don't know their asses from their elbows!" The Brit scoffed.

Former mental patient Tim Smith, who murdered his own brother and caretaker, Todd Smith when he was fourteen is still at large and the prime suspect in several brutal child murders over the last two years. He recently, broke in and defaced the property of the daycare owner's home where he last worked and made threatening phone calls to the same prior employer, but hasn't been seen by anyone in weeks. He is considered armed and dangerous. If you have any information on this suspect, please contact-….

"Please, God!" Nathan prayed loudly, surprising his comrades as he to the phone in the foyer and started punching in the twenty some odd number it was going to take to make his international call…….

"Hello, Brooke?"

"I'm Bevin, the one with brown hair is Brooke." She explained as if Haley were three years old. "You do have more than one friend. I know I've been busy lately, you don't have to rub it in."

"Shut up." Haley played. "Brooke's been calling all day because Jersey was here helping me and they had a fight."

"Okay, you're forgiven…..Hey, girlie. What's up?" Bevin spoke.

"Tired, but in a good way. I got the Imagination Station done! The room looks amazing! I want to get all the new things in before school starts back."

"Working during your vacation. Booooo! Come hang out with me and Trevor, were going to make sugar cookies."

Haley laughed. "I swear, I should weigh five hundred pounds the way you and Brooke are always trying to feed me."

"I bet Nathan likes that little bit of meat on your bones." Bevin teased.

If she could see Haley blush, her mind instantly going to the ways his hands roamed her shapely form, the way he complimented her on her curves and full breast and bottom. How much longer until he was back to appreciate them properly?

"Thanks for the invite, but I have too much to do here. I'm working on the nursery next. I have four new cribs to set up."

"So tell me what we're doing for the New Year's party? What do I need to bring?"

"Since I'm having it, all you have to do is sit back and relax. Enjoy getting to know your new son. That's help enough."

"Damn, you're adorable." Bevin gushed. "Alrighty then, Trevor and I are going to start baking. Don't work too hard. I'll see you Christmas day."

Hours later, Haley was just hanging up from ordering some food trays for her New Year's party, when she heard knocking on the front door of the daycare. She paused for a second, panicking, then told herself she didn't have to afraid. She didn't put the phone down correctly, hurrying to the front, only to see Brooke banging on the glass.

"I told you to stay home." Haley fussed as the door swung open and Brooke rushed in out of the cold. "What happened your "Me and Marvin" time…… wear him out already?"

The blonde's friend swatted her on the arm. "I can't believe you said something like that, Haley James!…….We should've gotten you a Nathan a long time ago."

The ladies laughed as Brooke started making her way down the hall. "Is Jersey in the back? I figured she was still mad when she didn't get home at three. She thinks she's going to hang around here all day so we don't have to talk. Well, surprise surprise!"

"She's not back there." Haley said softly, nearing her friend.

"Where is she? In the shed?"

"Brooke, she left almost three hours ago. She was upset anymore…..She wanted to start working on her screenplay before you started dinner.

Each woman eyed the other, reading the same intense apprehensions.

"He wouldn't-"Brooke started.

"No, of course not. I'm sure he's long gone……

Nathan slammed down the phone. He kept getting a busy signal. She was working at the daycare today. He was certain she wrote that in her email. He even reviewed it while he was called the daycare again and again.

"Fuck!" He didn't see his fellow journalist watch him as he threw the telephone off it's table in the farmer's guest home.

"I've got to be on the next plane to the United States." He insisted, headed for his sleeping quarters so he could pack.

"But you haven't finishing vor job." Janne said as she and Nandi followed him.

He starting shoving clothing and toiletries in his sea bag and shaving kit.

"What's the rush?" Nandi questioned bewildered by the normally rational man's anxious behavior.

"Haley needs me and I won't let her down…..not ever again…..

Pamela