Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

my first death, he left you alone. I can only assume that after Belize, he was confident that I was dead and that he was safe. Now it’s different. He knows I’m alive and I have something very important of his, which he wants back.” He paused and said again, “Max, I’m sorry.”
    After a long silence, Jack spoke first. “You are such a cold-hearted asshole. How can you be so sure?”
    Ignoring Jack’s first comment, he replied, “I just am. Trust me.”
    “Trust you? It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?
    “I know I’m asking a lot, but you’ve got to believe me. Have you noticed anyone hanging around?”
    Jack stared at him silently. Even as he nodded no, a cold chill of fear shot through his body.
    “Any strange things happen lately that maybe you didn’t really give much thought to?”
    “Why?” Jack said cautiously.
    Max placed her hand on Jack’s leg and looked at him. Jack turned toward her and as their eyes met, he could see that she believed Daniel. “Jack,” Max said, her voice quiet and calm, “What about that guy that creepy guy that you and Courtney have seen?”
    Jack hoped that his eyes didn’t betray the same fear that he saw in hers. He had had the same thought but had wanted to hear more from Daniel before saying anything.
    Daniel stared at Jack, then said, “Creepy guy? What’s that all about?”
    Jack caved in. “It all started with Courtney. She noticed him first, and I just thought it was a figment of her imagination. But then I saw him at Prescott Park. The three of us had gone on a picnic. While the girls were watching the clouds, I was people watching. That’s when I first saw him. A couple bumped into him, and he seemed really distracted and didn’t want to have anything to do with them. His attention was focused elsewhere and it was the look on his face that really caught my attention. He was clearly focused on something, but I couldn’t see what he was looking at. Was it you?”
    Max turned toward Daniel. He remained silent, his gaze directed toward Jack. He sat there perfectly still and from the look on his face, Max could tell that something was playing out in his mind. When Daniel didn’t answer, Jack continued. “Then, not too long ago, I was cooling off in front of Ben’s after a run, when I nearly bumped into the same guy as he came out from behind a van. What he was doing there, I don’t know. I panicked and ran into the bar acting like a crazy person to make sure Max was okay. I’m not sure exactly why, but when I bumped into him this really cold fear came over me.”
    “I remember. You really made quite a scene.” For the first time since Daniel’s arrival, Max smiled.
    But now Daniel was starting to panic. In an urgent voice, he asked Jack, “What did this guy look like?”
    “Tall, wiry, short hair. Black eyes, the look of a predator.”
    Daniel blanched and seemed to deflate a bit. The change was barely perceptible, but it was there. In a soft, faraway voice he said, “Kurt.”
    “Who’s Kurt?” Max and Jack asked at the same time.
    “He’s no figment of your imagination. He’s very real and very bad. He works for my former employer. He’s a pure psychopath, and that’s the nicest thing I can say about him. I thought I felt his presence, but I wasn’t sure. But clearly he’s here, and he’s watching you as a way to find me and what I have. So far I’ve eluded him, but whenever he does find me, I’m dead.” He paused a moment, then continued. “I don’t matter, you don’t matter, he wants what I have, and he won’t hesitate to kill both of you if it means recovering those files for my former employer.”
    The color drained from Max’s face as she reached over for Jack’s hand. Then, with the soft quiver of fear in her voice, she asked, “He’d do that?”
    Daniel looked at her with sad, defeated eyes and said, “Probably. I don’t know. I just know what he’s like. That’s just how he is. I’m sorry.”
    All at once, Max’s fear was replaced with anger. “You’re sorry?” she shouted, glaring at him. “You’re sorry! You son-of-a-bitch. How dare you.” Her voice went up in pitch and she started to shake. Jack put his arm around her shoulder and she stiffened, but she didn’t pull away. He could feel her rage.
    “Max, please, try to understand. I loved you and that is why I did what I did. I actually thought that I could disappear and run off with you. I was blinded. In Belize, seeing that