He's a She

Chapter Fifteen

            “Charles,” I choked and nodded in acknowledgment of his hand.  I was still curled up under Paul’s protective arms.  Jaxon took his hand back. 

            “I’m his older brother.” Jaxon said.  “You must have been the one that found him.” I nodded again.  Jaxon kneeled down in front of me.  “How-I don’t know how to put this…how is he?  I mean, how has he been?  I haven’t seen him in years.”

            “He’s, he’s good.” I felt horrible and my throat was still scratchy from crying.  Jaxon smiled.  He glanced up to Paul and then to Luke.  A phone started to ring and all of us remained silent.  It ran a few times and Jaxon turned to Paul. 

            “I think that’s you.” Jaxon stated and Paul let go of me to answer his phone.  He got up from his chair and walked over near the entrance to leave us in silence.  Jaxon took the seat next to me.

            Luke closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

            “I got the call at three…how long have you been here?” Jaxon asked.

            “What time is it?” I croaked.  I felt horrible. 

            “Five, five in the morning.” I sat up in shock.  I had been sitting in this room for the last five hours.  “Excuse my expression, but you look like death.” I smiled a bit.  I probably did.  I would probably look worse if I had my normal curly hair down.  “I’m just surprised that they were able to find me.”

            “Because you are actually Jaxon McKaye not Matt Lakefield?  Or because you two had different last names to begin with when your parents divorced?” Jaxon shot out of his chair.  His mouth bobbed open and then closed again like a fish out of water. 

            “Can I talk to you Charles?” He glanced over at the half asleep Luke.  “In private.” I nodded and got up to my feet.  Jaxon led me down the hall and into one of the bathrooms.  He checked the stalls before speaking.

            “How did you know that?”

            “Because,” I reached up and pulled off my wig.  “It’s me.” I threw my wig and bald cap aside and ruffled up my hair.

            “Charlene!” Jaxon exclaimed before pulling me into a tight embrace.  “I thought you were dead!  You just disappeared.”

            “Yeah, that was kind of the point.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me before that you had disguised yourself as a guy?” I shrugged.  I guess I just assumed that the less people knew, the less I would have to worry about.  Renee had been seen by Luke and look at all of the problems that came out of that.

            “That’s not important now,” I grabbed my wig and put it back on.  “What’s important is how you’ve gotten by.  They got around and found Heather and she wasn’t even part of the CIA, she was your girlfriend, you weren’t even legally attached.  I don’t see how they were able to find her and not you.”

            “I’ve got connections.” Jaxon answered with a smirk.  I wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing or not.  I would just assume it good and leave it at that.  “What about my brother, why is he even in here?”

            “You honestly don’t know, do you?” Jaxon shook his head no.  “He, uh, he lost a lot of blood.”  I gestured to my jeans and Jaxon nodded.  He actually nodded, was pretty much committing suicide normal?