7th Inning Death

PROLOGUE

Present Day - July 13, 2009

One day before the Major League All-Star Game

Citizens Bank Park, South Philadelphia

Call it: Point A

I went into the room first. Not more than three steps later, I heard the door's lock engage behind me. I stopped and let my head drop. I think I might have sighed, too. After a second, I regrouped and turned. Sure enough, I found a shiny silver gun pointed at my gut. I think that's where it was pointed, but I can't say I lined it up to check. It didn't really matter. I should have known better.

I'd been to hell and back just ten months earlier, participant in a game unlike any ever played. As an umpire, my game, baseball, was supposed to be ball or strike, safe or out, fair or foul, not life or death--emphasis on the death part. That wasn't the ride I'd signed up for. I'd booked fun. This wasn't fun. But like I said, I should have known better. That was obvious now.

There were days where it was better to simply reach up and pull the cord, to stop the ride and get off the bus. Today was another of those days. I never used to feel this way. My life had been going in the direction I wanted. The ride was smooth, the scenery, pleasant, the other passengers--well, let's just say they weren't stinking up the cabin. All in all, it was a very good trip.

And then somebody shit. And it got everywhere. And I started stepping in it.

And now I can't get away from the damn smell.

Part 1: The Journey to Point A

Chapter 1

Ten Months earlier

Late October 2008

Philadelphia

Two men were seated on a bench near the fountain in Logan Square. A group of pigeons scurried about at their feet, picking at scraps on the ground. Across the path, in front of the bench, a member of the city's homeless population scavenged from a trash can. If FBI Special Agent John King had thought about it, he might have seen both types of vermin as a signal that this was the starting point in his journey toward the place commonly known as rock bottom.

King was not given to such thoughtfulness.

He and his soon-to-be-ex partner, Special Agent Rudy Marquez, were in bad moods, King's more dangerous. That wasn't because he was a dangerous person, but because several loose wires in his head made it seem that way. There were ways to re-secure those wires, but one had to admit to the problem before that could happen.

Again, King was not given to such admissions.

Get the fuck outta here, he said as he kicked at the birds.

A cacophony of fluttering wings followed. The vagrant looked up at the noise, but hastily retreated from King's scowl.

Go get a goddamned job, King said in a tone as ugly as his expression.

The ratty man turned back and displayed a different kind of bird before cursing something under his breath and slithering away. King started to stand, but a hand from Rudy stopped him.

Yo, John, lighten up. He isn't hurting anyone.

King's head slowly turned. His eyes were cold and dark.

Yeah, he is, he said. "He's a fuckin' loser and he annoys me. They all do."

Rudy's head began to shake. King was reminded of his now-dead father's version of the rebuke, something he'd always hated, and his mood worsened. Rudy's next words pushed it further down.

That may be, he said. But one bad day is all that stands between him and you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later

The room was familiar to King, but the view was different. Unlike his prior visits, on this occasion he was on the wrong side of the table, in the position of the accused. There were four men opposite, two seated facing him, two standing nearby. King once considered each a compatriot, at least in name if not actions, but now saw all as the enemy.

This is bullshit, he said to none in particular. I was just doing my job.

There was a scoff from one of the men, Aaron Bonner, head of the FBI's Internal Affairs unit in the Philadelphia field office. Bonner was at the table. The other person there was Alex Harris, Director of the office. The two standing behind them were Damien Hastings, another agent, and Ben Dykstra, one of Bonner's IA investigators.

This meeting had been called because of an unfortunate accident that had occurred during one of the scenes of the bad script hatched out by King and Rudy at the park. That Director Harris had inadvertently played the part of the victim only added to the agents' problems. Neither was going to win an award for their actions; just the opposite, in King's case.

That's rich, Bonner said. Just doing your job, huh? At what point did 'shoot your boss' get added to your responsibilities? Was it before or after 'frame the umpire'?

The umpire was major league umpire Marshall Connors, a key figure in events taking place around baseball's World Series. The case would ultimately include two kidnappings, a connection to six previously unsolved murders, and the death of Agent Hastings several days after this meeting. What it did not include was an attempt by Marshall to fix games, something King and Rudy had tried to convince everyone was the situation. They couldn't have been more wrong, but in their haste to prove otherwise, King had shot and wounded Alex.

"I thought your job was to prevent trouble, not cause it, Bonner said. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Causing trouble seems to be your best attribute."

He tapped a finger on a thick folder resting on the table, King's IA file. King looked down at it and shrugged.

We thought Connors was in on it, he said in a low voice. Harris wasn't supposed to be there.

"You weren't supposed to be there," Bonner said.

King's arms moved, causing Bonner to flinch. The display of cowardice elicited a smirk from King as he crossed the arms in front of his chest.

Says you, he said.

Bonner tried to recover, using the next few seconds to finish off a bottle of water he'd been holding. After swallowing, he stood and began to pace the room, rapping the empty container against the back of his knuckles. The hollow bonking noise echoed off the bare walls.

I will give you one thing, he said. "Connors was in on it. Of course, he was one of the victims. It's too bad you missed that detail. But details aren't your strong suit, are they?"

King's smirk faded into something far more menacing.

Fuck you, he said in a growl. You fuckin' IA guys have no clue. You're nothin' but a bunch of pussies chasin' after your own tails.

At the table, Alex's head began to shake. Of those in the room, he was most aware of King's faulty wiring. His left arm was bandaged at the shoulder and his discomfort was obvious, but how much emanated from the gunshot wound versus King's attitude was debatable. Of course, it might have been neither. Bonner, and most everyone in IA, had a way of annoying folks just as much, if not more. King's last statement wasn't too far from the truth, but now wasn't the time for it.

"Enough," Alex said with as much force as his condition allowed.

All eyes turned to the director with the exception of King's. Those remained locked on Bonner.

John, look at me, Alex said.

The tone was close to one a father might use on a misbehaving child, not surprising given that Alex considered his agents to be his children. No matter how well or badly they behaved, he still loved them and would do what he could to protect them, whether deserved or not.

"John, he said more sharply when King failed to react to the first request. Look at me."

The new tone said Papa was pissed and King finally caught on. His head slowly turned, revealing an expression similar to one he'd displayed toward Alex in Marshall's hotel room, minutes after the shooting and seconds before getting his ass kicked by a paid consultant by the name of Thomas Hillsborough.

Thomas, an ex-CIA spy, had been brought in by Alex to help with the World Series case. He also happened to be Marshall's best friend, and had not reacted well to what King and Marquez had tried to do. Luckily for King, Thomas was not in the room to see the expression again. The result might have been a few steps up from an ass-kicking.

This is what happens, Alex said, ignoring King's glare. "You are going to resign. Mr. Bonner here will be happy because he won't have to deal with your shit any longer. We'll all be happy for that. You'll get service credit to the minimum pension and then you'll go away. I don't care where."

Bonner started to protest, but a hand from Alex stopped him.

"We're done, Aaron, he said. You got what you wanted, he's gone. This crap has already wasted more time than I had to give. It's over. Go write it up before I change my mind."

Bonner took a deep breath, but let it escape without another word before leading Dykstra out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Alex's eyes went back to King. His thoughts were heavily tilted toward unpleasant, but there was something else. He didn't want to care--King truly didn't deserve it--but like most every parent, found himself doing just that. The punishment he'd just doled out, something Marshall would later describe as a slap on the wrist, reflected those feelings. King's career was over, but it could have been a lot worse.

Still, it was enough, and Alex let out a long, loud sigh as he stood.

John, do yourself and the world a big favor and get some help, he said as he moved toward the door. Or that anger is going to be the end of more than just your job.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

South Philadelphia

Where John King was a brooding dour soul, his wife of six years, Amanda, was sunshine and happiness, although at the moment, both qualities were facing a severe test. That her husband had come home early should have been the first sign of trouble. What he told her moments later confirmed it. Processing the information was proving difficult.

"I, I--oh my God," she said before trailing off.

They were in the kitchen of their two-bedroom row-home, sitting across from each other at the small table there. It was a modest table in a modest kitchen in a modest house, but the Kings were a modest couple. This was what they could afford. For Amanda, it had always been enough, but now, thoughts of losing it all left her feeling faint.

She closed her eyes and tried to regroup, searching her mind for the lessons from the self-help books she devoured on a regular basis. Take a deep breath and engage… Don't react… Reactions have no thought… You must think to engage... Thinking is good…

The words made sense, but nothing else did. After a minute or so, she slowly opened her eyes. The picture in front of her had not changed. The tightness, the anger, was still on her husband's face. She did her best to get past it.

What happened? she said, her voice not much more than a whisper.

I quit, King said. Retired, whatever, I'm done.

Amanda's mouth moved, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath, holding the air for as long as she could before letting it escape. She then took another breath and tried again.

Aren't you--but you're too young to retire, she said. I, I don't understand why--

King cut her off by slamming his hands on the table. The entire room seemed to shake.

What's there to understand? he said as he stood. "I fucking quit. Jesus Christ, Amanda. Are you that fucking stupid?"

She had dismissed the incident from months ago as a one-time occurrence, but now, his voice, his words, his eyes, all made her wonder: What if it hadn't been? That thought left her shaking, her nerves beginning to fray. She fought hard not to cry--or run.

I, I'm sorry, John, please, she said. I, I'm just trying to be supportive.

His face morphed into something even uglier as he leaned down toward her. When he spoke, it was in a low, guttural sound Amanda was sure she'd never heard.

"Then be supportive and shut the fuck up. I don't need your shit, too."

He stayed there, close, breathing hard, staring, for what seemed like forever to Amanda, before turning and stomping out of the room. When the front door slammed seconds later, she remembered how to breathe again. In the stark quiet that descended over her, she sat there, unmoving.

Oh my God, she said again, in the tiniest of voices, before the tears began to fall.

Almost ten minutes passed before the tremor of the sobs faded, along with some of the fear. Some was the best she could hope for. She now knew it would never completely leave.

It was too late for that.

Chapter 2

Two week later

South Philly

The Big Fish Bar was nestled among the row-homes along the east side of the 1500 block of Broad Street, two streets over from the Kings' doorstep on Juniper. There was no sign out front and little else to identify the place besides its reputation. If you didn't know it was there you wouldn't know it was there. King knew.

A regular beforehand, he had become closer to permanent fixture in the time since his firing, landing every day in the same spot, third stool from the wall furthest from the entrance. During most of the two weeks, no one had dared sit on either side. King was fine with that. He didn't have much use for people. In fact, if he never interacted with anyone again, he'd be even better.

The only exception to that was the tavern's other regular fixture, Gilly, the owner. The old face behind the well-worn bar top didn't mind the company or the business. King didn't mind giving it to him. It wasn't like he had anything else to do.

You ready for another High Life, Johnnie? Gilly said in a voice left scratchy by the years.

King's dead eyes came up. He used a single finger to flick the empty bottle that was resting in front of him. It fell over and rolled to Gilly's edge of the bar.

The fuck's it look like? he said, his voice matching the gaze.

Gilly, accustomed to the surliness, merely shook his head and moved to a cooler across from where King sat. Seconds later, a fresh bottle of the strong beer landed on the bar. King took a long pull, punctuating it with a loud belch. Both men made sounds that might have been laughs, but King's was more toward a grunt. Another pull left him to repeat the burp as Gilly stepped away.

Amanda said I'd find you here, a familiar voice said moments later, from King's left.

King did not turn, but his eyes narrowed. Whether it was from hearing his wife's name or from the voice or from both, it was hard to tell.

Christ, John, you look like shit, the voice said. It's called a razor. You should look into it.

King turned his stubbled face to find his ex-partner standing just inside the saloon's doorway.

Fuck you, he said before turning back to his brew.

Had the words come from anyone else, Rudy Marquez might have been offended. As it was, he simply smiled and moved to the stool on King's left.

I'm serious, man, he said. You look like shit.

Like I said, fuck you, King said as Rudy sat.

He finished his beer and waved it at Gilly. The old man wandered over, another fresh one in hand.

You want one, Agent? he said.

Rudy shook him off.

Some of us have to work, he said.

It was Gilly's turn to deliver a Fuck you as he moved away. Rudy again ignored it as he turned toward King. He eyed his friend for a moment, not liking what he saw. He had been saved from the same sorry fate only because his contribution to the events leading to King's dismissal was considered slightly less insubordinate, meaning he hadn't shot his boss.

Instead of a pink slip, Rudy was knocked back several grades in rank and pay and slotted into a mundane desk job where he'd push a pencil instead of doing any real work. Some in the office would argue he hadn't done any real work for a long time. King would likely agree.

You got a reason for bothering me? he said.

He lifted his bottle and took another long pull. Rudy frowned, but managed to stifle the urge to add a head shake--he knew how much King hated it.

Listen, man, I'm not the bad guy, he said.

King's eyes came up.

Oh, yeah, you're a regular fuckin' good Samaritan, he said.

Rudy didn't want to get mad, but King never made that easy. Rudy could see--no, he knew--what most others did not, the true nature of King's loose wires. He, too, had grown up with a family of depressed souls. It had not been easy. He wasn't sure how he'd avoided it. Some days he wasn't sure he had. Every day, he knew King had not.

I'm just tryin' to help.

He pulled a business card from his jacket and set it on the bar.

BOYD LIVINGSTON, CEO AND PRESIDENT

EYE-ON-U SECURITY, INC.

1515 MARKET STREET, SUITE 2009

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19102

215.987.2121 -- [email protected]

King eyed it without touching it.

That supposed to mean somethin' to me? he said.

Rudy tapped a finger on the card.

The guy used to run the Bureau's training courses, he said. He's hiring. Call 'im, John, if not for yourself, then for Amanda.

King's head snapped around, but he said nothing--verbally, anyway. Rudy again ignored the harsh stare.

She deserves better than this, he said.

He turned and left without another word. King stared after him for a long moment before turning back to the card. He lifted it from the bar and eyed it closely. His thoughts were racing. More than a few were crashing. Like a lot of things in his life.

You ready for another? Gilly said, interrupting.

King looked to the old man. Slowly, his head began to shake. He sighed heavily.

No. I'm done.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three days later

Amanda didn't know what to think when her husband left the bed at just before seven. She hoped it meant good news, but seeing as how he hadn't said more than a handful of words to her since leaving the FBI, and not wanting to inspire another outburst, she said nothing as he returned to the bedroom from a shower, content to leave it to him to break the silence. If he didn't, she'd be fine. That he did merely left her more confused.

Sorry if I woke you, he said in a pleasant voice.

The words and tone starkly contrasted with those of recent discussions and Amanda hesitated before raising herself up onto an elbow. As she eyed him, her expression betrayed a mix of emotions.

John? she said in a timid voice. Is everything OK?

King smiled.

Yeah, about that, he said. I'm sorry. I know I've been out of it lately. I didn't mean to take it out on you. None of this is your fault.

She was scared by the apology, but she was happy, too. Most of all, she was still confused, and a sudden urge to cry came over her. She pushed it back as best she could.

I, I'm--

She trailed off into a stuttering sigh. King came and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. When he reached out and touched her short brown hair, Amanda's breathing faltered again. As with conversation, his touch had been missing. She gasped slightly as his hand moved down her neck and slowly pushed the thin strap of her camisole off her shoulder. She gasped again when his fingers made their way to her now-exposed breast and then the nipple.

In seconds, she felt a familiar wetness between her legs.

Oh, John, she said in a whisper as her left hand went to his and squeezed atop the soft flesh.

At the same time, she reached out with her right hand and guided his to the dampness below her waist. When two of his fingers slipped inside her, she let out a small squeal. Part of her didn't want to give in to the sensations, not after how he'd been treating her, but she couldn't fight it. Of everything they weren't as a couple, being good in bed was not included. It was something they'd always had. Amanda didn't want to think it was all they had, but at times, she wondered. As he fingered her toward an orgasm, she decided not to care.

She opened her eyes. His were locked on her face as his hands continued to work.

Do we--have time--for this? she said in an unsteady voice, the words and her hips matching the rhythm of his hand.

Actually, we don't, he said. I better stop.

He increased the pace and then suddenly stopped. Amanda made a sound of complaint, but it came out more like a purr. King smiled again, another item missing from the past few weeks.

Promise to finish later? Amanda said as she recovered.

I promise.

He stood and kissed her on the top of her head. She smiled back at him, but left the camisole askew as she watched him dress.

When exactly is later? she said as she mindlessly touched herself. "Is whatever you're doing, wherever you're going, is it good news?"

He nodded.

Yeah, I got a job interview, he said. Marquez hooked me up with an ex-Bureau guy who runs a security firm. He said a job there is a lock.

Amanda stopped touching herself and pulled the strap back into place.

"Rudy hooked you up? she said in a sharp tone. The last time he hooked you up you got fired."

King's eyes narrowed and his smile disappeared. Amanda instantly realized the mistake. He had never said the word fired to her. Of course, he'd been mostly drunk for the past two weeks, so maybe he'd think he had, but as she waited for a confirmation, his expression descended back toward the abyss. She flinched from the new glower.

I'm sorry, she said.

He was eyeing her closely, but then, suddenly, like with the finger-fuck, he stopped.

Hey, it's just a job lead, he said. This is a top-line outfit. They handle a lot of rich folks and high-profile gigs. Parties, special events, stuff like that. I checked it out. It's a good place. Rudy was only trying to help.

Amanda suppressed a cringe at hearing Rudy's name again by chewing on her bottom lip as she looked up at him. King misread it and rolled his eyes.

C'mon, hon, it's fine, he said. Quit worrying.

After a few more chews, Amanda relaxed a few degrees.

Well, that's what I do, she said.

I know.

The next few minutes passed quietly as King finished getting ready. After he pulled on his jacket, he looked a question at her.

Handsome, she said with a smile. You better call me as soon as you know for sure.

I will, he said. I'll get it.

Amanda smiled and sat up. King's smile grew when she pulled the camisole over her head.

"Then you'll get this when you do."

Chapter 3

Center City Philadelphia

The Eye-on-U Security, Inc., corporate headquarters occupied the twentieth and twenty-first floors of 1515 Market Street. Boyd Livingston's office was on twenty-one and overlooked Philadelphia's City Hall, but he met with King in the main conference room instead. After several minutes of small talk, the conversation turned to more serious matters.

So, Mr. King, Boyd said. Tell me why you left the Bureau.

For a fleeting moment, King thought about enhancing, or maybe de-emphasizing, the true nature of his departure from the FBI, but decided against it. From what Rudy had told him, he knew Boyd would already know the truth. Any adjustments would be easily spotted. Still, he wasn't completely comfortable discussing it.

Something else he wasn't comfortable with was the seating arrangement. The two were on opposite sides of a large table, Boyd with his back to the windows. The shades were raised, and the glare of the sun off the neighboring buildings was wreaking havoc on King's eyes, forcing him to continuously squint and look away to avoid being blinded by it.

Marquez told me he filled you in on that, he said through the discomfort.

He did, Boyd said. But I'd like your take on it.

King blinked several times and tried to find a spot on Boyd's face on which to focus, something out of the direct line of the sun's fire. Boyd could see the struggle. After a few seconds, a smile formed on his face.

Is everything OK? he said.

The corner of King's lip curled. The smile and the glare had started to get to him, opening the door for some of the anger to seep out. He knew now was not the time for it and did everything he could to push it down, away from Boyd's sharp eyes.

Yeah, he said. It's good.

Boyd's head began to shake. King pushed away a new vision of his father's version.

John, don't lie to me, Boyd said. All you had to do was ask me to close the blinds.

King suppressed a sigh of disappointment, nodding his understanding instead. He saw now the seating arrangement had been a test--one of many that would come over the subsequent months--and he'd failed. It left him silently chiding himself as Boyd stood and moved to the windows. A few seconds later, the glare disappeared and he returned to the table.

Let that be lesson number one, he said, confirming King's suspicion. "At my firm, you need to be in charge of every situation. Never give that up, especially when you can do something about it. My clients pay top-dollar for that simple service. I expect nothing less from my people."

Sorry, King said. It won't happen again.

I know it won't, Boyd said as he settled in again and locked eyes with King. Now, quit fucking around and tell me what happened to get you here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Paradise Island, Bahamas

If anyone had asked, I would have said I chose the Comfort Suites Hotel instead of the more famous Atlantis Resort because I'd wanted to stay away from the crowds. In truth, it was because I was cheap. Hey, the ballplayers made the millions. I was just an umpire at the lower end of a low six-figure pay scale. It was decent money for a single guy, but I tried to save where I could, something my accountant father had gone to great lengths to instill in me.

Luckily, the person sharing the room didn't seem to mind.

Suze Keebler had been my girlfriend for all of about one month. Choice of room or cost didn't much matter to her. Anywhere would have been better than where'd she'd been a few weeks ago, kidnapped by a crazed killer bent on exacting revenge on me and a few other people in my life. It shouldn't have been that way, at least not for Suze.

My original vacation plans had been interrupted by a surprise assignment to work the World Series. It was during that time that Suze and I began seeing each other. That should have made for an unforgettable experience. It did, but for all the wrong reasons--like the part with the crazy guy, and the part when two FBI agents tried to frame me, and the part when Suze got kidnapped.

She and I survived, but a couple of people ended up dead. It could have been a lot worse if not for my best friend, Thomas Hillsborough. I suppose the FBI-- the ones who hadn't tried to frame me--deserved some credit, but I limited my thanks where they were concerned. A lot of people got hurt because of their sloppiness, including one of their own, an agent. His funeral was on the other side of this vacation, but I was doing my best not to think about it.

Suze and I were going to be in the Bahamas for another few days. Yes, it was an escape, and yes, real world issues beckoned, the funeral being one, figuring out how to make the relationship work being another, but I was intent on making the most of it. We deserved this time. That other stuff wasn't going anywhere.

Suze lived and worked in New York City, as executive assistant to the commissioner of Major League Baseball, a man named Mark Rosenbaum. I lived in Radnor, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, but worked in major league ballparks all across the country. I was used to the travel, but had never done the long-distance relationship thing. Or maybe the travel was why I'd never done much of any kind of relationship thing. Either way, it was sure to be a test.

At the moment, I wasn't much thinking about tests.

I was propped up on one elbow at the edge of the king-sized bed in our room. Suze was standing between me and the sliding doors to the room's balcony. The morning sun shone bright behind her, and a soft, warm breeze was pushing through the opening into the room. It was, in a word, spectacular, and I was in no hurry to change it.

I'm confused, I said as I scrunched up my face.

Suze was getting dressed. She stopped to eye me.

And why are you confused? she said in her usual happy tone.

Well, I can't figure out which I like more, when you dress or when you undress.

She giggled.

Oh, is that so? she said. Let's test it.

Her hands moved to the bottom of the white stretch camisole she'd pulled on seconds earlier. My scrunched-up face disappeared and I sat up. She looked awesome in the light coming through the window. She had a perfect tan to go with what I considered a perfect body, and I think I groaned as she locked her eyes on mine and slowly began raising the fabric.

Hey, I said when it stopped just below her breasts. Don't stop, I'm still confused.

A sly smile worked onto her lips.

"Marshall Connors, I so own you right now, she said before lowering the top again. Now come on, silly boy, time for you to get up and get