Changing the calculus - Jenny's Life - Part 34

Jenny Drake's return to the state track finals is complete, with only a couple more preliminary races to go before the showcase event. Just moments after an encounter with Oleg Pertovsky her new good friend Martika Kelly introduces Jenny to a man capable of changing both their lives, F.B.I. Special Agent Marcel Raymond.

Jenny gets words of reassurance as she listens to Martika explain how and why an F.B.I. agent is with her at the meet. Jenny also finds out another bit of news that changes the way she thinks about another person in her life.

 

“F.B.I.?” Jenny repeated, with a questioning tone.

“You really need to preface that with more information,” Marcel said. “You are going to frighten the poor girl!” Marcel said.

“Not this girl,” Martika smiled. “This girl is like none you have ever known.”

Jenny smiled with the compliment from Martika. She could not get over the difference in the girl’s personality. Martika was nothing like the battered and terrified young woman Jenny had met following the assault of Cassie Pendergrass. She seemed carefree and almost giddy as she and the newly introduced F.B.I. agent engaged in a playful banter. Jenny felt like she had struggled against a heavy tide for a good benefit.

“So, can you tell us what Oleg had to say?” Marcel asked.

“I can do better than that,” Jenny smiled. She pulled the iPod, still attached to the lanyard off her neck and began making the moves necessary to load the audio file she recorded while Oleg talked. She had an anxious moment as she looked to see if the recording was still going, but relaxed when she realized the whole conversation plus the words she had with Martika and Marcel up to this point was all on the recording she was stopping now.

“You recorded it?” Marcel asked incredulous at the audacity of this teen. “He had dealt with many civilians that were involved with the type of person like Marcel and usually the amount of fear they had with the situation made them sketchy partners at best.

“That and something else I know you will want to hear,” Jenny said.

She offered an ear bud to each of them and the three huddled close so they could listen to the recording of Oleg. Marcel’s expressionless face slowly changed into a smile jenny knew was an encouraging sign. Martika shook her head as she listened to the man who had changed the dynamics of her family life threaten the same to her new friend.

“I’ll be damned!” Marcel said. “I don’t believe this.”

“You need to hear this too!” Jenny said scrolling over to the recording of Pete made at Martika’s home.

Martika had no idea Jenny had recorded the words of Pete, although she was sure Jenny had heard the threat as she hid in her bedroom closet less than ten feet away from the boy. She looked at Jenny, who was smiling as she knew this was going to make a big difference in her life.

“I don’t believe this,” Marcel said as he removed the cord with the ear bud from his ear and looked at Jenny. “I have been after Oleg Pertovsky for almost five years. He has been so careful to keep us out of his business and managed to skirt the law time after time. He has frustrated me in ways I cannot and will not begin to tell you.

Now, because of what you have I can make things happen. I know you will understand the metaphor that I am about to use. You have changed the calculus of the entire case!”

“Marcel!” Martika said with a shriek.

“With this I can arrest Oleg Pertovsky. Your father, you and your family will no longer have to worry about what Oleg Pertovsky can do to you.”

“Are you serious?” Martika said pulling her glasses away again to show eyes filled with tears.

“Come on,” Marcel said looking at her as if that was a ridiculous question. After all, she had been the one to tell him to lighten up and not be so stern all the time.

“I need these files,” Martika said to Jenny. “I’ll need to download them to my laptop.”

“I have a cable on the bus,” Jenny said.

“You’re right Martika,” Marcel said. “She is no ordinary girl!”

“No, she is not,” Martika said. “She is a good friend.”

 

The trio parted for a few moments, with Marcel returning to his car to collect his laptop and jenny and Martika walking to the bus to retrieve the cable jenny promised to Marcel. Martika told jenny the whole story about Marcel as they walked.

“What I did not know was that they approached my father six months ago and he agreed to help them gather evidence of financial irregularities with the company. They asked him not to tell anyone, so even my mom did not know. When the F.B.I. realized I was connected to Pete and the abuse was going on they were at a loss of how to stop the situation without jeopardizing the operation. Marcel has been working with me for the last two weeks to try to limit the amount of abuse. I began telling him about you and he thought I was making you up. I am glad he got to see you are no myth.”

“I am just glad we will be able to free you and your family from all of this,” Jenny said.

“Yes, that will be a great thing,” Martika said. “You know what will be better though?”

“No,” Jenny said, rummaging through her laptop bag, looking for the transfer cable.

“Knowing I have a good friend that is willing to risk everything for me. It has been a long time since I even had a friend I could trust. You are not like any friend I have ever had. Promise me you will not disappear just because this situation is settled.”

“Martika, when I become your friend I remain your friend for life,” Jenny said. She topped what she was doing and looked at Martika before continuing. “You have become a special friend to me. I know you did not come all this way just to see me run today, but you are here and care about what is happening with me.”

“To be truthful my family and I flew up here last night on a plane chartered by Marcel to meet with him. It was pure coincidence that we were in the same city as the state track meet, but I had planned to come and support you regardless.”

“Doesn’t New Finland have someone running today?”

“I think so,” Martika said, “but I am here to cheer for you. Jenny you were willing to sacrifice helping your brother to assist me and my family. That is a level of friendship I cannot even fathom. In fact it probably is a little foolish. Listen to me, I am calling it foolish and I am the one who convinced you to do it.”

“Do you think Marcel can help me prove Bobby is innocent?”

“I guarantee it,” Martika said.

The girls hugged as each began to cry with the relief that their situations were changing for the better.

“Marcel is going to wonder what is taking so long,” Martika said.

“Now if we could just get our relationship issues fixed,” Jenny joked.

“Oh let’s not even obsess over that,” Martika smiled.

Tara was looking for Jenny when she rounded the corner of the bus lot to return to the field. She greeted Martika, but was curious about the large African American man dressed in jeans and a short sleeve polo shirt that met them to take the cable from Jenny as well as the iPod she knew was Jenny’s.

“What’s up?” she asked after Martika and Marcel walked away, headed toward his car.

“You know in the movie when the good guys have overcome the baddies and the music swells?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Tara said.

“Well, the music is playing loud and the Pertovsky’s are out of business!”

“You will have to explain it later,” Tara said. “Come watch Susan’s heat with me.”

 

The most glamorous competitor of the championships was on the track now. The difference between Susan and the other three girls was how her mother had coached her on courting the media. Many of the other coaches commented on how Susan had been able to elevate the prominence of the girl’s high school track status during her four years as an elite track athlete. Even now there was a cadre of cameras aimed at the track as she competed in the final preliminary of the day. The top two or maybe three finishers in this race would complete the sixteen girl list of challengers who would compete at the end of the meet for the girl’s state championship.

There was no doubt Blake would finish the heat on top. It was a simple numeric certainty. Even though the preliminary heats were assembled with a mix of athlete’s abilities, there was just no other girl in this collection with the ability of the two time state champion. She had been the only girl to finish first as a freshman and a sophomore. The upset by Jenny a year earlier had shocked and disappointed the press contingent as they were rooting for their darling to become the first to win three consecutive titles. There had certainly been no comparable love affair with the press for Jenny, which was fine with her.

This race seemed to be textbook Susan, as she headed out on a solid pace, her long legs eating up huge chunks of the track with each stride. Within the first half of the mile run she was riding a comfortable lead, on her way to her expected win. Jenny wondered if the race against Tara had left any lingering feelings in Susan’s mind the way it had hers. Perhaps this girl was immune to the feelings, as she seemed to be a tough cookie.

“There is no one that will catch her,” Tara said. “She has it in the bag.”

“I know. I wonder if she would rather have a competitive prelim,” Jenny mused. “What about Cindy, how did she do?”

“She matched your time,” Tara said. “Not surprising. I think she may just be the one.”

“You mean you don’t think I can do it anymore?”

“You have never lost two races in a row,” Tara said.

“Or three,” Jenny smiled.                       

“Touché!”

Both girls turned their attention back to the track to watch Susan gliding along at a good pace. Jenny could identify with the feeling as she had been in Susan’s place. Being the leader was a great feeling. For Tara, this was a foreign idea as she had led only the last few meters in the race with Susan at the regional finals and the practice race with Jenny.

Jenny saw the grimace on Susan’s face first and took off toward her as she padded down the track toward the finish. Seeing her friend react, Tara followed, unaware of why Jenny was moving so quickly. By the time she reached the finish line, Susan was hopping on one leg, her face screwed into a telling scowl.

“Lay on your back,” Jenny said when she reached Susan, grabbing her right shoe to try to help her deal with the leg cramp that was making her calf tighten into a noticeable knot.

“OWW!!” Susan said, along with some other words that were not family friendly and said in a much lower volume.

“Relax!” Jenny said as she saw others heading their way.

“Why are you doing this?” Susan said.

“Wouldn’t you do it for me?” Jenny said looking at her. Susan shielded the sun from her eyes as she looked back at Jenny who was still moving her foot back and forth to try to loosen the muscle.

“Probably not,” Blake replied.

“You are going to need some Gatorade,” Jenny said.

“I’ll get it,” Tara said taking off toward their cooler.

Jenny shot a look at the collecting camera toting members of Susan’s entourage, who were snapping numerous pictures of her as she lay on her back twisting from the now lessening pain.

“Leave her alone; can’t you see she is hurting?”

“It’s okay,” Susan said. “It’s almost over.”

By the time Tara returned Blake was up with Jenny and her coach’s help, trying to bear her weight. The calf muscle was tender, but seemed to be loosening well. She hobbled a bit and then began to field questions from different reporters who asked if she was going to be able to race in the finals.

 

Jenny nodded at Tara that they should leave and they found their way around the pack of people to walk back toward their team site to ask about the time of the last race. Coach Wendell met them with a clipboard and a smile, telling them that there was good news to share.

“That is probably one of the best examples of sportsmanship I have ever seen,” Wendell said. “I don’t know how you do it; you know Blake has no love for you or Tara for that matter after their last race.”

“I cannot help it,” Jenny said, “When I see something that needs to be done I am compelled to do what I can.”

“Well, you guys have some time to chill. Your race is at 6:30. Do whatever you want, except run, I mean, just be ready for that race.”

For the next three hours the girls made sure they only rested and took time to get their mind ready for the race they thought they would probably remember the rest of their lives. Jenny made a call home to talk with her mother, but the nurse said she was in a session with Doctor Dearing and could not be disturbed. Jenny was a little apprehensive, wanting to speak with Kyla, but felt more at ease when the nurse said her mother was adamant that she tell Jenny three words. “Run Jenny run!”

It was the three words she always screamed from the side of the track when she was allowed to be there or the railing of the bleachers at any other race. She knew Jenny would want to know she was thinking of her and Jenny decided it was a solid sign that she was improving.

 Her dad and Daphne found her during the time to talk for a few moments with her. Jenny knew she could not detail the entire situation with Marcel, but she assured them better things were certainly coming for their family. Neither of them would disagree, thinking that it was just Jenny’s optimism speaking and wanting her to be ready for the race approaching soon.

 

The cables leading from Tara’s iPod into the ears of Jenny, Cindy and Tara looked like an octopus as the girls lay on the ground resting and listening to the music from the machine. All had their eyes closed, but Jenny opened hers when a shadow darkened the shade of the canopy over top of them even more. She blinked as she looked at the face of the person looking at her. It was the same guy from one year earlier, the one she had passed over Jake for.

“Hey,” he whispered, “can you talk?”

“Uh, sure,” Jenny whispered back, carefully removing the cables so she did not tug on them and disturb the others.

Once they were far enough away not to disturb anyone the guy began to speak.

“I know you think I am some kind of joker who just fed you a bunch of bull last year and forgot all about you, but I have not stopped thinking about you.”

“Okay, but you never called.”

“I lost your phone number,” he said.

“Chris, you typed it into your phone,” Jenny said.

“My phone was destroyed,” the boy said.

“You know I think this is just a bunch of baloney!” Jenny said. “I don’t have time for this, I have to race soon!”

“Look, I am being totally honest with you. I finally found you on the running girl site. I am CJ656!”

Jenny blinked as she remembered chatting with someone with this user name a couple of times.

“I wasn’t sure if you knew who I was and I was ashamed to tell you after so much time had passed.”

“I really cannot talk about this right now,” Jenny said. “Maybe after the race we can do it.”

“Promise me, I want to explain what happened,” the boy pleaded.

“If you leave right now,” Jenny answered.

“Going!”

Jenny stood to watch the boy backing away, a look of anticipation still visible even as he turned to walk back toward the bleachers. She noticed a member of the staff for the school hosting the meet, the same school Chris Carroway had competed for the year before standing nearby and walked over to ask a question.

“Do you know him?” Jenny asked.

“Chris? Sure! He was an honor student and a state champion. A whole lot like you Miss Drake.”

“You know me,” Jenny asked the woman. “Didn’t you see the article in the paper this morning? It was all over the front page and talked about you and the others that are racing tonight.”

“No, I missed it. But about Chris, is he a good guy?”

“The best. I am amazed how he has come back from the fire.”

“Fire, what fire?”

“The night after the meet last year his home burned to the ground. He lost everything, including both his parents. It was an accident, something to do with an overloaded circuit.”

“Thanks,” Jenny said.

“Sure! Good luck!”

“He was telling the truth,” Jenny said to herself.

She pulled her warm up suit off to join Tara and Cindy who were beginning their pre-race stretching routine. The silence was eerie as no one spoke, each girl focusing solely on the upcoming challenge. Jenny could see the intensity in Tara, with Kimbler being uncharacteristically silent. Usually there was an abundance of nervous energy that showed in her rattling off with endless jokes and silliness.

Cindy smiled when Jenny pulled the earphone out of the iPod to let Macho Man blare from the music device. Tara turned her head, but did not change her expression. With this knowledge, Jenny pressed the button to shut the machine off and returned it to the track bag. Tara was focused on only one thing; winning this race.

Once again I wish to thank you for joining me on this journey. I have so enjoyed weaving the story of Jenny Drake and think you know how important it is to me to make it real and have you enjoy the story. Your words of encouragement and appreciation are something I relish the most about the experience. Thank you for your time and willingness to comment.

As you know there are only six chapters remaining in Jenny's Life and I hope by now you have become a fan of The Family Secrets serial. If not, I encourage you to search for it and read about the DeMarco family as they collect for their yearly two week reunion at the family lake house where this year the secrets are never ending and utterly life changing.