A Selfish Man

By Brian McGuire and TBD

The Miles Fender Saga continues with this first sequel to the original novel, A Leading Man. In this story Miles, now Kevin must deal with multiple demons that exist in his new life, the pull from his past in being an effective operative, and the guilt he feels in the killing of Sam Grant.

This story develops several characters

• Language: English
• Publisher: Slainte Publishing
• Release date: Nov 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088070970

Book preview

1

A Pure Heart

"Pure-hearted’ - definition: adjective (of a person) without malice, treachery, or evil intent; honest; sincere; guileless.

As Kevin stared at his favorite view, it was the silhouette of Leslie at peace under a snug blanket and sheet in the quiet of the morning. His initial motive was to somehow nudge her into waking and thinking she had done it on her own. It often produced the desired results, but as their relationship had evolved, he had learned to be more patient...and more importantly, enjoy the view.

On this particular morning, his view was coming from the ‘left coast’ of the US in Bandon Dunes, Oregon. After his last encounter in Annapolis, Leslie had decided they needed to get as far away from Washington, D.C. and the issues that could pull Kevin back into his prior world. They had settled on Bend, Oregon, which had many of the attributes they mutually enjoyed, and once a month they drove the 250 plus miles here, so Kevin could scratch his new itch in life...golf.

He typically scheduled his tee times for close to 10 AM, so he could enjoy his morning with Les, and he was finished by mid-afternoon, which permitted them some late afternoon time heading into their evenings together. Kevin also used the same caddy for his rounds, Tyrone. Tyrone was smart but had never been formally educated. His favorite game when on the course was a version of What’s My Line in attempting to guess Kevin’s former line of work.

Leslie used this time alone to either read, she had become a voracious reader or an occasional massage and was always quick to request a female masseuse, due to a lapse in judgement from many years ago

As Kevin continued his enjoyment of the view of the love of his life her eyes slowly opened. She captured his gaze; it was always reassuring to know he was looking over her and once again there had been no nightmares. A late February morning in the coast of southern Oregon was always chilly and oftentimes damp, much like Ireland and she slowly moved towards the warmth of his side of the bed.

After a bit of waking up in each other's arms, he offered to visit the lobby for two coffees and a newspaper. She loved sitting up in bed and reading the paper with him. Being able to share comments about the world they had been able to escape from.

As he entered the lobby, he heard his name and immediately recognized the voice. Without turning to address the intruder in his morning ritual he responded with, The answer is no.

He then turned a glared at the intruder, Special Agent Walker.

2

Know Thyself

Most people do not spend much time in self-discovery or the awareness of who they really are in life. They claim to be too busy for long looks in the mirror or rewinding the tapes of critical junctures in their lives.

While Kevin did not dwell on the topic an unreasonable amount of time, he did have a keen sense of who he was and even more so of the person he longed to be. He had made some key mistakes in his journey thus far, and had vowed to himself he would not make them again, especially if they impacted the people, he genuinely cared about...a list that had gotten longer.

In a sense, the last truly selfless act he had committed was his enlistment in the Marine Corps. At the time he had felt it wrong that a friend could be drafted into an ill-fated war, while he as a highly sought-after football recruit was provided other avenues.

At the time he was not running for office, emotionally connected to the draftee or in any way entangled with the series of events. He just had a powerful sense, a sense that had been embedded by his parents, of what was right or wrong. His enlistment took it to another level and led him to the path that had gotten him to this place.

Others would argue that he had performed a vast array of selfless acts, including every time he had stepped off that helicopter, as noted earlier exactly 30 times, in attempting to save/rescue a downed pilot. He saw it differently; it was primarily his duty and if he did not act, who would?

He liked his current place, even felt in many ways he deserved it, but...Kevin spoke abruptly, Not another word, looking directly at Special Agent Walker. "We’ll meet you at the Bunker Bar at 4 PM." With the pronouncement he wheeled and was on his way for coffee and a newspaper.

He would not have this conversation without Leslie in the room. She was his buffer, his conscience the one individual who truly understood him. His strengths and weaknesses and how regret would live within him if he failed in some way to act...to not do the right thing.

The last time he acted on his own he ended up being shot in the chest by an aspiring traitor to the nation they had both vowed to serve. He did not want to make that mistake again, and if the bullet were less than two inches more to the left, he would not have needed to worry about it.

The fact he had someone in his life he needed to share this type of information with brought a wonderful sense of belonging to him. A feeling that a few years ago could not have existed, and he vowed to protect it as diligently as he could.

3

I Love You More

The moment Kevin reentered the room Leslie sensed something had changed. While he had not shifted back into ‘work mode’ there was a telltale sign that only she could see.

He tried to keep it from view, but there would be times throughout their lives together when something might trigger it. She had seen it briefly in a diner during one of their commutes to the Oregon coast. A frustrated out-of-work lumber worker, the highway to the coast was dotted with failed lumber mills put out of business by faceless corporations who never set foot in the town.

In this case, the frustrated man was taking it out on his wife and kids in a clear example of domestic abuse. Kevin had an exceptionally low tolerance for any man abusing a woman or child, and as he approached the man his first instinct was to put him on his back, work mode.

Instead, in a quick assessment of the entire course of events and demonstrating the compassion he had always felt for others, he adjusted on-the-fly to a stern, May I have a word with you?

During the next 30 minutes of counseling the man in question Kevin determined he was ex-military as well. Kevin assured him he had contacts him within the VA that could help, and if it were all right, he and Leslie would check-in to see them during the next time they were passing by the town.

His ability to sense these types of altercations and willingness to intercede differentiated him from most others. He was now making a difference in the lives of others in an up close and very personal manner.

These changes in how he approached his world was more than gratifying for Les, but back real time in the hotel room now she got straight to the point... What is it?

As with couples who have been together for an extended time, and have shared emotional intimacy, it was easy to read between the lines of code speak. Her question meant more than the three words she had spoken. It spoke volumes to how well they knew each other.

I ran into an old friend in the lobby, he uttered.

In trying to remain somewhat casual Les responded, Anyone I know?

Oh yes, I think you know him better than I do, he responded.

Les had a puzzled look and then immediately thought, Special Agent Walker. She was not even sure how it came into her mind. Again, was it a form of telepathic power that existed between soulmates or just a lucky guess. Nevertheless, she followed with, What did he want?

Kevin recognized the missing step in her line of questioning said simply, Don’t you want to know who ‘He’ was...? and then followed with, I don’t know. I would not have the conversation without you in the room. We are meeting at 4 PM in the Bunker Bar. Now, I’ve got to get ready for golf.

All Leslie heard in Kevin’s remarks were, I love and respect you.

And all she could think was... I love you more!

4

Alignment

As they began the brief stroll to the Bunker Bar following Kevin’s round of golf, he did not want to provide any sense of urgency for their meeting with Special Agent Walker, Les shared some of the thoughts she had been having in advance of their rendezvous.

She had always liked the FBI agent or appreciated him, and for good reason. He had intervened when her meeting with Anson Gamble attempted to extort her into an unthinkable act, he officiated over her ‘closure’ meeting with Rosie and had shown up immediately after the gunshot Kevin had received in foiling the treasonous act being planned in Annapolis.

All these actions placed him at a lofty perch when compared to most others, but not high enough to allow him to recruit her husband back into ‘harm's way.’ In her opinion, Kevin had given more than his share for his country and even the thought of another event made her shutter. She quietly reached for his hand as they strolled through the brisk afternoon air and said simply, We’re on the same page, right?

Kevin’s stoic response, Yep.

5

Just Say No

The Bunder Bar is described as follows: Downstairs in The Lodge, The Bunker Bar delivers an almost confidential group setting while serving the finest cigars and spirits you can find on property. The bunker vibe provides the perfect ambiance for watching a sporting event or playing a game of billiards, cards, or dice. It is the go-to late-night place on property. If these walls could talk, they would have some stories to tell! They would start with guest stories of the moments found within their various bunker murals.

It is unlikely the walls had ever absorbed a conversation like the one the three friends were about to engage in.

Walker already had a beer in front of him. Kevin ordered a Bulliet Rye Manhattan up, and after squeezing his arm ever so gently Leslie spoke, That sounds good, I’ll have the same.

After a brief and awkward exchange of pleasantries, Walker began with his initial appeal, I need your help. He had always found that good people 1) always wanted to help and 2) had a tough time saying ‘no.’ He was caught off-guard by Kevin’s reaction.

No, you don’t, spoken in a direct and determined manner.

Walker shook the initial reaction off and attempted to regroup his thoughts, Well, in fact I most surely do, and as the only one at the table who knows the request, I believe I am the most qualified to make that statement.

The drinks arrived and as Kevin raised his Manhattan he offered, To retirement.

Leslie spoke next with; I’ll drink to that.

Walker smiled and