Out of the Wreckage Read online

  A teenage girl on the opposite corner caught his eyes. Wearing an oversized sweatshirt and dirty shorts, she waved a cardboard sign. Next to her, a teenage boy sprawled on the ground with his head resting on a backpack.

  Memories of himself and Miranda at that age gripped him hard. He spun the steering wheel and swung into the parking lot. The kids watched as he drove slowly past.

  After parking the car, he strolled over to the two kids. The girl tugged her long shirt down and eyed him nervously. The boy turned his head, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

  “Hey.” Jason waved as he approached.

  She waggled the sign at him. In crooked print, it read, “Will work for food.”

  Jason grinned sardonically. “Really? You’ll work for food? Or is this just a pity sign?”

  “No one’s making you stop, old man,” the boy’s sharp, narrow face scowled and he slowly stood up. “Maybe you should keep going.”

  “Hey, I’m not here to judge,” Jason said, shrugging. “I was just reading your sign.”

  The kid lowered his glasses and squinted at Jason over the top of them. “And?”

  “I’ve been in your spot before, or similar. I know what it’s like.”

  The kid snorted, and even the girl smiled. “You think you know us, huh?” The teen boy eyed Jason from top to bottom. “You probably never worked a hard day in your life. Your biggest struggle is probably trying to decide between a shirt with an alligator on it, or a little pony.” He spat and loosened up his shoulders.

  Jason shoved his hands into his pockets. “Look at you, Mr. Keen Judgment. You have me all wound up in shock and awe with your detective skills.” He bounced back and forth on his toes and studied them. “Thought you guys could use a meal. Guess I was mistaken.”

  “Yeah. Get out of here. We don’t need your kind of help,” the boy said, settling back and rearranging the pack under his head.

  “You feel the same way?” Jason asked the girl. “Want a meal?”

  “I’m.…” She licked her lips and shot a quick glance back at the boy. “I’m feeling pretty hungry.”

  Jason nodded and indicated the fast food restaurant they were begging in front of. “Let’s go get something to eat then.”

  Her movements were hesitant, eyes darting between Jason and her friend. She set the sign down, her dirty blonde hair falling like a curtain over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, Brian.”

  “Don’t leave with him,” the kid warned. “He touches you and I’ll kill him.”

  “Why don’t you tag along and make sure she stays safe,” Jason suggested, moving toward the restaurant.

  The kid sighed and stood, grabbing both packs. “Fine, let's go.”

  Ten minutes later they were seated on the cold plastic benches at a booth, a tray of burgers between them. The restaurant swam with the scent of grease and coffee.

  “How long have you guys been out here?” Jason asked, chewing on a mouthful of fries.

  “What’s it to you?” The kid asked. “You think you can feed us some dollar menu burgers and now we owe you our life story?”

  Jason arched his eyebrow but said nothing. The girl bit her lip and looked down at her food.

  “Let me rephrase that. How can I help?”

  “You’re helping already, thank you,” the girl said.

  “My name’s Jason.” He stuck out his hand.

  The girl glanced at it for a second before slowly reaching out to take it with a slight squeeze. “Julia.”

  “Nice.” Brian rolled his eyes and slid his sunglasses back down, covering his eyes. “Now you’ve done your good deed for the day. Go back to your Porsche and pat yourself on the back.”

  “You’ve got a sharp mouth,” Jason said.

  “Sorry I don’t have manners like you. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon and all that.” The kid crossed his arms and refused to eat.

  Julia clutched her burger close to her and ate it in nervous bites. The air-conditioning kicked on. She shivered and held herself smaller. Her bony wrists poked out from the sweatshirt, pale and vulnerable.

  Jason winced as he glanced at her. After two seconds of thought, he checked into the front pocket of his sports coat. Empty. He patted the side pockets to be sure they were empty too, then shrugged the jacket off. “Here,” he said, handing it to the girl.

  “Aw man, she don’t want that,” the kid said, even as Julia reached for the jacket. She stopped and watched Brian, waiting for his answer.

  “Take it,” Jason said, nodding to her. “Like you said, my good deed for the day.”

  “Whatever, man,” the kid said.

  Julia took that as permission and grabbed the coat. She wriggled into it, a smile blossoming over her face at the warmth it held from Jason’s body. “Thanks,” she murmured.

  Jason stood up. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.” He nodded at the two of them and headed out the door.

  An idea was brewing in his mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Winter

  Tapping his fingers against his leg, Jason sat in the passenger seat as the real estate agent turned her sleek Mercedes down the dark street. The sky was moonless and the buildings shrouded in inky black shadows. Nearly all the properties along this stretch of the road had been abandoned or appeared that way. Half of the streetlights had burned out, and the one at the far end flickered ominously.

  “Enchanting neighborhood,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What, Valerie?” Jason asked.

  “I just—You sure about this?” she asked him again for the twentieth time.

  “Yeah.” He unhooked the seatbelt and leaned forward with anticipation as the building approached.

  “Okay.” Valerie nodded grimly. Carefully, she pulled the car over to the curb, its shiny fender reflecting the abandoned building before them.

  Jason stared up at the brick structure. His hair fell in his eyes and he pushed it away impatiently. It had been a while since his last hair cut. He was appreciating the way he recognized himself in the mirror again. The waxed style never quite sat right with him, despite all the reassurances of the barber.

  Valerie hesitated a moment and said, “So…quaint.” Her lips pursed in a sour expression.

  Jason flashed a grin at her. “Quaint, huh?” he snorted. “Bet that’s the first time this place has ever been called that.”

  “You know, I’m reaching here for the right words. I’m trying to support you,” she deadpanned. “This place makes finding positive adjectives a bit of a struggle.”

  “Your support means everything to me.” Jason nodded. “I know this is unconventional.”

  “Well, you’ve got guts and definitely the gumption. If anyone can do this, it will be you,” she replied. Sighing, she gathered her purse close to her body and grabbed her keys. “Shall we go in and check it out?”

  “Sounds great.”

  They climbed out of the car and she hit the alarm twice as the car beeped and the headlights flashed. The air carried the scent of rotting trash. She wrinkled her nose and cast a nervous glance around the neighborhood then back at her car. Her thumb turned white as she hit the alarm again. “What?” she questioned, catching Jason’s eye. “You can’t be too careful.”

  The street was still wet from the earlier rain. Valerie stepped carefully around the puddle, mindful of her Prada shoes. Directly above them the streetlight sparked and went out. “Fabulous,” the real estate agent muttered.

  The two of them walked to the door. It was covered with a roll cage, secured in place with a padlock and thick chain running through the handle. The padlock was rusty and the agent struggled to get the key to move. After a bit of twisting and her muttering “Come on, come on,” the chain finally fell free.

  Jason grabbed the cage and yanked it up, causing a sharp grinding noise that echoed in the street. Valerie glanced over her shoulder, her eyes darting around anxiously. Jason shoved the door all the way open with his shoulder and walked in, with
Valerie clinging to his elbow.

  After feeling around the wall, Jason found the light switch.

  The fluorescent lights above them flickered as they warmed up. Slowly, the empty warehouse brightened. Two rats, probably startled by the bloom of light, squeaked in the distance.

  Valerie squealed at the sound. Jason put his hand out to steady her. “Don’t worry. They’re more scared of you.”

  “They better be,” she said nervously. “I’ll spike my heel right through their skeevy hearts!”

  Jason’s gaze swept over the room. Newspapers littered the concrete floor. The air smelled musty and undisturbed. On the far wall, a row of shelves hung on vertical white spacers, a couple of them fallen at a diagonal. A door to the back indicated where the bathrooms were.

  He walked over to the front window and tipped the blinds to look outside. The window was large, covering nearly a third of the wall. Valerie read from her notes. “This window has been recently replaced.” Her lips pressed together as she read further. “A stray bullet took it out.” Then she smiled brightly. “The good news is…it’s now reinforced.”

  Jason laughed at her words. “See—there’s always a bright side.”

  He looked up the street. A paper cup blew along the grimy curb. The building across from him was tagged in graffiti, its windows boarded shut.

  Stepping back, he faced the agent. “It’s perfect.” He grinned. “I want it.”

  “Okay,” she faltered, flashing a glance around in an effort to figure out what he saw in the place. “You sure?”

  “Yep. The sooner the better.”

  “I’ll go write something up.”

  At the sound of rodents scurrying in the wall she flinched and added. “I know it’s just hit the market, but I’m sure we can get them to bargain.”

  “Do what you need to do, but I don’t want to lose it.” He jammed his hands in his pockets. “It’s exactly what I envisioned.”

  “Full price, then?” She looked sad at the thought.

  “Yeah, whatever it takes. Don’t low-ball them.”

  “Okay. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Valerie reached for her cell phone and whirled back out the door, racing to leave the building. Jason heard her car beep as she rushed towards it.

  Then, silence. The room was cold and his footsteps echoed. “Just you and me, baby,” Jason whispered to the empty interior. Rats squeaked again. “Sorry, and you guys too.” He walked the length of the building and examined the corners. He ran his hand down one of the walls. A soft laugh came out of him, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. Already the promise of what he wanted to build played in his mind, belying what was actually there. He could imagine a fridge and food prep station here, a call center there. A support center in the corner. What here? Maybe some emergency cots? Clothing over there, tables, maybe a few computers. How big could this go? He needed to get ahold of his lawyer to answer some questions. And churches, and maybe the police station, the firehouse, and Children’s Protective Services. The ideas began to overwhelm him. Jason grabbed his phone out of his pocket and did a quick search. He needed to find someone with some experience to show him the ropes.

  He knew exactly where he had to go.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Winter

  “So what are you doing for Christmas?” Dylan asked as they stood on her front porch. Miranda paused with one hand on the railing, trying to wiggle her foot into her high heel. “Confounded things,” she muttered.

  “You’re supposed to be dressed before I get here,” Dylan said dryly.

  Her eyes snapped at his. “What are you talking about? I am dressed. My strap slipped off my heel. Besides, where are you taking me? I told you my budget was tight this week.”

  “Why do you keep insisting on paying for stuff?”

  “Dylan, I’ve told you. That’s what friends do.”

  He rolled his eyes, waiting on the bottom step until she had her shoe situated. “So, your plans?”

  “Oh I don't know.” Miranda skipped down the step. “Probably the usual, Ham, eggnog, pecan pie.”

  “Mmm,” he nodded.

  “You?”

  “Mom makes a huge fuss if we don’t all go to her place at Martha’s Vineyard. She decorates it to the nines. It’s kind of intense.” His dimples flashed. “I thought you’d like to come?”

  Miranda climbed into the car, surprised. “Oh.” She pulled on her seatbelt and the car took off. Meet his family? “Wow, that’s nice of you to ask, but I couldn’t leave Cassie. I think we’re going to go hike around Rattlesnake Lake that weekend anyway.”

  “It’s almost a month away. Maybe you could wiggle it in? I bet Cassie could find somewhere else to go. After all it’s not every day you get asked to the Vineyard. I’d invite her too, but then what message would I be sending to the family? Everyone just invite your plus ones, twos, and threes?”

  The air between them went stagnant. Miranda opened her mouth, but at the surge of anger she didn’t trust herself to speak. He’d never understand that Cassie wasn’t a plus one or two, like some kind of burden. She rubbed her temple. Suddenly, this felt like it was going to be a long night.

  Traffic was busy for a Friday night, and they crept along. Sparkling lights hung from ornate poles along the main street.

  “The restaurant I’m taking you to is five star. The chef used to work at the Wolf Den. He’s just amazing.” Dylan shifted the car and reached over to rest his hand on Miranda’s knee. “You look gorgeous tonight, by the way.”

  “Thank you,” she said. He rubbed her leg. Miranda bit her lip and stared out the window.

  “So, what he can do with watercress and caviar is out of this world.” He stopped to let a few pedestrians cross at the crosswalk, all teenagers, ignoring the cars, dawdling. They laughed and joked with each other and met up with another group milling outside a storefront.

  Miranda was about to respond when her gaze caught the sign of the building. Runaway and homeless youth shelter. TECH Teenage Crisis Hope.

  She craned her head as Dylan drove past. Whoa…

  “What are you looking at?”

  “That crisis center.” She jerked her thumb in its direction. “Have you ever seen it there before?”

  He glanced in his rearview mirror. “Nope, can’t say I have. Just what we need, more homeless teens in the city.”

  Eyebrows arching, Miranda turned to him. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  At her tone, he realized his mistake. “No, it’s not that. It’s not like I don’t want to help them. But most homeless teens—you know.”

  “No, I don’t. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

  He sucked in a breath. “Listen, Miranda. Sorry if I sounded harsh. It’s just that my business has been vandalized a few times and always by teenagers. They’ve broken into the back room and partied, leaving their garbage everywhere. They’ve caused some real destruction.”

  Miranda deflated slightly at his words and faced forward. Calm down, no need to be defensive. “Okay, I see what you mean. It’s just that not every teen on the streets is there on purpose. It’s not exactly a glamorous lifestyle. Most of them don’t have a choice.”

  “Yeah, I feel bad for those with difficult lives.” He glanced at her again. “And I love that you care.”

  They passed another group of teens heading down the street, probably going to the same place. She looked down at her black beaded dress, her fingers gently drawing at one of the beads. How did I get here?

  “If it helps,” Dylan said, “I’ll be happy to have my company donate to that center. A charity starting up like that could probably use it.”

  “You’d do that?” Miranda asked.

  “Yeah. In fact I’ll text Denise right now to send a check for ten grand.” He flashed her a grin as he grabbed his phone. “What do you think?”

  Miranda smiled. “I think that would be amazing. Thanks, Dylan. That actually means a lot to me.”

  “Good.” At the stoplight
he quickly sent the text. “We should all try and help however we can.”

  “And I’m sorry for the vandalism at your warehouse.”

  “That cost me a pretty penny too.” He frowned. “I had to hire security to watch over the place.”

  “I’m sorry. Kids are selfish sometimes, but I still have a huge soft spot for them.” She picked at her nail. “I had a few weeks where I didn’t have any place to go. I didn’t like the taste of homelessness I got.”

  “Whoa, are you serious? Dylan shifted the car then glanced at her. “Wow, I’m sorry. You never told me before.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. I mostly just tried to forget it. I mean, it worked out. But those kids back there just as easily could have been me. People don’t see you when you’re homeless. It’s like you live in the Twilight Zone. They just pass you by.”

  “Yeah, but you got out of it. If they try hard enough, they can too.”

  Miranda frowned. “I didn’t get out of it. I struggled and starved and barely made it, and that was in the summer. I can’t imagine what it would have been like in the colder months. I just happened to meet a man who gave the three of us a helping hand.”

  “Three of you?”

  “Yeah. That’s how we met Jason.” A heaviness rolled over her. She hadn’t heard from him since his last dumb text asking if she was over her temper tantrum. Where is this emotion coming from? Let it go.

  Dylan’s lips narrowed at the sound of Jason’s name. “Too bad that guy never got it together like you did.”

  Miranda’s pulse sped up as heat rose in her face. “I’m sorry I brought him up, but I don’t want to hear anything bad spoken about him. He was there for me when no one else was.”

  “That’s what I like about you, Miranda. Your heart is pure. You see the best in people.”

  “I’m not seeing the best in him when I say that. I don’t think you understand. He saved our lives, more than once. Seriously, let’s not bring him up again.”