The Columbus Code by Mike Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

movies and television shows, and if she asked, “How do you feel about that?” one more time, he would seriously—
    Like
that
was going to get him back to work. He chomped at the inside of his mouth and surveyed her across the short space between his chair and hers. At least she didn’t have a couch in here.
    Archer tapped her pen on the pad that lay in her lap. “Do you realize that we’ve been at this for two months—”
    â€œOh, yeah,” he said, nodding. “I’m well aware of that.”
    â€œâ€”and we haven’t made what I would consider any measurable progress?”
    â€œI feel fine.”
    â€œI don’t.” She took off the glasses and parked them on top of her head. Winters could never figure out why she did that. “Jim Rebhorn was right to ask me to take you on. The kind of trauma you underwent can change a person—”
    â€œI was captured,” Winters defended, “and our people rescued me—”
    â€œNot before your captors held a knife to your throat and threatened to slash it—”
    â€œBut they didn’t.”
    â€œAnd yet the nightmares continue.” Archer put her glasses back on. “The last thing Jim needs is an agent trying to deal with emotional pain on the job and failing at both.”
    Winters shifted in the chair. “So you’ve said.”
    â€œAnd I’ll keep saying it. Your return to active duty is subject to my approval and so far, I’m not seeing much effort from you to get it.”
    He hated throwing her even so much as a crumb, but she was right. He would return to work when she said so. His supervisor, Jim Rebhorn, had made that abundantly clear each time Winters had called him, which was every week since the first “episode.” The last time, Rebhorn hadn’t answered at all. “I did one thing you suggested,” he said.
    â€œAnd what was that?”
    â€œI took up a hobby. A ‘calming hobby.’”
    â€œSkydiving?”
    â€œCut me some slack here, Doc. I’m not that crazy.”
    â€œThen what hobby did you find?”
    â€œI’m researching my genealogy.”
    She seemed surprised. “You’re kidding.”
    â€œYou don’t approve.”
    â€œI don’t disapprove. I just expected something else. Golf, maybe. Or tennis. Not genealogy. Where did that come from?”
    Winters crossed his legs. Now he might be getting somewhere. “My mother believed we’re direct descendants of Christopher Columbus.”
    Archer had a skeptical expression. “Is this a joke?”
    â€œShe didn’t think so.”
    â€œBut do you?”
    Winters shook his head. “Actually, I’m finding out some pretty interesting stuff. Did you know, for instance—”
    â€œJohn.” Her face was sober.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI told you to find something to soothe your nerves—so you can face the issues you have to confront to get well. Have you had any more episodes?”
    â€œI had another
dream
when I was in Maryland.”
    â€œUnderstandable. Your mother’s death was yet another stressor. Was it about the raid?”
    â€œThe dream?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYeah.” Winters nodded. “It was about the raid.”
    â€œHow far into it did you get?”
    â€œNot far.”
    Winters stood, walked to the window, and looked down at the Mission District. It was a peculiar location for a psychiatrist’s office. Behind him, Archer waited patiently. “Look,” Winters said finally, “I know what happened that day.”
    â€œAnd it wasn’t what you wanted to happen.”
    â€œIt wasn’t what
should
have happened. But stuff like that does go down. You move on.”
    â€œAnd that would account for the breakdown you had in your supervisor’s office.”
    â€œI didn’t have a breakdown.”
    â€œYou shoved everything off the man’s