They tried, all of them tried but the weight was too much for them. Christopher and Hawk grabbed the plates of weights, slinging them aside to lessen the weight on the bar. When it reached an achievable level, they lifted the bar from the boy’s chest.
Hawk touched his neck and shook his head.
“Call an ambulance. And the coroner.”
CHAPTER THREE
“Sounds like you guys had an eventful day,” frowned Luke staring at the foursome over dinner.
“It was terrible,” said Ramey. “I’m not an expert but I’ve seen enough lifting in my day, both in the military and here, that you could tell there was way too much weight on the bar for that kid. But his friends just kept cheering him on like it was okay.”
“What was he lifting?” asked Rory.
“Benching. Easily four-eighty,” frowned Hawk.
“What the fuck? I’ve only seen Tailor and Alec push that much weight. What was that damn kid thinking?”
“He wasn’t thinking,” said Christopher, “and his so-called friends sure as fuck weren’t thinking about him. Half of them ran out of the gym before the ambulance arrived.”
“Hey,” said Code walking toward them with a nod. “I heard about what happened with you guys today and it might tie into our first appointment tomorrow.”
“Tie in how?” asked Cam.
“A father who wants to find his son’s former coach whom he believes fed his son steroids, pushing him so hard the kid is now in multiple organ failure and may die if he doesn’t get transplants.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” said Eric.
“I wish I were. They live in southern Wisconsin but he heard from a nurse at the hospital about us. Apparently the nurse was a former Army nurse. The son was a powerlifter and football player at a small junior college and the coach told his parents he was trying to get him ready to go to a Division I school.”
“I thought steroids were a thing of the past?” frowned Hex. “I mean, in the eighties and nineties, it seemed like everyone in powerlifting, bodybuilding, or football, was doing them. Then testing became more common and sophisticated. I mean, I’m not naïve. I know that this still happens but in junior college football?”
“I don’t know,” said Code. “But I do know they’re definitely still doing them. The problem is that the manufacturers have gotten better at masking them from the judges. These kids are so desperate to have a big money deal they’re willing to do anything.”
“But risk your life?” frowned Keegan shaking her head. “Nothing is worth risking your life for.”
“Well, not nothing,” smirked Hawk.
“You know what I mean, honey. I know that you all would risk your lives for us but this is different,” she said with a sad expression.
“Let’s see what the father has to say tomorrow. The problem we may run into is that if the parents are aware of this and allowing it, and the kids are testing negative for steroids, we may not be able to prove what’s happening,” said Cam.
“We have to try,” said Hawk. “After what I saw, I don’t think I can just let it go.”
“I’m available if you need me,” said Christopher, “but I’ll be working on some things with the SW team.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” said Luke. “We’ve got enough on the team available we should be good.”
Christopher nodded, then turned back to them, pulling a flyer from his pocket.
“I picked this up at the gym. It’s a national powerlifting competition coming to New Orleans. If I were a betting man, I’d bet our coach will be there with his team.”
While the Legacy team reviewed their current cases, Kate and Sophia Ann met with the father of the young man who was dying.
“Mr. Henderson? I’m Kate Dougall and this is Sophia Ann Bongard. Our husbands help to run the company.”
“Hello,” he said staring at them with red-rimmed eyes. He looked exhausted, completely worn out and stressed to a point of breaking. “Please just call me Graham.”
“Graham, I’m sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances,” said Kate.