Before turning the tape over, John wanted to make sure it was completely worth it. He backed up some slowed down the video and played.
It went by fast.
Was he mistaken?
Rewind.
John peered closer.
There it was again.
Fast acting, John rewound and when it go to the portion of the tape he paused it.
The kids and Jenny were so engrossed in the field trip, they didn’t notice. No one would. But there it was, or rather he was. Seconds before the explosion he walked out of Joe’s office.
Walked out.
Boom.
But who?
On the pause John could see the figure. Jenny partially blocked, but it was a good enough freeze frame to zoom in. And John did. When he brought the image closer, he couldn’t believe who he saw. John quickly shut off the tape, grabbed the camera and took off from his home.
****
Even through Darrell’s bed was in an upright position, Darrell’s head lumped to the left and he snored.
“Great.” Robbie mumbled.
“Problem?” Melissa peeked her head in.
“You said he was waking.”
“He was. Did you call his name?”
“No.”
“Try it.” Melissa suggested then left.
Robbie stood at Darrell’s bedside. “Darrell.” He called. “Darrell.”
Nothing.
A few attempts later, Robbie gave up. Just as he started to leave, Darrell groaned and Robbie rushed to the bed side.
“Robbie.” Darrell weakly called.
“Hey, how are you?”
Darrell nodded.
“I can’t believe you’re wake.
“Joe.”
Robbie closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, he … he didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Robbie nodded. “Darrell you were there. Did you see someone? Did someone come into the office?”
Darrell nodded.
“Who?”
He passed out. Head dropping, eyes closed, Darrell passed out. But not before saying one word. One name. On surprising name of the person who was with Joe and who may have caused the explosion.
****
He had heard Frank was back in his office and that was where John Matoose headed. He stopped end route to adjust the camera and the position on the tape. John pretty much high tailed it to Frank’s office, running most of the way.
He moved with a rush to the door and stopped only because Robbie, moved with the same haste.
“Hey, Robbie.”
“Hey, John. My brother in there.”
“That’s what I heard.” John knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Frank yelled.
“Do you mind if I talk to him first?” Robbie asked. “This is important.”
“This is too, Robbie.”
“No, this is about my dad’s murder.”
“This … this is too, Robbie.” John opened the door.
Frank was setting down folders when both Robbie and John walked in. “What’s up guys?”
Robbie looked at John first, and then spoke. “We both are here for the same reason. But I got news and so does John.”
“About?”
“Dad’s death.”
Frank titled his head. “Go ahead.”
“Can I?” John asked. “Please.”
With a fine, Robbie held out his hand.
“Here,” John pulled out the camera. He turned it on and handed it to Frank. “Watch through the viewer.”
“What is it?” Frank asked.
“Davey Littles filmed that day. In fact, he brought the camera over to give back to Jenny. I watched. He filmed the whole thing Frank, down to the explosion.”
Frank blindly reached for a chair and sat down. Robbie rushed to stand behind him.
John continued as he positioned behind Frank. “Press play.”
Frank did. “Fuck.” He said when he saw the explosion.
“Yeah, but that’s not all,” John said reaching over Frank’s shoulder. “I’m gonna play this in slow motion. Watch your dad’s door. You can barely see it, Jenny stands in the way. But for a split second... just watch.” John pressed slow play.
Frank and Robbie walked.
Frank nearly stood from his seat. “Holy shit. Is that someone coming from my dad’s office?”
“Not just some one,” John said, reaching again and rewinding. He played. Stopped. “Ready?” he waited for Frank to nod and he zoomed in. “Look.”
“Oh my god,” Frank said.
“Clear as day,” John commented. "Can you believe this shit?”
Robbie ran his hand over his own mouth. “This is exactly why I came here. Exactly. We came with the same news.”
Frank looked over his shoulder at Robbie. “What do you mean?”
“Darrell woke up,” Robbie said. “He wasn’t conscious long, but he was conscious long enough to tell me one word. A name. The name of the person in Dad’s office.” Robbie pointed to the screen.
Frank’s eyes went from Robbie to John to the screen. He rewound the tape and played it in slow motion, pausing on the one frame. With a reality zooming in, and a heavy sigh, the camera fell to his lap with the screen side up. The image of the person was in view. It was crystal clear who the person was. Frank looked down to the image and mumbled out in defeat. “Dean.”
<><><><>
CONSIGNING FATE
Beginnings Series Book 23
PROLOGUE
December 8th
His office was a tent. Even though they had moved south, the air was cold and a light snow fell. The sounds of gunfire rocketed in the distance, and with each blast, a dead chill went through Joe Slagel.
He warmed his hands over the pot belly stove and poured the last contents of the coffee into his cup.
It wasn’t going to be long, not at all. Those who remained were secure and underground in Mexico. There was no other alternative.
Joe went back to his desk. His body ached, head hurt, and he had smoked his last cigarette. He, too, would be leaving and joining the others, but did it make a difference? Would anything he had done made a difference? Swallowing a hard reality, eyes watering, he peered down to the fresh notice on his desk. The simple letter sent by field messenger that Robbie had been killed in action.
The static hiss of the radio brought him from his stare of the tragic news.
“Joe, come in,” the male voice said.
Joe picked up the radio. “Yeah, Dan.”
“It’s a shell. Everything that remained, that we could, we moved to the cryo tunnels. We did as much as we could with just the eight of us. Over.”
“I understand. Hopefully … hopefully when this is all said and done, we can go back and rebuild.”
“Hopefully. We got them in scope, Joe, about thirty miles out. Close.”
“Then you know what you need to do, get out of there.”
“Roger that, Joe. Good luck.”
“Same. Out.” Joe put down the radio. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He needed a minute before he got in the jeep and left. Just a minute to himself.
He felt the cold air enter before the voice called out to him.
“Joe.”
Joe looked up. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the others?”
“Not me, Joe.” He stepped closer. “You know who I am, don’t you.”
Joe stared for a few seconds, long and hard. “You.”
“Again.” He nodded. “Joe, I thought … I thought it would work.”
“I did, too.”
“But truth be known, Joe. You made some bad decisions. You didn’t think they’d be bad, but they were.”
“I made human decisions,” Joe said. “Human.”
“And you and I both know you’d do it again if you had the chance to do it over.”
“I based it on what I saw. Anyone would have.”
He shook his
head. “Not anyone.”
Joe closed his eyes briefly. “Why are you here, again? At this point …”
“It’s not over, Joe. Not completely. I think you know what needs to be done. None of this had to happen.”
“What are you saying?” Joe asked.
“It’s time, Joe, to make a decision.” He paused. “The ultimate decision.”
On that, Joe peered up with a heavy sigh.
CHAPTER ONE
Eight Months Earlier …
BEGINNINGS MONTANA
March 26th
Feeling the impact of a bullet was nothing compared to the impact of the news Frank Slagel received. It was as if he lost all neurological control for a second. His hands fell, he dropped the video camera, and his body seemed to absorb in to the chair.
He never would have imagined that one of the first things he’d face as leader would be the evidence presented to him.
As a son, he wanted nothing more than to see the man or woman who was responsible for his father’s death, caught. See them pay for what they did. But as a leader, the facts were important, and was what he witnessed fact?
It didn’t make sense.
When he mustered his wits about him and lost the shock, Frank lifted the camera, placed it on his desk, and stood.
“Fuck,” he blurted out in frustration, then said the word less harsh. “Fuck.” A deep breath and Frank sat back down in the chair, running his hand across the bridge of his nose and down his goatee.
John Matoose, reached for the camera, and Frank’s hand came down stopping him. “Don’t take it.”
“I ... I wasn’t going to,” John said. “I was just rewinding.”
Frank nodded.
Robbie, who was in the office, walked to the door. “I’ll go pull him in.”
“Wait,” Frank called out. “Get back here.”
“What?” Robbie asked shocked. “What am I waiting for?”
“Excuse me, Frank,” John said. “I ... I’d like to know that, too.”
“This isn’t right. It doesn’t feel right.”
Robbie looked at John, then to Frank. “Darrell woke up. Darrell said….”
“I know what he said,” Frank replied.
“He was there, Frank. Right there when Dad died. He saw who was in the office.”
John added. “And the video tape, Frank. It shows …”
“I know what it shows.”
Robbie huffed. “I know he is your friend, Frank but you can’t refute the evidence.”
“What evidence?” Frank asked hard.
“You’re fuckin’ nuts,” Robbie waved out his hands. “Why are you denying this?”
“Why are you so quick to assume?”
“Assume?” Robbie asked with a laugh. “He was in the office. Darrell saw him, the tape shows him leaving.”
“And that gives us what?” Frank asked hard.
John answered “It gives us enough to bring him in, Frank. Get him out of the community circulation.”
“But it doesn't give us a motive,” Frank said. “What reason would Dean have to kill Dad? What reason?”
Robbie and John didn’t answer.
Robbie tossed his hand up. “I don’t know. To stop your wedding.”
“Fucking bullshit and you know it. Dean doesn’t have a reason. That’s why I don’t buy it,” Frank said with a shake of his head. “Not at all. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I give up!” Robbie barked. “I give up. This was our father, Frank. Our father. What the fuck. You have visual evidence and testimony.”
Frank stood. “Of what!”
John tried to intervene, holding out his hands. “Frank. Robbie. If we can calm down. I understand where you’re coming from, Robbie. I do. I’m with you. But getting angry right now isn’t going to get us anywhere. Frank…” John faced Frank. “Tell me why you don’t think this is evidence enough to bring him in.”
“First, we have Darrell saying what? What did Darrell say?” Frank asked.
Robbie, irritated, huffed out, “I asked if anyone was in the room with Dad. He said yes. Dean.”
Frank nodded. “And we have Dean on video coming out of the office.”
Robbie threw out his hand. “You’re only making my case here, Frank. Yes. Dean was in the office right before Dad was killed. Right before the explosion.”
Frank nodded. “And that proves Dean planted the device? We have no evidence that Dean brought in the explosive. We have no evidence that it wasn’t there when Dad arrived. We don’t know. If we had a motive, we’d have enough to go on. But we don’t.”
Robbie asked. “Are you saying this because you really want more evidence or because you don’t want to believe Dean did it?”
“I don’t believe Dean did it. I don’t feel it. Dean loved our father, Robbie, come on. It doesn’t make sense. And you and I both know, Dean is the fucking pawn over and over in set ups.”
John watched. Robbie nodded, and it made sense to John as well. “What do you want us to do?” John asked. “What do you need?”
Robbie in defeat, nodded as well. “What do you need?”
Frank looked at his watch. “Meet back here in an hour and a half. Both of you. We’ll have a meeting. In the meantime, Robbie, did you pull any prints off the remains of the C-4 container.”
“Not yet,” Robbie replied.
“Then get on that. If there’s a Dean print, I’ll get him myself,” Frank said.
“I’ll get on that now, Frank.” Robbie said.
“John, I want you on Darrell, twenty-four seven if you have to be, I want you there when he groans to try to get an answer. I’ll contact Ryder about having you here.”
“Right away, Frank.” John stood and walked to the door.
Frank watched them both getting ready to leave. “And, the lid is on this. No one knows anything about hits. The video or what Darrell said. Not until we get more. Clear?” When he saw he had both of their understanding, Frank said. “I don’t need a leak and a lynch mob hanging Dean in the center of Beginnings. You know that’s what will happen.”
John nodded and was the first to leave.
Then Robbie began his exit. He stopped at the door. “I’m sorry, Frank I got so pissed.”
“No,” Frank shook his head “I understand little brother, I do. I want the killer found. But I want it to be the killer.”
“And are you willing to accept it if it is Dean?”
“Absolutely,” Frank said.
Robbie gave a single nod. “See ya in a little bit.”
Frank prepared to sit back down, but just as he did, the door reopened and Robbie poked his head in.
“Oh, hey,” Robbie snapped his finger. “Before I forget. Andrea is talking to Dad’s ghost.”
“Thanks Robbie. We can use that as well,” Frank said. “He might have the answers.”
Robbie grinned. “You’re funny.” And closed the door.
“That’s if Dad will talk,” Frank mumbled to himself, then paused. His eyes widened almost in revelation, then he shook his head. “What the fuck am I saying?” After a grumble over his own temporary dive back into an old Frank mode, Frank regained his composure, and picked up the phone.
<><><><>
Hal would never admit it. Never. In fact, if asked, he’d flat out deny it. But if truth be known, there’s was something obscurely enjoyable about the audio version of Frank’s book.
Frank’s Day Out, was Beginnings number one best seller. Then again, it was really the only new book out. That would change soon.
The odd little children’s novel was enjoyed by both grownups and kids. Hal was a bit shocked when he read it to discover that the children’s book had the word ‘fuck’ in it. It didn’t surprise him that Frank used the word 'fuck’ but it surprised Hal that Jenny allowed it in a book that kids would read. After all, she was in charge of the education system.
But Jenny said, it was a reality based book, and the kids had to face reality.
&nb
sp; Hal did enjoy the book, it made him chuckle. But it was nothing compared to the audio version. He listened to that in the truck on his way back to Bowman. It probably wouldn’t have been as funny if Frank read it, but hearing Ben from Fabric’s rendition and imitation of Frank, had Hal in stitches.
He actually contemplated going to see Ben’s live performance at Hoi-Hoi on the Range.
Pulling into New Bowman following his meeting with Frank, Hal was pleased to see things running normally. They seemed to slow down after his father died. People had no ambition whatsoever to do anything.
But they were back on the horse both literally and proverbially.
Elliot Ryder was walking down the street toward the main office building when Hal pulled to the curb.
Elliott stopped, waved, and waited for Hal to disembark from the truck.
“Captain,” he extended a hand. “You’re back early.”
“It was brief. For some reasons, the meetings aren’t the same without my father,” Hal said.
“Well, as I had said, the chemistry and combination of Frank and Mr. Slagel made for drawn out meetings. Have you initiated my plan?”
“The plan to irritate Frank into being Frank?”
“Yes.”
“No. Not yet. I’m working on it.”
“How did the meeting go?”
“Very well. I am the Vice President now.”
Elliot smiled and shook Hal’s hand. “Congratulations.”
Hal responded first with a ‘hmm’, “That remains to be seen.” He grinned and stopped when his phone rang. “Captain Slagel,” he answered. “Yes, Frank.” Hal looked at his watch. “I just returned. Really? Then absolutely. We’ll be there.” He hung up.
“Everything OK?”
“I don’t know,” Hal said, staring at the phone. “Frank needs us in Beginnings in an hour and a half.”
“Both of us?”
“Both.”
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