PART THREE
Monday, May 31
Chapter Ten: The Rhythmic Cycle of Life
Three Turns Around and Taking Notes
Before I go further, it is time for you to complete your cycle. Stop reading and get started! I want you to complete the three-cycle history of your life. If you have not completed three cycles, chart your life to this point in time. If you have lived more than three cycles - four, even five - than do a thorough examination of your entire life’s experiences. We cannot proceed further until you have done that.
Use the diagram below.
It should take you several hours or days, perhaps even weeks, to complete the chart. Be painfully honest. Don’t neglect memories. Put everything down. If you find something in the second or third cycle that is unique, stop and think how it connects to previous events. Your successes, moods, failures, luck, drive, misfortunes, adventures, conformity, confidence. They are all tied together. They are circular. They have come and gone over a twelve-year period just like the cycles of the moon over a one-month period. Or the sun over a twenty-four hour period. Everything going round and round, following a path charted by some invisible hand, controlling your destiny.
One more thing. While you’re doing this, look around. Listen to the news. Read articles and reports. You will begin to discover the twelve-year cycle everywhere. In the lives of public figures. Movie stars. Relationships. Begin looking, and you will find it everywhere.
Inserting Free Will into the Equation.
One of the great attributes that we humans possess is the ability to evaluate past behavior. I don’t know whether we are unique in that regard, or whether it exists elsewhere in the animal kingdom. It does not matter. The important thing is that we possess it.
The other thing we have in spades is free will. The ability to do, or not do, a particular thing. We can choose to accept or reject a job. To pursue or discard a lover. To accept hard times or walk away from them. To build something by ourselves, or with a mate, or within a community, or all three.
That free will also enables us to repeat actions, or to consciously avoid them. Combined with our capacity to evaluate our past behavior, we can chart a course in life that avoids past mistakes or magnifies past successes. We can duplicate or triplicate our past experiences, and we can also avoid repeating them. We can chart a new course. A different course. A better course.
In effect, you can create your own destiny. You can put in motion a sequence of actions that go beyond your own behavior. You can change the course of events. You. And I am going to show you how to do it.
We are now at the point where we know the cycle of our own life. We know our rhythm. We can look behind and we can look ahead. We know where the high notes are going to be, as well as the low notes.
So what are we going to do about it? There are several options. One is to do nothing. Another is to actively work to accentuate the high notes and eliminate the low ones. And the third option is to take a radical approach. Demolish the past! Build the new future!
I have tried all three of these options. And I have concluded the smartest of the three choices is the third option. Let me explain.
There are certainly times when we should avoid action. After all, action and inaction are equally potent forces. Indeed, attaining wisdom is knowing when it is sensible to act, to react, or just stand in place.
When is it appropriate to do nothing? I would answer by saying it is appropriate to do nothing when you know you are in store for better times or when you know that the bad times ahead are not strong enough to topple you, or might even open the door to a favorable outcome. You know this from experience, from the rhythm of your life. If you agree with me that your life is a series of cycles, then you have the foresight to know when it is in your own best interest to just hang in there.
But sometimes you have to act, even if that means breaking rules. Be bold. Right the wrongs of the past.
I believe that cycles define our lives. I believe in free will. But I also believe in fate. If this sounds contradictory, I suppose it is. Life is complex. Life is also simple. So maybe contradiction abounds in our lives. Or maybe it does not. I have no answer to these things. Philosophers have debated these points for centuries. All of this leads me back to my initial point: Take the aggressive, assertive, active route. Radically alter your life. Take a course of action that allows you to heighten benefits and minimize problems without losing your sense of self. Do not be afraid to love. If need be, do not be afraid to kill.
Chapter Eleven: Morning
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
IN 1868, U.S. Gen. John A. Logan designated a day to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers. It was called Decoration Day. “If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us,” Logan wrote in General Order No. 11. Since passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971, Memorial Day has been celebrated on the last Monday in May.
On this Memorial Day, in Washington, sparse crowds gathered on the Mall, at the World War II Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. Others went to Arlington National Cemetery to see field upon field of white gravestones accentuated by lush green grass, each with an American flag planted next to it, the result of loving acts of labor by families and volunteers. And at cemeteries around the country, flags were planted at graves commemorating the veterans of war.
Throughout the holiday weekend, tributes were made to those who died in war. Mixed in with those statements were expressions of thanks to those who died in another kind of combat, namely fighting to care for the victims of COVID-19. Doctors, nurses, and hospital workers all received praise. Also among those recognized were men and women who worked throughout the pandemic to feed the nation, including farmers, truckers, and grocery store workers.
Finally, emphasis was placed upon patriotism. Photos and videos of the U.S. flag used as a battering ram to breach the U.S. Capitol had left a searing image in the minds of Americans. Peaceful dissent was one thing, but January 6 had crossed the line into the unimaginable and the unacceptable. Everywhere, people paid humble allegiance to the fact that liberty was a precious commodity, easily extinguished by a violent mob.
**
KATZ ASKED Santana and Lin to join him in his office. If his request interfered with Lin’s schedule for her two-year old, she didn’t say anything. She and Santana both knew Katz would not be calling a meeting on a holiday unless it was important. Something was brewing.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” Katz said, “but I have very serious reservations about whether Phil Landry was inside that van at Roaches Run.”
“I tend to agree,” said Santana. “I can’t understand why Landry would panic and kill himself. He’s talked his way out of worse situations in the past.”
Lin was never one to subscribe to herd mentality. Yet, in this instance, she also agreed with Katz’s analysis. “I haven’t seen any evidence against Landry that suggests he had to kill himself to avoid prosecution,” she said. “There was a dust-up about H-Pack backpacks down at Lafayette Square, but that turned out to be a bust. And we all know that there’s no truth to the media stories linking Landry and Spates.”
“Spates was under intense scrutiny for weeks,” Santana reminded the others. “If he had been dealing with Landry, it would have come to our attention.” He paused. “Which reminds me,” he resumed. “There are some interesting developments in the murder of the other accomplice, Morley. They found gunpowder residue around the wound, leading to speculation that a gun discharged inadvertently during a tussle.”
“No surprise there,” Katz said. “It’s been my surmise all along. Spates flashed a gun and Morley tried to grab it, or vice versa. Either way, they fell to the ground and scuffled. The gun went off and a bullet lodged in Morle
y’s skull.”
“Hey,” Lin interjected, “maybe it was Spates inside the van.” Katz and Santana reacted with cautious surprise. “I mean, he hasn’t been found yet, has he?”
“Nah, that’s too crazy,” Santana said.
“Has the body at Roaches Run been ID’d yet?” Katz asked.
“No, it was blown to shit, so it’ll take time,” Santana said.
“Just enough time for Landry to slip away across the border,” Lin said. “A diversionary tactic. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?”
Katz thought for a minute, then said, “That might not be so crazy. I might have seen Landry yesterday at Gravelly Point. I had a sense something wasn’t right when I arrived at Roaches Run, so I went to higher ground at the aquatic center,” Katz explained. “From there, I had a panoramic view from the river to the waterfowl sanctuary. I saw a guy in a hoodie with binoculars and a laptop. It could have been Landry.”
“Have you told Stone?” asked Santana.
“I mentioned it to her that afternoon. We haven’t had much of an opportunity to connect since then.”
“She’s working on her own theory of the case,” Lin said. She exchanged a glance with Santana. This had become standard operating procedure between Katz and Stone. Whether it was the case at Jones Point or Slaters Lane, they each pursued their own theory of a case and then joined forces when the moment was right. “It is curious that no one actually saw Landry inside the van,” Santana said. “In fact, no one actually spoke to him. All of the communications were done by text.”
“There’s something else,” Katz said. “Landry knew that Stone was positioning a pair of agents at Roaches Run, but he never moved the van. I think it’s odd. I can’t believe it didn’t occur to him.”
Santana guffawed, but added: “I’ll inquire about the ID of the vic.”
Katz turned to Lin. “I read there were books confiscated from some of the H-Pack backpacks. Is that true?”
“Yeah, it’s what’s been reported.”
“Why would someone be carting around books during a holiday weekend in D.C.?” Katz asked. “Could a backpack filled with books be used as a prop to simulate something else, like a bomb? I mean, it’s heavy and bulky. Can you see what you can learn about the people who were carrying those particular backpacks?
“It’s just a hunch, but maybe the people carrying those books were the ones Landry enlisted. If we look into it a little deeper, we might be able to figure out their identities. Maybe some of the books were taken from a library, or maybe there’s an inscription on some of them. And it’s not unusual for people to leave photos, letters, or other papers inside of books, sometimes as book markers or keepsakes. Maybe it’s a dead end, but I’d like to do it.”
“Whatever,” Lin shrugged. “I just think it’s a waste of time. Sherry told me there wasn’t sufficient reason to hold those people.”
“When did she say that?”
“When I called her yesterday. After you asked me to reach her.”
“This whole thing is more than a little puzzling,” Katz said. “I’d like us to poke around a little and see if we can figure things out, that’s all. I’m going to drive down to Roaches Run and take another look.”
**
KATZ RETRACED his steps.
He drove along the parkway north of Old Town and pulled into the parking area at Gravelly Point. A few television trucks remained, their antennas pointed to the sky as though tracking alien spaceships. As he got out of his car, he glanced across the Potomac at the arrow-shaped Washington Monument, pointing, like the hand of a clock, at twelve o’clock.
The lot was scattered with empty vehicles belonging to the joggers, strollers, and bicyclists who used the path along the river. A small crowd was also there to watch the bellies of the commercial airliners that flew overhead before they touched down on the tarmac, their engines roaring as thick tires hit the runway.
A plane was making its descent. Katz glanced up. He then glanced at the bluff where he’d stood yesterday. Had he seen Landry here or had it been someone else?
He looked around for clues, but found none. In truth, he didn’t know what he was seeking. He simply hoped that being here would trigger something in his mind about the case. But that didn’t happen.
He returned to his car, took the ramp onto I-395 south, stayed to the right and swooped down the ramp to the southbound lanes of the parkway.
A quarter of a mile later, he turned into Roaches Run. The entrance was cordoned off in yellow tape. Two officers stood in front of the tape. Katz pulled up to the apron and flashed his badge. He lowered his window. “How’s it going?”
“All good, sir,” replied the officer. “They’re still collecting material strewn about the scene. That cloudburst yesterday slowed everything down.” The other officer raised the tape and pointed for Katz to park along the perimeter.
Katz parked and headed over to the burned-out hulk of the van. The explosion decimated the inside of the vehicle. The windows and doors were blown out, the metal frame was distorted, and a portion of the roof was gone. He watched a forensic team sift through debris. A large map of Roaches Run posted at the site indicated the location of all of the items recovered from the van. According to the map, a cell phone was recovered about 20 yards from the wreckage.
Katz circled Roaches Run three times. Familiarize yourself with a crime scene and you’ll see things that you might otherwise miss. Santana told him that. As he walked around, Katz noticed that security was porous. He also realized that the phone was a significant distance from the van.
He went to his car and retrieved his tablet. He then sat in a chair under a blue tent near the van. Katz tapped on the search engine. He started pulling threads. Mann’s interview with Lowenstein was on his mind, particularly the allegations linking Landry to the assault of Ruth Hammond.
Katz found it odd that the story surfaced at this point in time. Was it coincidence? He initiated his search by keying in the name Ruth Hammond. To his surprise, the first article that appeared featured the author Henry David McLuhan.
Author Addresses Convention in Baltimore
https://McLuhan>author>disability>donation
April 1, 2015 — Renowned author Henry David McLuhan announced today that he donated all of the profits from his best-selling self-help book to a Virginia-based charity, “Restore Our Dignity.”
The charity was created by the family of Ruth Hammond, the victim of a brutal unsolved assault that occurred in Crystal City in 2013.
Hammond, 30, suffered permanent brain damage after she was repeatedly kicked in the head in a parking garage of an office building in Arlington County.
McLuhan is the author of the wildly successful “The Rhythmic Cycle of Life,” which has been on the bestseller list for over three years. It joins “The Road Less Traveled” as one of the most popular self-help books of all time.
The premise of “Rhythmic Cycle” is that life repeats itself and that people can identify and prevent destructive behaviors from reoccurring, sometimes by taking bold action to prevent cycles from repeating themselves.
There was no photo of McLuhan, but there was one of Hammond. Katz studied the image. It looked familiar. He continued his search.
Charity Created to Honor Victims of Abuse
https://disability>donation>Hammond>RestoreOurDignity.org
May 17, 2014 — The family of Ruth Hammond has created a $1 million charitable organization, “Restore Our Dignity,” to assist the victims of physical and sexual abuse.
Hammond was the victim of a brutal unsolved assault that occurred last year in Arlington County.
“We honor the valiant efforts of women and men who are victimized by predators,” announced the family in a statement.
“These victims are often left with permanent physical and mental health injuries, and we must assist them to live productive lives after their growth and development has been stunted by abuse,” according to the family statement.
In Ha
mmond’s case, her attacker stomped her face, head, and body with multiple, forceful blows, resulting in permanent injuries to her legs, shoulders, and brain.
Brutal Assault Goes Cold in Arlington County
https://crime>assault>Hammond>CrystalCity
March 4, 2014 — It has been six months since Ruth Hammond was discovered in the garage of her Crystal City office building lying face down in a heap of blood with a fractured skull, broken limbs, and bruised skin.
“We’ve exhausted all leads,” the Arlington County Police Department announced today at a press conference suspending its investigation.
“We continue to ask the public to assist us in solving this hideous crime,” said the department’s spokesman. “A predator is stalking our streets, and our community will not be safe until that individual is identified and brought to justice.”
According to the police, the attack appeared to be random and undertaken without any advance planning.
“She was simply the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said one investigator.
Crime Report: Woman Attacked in Crystal City Garage
https://crime>assault>Hammond
October 7, 2013 — Ruth Hammond, a graduate school research assistant, was savagely beaten last night in a parking garage of an office building on Crystal Drive in Arlington.
Hammond, 28, was reportedly going to her car around 8 p.m. when she was attacked and robbed.
Her purse and wallet were missing, along with her car keys, according to police.
She sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, broken wrist, knee, and ribs, and facial injuries.
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