Stolen Liberty: Behind the Curtain

by Thomas A. Watson

  She loved the rest of the group but those four with Mom and Pop, she looked at them as her family. Her parents visited once a year and she took the kids to see them in Florida once a year, but the four were here all the time. Just visiting, following the kids in activities, working on the house or her car. Hell, Kristi saw them more in a month than she saw her younger sister Tabitha in a year, and Tabitha lived in Chicago.

  Stepping outside, she saw Clark and Emily charging Cody as he climbed out of his 1966 red Camaro. When his feet hit the ground, the kids latched on, hugging him. “Uncle Cody!” they cried out, squeezing him.

  “Hey guys,” he smiled, hugging them. Kristi walked down the steps, shaking her head while looking at Cody. He was thirty now and still had the young face of a kid. It didn’t help that he wasn’t much taller than her with a slight build that accentuated his child-like face. She had known him for more than a decade and still couldn’t believe he was thirty. Unlike the others, she didn’t know Cody until he came over with Randy that first time. Cody had been assigned to the unit while it was in Afghanistan.

  Walking off the porch and heading over, she watched Cody release the kids and move to his trunk, pulling out a present and his suitcase. “Cody, I’m so proud of you!” Kristi cried out and broke into a run. She hugged him tight. “You listened and only got one present.”

  “Well, uh, Kristi, I couldn’t fit the rest in because I’m heading back with Randy, his dad needs me,” Cody stuttered. “Um, Charlie has the others.”

  She released him as a big quad cab truck pulled up. Kristi turned and her mouth fell open, seeing the bed was covered with a tarp. “Told you she would get pissed because we bought them a swimming pool,” Robbie mumbled, walking down the steps.

  “I still say, we don’t let Kristi know we bought Emily a four-wheeler until they come up to the retreat,” Randy suggested again.

  “We got Clark one when he was twelve,” Robbie objected.

  Walking across the yard, Randy nodded. “I know, I’m just saying. I already have a lecture coming if the routine doesn’t work. I don’t want it to last all day. She acts like we are spoiling them rotten.”

  “They need this stuff,” Robbie protested throwing his hook up in the air.

  Randy smiled. “I know and when we get them, Kristi’s lectures aren’t as bad as Momma’s.”

  “I want to crawl under a rock when Mom lectures,” Robbie huffed.

  “Tell me about it,” Randy chuckled as they reached Cody. They both hugged him as the kids and Kristi met Charlie, hugging him.

  Cody looked at them grinning, “Guess I get a lecture,” he said.

  “Well, you can join me for mine if the routine doesn’t work,” Randy laughed.

  “No way, I took mine alone,” Robbie snapped with a grin.

  Putting his arm over Cody’s shoulders, Randy led him over to Charlie as he talked to Kristi and the kids. “So, what’s this I hear about you typing up legal mumbo jumbo?” Randy asked. “You thinking of becoming a lawyer?”

  “No,” Cody said with a serious face. “I couldn’t even pronounce the words I was typing. Charlie’s secretary was sick and he asked if I could do it.”

  Randy and Robbie walked with Cody between them. They knew, like Lena and Oliver, Cody loved the feeling of being needed. They paid him, forcibly most of the time, as they made up jobs for him to do to help out. Each did their best to make Cody feel indispensable.

  “How much longer you got on your degree?” Robbie asked.

  “One more semester,” Cody grinned. The guys had finally talked Cody into getting a computer programing degree online. It took some effort, but they all told him it would help them out tremendously. He loved computers and had one at each of their houses. That’s why the guys bugged him to take computer courses. Cody didn’t like being away from them and online courses were a Godsend. They wanted to make sure, if something happened to them, Cody would be able to survive.

  They reached Charlie’s truck as he knelt beside Emily. “One of the presents is for you and Clark,” Charlie told them and both kids’ eyes grew big as they slowly turned their gaze to the truck.

  “Charlie, I’m going to punch you,” Kristi said with a flat voice.

  “Glad we voted him to bring the pool,” Robbie whispered to Randy.

  Nodding, Randy glanced at Robbie. “After I brought that eighty-inch TV last year, I knew I wasn’t bringing it,” Randy said in a low voice.

  Passing Kristi, Randy walked over, wrapping his arms around Charlie. “Brother,” he said, squeezing tight. “I haven’t got my lecture, so you can join Cody and me in the kitchen. That way, Kristi can get all three out at one time.”

  Releasing Randy, Charlie hugged Robbie. “You would think Robbie would quit getting here first, so he wouldn’t take his lecture alone,” Charlie said. “Kids, will you carry the presents in the backseat inside for me?” The kids took off, grabbing presents and running inside.

  “Nah,” Robbie chuckled, letting Charlie go. “Kristi’s lectures, when she first wakes up, aren’t that bad.”

  Charlie looked from Randy and then to Cody. “I’m getting here earlier then,” Charlie concluded.

  Seeing Kristi taking a deep breath and narrowing her eyes, Randy moved up beside her. “Kristi, I hate to ask but, I skipped breakfast. Can I get something to eat? I’ll take a bowl of cereal. I’m really starving.”

  Shock hit her and the anger left Kristi’s face. “Randy, I’ll fix you some breakfast. You’re not eating cereal,” she gasped. Kristi turned and patted the side of Charlie’s scarred face, then headed to the house.

  “Kristi, can I get something to eat?” Cody asked with a pleading look.

  “Charlie, are you starving him?” Kristi asked, spinning around.

  “No, he eats more than I do,” Charlie grinned. “But we forgot to go grocery shopping and just left last night. We stopped and got a bag of chips when we filled up with gas.”

  “Hey, since you’re cooking, can I beg for a plate?” Robbie said, winking at Charlie.

  “Well, yes,” Kristi answered, turning to the house and moved at a fast walk.

  When she went inside, Charlie held out his hand palm up and the other three slapped it one at a time. “You think she’ll ever figure that out?” Charlie asked as the others turned to him.

  “Book, we’ve done that for eight years and she hasn’t figured it out,” Robbie grinned. “Doesn’t mean she won’t, but we can hope.”

  Hearing a diesel engine growling, they turned to see a Class-A RV pulling down the road. “Robbie, you may want to move your bike, so Mom doesn’t tell Pop to run over it,” Charlie offered with a grin.

  “Oh crap!” Robbie cried out, taking off in a run. Kicking the kickstand up, he pushed his bike up to the house.

  “Cody, remember, you have to tell Kristi you are going to get a motel room when we come for Clark’s birthday,” Randy said.

  Letting out a sigh with a groan, “Oh man, I hate it when she gives me that look then she crosses her arms and starts tapping her foot,” he whined.

  “Buck up, troop, and embrace the suck,” Randy said, grinning.

  A grin split Cody’s face. “When she figures it out, we are going to have hell to pay.”

  “Nah, I’ll tell Momma,” Randy laughed as the RV pulled up into the driveway. “You would think since they own a big ass RV, they would use it more than just coming here.”

  “Hey, they took that trip to Oregon last year,” Charlie said.

  “Yes, with Kristi and the kids,” Randy chuckled.

  “That was the only way we could get her out of the house, so we could put in an electric garage door,” Charlie reminded him.

  Nodding as the RV came to a stop, “You don’t know how happy I was that it was Momma and Dad who dropped her off,” Randy chuckled.

  “I didn’t answer my phone for two days when she called,” Charlie grinned.

  “Neither did I,” Randy said.

  “Yeah, you made me answe
r it,” Cody huffed.

  “Babyface, nobody can stay mad at you for more than a few minutes,” Charlie laughed.

  Waving at the RV, “Mom can,” Cody admitted with a straight face and Charlie stopped laughing.

  “You got me there, but Kristi works stupid hours and needed that garage door. I don’t like her living here in a city that says criminals can go armed but not the citizens,” Charlie said.

  “If Kristi’s not going to move, she just has to accept us turning her house into a bunker,” Randy fumed as the side door of the RV opened. “I want concrete walls.”

  Lena, a spry, elderly lady, stepped out of the RV, walking toward them. “Cody!” she cried out, shaking her head. “You haven’t been eating.”

  “Mom, I swear I have,” he groaned, holding up his hands. “Charlie almost force-fed me a second plate every night. He said if you spanked him, I was getting taken outside.”

  Lena stopped and hugged Cody tight. Closing his eyes in bliss at the motherly hug, Cody hugged her back tight. “He won’t do no such thing,” Lena promised, then kissed Cody’s cheek. “I’ll take care of getting you fed when you’re at the farm,” she promised, letting him go. Lena, like everyone, knew Cody would be coming to the farm. Someone asked for his help and Cody would be there.

  “Yes ma’am,” Cody smiled as Lena hugged Charlie.

  “Charlie, you need to spend some time with us as well, you’re losing weight,” she told him firmly, hugging Charlie’s muscular frame.

  “Mom, I have to go on a diet when I leave your house,” Charlie laughed as he let her go. Lena turned around as Robbie walked over.

  “You’re lucky you moved it because I told Oliver to run the damn thing over,” she snapped, waving at Robbie’s motorcycle. “I wish you would stop riding that thing, you could get hurt.”

  “Mom,” Robbie whined, coming to a stop. “I like riding it.”

  “Oh, shush,” Lena said, stepping over and hugging him tight. Letting him go, Lena turned to the others. “Is Kristi already in the house cooking?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Charlie said grinning.

  Turning back to Robbie, Lena gave him a studying stare. “She wasn’t too rash in her little rant, was she?” Lena asked.

  “No, Mom, she had just woken up,” Robbie chuckled.

  “That’s good,” Lena said. “She needs to understand those are our kids as well and if we want to get them something, we can,” she said, lifting her chin high.

  “I ain’t telling Kristi that,” Randy mumbled.

  “If you do, don’t come crying to me when she spanks your bottom,” Lena snapped, then moved toward the house. “I need to go help her cook.”

  Halfway to the house the door busted open. “Granny!” Clark and Emily cried out. They ran and wrapped their arms around Lena.

  “Oh, how are you doing?” Lena said, squeezing them tight.

  Hearing the door of the RV open, they turned to see Oliver, a robust, older man, step out. “Hey Pop,” Cody said, walking over. “Got my stuff in the car.”

  Stepping out of the door, “That’s good, Cody,” Oliver said, closing the door. “Randy has so many jobs lined up, he won’t be able to lend a hand getting the fields ready. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

  Wrapping his arms around Oliver, Cody gave him a hug and then stepped back. “It’s no problem,” he said, smiling.

  “Pop, would you have really run over my bike?” Robbie asked with a pained face.

  “No,” Oliver scoffed. “I told Lena to stop being mean to that bike on the way over and almost pulled over at the state line, so we could get out and tussle.”

  Letting out a long, relieved sigh, “Had me worried,” Robbie admitted, hugging Oliver.

  “We need to unload that swimming pool, so I can go to the store and get some lumber for the deck,” Oliver said, walking over and hugging Charlie.

  Releasing the hug, Charlie looked at him hard. “You’re the one telling Kristi about the deck, Pop,” he snapped.

  “Nope,” Oliver replied curtly, spinning away as the kids charged him and the others gasped.

  “Grandpa!” they cried out.

  “I’m making Lena tell her,” Oliver said, wrapping the kids in a bear hug.

  As Oliver walked in the house with the kids, the four looked at each other. “I like that Mom is telling her,” Robbie said.

  “Nobody disagrees with Mom,” Cody grinned.

  Randy nodded, heading for the house. “Not even Dad,” he said with a grin.

  “That’s because Pop is a smart man,” Charlie laughed.

  Chapter Five

  Chicago, IL

  Stepping out back that afternoon, Kristi shook her head at the very big above ground pool the men had put up. The men went out with shovels after the birthday party, leveling an area and setting up the pool while Oliver left in Charlie’s truck.

  Along with the boys, of course, Kristi had allowed Emily to invite several of her nicer girl friends from school, and two of their fathers had shown up for the party. They’d suddenly found themselves put to work performing a little manual labor. That was okay, since the boys had plenty of iced drinks plus listening to Robbie’s constant patter of crazy stories was payment enough for a little shovel work. The scary thing was, Charlie and Randy knew most of their friend’s stories were true.

  “So, you guys served together in the Army?” Chet Mahorn asked, trying not to stare at Robbie’s prosthetic and Charlie’s scars.

  “Oh, yeah,” Aaron replied, taking a break and leaning heavily on his shovel. He wasn’t breathing hard yet, but unlike the others, he’d not kept in quite the same shape as the other four. “We are brothers from way back.”

  “Except Aaron got a little too much sun,” Robbie popped off. “I swear, when we got to Afghanistan, that man was whiter than Charlie. We tried to get him to stop laying out with that baby oil, but did he listen? Nooooooo.”

  Aaron and Charlie exchanged a look and then busted out laughing, while Randy just shook his head in mock disgust. Mustering up his dignity, he spoke next.

  “Brothers? Aaron, Charlie, and Cody are my brothers. That one,” Randy aimed a thumb in Robbie’s direction, “he’s like that cousin who shows up at the family reunion and nobody’s sure how he’s related, except that his parents had to be brother and sister.”

  “Oh, you wound me,” Robbie recoiled in horror. “And after I sacrificed my hand to save your life. And ruined my modeling career.”

  “What?” asked an incredulous Mike Selfridge. He was a prosperous, very tall and robust black man in his early forties, and he was still trying to figure these men out. They looked hard, even the slightly paunchy Aaron, but they played and picked on each other just like Mike remembered doing with his own brothers, even after they were all full-grown and out of the house.

  “Oh yeah,” Robbie continued. “See, Randy accidentally shoved a grenade down his pants and I had to reach in and…well. You can see what happened,” he concluded, holding up his clearly artificial, five-fingered prosthetic. “And it ruined my career as a hand model.”

  Charlie started laughing and had to bend over to catch his breath. Then, holding up his own maimed hand, concealed by the black gloves he usually wore, he made a stop motion.

  “Come on, guys, you all know to play nice,” Charlie chided, then turning to the other two men, he continued. “Please excuse my friend Robbie. We checked him out of the hospital to visit today, but he’s still not completely housebroken.”

  That got the laughter going again, and the men turned back to digging with the occasional chuckle.

  When Oliver got back, Kristi took a deep breath to start, only to have Lena step in front of her. “Kristi, I’m the one who said the pool had to have a deck. I don’t want these babies having to climb a shaky ladder to get in the pool.” Seeing a challenging glare in Lena’s eyes, Kristi only nodded and smiled.

  Now, the men were building a nice deck around the pool and Kristi wasn’t going to say a
thing.

  The party, like all the others, involved tons of gifts. It took a now twelve-year-old girl almost two hours to open all the gifts. Aaron and Bert Travis usually only got her two gifts since they had their families, and that was the main reason Kristi didn’t want the boys, Randy, Cody, Robbie, and Charlie, buying so many for the kids. She didn’t want anyone to feel pressured. That, and she prayed the kids never came to expect it.

  The thought of saying something to Mom and Pop never entered her mind. Kristi respected them more than her own parents. When Emily was seven, they had stayed a week with Mom and Pop. Lena had freaked when they’d unloaded their suitcases at Randy’s small house.

  Lena only had to look at Pop and Randy for them to move the suitcases from Randy’s house to her house.

  One day after Randy had taken the kids horseback riding, Emily came running in and begging for a horse. Before they’d left, Pop had driven up with a horse trailer and a young horse. Clark got one the next month. Now, the kids spent a few weeks every summer on the farm. When Kristi took the kids to the retreat, Randy would load up their horses.

  Like the kids, Kristi loved the retreat. It was very relaxing to just be around the group, and the land just seemed to take your worries away. At first, she’d felt like she was intruding. Then she began to realize, if she went there, so would the boys; her boys. The boys were Cody, Randy, Robbie, and Charlie. She could tell this land was what took their pain away and where they found joy again. They were at the retreat every chance they got.

  So, to keep them from coming to Chicago, Kristi would ask if they could go to the retreat. Not to say they didn’t come to Chicago a lot. The kids were in sports and other activities, so the boys had to come. Again, this helped Kristi out. If she was working, someone would be there to take the kids and she rarely asked.

  A part of her wanted the boys to stop because she felt they were spending too much time with her and the kids, and not looking to start a family of their own. Then she had a selfish part that enjoyed the help and being a part of this new family.