One of the Marshalls by the name of Duke came into the room and didn't say a word before he turned the TV off.
"It's time to move. All the arrests were made today and the media is going berserk."
"Where are we going?"
He grabbed the few bags of clothes they had provided for us but were to remain packed at all times.
"It looks like you got your wish after all. Now let’s move."
Both of us got up and followed him out the door and into the waiting black SUV parked outside.
We were on the interstate before he said another word.
"The bureau has provided you a small farm right outside of Rainsville. There is a community college there for you to attend and Savanah you will have an elementary school right down the road."
I hated hearing her called Savanah. This new name thing was the worst part. She would always be Shelby to me. When any of them would call me Tori I didn't even look up. How do you go by a different name after eighteen years of being something else? I was grateful for their help but was getting crabbier with each passing day.
"When you say small farm what does that mean?"
"Savanah said she lost a horse so we have done our best to replace what life you had."
Shelby's face lit up.
"We will have horses?"
"Only two."
Shelby grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
"Did you hear that? We get to have horses!"
I wasn't as happy.
"How are we supposed to pay for all of this? All of my money was tied to my old name."
"We've taken care of the cost."
"There's maintenance. Horses need a lot. Do you plan to continue to pay for it all? What do we do for food or clothes?"
"Your money is still yours. We will also be helping."
"How is my money mine? Can't they trace it?"
"Not when we handle things. You have nothing to worry about."
That was a lot easier for him to say.
It was late afternoon when we pulled up to the farm house out in the middle of nowhere.
"So who owns this?"
"You do. All one hundred and forty acres of it."
It was all overwhelming. Small farm my butt. How was I supposed to take care of this and Shelby? I needed Canyon. I hated doing any of this without him. I knew leaving him behind with the best thing for him but it was the worst thing I ever could have done for myself.
We were led inside and to my surprise, it had all been updated. Everything was brand new and gorgeous from the maple cabinets and trim to the almost black hardwood flooring throughout. It was also fully furnished. Not one detail was missed.
"Do you think you girls will be okay here?"
"Shelby immediately responded with an astounding, "YES! This is perfect for us, Arianna, um, I mean, Tori."
"You can't do that again! Do you not understand the depths this situation takes? It's your—"
"Don't snap at her! She's a little girl who didn't ask for any of this. It was an accident. It won't happen again."
"I hope not or we move you."
He walked out of the room delivering our bags to each of our bedrooms was my guess. I looked down at Shelby and saw tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Tori. I didn't do it on purpose."
"I know you didn't, sweetheart. This is harder than we both ever thought it could be but we’ll make it through it. Do you want to go see the horses?"
"Yeah!"
We walked out the back door and about half an acre back sat a large barn. The closer we got the more impressed I became. Once we were inside I counted ten stalls per side. There would be plenty of room for more if I decided we could handle it. I never would have dreamed of owning my own before Canyon but something about being surrounded by horses made me feel closer to him somehow.
"Oh my gosh, Tori, come look!"
In one of the stalls held a small black and white painted foal.
"She's so pretty!"
The stall next to her held a black stallion that took my breath away. He looked exactly like Magnus. Shelby must have thought the same thing.
"Oh my gosh doesn’t that look like MAGNUS?"
"He sure does look like him doesn't he?"
"Is that what you want to call him?"
"No. Magnus will always be Magnus. I won't do that to him."
"He's still alive? I thought Canyon lost all of them but Nyah?"
I couldn't believe she didn't know.
"We didn't tell you? Canyon sent him away to stay at the jockeys before the race..."
"What race?"
"Delta Downs. It will be...Holy crap! Next week!"
"Will it be on TV?"
"We can go check!"
Shelby ran back in the house screaming Duke's name. "If I could maybe see Canyon for a second it would make it all better", I thought as I walked back in after Shelby.
She and Duke were sitting down at the table already with his laptop open.
"It looks like we can get that if you girls want to watch."
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She was excited and I was too but I needed to know how long it was going to take before we knew if we were ever going to see Canyon again.
"Why did we need to move so fast? Getting arrested doesn't mean they won't get out does it?"
Duke looked up at me.
"They will all have the best attorneys a person can get. Our case is rock solid though, they won't be able to penetrate it."
"So bail is a possibility? They could be released today?"
"That's not likely. Their risk of fleeing is too high."
"When do the trials start?"
"When the dates are set I will let you know."
"That's it? We just sit and wait?"
"No. You move on with living your life as best you can."
The following week, Magnus won! Shelby and I were jumping up and down on the couch in the family room like fools as he crossed the finish line. It actually worked. I was so happy for Canyon. He truly deserved this. Something positive instead of all the crap life had dealt him.
Duke watched us while wearing a smirk on his face as we screamed and ran around the room. It was the first time I ever saw his US Marshall expression falter. Having a live-in statue of a man isn't fun let me tell you.
"You smiled! I caught you."
"No I didn't."
"Keep denying it but I know the truth. You have a happy side buried in there just itching to get out."
"You're delusional, Savannah."
We waited patiently for them to show Magnus's owner but Canyon never made it on the screen. I sat back disappointed but Shelby curled up next to me rubbing back and forth on my arm to comfort me. We never talked about him much but that was purely to ease the pain. Every night when I tucked Shelby in for bed we would share a look that we both understood. We wanted our old life back but really all that meant was Canyon.
Shelby had the summer off from school and I didn't enroll in any classes so we could spend as much time together as possible. We did manage to talk Duke into letting us get all the tack necessary for us to be able to ride the horses though. We named the stallion Cain and he was just as gentle as Magnus. The foal was named Stella. With us wanting to ride, Duke was forced to learn how to as well and we got another horse for him named Tucker. He would never have let us otherwise.
Over one hundred acres made for a lot of room to explore and the land was beautiful. We had nothing else to do so we took advantage of it as often as possible. I actually became good at it, if you can believe that.
By September I had even taught Shelby how to do everything on her own and nothing made her happier. Stella was almost full size and with her sixty-five pound self she could ride her. I had never broken in a horse but after watching Canyon I learned as I went along and she turned out sweet as could be.
Life was finally beginning to feel somewhat normal. We took care of the house and the animals but otherwise w
e just tried to have fun. I had given up on anything being different and decided to live as Duke had said months before.
The trials began and it was televised on CNN. John's case never made it to court. He took a plea deal and has to serve ten years. Ten wasn't long enough if you ask me but anything to keep him away from us was better than nothing.
Four officers pled out and were serving five years for smuggling drugs from the state.
I asked periodically about our mother but found that she never tried to find out anything about us. It was as if we never existed to her. I wasn't shocked but it broke my heart for Shelby. At least she had me and whatever happened nothing was going to change that.
Kale and Michael refused to plea. They wanted to clear their name but Duke assured me it wouldn't happen.
One night when Shelby and I were laying around watching TV, she was, as usual, flipping through the channels when I screamed "Stop!” I saw ESPN was airing the PBR. Watching it all again reminded me so much of the days when Canyon and I would lay around and cuddle. It brought back so many memories I wanted to hold onto forever. I saw all of Canyon’s friends and remembered his voice as he would walk me through their rides. It was as if he and I were watching it all over again until Shelby screamed, "Oh my God!" as my finger nails dug into the couch cushion. Canyon was in the chute! Canyon was in the chute! My Canyon was right there on TV!
He looked more handsome than I ever remembered when they zoomed in on his face. He wore the same cowboy hat and I recognized his shirt as one I had told him I loved. My heart actually hurt seeing him. I had no idea I would feel so much pain when it was all I believed would make me happy at one point. I missed the feeling of his facial hair scratching my cheek so much that I actually brought my hand up and rubbed it wishing I could still feel the light burn it always left afterwards.
The gate opened and out he came on the back of a monster of a bull. It had been so long but nothing seemed to change. He still was able to calculate every twist and turn as if each move was choreographed. He was meant to do this and it was so beautiful to watch. I could see the glory all over his face as the buzzer went off and he jumped off clean, throwing his hat in the air. I smiled. For the first time I was happy about some part of the decision I made. He was where he always should have been and he never would have done it if it meant leaving me.
He had moved on and as much as that hurt I was glad for him.
"He did so good!" shouted Shelby.
"Yes he did."
Religiously I watched each and every event they had from that point on. It was the only way I could see him but I was grateful I at least had that.
Canyon went on to be ranked number one, beating out all of the other riders. Each time he would have a clean ride I got to see all of those teeth as his smiled beamed brighter than the stars at night.
Each time I would fall asleep at the day’s end I would dream of how things could have been different, but each morning I woke up living the same life without him.
Chapter 33
The day I was dreading came whether I wanted it to or not. It was the final day of the trial and I was being forced to testify. The team of lawyers Michael hired had done a good enough job that the US Attorney needed me to seal the case making me the key witness as I was told. For three weeks prior they warned me, "It might happen" and then, "It's going to happen" but nothing prepared me for the two in the morning shake and wake I got that it was time.
We flew into Washington, DC's Dulles airport at seven-thirty in the morning. Shelby was kept back at the house under the security of three Marshalls. I never got to say goodbye to her so I could only imagine when she woke up and was told where I went she let them have it which made me smile. She was more of a spitfire than ever after being basically trapped.
I had eight Marshalls escorting me from the second we left my house. I know that seems crazy but once the Masser family was outed, Shelby and I went deeper into hiding.
The large group of us didn't fly on a plane with everyone else. It was private, ensuring that no one could be on the flight to hurt me. We actually drove straight onto the tarmac when we boarded and had a van on the ground waiting for us to land. No one spoke on the flight other than when I was asked if I was hungry or thirsty but I refused everything with fear that whatever went down was going to come right back up. I had never been so terrified. It wasn't as if I had that fear initially but the level of security they were using to protect me let me know something was coming after me, they just weren't telling me who or what.
Once we walked off the plane and down the stairs, one of the Marshalls pulled my arm until I was right next to him, having me duck until we were all secure inside the van and the door was closed. My entire body was shaking. I tried to control my nerves but nothing was helping and all I got in return as we rode away from the airport was, "You're with the best of the best. We haven't failed yet and you won't be our first."
"Am I going to get prepped first? What are they going to ask me?"
One of the men from the front turned in his seat to face me.
"The attorney will meet with you when we get to the courthouse."
"Are we going straight there?"
"Yes. Trial starts at nine so we don't have a lot of time."
I had nothing left to ask so the remainder of the car ride was in silence.
When we pulled up to the back of the building, the two men in the front got out and secured the area before the door was opened and I was being pushed out and rushed inside. There was no one in the hallway I was ushered through until we reached a room at the end of it with a man waiting inside.
The door was closed after I entered leaving him and me alone. His body rested back in his chair behind a mahogany wood desk until he stood to welcome me.
"Hello, Arianna. My name is Andrew Clark. It's nice to finally meet you. Before we start I would like to thank you on behalf of the United States Federal government for your participation in providing the evidence needed to bring the justice required here. Unfortunately, as you know, we still need your help."
As he talked I stood perfectly still next to the door. Nothing about turning the information in was going to do any good if they didn't convict him. That weight was falling on me.
"What do you need me to do?"
"I'm going to go over a series of questions and help you answer them with only the facts. We don't need opinions, they will tear you to shreds if you even give one. I will not lead you for answers so you need to be prepared."
I was officially about to throw up.
"The blessing here are those texts you saved. They can't be accused as hearsay. We have confirmed that these are in fact authentic therefore there is no room to discredit them from my opponents. The money transfers in which you provided the password for the files will secure his fate. Now are you ready to get started?"
I looked closely at the man as he spoke. He had to be in his mid-forties. His suit was tailored to fit someone much larger and his brown hair needed work. He combed over what was left on top and I thought to myself, this is who I have to leave my future in the hands of?
"Will he be in the courtroom?"
"Yes."
"Do you really think we can win this?"
"I have no doubt."
"Then I guess let's get started."
Three hours later, after I changed my clothes and did my hair, I was being led to the stand. Looking pretty was the last thing I cared about but I was told that it was a must for people to see me as a credible witness.
The courtroom was packed tight with people and reporters but the only person I could focus on was the man that scared me to death sitting at the table to the right of the room.
I took my seat and swore over the Bible to state the truth while everything in me wanted to just get up and run as fast as possible as far away as I could be from all of this but if it meant we were finally going to be safe I had no choice.
The questions came just as we practiced. Each one
had me identifying who sent the each text, where the pictures where taken, the address of the officer I picked up the drugs from and lastly the night Dorian died.
When I was cross-examined, the attorney tried to ask if I was jealous that Kale had been dating my best friend behind my back which I didn't know had happened. He tried to upset me but nothing about Kale would make me feel anything but rage. Finally, he tried to make me the person who shot Dorian up and Michael the hero.
"You can spin this any way you want but the fact is, he came in and covered it all up. He never called 9-1-1 like he told me he would."
I sat forward in my chair. "You can try to make it look like I was at fault and partly I am. I never should have trusted Michael. I never should have listened to his son and called him in the first place. But the fact is he is the one who chose to cover all of this up and pay everyone off to do so."
"Do you know for a fact that he didn't have Dorian taken to a hospital? That maybe he did everything he could to help her?"
"You tell me. All I know is he didn't go with the men he instructed to get rid of her. He chose to stay and threaten me just like you are doing."
"I'm not threatening you. If this makes you feel that way maybe you don’t know what a true threat even is and you have been misjudging my client."
"You're right. I'm sorry. You didn't threaten, you made accusations that are unfounded. None of mine are. As far as your client goes I've never been threatened worse in my life and that goes with me saying this unwavering."
"I'm not so sure about that. Why did it take you so long to come forward if my client is such a vile man?"
"Fear. He convinced me I would be killed if I talked."
"And yet you're here talking. Hmmm, sounds more like a personal vendetta against him to me."
"I held up my end. I lost all life as I knew it and was uprooted to move to the middle of nowhere. I didn't say a word and I did everything I was supposed to do yet they still came after me. They were threatening people I love. That is the reason I'm here today. That is the reason I'm putting my life on the line right now to speak up. And you nor anyone else will ever tell me that I'm doing this as any kind of vendetta. Is this personal? You're damn right this is personal. The man you're defending is a monster!"
Let It Be Me Page 30