Sequoia Trail-A Bo Jon Littlehorse P.I. Novel. Second Edition

by Danny E. Allen

Prices, and paybacks:

  Black-folk, shear-croppers and heroes of the homestead…

  David drove east-northeast into the Antebellum-countryside. He headed back through Mississippi east to Jackson and on to Tupelo. He drove till he came to a little-town where simple yet humble-people lived. The town was based on black-shear-cropping, for generations. The South was regional; an area of beauty and simple-graces. He arrived to find the residence sitting out on their front-porch drinking tea and biscuits; supper was being made by genteel old women who’d cooked all their adult-lives. The history, respected and remembered with understanding. From babies to the elderly a simple-integrity, hardiness and discipline went-into their heritage… Decency, commitment and dignity went into everything. In-framed, of an overcoming and acceptance. Now they lived and worked honestly, and in self-design. The small-town had about 30-homes, a church, post-office and store kept-well over years of living homage. Living in the Old South was not like any other. It was an essential integrity and espousal of consent and character…of the instilling of a Black life, and living-stoic and strident. Steadfast-rules of standard and status... A livelihood, of studiousness. A respective-of overcoming and common-graciousness…

  Adoptive-to the South was the common-values and integrity. So, as David spoke with the residents he came to understand the way of the Black-South. The well-kept single-story homes were probably, built in the ‘40s. Painted, rebuilt and refashioned to a dignified-home. Southern-comfort had been one-rule. Only so many lived-in the South today; the resolve and reputation, cased-them in a self-adorned, light. Still today, the ’‘will to be upheld the devoted, honest and proper-life... They were willing to converse, engage and welcome David as one their own… A civil-stance to assist David in any way, possible. He-wanted to stay yet, he did not have a plan so Anna Caldwell one of the matrons put him up. For dinner they ate her cooking; pork, rice and apple-pie. And her neighbors got to know him… One of the farmers, had an empty-house on his property... He said he could fix-it up with the owner’s permission. Anna’s daughters lent a hand-by helping-him buy materials he needed at the merchants and helping clean-up the small two-room place. With cleaning, setting-up and painting; the place looked hospitable in no time. He bought furniture, a bed and made a kitchen with a table and hot-stove. He started a garden and grew flowers and vegetables. By summer, everything was up and growing.

  They talked and worked, enjoying each-others company. Work and friendship played, a big-part of their-lives. Working Monday through Friday relaxing on-Saturday, and church on Sunday. It was a simple-life. Provincial-life, was molded into an ‘earnest’-reality. Obligation was truth, family and duty. ...With duty, being-obligated and earned-to reach the resolve, recognition and resolution by work and reputation. Rarely, any conflict, life was an interpretation-of-purpose… Everyone lived-in harmonious intention. The elderly were wise and respected. The adults fulfilled the central-obligations: work and care. The young with potential, learned and listened and followed rules. It-was a ‘harmonious’-reality, David could understand. He-wanted to stay in the rural-South for sometime. Their easy-going and gentle-manner helped David realized his place in the world. He-enjoyed the social-atmosphere. It calmed his mind. Far from the bustle of the city, he eased into southern-life… He learned the gentle philosophy, scale and redeeming of the experience. There was no superficial or airs by the nature of folk, who’d spent their lives, engaged in-rural simplicity. On Saturdays, he’d go fishing.

  Sunday-nights a party celebrating harvest and farm… His situation had-congealed into a quaint-resolve. He was the only white-man yet it didn’t bother him. David was on the run, yet life couldn’t seem more at bliss. He’d slept-in during the week. Paying his monthly housing-bill of twelve-dollars and was more than able, to afford groceries and supplies. On Saturdays, he’d go fishing with his buddies and had a good-time drinking moonshine, and fish for dinner. There were many opportunities to be alone and enjoy solitude. It was an advantage to live off-the-land and make basic-routines in daily life. Some of his fellow-residents were fortunate enough to use David’s truck for trips to Tupelo and Jackson. The elderly took trips to the major clinics in the city. Sometimes David would sit at the house with the old folks and enjoy there company; engaging in stories, conversations-and informational context. David was a fountain of information. He told of some of the people, places and sights he’d seen… They’d rarely, traveled-outside Northern Mississippi. Some of them had left the town, for money and other-things… But the older-woman said she’d never leave her small-town. Essentially, she and her family would live-out their lives there. …She told about the history of the town since its beginning.

  She described people, long-dead news-then and now, and change in attitude, influences and issues over-time. She was fascinating and intriguing to listen-to. He wanted-to know more. He felt moved-by the matriarchy and dignity these people had, and how faithful, committed and accepting of duty, hardship and endeavor-to live. Her stories were ‘annals’ of human-trials and tribulations he felt deeply, moved. His new-incentive, was to-do as much as he could to fulfill the bettering of these-people… He was told they were satisfied and did not take his-help. He did help with things which they knew little about. They were not as educated as he, and eventually accepting with a slight-’press’-of pride. He bargained-with them to avail this… They tended-to avoid anything superstitious or baneful, so David had to satisfy their-inclination. The promise they had was there dutiful and studious-socialization in-ordinate in sanctum and sufficiency. David began-to adopt and extend his-hand in the delicate mentality of Black-Southern culture. He understood them better with time, than they with him… He realized effort and intention-went along way-in sating pride-permissive and by preclusion.

  Yet strides of some 80 or 90-years couldn’t be overcome-in months… Their-perception of place and time had as much isolation and salvo-intention having been, as any... David drove-to the regional-library and got books for the older-folk to read. He started a small discarded-library were teacher and student could read. Eventually, town-folk decided he was more benefit then burden. Being impoverish, was a state-of-mind. So he tried to extend the hand of learning and self-venture. Like using crop numbers to determine yield-cost of farming and when was the best time to go to market. Owing-to belief, he began providing a ‘leg-up’ to some difficult-issues, some town-folk were interested in certain aspects, while others had impressions of certain-things. They were brought together in satisfaction, compromise with each, committing-to their personal-interests. It was a challenge yet made worthwhile-by David’s intelligence and insight. Contributing-to advancing and determined-advocacy. Deliberatively, he adjudicated in their best-interest of fortunateness… His-impact affected some of their decisions yet the ploys of long-held beliefs had again been a matter of opinion to be accepted or rejected.

  Although he could not avail them of their-concerns he was considered, sensible to them. Much conversation went into tolerance, as judgment. Some temperance and diligence was required-to ‘un-kempt’ the stalled-thinking, belief and sensibility… In due-course, everyone set in resolution to go by their-own guises… There were rare-imputations which for civil-pride. They in-turn, stayed-away from... He did give the greater-impetus to be more enterprising, which was ’‘common-sense’. The small-town called ‘Ogden Shade’, was established 1892; and some of the descendants were still there. Ogden Shade was African-American, after the war. Land given them by the state of Mississippi and former plantation owners. By the ‘30s, it prospered as a farm-community of 1,500, by the ‘70s flight had left a handful of families to etch-out a life… Many people of unselfish, reticence to carry-on, ordinate, lay-in their resolute-hands. Yet David brought progress, owing to his evident-repose to give-back what he received-in resign. Many thought David was fond of them yet others interpreted his proficiency, understanding and convincing as having no-place with
them. They-accepted him nonetheless. He felt the incentive and advocacy-was ‘worthy’ of his-considerations.

  David enjoyed his-life as part of a small-community a short-’zest’ of support owing-to society, family and work. It was all, a sort-of mixture of ‘commune’ and commotion; owing-to a ‘popular‘-resign. He spent lazy-days sitting around relaxing the be-stilled-days of rural-life… He went to visit, engaged-in community and encourage social-values only, limited-by place and expanded by-sojourn… David’s reality had settled-in this small-cove of the South… Soon work, reliance and resign-melted away into a contentedness. He thought-on the past. The issues-articulates and incentives once being the ‘pragmatic’-sense that had engulfed his-life; was now, set aside for a little bit of solace... He’d once thought the prefix, destined structure enlivening his-life, would always be-there. Yet there was ‘potency’ and proposition to his life. Giving-up vestigial, restitution and reparation; for resolute, all-compassing settling-into reprised, instrumental-understanding... Once, plotting-over issues had in the realm of country-living, dusted-off the dirt-of intercession. Bo Jon had obtained much on the criminal-file and report of police... He’d questioned the assistant-prosecutor, and had his-person within the department, invoice the outlines-of the case… It had went up-the-line of hands handling the case. With every change of hands-defining and declared.

  Bo Jon got the case, while-in enigmatic-limbo; David’s case was registered by F.B.I in all fifty-states… Yet after the three-month long APB, was ended. The many supervisors on the case since the mountain-murder scene had, handed over to D.A. and F.B.I. who in-turn turned it-over to Attorney-General… A 1.2 million-dollar reward, was set and a resounded-manhunt had contributed-filings, but few leads. Yet there were certain consignation to the sightings, questions and evidence. David-seemed to have fallen off the earth. Yet Bo Jon knew it was a classic-case of hide, and rely... In cases such as these, portrayed themselves in twist-of-fate. Presently, his-portrayal had not expose him… The determination of David’s long-swath of considerate-consistence, elaborated-sanctity and embraced belying was still undeterminable. He was an influence of sentiment and everyone knew it. Carl Bertram was a mature shear-cropper. He had six-children, a mother who was often ill, and his-wife took in laundry-for money. He’d known of Dutch Delman since his arrival; and felt he should have not stayed. He believed the community was fine with just ‘black-folk’… He was a pillar of the community, pitching in when someone needed help. He didn’t want a stranger, moving-in on his ‘territory’.

  He became familiar with Dutch and often went fishing with him and other men. One day Carl was disgusted at how prices at the market were set that even in good-times, it was tight. But he’d thought there was little he could do about it. Dutch became interested, so he gave specifics. Dutch came up with a plan and explained it to the farmer. Dutch’s ideas seemed feasible to Carl; who’d farmed for sometime. He went further and described assets, margins and profits that he could implement from pricing. Carl admitted to ‘Dutch’ his impression and-ideas… For sometime he’d held a grudge against Dutch for giving a hand; where ’‘he’ would have, and apologized. Yet now, he felt it was even payback to what he thought, was ‘unfair’ and ‘unneeded’… ‘Dutch’ and Carl began a friendship giving each other a hand helping him to be accepted-by all the folk. Dutch had made several-enemies with his ’‘honor’, staying-intact. He realized his many efforts had been based, in this confirming. His many accolades had proved this-fact. He remembered, that-in commitment to the many priorities of instilling… His determined-confidence began, in college and proved, worthy of military-service. ...Farming-identity, with many functions. Though, dedication was verifiable, invocation-in duty, honor and earnestness was a succinct clause-of commending.

  This was definitive and devotional; an assertive, objectivity of commission… In all his-propensity, he’d ‘remained’ self-accounting, and effective. He’d abandoned, that ‘motif’… …Yet the manifest, lived-on. With each, new engaging and exchange-of deeding-attitude, was designed. He saw, how his life came in terms of ability, prowess and competence. He was a good-technician, worker and leader; and could create a source of leadership, easily. Yet he’d moved-on sometimes by achieving something-in competence. He began to consider these things. How his-life was engineered-in commitment, aptitude and judgment; overcoming-preconviction, prevalence and proctor-to gather against, ‘gravity’... Yet now, in ill-certain graveness of his true-reality, by what was to happen… This, was new-introspection based more and more-on the facts of his reality, overall. He was becoming more convinced his life in falsehood, was still a reverence of order and adeptness… Men who leave the service sometimes take it with them. David’s case was beyond this; a heinous, yet so bred and relegated-limbo which allowed him to carry-on. Yet wayward-living was a dinning-profess of purgation.

  A life not able to be lived under normal-terms. Yet in these terms, he advanced and availed-in tentative and term. The differing-definitions, being embossed-in beneficence. He was beginning to reminisce about those who he served alongside; Comrades in Arms, his company before. Leaving the ranks and what was his officers, regiment and battalion now long since-ended. The company in the Navy as Lt. Commander in the Vietnam war and the condition of service to those whom once commanded-him. He missed them, the most. As an officer he carried-out company orders and enlistments. A credence of crucial-infirming, close-by those-in leadership-position. Princeton had been where he started… As he rose, it was the academic-ranks he in-told the regimental-scale of military-dimensions. Soldiering, orders, warfare, command each rudiment incurred-skills of competence and pre-variant-each junior-officer became a working-tool. An instrument of calculative-warfare… An instinctive, and instilling; a dutiful duress-of precise, promoting and précis-proponent of war-cause. In ‘68, when David served in the war, the out-ward-plan in ways-and-means; as con-functions or rectification of ‘Nam’. The Southeast-Asian conflict became the de-rigor of in-place, leaving men like David, scarred.

  He led men, bringing many through alive thus depending-on each other, per-function… Evidence and somewhat of a deviation from the evidence, was the hard-experience of committed-men. And their leaders, transcribed to output and pre-redemption; sending men into their-terror and facing tumult, covertly. Many men’s passion for the military was left-about, David never claiming he-had ‘one’… The all-consuming condition of avowal, loneliness and abandon-of one’s own nature to fight and engage the enemy and carry-out orders. Being an expression of final-belief onto death and destruction… The obviate of men impressed in many cases volunteered, in some; a-duty in others. Compiling a digest of armed-forces to battle the enemy, and in these ways fight and die, with honor. David had survived in earnest yet the hell-of-war, was too much for all men. He was a fighting leader; seeing the ‘disgust’ of killing went-on without exposing its ominous. Yet he had to kill as he was a leader and also each soldier fought for the cause greater than duly, man. The war machine was in men to battle in any war. Warfare, duty and worthiness went together-unopposed. Yet Vietnam as David’s future was anything but unopposed. Post war syndrome was rarely, discussed in the war. It was seemingly, a ’‘Tete’-cause after war.

  What he and many other men had to cope-with was the direction of the image of good-soldiering a consideration of subjective influence of un-conferred, condemnation. So life was a ploy of loyal-perfection. The grand-ideas, intents and assertion were home-side-homage. With no war being self-affective. This indemnity ran the parable of drama and happenstance; order and incurring; attitude and confessing that acted as groundwork for David and others; others un-evenly, impaired. But David’s course now was the proving of earning and honesty. The great-’duly’, which was intrinsic of good men… The high order most men had to atone. A privateer-adduction and institute a systemic maturing, magnitude and manifest done in-loading, omen. A decisive placated, plac
ed to balance men’s salaciousness… In the many intents, honors and incentives; encroached on mitigation to earn the terms of enigmatic men; the pride of purpose, perception and promotional-design... No longer in the ’‘caste’, David both owned and en-cast this, seeming ’‘Semitic-law’... Among his-fellows whom were ‘threading the eye’ injured, similar simian-intent... Rather in vocal-focus; a frame-work of fortuity, in the aims-of guising; an interred, obviously assumptive to be of ’‘beguile’... Yet he’d been a refined-retort; advancing and venturing-operatively, espousing in self-ordained significance...

  Now in de-military, in de-official and de-commission as well, de-authorized; he was just a man. ...A man, without his ordinal-cause; yet in simple and supplanted-respective he was still the same. A man, owning his-proficient as unknown; in the deep and worn-’wound’; as symbolic as a ’‘medal’. It was now just-approximation. A providing fully-actualized yet in model-magnitude. Elaborate, justifying and in conjecture the imminence was in ‘outer’-investment... The one-sided code was both a ’‘declaration’ and a ’‘definition’ of committing which each man became commiserate. An oath of an implement-’audacity’ as a fulfilling autonomy, ascension and convocation. The entrained-enterprising was a fact as reality-of-valuating, destiny-of decree; which men had to accept. He remembered men who’d worked through commitment and competence an ingénue of course and conviction; only to lose life, limb or latitude not in their-control… Working for the model and mission, often gave them ’‘will’, in lacking-accord... Yet David had always applied the ratifying-code. The magnifying to the work, which encompass-profuse revelation… A compunction having many times been atomized. The energies, which invite ‘trust’ often are re-filed, in over-compliance and the ‘energy’ and conceding-of actuality… In aim and avail have been David’s life; written up and honored by superiors.

  He’d virtually lived on the proctor of proficiency... The many-identities invested-in his ‘edifice’, were a conjecture-of deliberation. Aided and abet, all manner of sophisticated demerits... An intelligence in detail, declaration and alms having been pallet. David’s form, foster and fording… He was an ‘orders‘-man but times in-life were authoritative on the ill-causes by honest-men... Many of his ‘equals’ were brandish and civil, independent in orchestration. ‘Divers’ being of fruition-entities made by the ‘art’-of soldiering... ...Hoping to be immaculate-settling for cordial-‘consolidation’. Preceding, being by honor and hope-well... A pro-actual-concordance officiated, in incursion. Officers ran their careers as ’‘plus-or-minus’ until they lost facet or came-to a better-discretion. David thoughton, all this-‘conflagration’ and address in-actuation... Highly, a ‘score-card’, and in its ’‘later’, a complicated-aversion... He didn’t want to think of it in his once team-again... He sat-on his make-shift porch newly, painted and renovated a nice and easy afternoon-in ‘Ogden Shade’… The birds sang, the sun was warm in late-Spring and a breeze-blew. Crickets began to sing, and he-decided he’d go to town and visit; drink apple-cider and asks for some of Anna’s cookies just-baked…

  David was able to be found. Perhaps by Bo Jon, was the concision in the many rationale‘s in appointment to the form of his-actions, as yet. With abatement, the plot of illustrative, abatement. The theory, schematic and scale by his evasion of the law, was in promulgate. Intent, issue and engineeringincluded, others probably, non-concomitant… A fundament-of ‘chalice’ to uncover-action, acuity and incursion. He-thought, as most detective, were doing... The excelling-quality of good criminalist and criminologist-vectoring a-turn around; were presently, in remiss. But that didn’t mean they were ‘absent‘... The continuum-of-detection. Evidence, detective-work and capture; had a way of vectoring. A corroborate clue-there, a subsequence ratification-here, it added-up.... Yet a free-assailant, didn’t do the corroborative-ratification, he usually was encircled-caught in a web-of proven-evidence... The typical suspect on-the-run had a epithetical-elaboration and distilling. A primary-course often meant secondary-goals. Men, on the run had to think, un-abjuring. Passive-promulgation in columns-of decision and digest.

  An imminent-’radical’ of allotted-terms of concision… In-theme worked for the obviousness-of crime. The import-of urgency in conundrum. It was no wonder the specifics and expanding-work for sentiment and not sense. The evidence pour-over by an asylum of aspiring, approval and disapproval; was ‘lodestone’ to their-livelihood. He-read the articles, profiles, preliminaries; adjudications and allusions; testament and testifying; to case and capture. ...F.B.I., A.G. and D.A. all-committed the case to procuring pro-factors of crime-scenes, sightings and supposition-by codifier. The ‘score’ as, was one of this ‘caliber-artifice’; the proportion-of altered, protocol-by a dragnet. Bo had known David was not your average-killer. He-was an extraordinary-killer... And turned-from the ‘obvious’. The detective-enlistees dropped-in this first; then, pertaining-to obvious, his role in-life. A tacit-career, in the U.S.N.G., Navy, U.S.F.S. slash government-attaché, in the Elite-forest fighters... A course-career with a violently, actual-compendium. Objective-in obligation and operative-cues, this being laid heavy by dinning-offices. The A.G. wanted him; over-bared by violating ingenious a comparative, unparallel; in a-verdict of act and hierarchy.

  After the final-shoe fell, the obvious indicative was to ensue contingent-suspect/assailant/perpetrator, still on-the-loose… An official-dissident of discourse-needing-apprehension and brought-to bare for his crime. ‘Trial’-of distrust, entrust and deriding-discourse... A definitive-plot, but argent-reality, and in refining-resonance. He put the points-together, and availed of intention, interest and advocacy... He sub-divided-root, route and urgency…

  End.

  Twelve