When The Chips Are Down

by Aiden Vaughan

  “I really would like to have more friends, but it is difficult for me. I’m not outgoing and likeable the way you are, Jason.”

  “No matter who you are and how accomplished you are, there is always going to be someone who is better, so why worry about who you are. Think about this: If the entire world was made up of Jason Hunters, life would be boring! Sure there would be a lot of talk going on, but who would listen! There really is a lot of room in society for people who are thoughtful and can listen to others. If you are one of those thoughtful listeners, Justin, don’t stress about it, embrace it!”

  “You make it sound so easy, Jason, because you are so good at it. It’s very hard for me to make new friends.”

  “Justin, all you need to do is take simple steps. Don’t think a friendship is going to suddenly happen. It is possible, but that would have to be a very special friendship. Most of the time, your friendships develop with people that you share activities with, like students in your classes at school, or the kids on your Little League team. Suggest simple things to do that don’t take a lot of effort, like getting together to study for a quiz, or going over to a nearby baseball diamond to work on hitting or fielding. I bet you will be surprised to find out how many of those people you are acquainted with would like to do exactly these same things! You may not connect with everyone, but sooner or later you are going to connect with someone!”

  “Wow, Jason, you are really smart. Everyone says so! Do you have any other advice for me?”

  “Well, yes, Justin. It’s about things versus activities. In our society, we have some well to do people with a lot of money, like your parents, but then there are a lot more poor people scraping around to barely survive, like those kids who attacked you. Unfortunately, there are aggressive and mean people who have no problem stepping all over others to get what they want. There is a general feeling in society that you should earn what you show off in life. I know that you probably meant it as a compliment to me that you would have the latest pro gear for our baseball session, but that really wasn’t needed. When we went over to the school this afternoon to play ball you did just great in a pair of ordinary shorts, a tee shirt, and canvas Chuck Taylors. You didn’t need Yankee pinstripes or the latest most expensive baseball shoes. Maybe at a baseball tournament or big league game or if you were an all star player, yes wear stuff like that. But for ordinary activities in a part of town you are not familiar with, maybe not. What I’m trying to say Justin, is don’t make yourself a target needlessly. You should always be aware of your surroundings, and you don’t want people to think that you are showing off. People don’t like it if they think you are bragging about your wealth or that you are somehow better than they are.”

  “You really care about people, don’t you?”

  “Well, yes, and I care about you, Justin. That’s why we are having this conversation!”

  After that statement, it was like the floodgates opened. Justin laid out a lot of the concerns and problems that he had with his parents and his family. He told Jason how hurt he often felt about being excluded from their activities, and how he was often “bought off” with expensive gifts.

  “What you are describing to me are legitimate grievances that you need to work out with your parents. But you have to be proactive about it, and bring the subject up when the time is right. As their son, you have rights and needs that must be respected. If they don’t do that for you, you have every right to complain and if you can’t work it out yourselves, ask for counseling. Otherwise that hurt will continue to gnaw at you from the inside!”

  It was starting to get late in the evening. Edith came into Jason’s room and told Justin that the guest room was all ready for him. “We already have put your bag in there. If you need anything, just ask me or Jason. Good night, Justin.” She escorted him into the guest room and gave him a little hug and kiss. Justin quickly got ready for bed and within ten minutes was sound asleep.

  Jason and Edith peeked in the room a few minutes later to check on Justin, but he was already out for the night. “Wow, Mom, you were awesome today!” Jason said. “No hospital nurse could have cured what ailed Justin better than you did!”

  Edith smiled at the compliment and gave Jason a hug. “All he really needed was a lot of tender loving care. I am so fortunate that I have such a great family to practice on!”

  * * * * *

  The next morning everyone slept in and had a leisurely breakfast. Around ten o’clock, there was a knock on the front door, and the police sketch artist asked if she could come in and work with Justin. They spent about forty minutes making drawings of the two boys who attacked Justin, and the guy named Rubino.

  Just before noon, Bill got a call from Randall Thorne saying that they were now at the San Francisco airport. Bill gave him directions to the Hunter house, and about an hour later they were knocking on the door. The Thorne’s reunion with Justin was very emotional. His mother Estelle held him in a long embrace and there were tears in her eyes. Justin’s sister Emily put her arms around him and stroked his hair. Randall Thorne was profuse in his apologies and expressed regret for any inconvenience this whole incident might have been for the Hunter family.

  “Having Justin stay with us has not been an inconvenience or problem at all.” Bill Hunter answered. “Of course we are very angry about what was done to him, and hope that the police will eventually solve the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. But Justin has been a delight to be with. He had a rough time at first, but he has done a remarkable job of recovering from his ordeal. He has been very brave and resilient about the whole incident. You should be very proud of him!”

  “We are so grateful for all you have done for our son. Is there any way that I can repay you for what you have done. Or at least reimburse you for any out of pocket expenses.”

  “There is nothing that I can think of,” Bill responded. “I think that the lion’s share of the thanks need to go to Jason and his friend Daniel. They are the ones who tracked Justin down and rescued him. I think that they performed some pretty astute detective work in this case!”

  “Thank you, Jason. Our family is indeed fortunate that you were there for Justin when he needed your help. Is there any way that I can repay you?”

  “There is absolutely no need for that, Mr. Thorne,” Jason replied. “Justin is a friend of mine, so I was honored to be of assistance. In the past day we have gotten to know each other a lot better, and I think that you will be amazed at the change in Justin. I know from my own experience as a crime victim that he will have some setbacks and upsetting flashbacks in the coming days and weeks, but Justin is now equipped to handle it with some new self-confidence and inner strength that he has discovered in himself.

  “As far as any incidental expenses that were incurred, my Whatever Foundation is all set up for cases exactly this one, and we feel privileged to help out young crime victims. We also would be happy to cover any counseling costs should the need arise.”

  “Why do you think that we would need counseling services, Jason?” Estelle asked.

  “That is just a suggestion on my part. It is important that you understand Justin will be going through an extended healing process over the next few days and weeks. He is going to need a real support system that he can depend on. It could be that he would need some personal counseling to deal with his emotions regarding the violent acts that were done to him.

  “There are some other serious issues here. Just the fact that Justin often feels ignored and neglected at home might merit a session or two. Sometimes having an impartial outside observer look at things can be very helpful when families are trying to work things out.

  “Yesterday morning, my friend Daniel and I biked over to see Justin and play some ball. But when we arrived at the house where he was staying, no one knew where he was, didn’t seem overly concerned that Justin was out on his own somewhere, and had no idea when he was going to come back. He had no cell phone or any way to communicate. I feel very fortuna
te that Daniel and I were able to track him down and rescue him from the perilous situation that he got dragged into. I know I am only a teenager, Mrs. Thorne, but what Justin has been putting up with seems quite unacceptable to me! I sure hope that you can work things out regarding family activities and communication. Justin deserves better than what he has now!”

  “Estelle,” Edith interjected, “what Jason is telling you is that from now on you need to be there for Justin. Don’t get me wrong; all of us were happy and pleased to help Justin out yesterday when he needed it. We would do it again in a heartbeat. Your son is a sweet and loving boy. Yesterday he got kicked down and badly hurt by some very mean people. He really needed his family yesterday, and no one was there for him. While I am sure that this was unintentional, it was something that really hurt Justin. That is the wound that has to heal. And that issue is what you as a family will have to work out among yourselves.”

  “I guess it’s my fault for not bringing Justin along on our trip to New York,” Randall Thorne said. “I just didn’t think he would enjoy himself very much, being shuttled around to Emily’s different dance events.”

  “But you never even asked me if I wanted to go!” Justin exclaimed. “Maybe I would like to go and see my sister compete in a national competition. Why did you all just assume that I wasn’t interested?”

  Emily then added, “Mom and Dad, you have been spending most of your time dealing with me and my activities lately. I do really appreciate that, but I think we have been giving Justin the short end of the stick. Given what happened to him, I think that we need to start looking out for what he needs a lot more!”

  “Well clearly a family meeting and discussion between ourselves is in order then,” Randall Thorne said. “I guess we do have a lot of things to work out. I am so sorry that Justin had to go through such a horrible experience for us to realize that our priorities were not all in the right places. Now I think that we need to take Justin home and start righting the wrongs. I am grateful to all of you, Jason, Bill, and Edith for what you have done for my son in his time of need.”

  It was time for the Thorne family to leave. Justin went and got his bag and baseball equipment. His parents and sister Emily were shaking hands and saying their goodbyes. First he went to Edith and gave her a big hug. “Thank you for helping me recover. You were so nice to me! I will never forget that!”

  “You are a very sweet person, Justin,” Edith replied. “I enjoyed being your mom for a day!”

  Justin then shook hands with Bill Hunter and thanked him for all his hospitality and for coming so quickly to pick him up at the warehouse. Finally he went up to Jason and hugged him. There were tears in his eyes. “Jason, how can I ever thank you for what you did. I owe you my life!”

  “Well, maybe not your whole life, little buddy. I would say more like a couple of years!” Jason said with a laugh. “Seriously, Justin, keep in touch like we talked about! I think your life is about to take a turn for the better! You are awesome, Justin. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!”

  Chapter 8

  Community Needs and Concerns

  (The Next Week)

  After the Thorne family left, Jason put in a phone call to his friend Richard Liu. He told Richard there might be a new development in the chips case. Richard wanted to find out right away, so he came over to Jason’s house to play some one-on-one basketball but also hear what Jason had to say. They played ball for about fifteen minutes until Richard said, “Let’s take a break now. I’m dying to find out what your new information is!” The two boys sat down in the screened porch and sipped some water. Jason told Richard all about the developments yesterday, and how Justin had spotted the DCC logo on one of the trucks during the attack on him.

  “Has your dad mentioned anything about another hijacking?” Jason asked.

  “No, he hasn’t said a thing about the subject lately. Aren’t you and Daniel supposed to visit the plant some time soon?” Richard replied.

  “Yeah, actually Daniel and I are going to visit the first Monday of spring break week, before we go on our trip to Yosemite.”

  “I sure hope that you guys can somehow find something out about what is going on there.”

  “Have you ever heard of anybody named Rubino working at the DCC company headquarters or maybe at one of the plants?”

  “No, that name doesn’t sound familiar. I know all the names of the managers in the company, and none of them are named Rubino. Maybe my dad has heard of someone with that name. I will definitely ask him about that and whether or not there has been another report of a hijacking.”

  “Captain Garcia seemed to think that this was an important development in the case. When we examined the warehouse there were paint drippings on the floor which led us to believe that the DCC truck had been brought there to disguise its markings and divide up its cargo among the other trucks.”

  “This whole situation gets stranger each time something happens. None of the crimes have any similarity in method other than the fact that DCC chips are stolen. I am just as puzzled now as I was when I first heard about these hijackings from Dad,” Richard said with a sigh.

  “With this crime, there are some specific things that can be checked, though,” Jason replied. “Ask your dad who the driver was for that shipment, and when it actually left the factory. Since the transfer took place Saturday morning where did the truck first go when it left the factory? I am assuming that the shipment was loaded up either Thursday or Friday, regular work days that wouldn’t attract attention. I am sure that Captain Garcia is checking out who owns or was renting the warehouse. Even though it was deserted and clearly unoccupied by an actual business, when Daniel and I were in there, the electricity was on, and the building was locked up. Who had the keys to let the trucks in?

  “I am beginning to see why you are so convinced that someone within the company is involved in the hijackings. Now the question is who and why? Why would anyone employed by DCC want to jeopardize not only the company but their own job security?”

  “There could be a lot of reasons. Someone could owe a lot of money for gambling debts or something similar. Or that person could be forced to cooperate due to blackmail, you know, compromising photos or video. Or there could be a family member somehow involved, and being used to force that DCC employee into giving up the information.”

  “So what you are saying is that the reason for these crimes could be due to a lot of unknown outside circumstances. Even though the backgrounds of the actual employees have all come up clean, they still could be involved because of a family member or recent change in circumstances.” Richard shook his head in disbelief. “Will we ever get to the bottom of this?”

  “Of course we will, Richard. But like anything complicated, it will take some time and a lot of work to find out the answers. Don’t get yourself so down about it! How does the saying go, ‘it’s always darkest before the dawn’.”

  “Jason, you always make me feel better about things after I talk to you. I’m really glad that you and Daniel are working to solve this mystery.”

  “Hey that’s what friends are for, to make you feel better and kick your butt in basketball! Now let’s play a game or two of 21 before you have to go back home!” Richard and Jason resumed playing their game on Jason’s driveway. Now Richard was playing with a lot more confidence and a smile on his face.

  After Richard left, Jason went up to his room, changed out of his sweaty tee shirt into a clean one, and rolled up a pair of swimming trunks in a towel. He had been invited to stop by his girl friend Laura Friesen’s house to get together and swim, and he couldn’t wait to see her. Jason told his parents that he was biking over to Laura’s house, and said he would be back around dinnertime. It was a little after three when Jason had arrived at her house and was knocking on the door.

  The door was opened by Laura. She gave Jason a big smile. “Jason! I thought you would never get here!” She then gave him a quick hug and kiss. Laura looked radiant in a short bl
ue sun dress. She had a beautiful tanned body set off by long chestnut colored hair and beautiful brown eyes.

  “It is so good to see you, Laura. You look great! Sorry I was delayed but all kinds of complications have come up this weekend.” After he came inside, the two sat down in the living room and Jason related to her the events of the weekend.

  “That poor boy!” Laura responded after hearing about Justin. “Imagine being mugged for wearing a baseball uniform. That was really low of those other kids!”

  “I had a long talk with Justin about things, and tried to explain to him why those kids would attack him. He sure had to grow up fast and the hard way this weekend!”

  “It sounds like you are getting involved in another case, Jason. I want you to be real careful that you don’t become a crime victim again!”

  Jason held Laura’s hand. “I really wasn’t trying to get into another case. All Daniel and I wanted to do yesterday was play some baseball. We did promise to look into things for Richard Liu. Now the two cases seem linked by that truck that Justin saw before they blindfolded him. You know I would rather have a simple life and spend time with you and our friends having good times together.”

  “I worry about you, Jason, especially when I see you start being a detective again! You are right, we should be spending more time together having fun! Now let’s go in the pool and have a swim together.” They both went to change into their swim suits. Soon they were splashing around in Laura’s Olympic sized pool.

  After about forty-five minutes in the water, they both got out of the pool and sat on chaise lounges to tan and dry off the water. Laura’s mom Dorothy brought out some soft drinks and snacks for them. The three of them sat and visited for a while. Jason spent some time discussing his new chucks giveaway program that was being sponsored by his Whatever Foundation.

  One of the goals of the foundation was to do nice things for less fortunate kids in the community. While the main focus of the foundation was helping victims of crime, Jason also thought that it would be cool to give away brand new pairs of Chuck Taylor shoes to kids in foster homes who normally couldn’t afford brand name sneakers. Since Jason and many of his friends literally lived in their pairs of high top or low cut chucks, and were fanatical fans of the shoes and their look, he decided to concentrate on just doing that. Through the foundation, Jason had purchased large lots of the shoes for the giveaway sessions. He thought that Laura and Diana were the perfect people to be in charge of the program because they really got into chucks fashion.