Seeking Safety
Page 6
As we are driving away in the car, I know I will never see Barry again but I am thankful that we met him when we did. I would be dead without his intervention. He is a genuinely nice man, and very good looking too. When my lips touched his this morning, I felt a shock all the way to my toes. My experience is very limited, but that was some kiss. I will remember it always.
******
Once Melanie and Eric are safely away from the ranch, Barry and Scoot go to the front gate where Barry makes a statement to the Paparazzi and allows them a few pictures. He tells them that he had two intruders at his home the previous night. He explains that the two intruders were killed by his security service but no others were harmed. He explains that the FBI and ATF were involved because the intruders were members of a militia group from Idaho.
After Barry satisfies the Paparazzi, he and the members of the Drake Security team get together in the great room to decide on a plan for the future of their company. Barry has offered to build an office and living quarters over his new barn for the group provided they will make their permanent home at the ranch. He has also agreed to invest a significant amount of money in their computer systems and other equipment thus becoming a major stockholder in Drake Security.
The members of the Drake Security team are thrilled because up to this point they have all been living in a two bedroom apartment in Denver and their office has been in the living area of the same apartment. The prospect of having a real office and real living quarters where each of them has their own space is a fantastic opportunity. Plus, they all like the idea of staying in continuous contact with Barry. He has always been a close member of this band of brothers.
Over the next few days, the group designs the office and living quarters to be constructed in the spring. Scoot also designs a state of the art security system for protecting the Rock Springs Ranch and keeping the Paparazzi at arm's length.
Late on the night Melanie left the ranch Barry is lying in his bed in the master suite at the ranch where he thinks back to that brief kiss in the driveway that morning. She had shocked him first by kissing him, but then the kiss, as brief as it was, was electric. He had felt it all the way to his nether regions. Melanie is a very beautiful woman and he is sure that she has no idea how beautiful she really is. He wishes their situation could be different so he could get to know her better. He has kissed some of the most beautiful women in the world, but no one has ever affected him the way that one brief kiss did.
******
Several days have passed since Darren Calloway last contacted him so Steve Simpson sits down at the computer and begins searching for any mention of his boss and friend on the internet. When he sees the stories in the tabloids about the two members of a militia group from Idaho killed at the ranch of movie star Barry Farrady in Wyoming, a sense of doom flows over him. Damn! It's got to be Darren!
He spends several more minutes looking for any other information he can find about the incident at the movie star's ranch. In the local Cody Wyoming newspaper he finds an obituary for one of the group's members, James Bragg. He picks up his cell phone and calls James' close friend, Billy Newman.
"Hey Billy, This is Steve Simpson. I just read James' obituary in the Cody paper. What happened?"
Billy is sitting in his living room in Cody with two agents from the ATF. He is shaking with nervousness. This is the call he has been expecting and he replies, "Oh Steve, it was a really bad deal. Evidently Calloway asked James to help him raid that movie star's ranch. I am not sure what they were looking for. They were both killed Steve. All of the members from down here have gone into hiding. We're all afraid the Feds are looking for us too. We all stayed away from the funeral because we don't want to be identified as members of the group."
Steve responds, "That was probably a good idea. Are you absolutely certain that Darren is dead?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Word around here is that a group of mercenaries were on that ranch with Farrady and murdered him in cold blood," answers Billy.
"Damn! All right, thanks for the information. Keep out of sight until you hear from me. I'll handle everything from here." Steve is heartsick. He can't believe his long time friend and associate is dead. He must have thought that Melanie and Eric were on that ranch. He shakes his head. Well, he has a job to do. He has to follow Darren's last instructions.
After disconnecting, Steve retrieves the key to the locked box from Darren's cabin and pulls the metal box out of the safe. With shaking fingers he opens the box. Inside he finds stacks of hundred dollar bills, a deed to the compound property, and a folded sheet of paper.
He is completely shocked at the huge amount of money inside the box. He quickly estimates the value to be close to fifty thousand dollars. Wow! He had no idea Darren had that kind of money.
Next he examines the deed and determines that Darren Calloway was the sole owner of the compound property. He quickly sees where the deed is free and clear of any liens. He is relieved to know that. He doesn't have to worry about making any payments on the compound property to some bank. He unfolds the sheet of paper and begins to read.
Steve, if you are reading this, I am dead. The money in the box is to be used to keep everything running smoothly at the compound until you can secure access to my accounts in the bank in Seattle listed below. In order to get access to my accounts you will need to adopt Eric. As my sole heir, Eric owns the compound property and will inherit the one hundred ninety five million dollars in my accounts.
Steve stops and rereads the first paragraph. His heart is pounding with shock. Darren had one hundred ninety five million dollars in a bank in Seattle? The bastard! He let us live in squalor in this stinking compound and he was sitting on that kind of money? He shakes his head in disgust and then starts reading again.
A lawyer by the name of Benjamin Roland in Seattle has all of the details. You will find one of his cards in the bottom of the metal box. He will assist you with the adoption. In order to adopt, you must get rid of Melanie. Please understand that I want Eric to be raised to take over this group when he turns twenty five. I trust you Steve. Don't let me down.
Steve folds the paper and replaces it in the metal box. He locks the box and places it back inside the safe and locks it. He is going to have to think about this. He is absolutely stunned. He leans back in the office chair and runs his fingers through his hair. His heart is pounding with excitement. He can't wait to get his hands on that money. He knows exactly what he wants to do with it and it isn't staying in this hell hole! The first order of business though is going to be finding Eric and the members will be very helpful in completing that task.
CHAPTER 6
Spring is in the air in Wyoming. The weather is warming and almost all of the snow has melted. The trees are beginning to bud and the flowers are blooming. The crew from the construction company that Barry has contracted to build the new barn and office for Drake Security arrived the first week of April and work has officially begun. The security firm he engaged to beef up security at the ranch per Scoot's recommendations has almost completed their work.
Barry and his Mom, Virginia have settled in nicely at the ranch. Virginia and Bob Kenner are seeing each other regularly and Barry couldn't be happier. His Mom seems younger and happier than he can ever remember.
But his old Hollywood life is about to intrude. Barry is scheduled to go to New York for the premier of his last movie. He will make appearances in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. He is dreading every minute.
******
Eric and I have settled into our new life as Beth and Michael Mitchell. We now live in New York City and Eric hates everything about it. He hates all the people, the constant noise, the drugs that seem to be everywhere, the gangs hanging around on every street corner, and even the schools. He is disgusted because you can't even see the stars at night. He knows he can't do anything to change their situation, but he sure wishes he could. He longs for the wide open spaces from his early years in Idaho.
It takes me a moment to realize who Eric is referring to then when I glance at the magazine he is pointing at, I understand completely. A picture of the famous movie star, Barry Farrady is on the cover of one of those tabloid magazines and I have to admit he does look a lot like the man that helped us that long ago, snowy night in Wyoming.
I shake my head, "No Michael, that can't be the same man. No movie star would be nice enough to help perfect strangers that were in as much danger as we were. The Barry that helped us must just look like Barry Farrady."
Eric has grabbed the magazine and insists, "It's him, Mom. I'm positive. It says he is coming to New York tomorrow. Can we go and see him, please?"
This is the happiest, most excited that I have seen Eric since coming to New York so I agree to go to the hotel to try and get a glimpse of the famous movie star. Eric is beaming he is so excited.
******
Well, the dreaded publicity tour is about to begin. Barry has just arrived in New York City for his public appearances promoting his last movie. As the limousine weaves its way through the bumper to bumper afternoon traffic a sense of dread settles heavily over him. When the limousine slows to a stop in front of his hotel, he plasters his trademark smile on his face and takes a deep breath bracing for the first of many public appearances.
As he slides out of the limousine in front of his New York hotel he is greeted by a huge throng of adoring fans. His security guards have cleared a path for him to the door. The Paparazzi is out in force snapping his picture and calling out questions.
As he makes his way toward the doors of the hotel, he is waving and smiling at his fans in his usual manner completely ignoring the Paparazzi. Then, his attention is drawn by a young boy standing in the front row of his admiring fans and a huge grin slides across his face. Of course, the Paparazzi are everywhere so he winks and waves as he walks past. When he gets inside the hotel he pulls one of his security guards to the side and indicates the young boy. He asks the guard to bring the young man and his group to his suite.
Eric is thrilled. He knows that this man is the same Barry that helped them that snowy night in Wyoming. What's more, he knows that Barry recognized him when he walked past. He winked at him! He is so excited and he is trying to tell his Mom about Barry winking at him when they are approached by one of the security guards and whisked inside the building without an explanation.
I am shocked and frightened. My heart is pounding with trepidation as we are herded into the lobby. Why are they making them come inside this fancy hotel? Oh dear, what am I going to do? Are we going to be arrested? Did Eric do something wrong? Please God, help us!
Once we are inside the hotel, the guard reassures me that we are not in any trouble. He explains that Mr. Farrady has requested they be brought to his suite. Relief flows through me and Eric begins jumping up and down with excitement. They are going to see Barry!
Once Barry enters the suite he discards his suit and puts on his jeans and a casual shirt. He takes a deep breath, finally, he feels like himself. Then he begins to pace the floors waiting for his guests to arrive. He really can't believe that they are here and will be walking in the door of his suite at any minute.
When the suite door opens and he sees Eric and Melanie enter, a huge grin spreads across his face. He crosses the room and wraps both mother and son in a warm hug. Melanie is no longer blonde but has dark sable brown hair in a short pixie cut. Eric appears to have grown at least a foot.
"It's so amazing to see you. Come in here so we can have some privacy," he says indicating his private sitting room.
Once we are settled, he asks, "So how are you? Do you live here now?"
I smile, "I am so shocked! It really is you! I kept seeing your picture in all of those tabloid rags and I couldn't believe the famous Barry Farrady was the one that helped us that night in Wyoming. I guess I was so out of touch and isolated at the compound in Idaho that I had no idea who you were then."
Eric grinning from ear to ear says, "I'm the one that recognized the picture. Mom told me I was crazy. She said someone as famous as you would never be nice enough to help perfect strangers. When I saw you were coming to New York, I told her we had to come see you!"
Barry laughing exclaims, "I am so glad you did! So tell me, are you living here now? Are you still in protection?"
"We are living here now but we are no longer in the witness protection program. We do have new identities though. I am Beth Mitchell and this is Michael Mitchell. Our handlers feel like the danger to us is minimal since Darren is dead."
"I have wondered so often over the last few weeks about you. I wanted to know how you were doing and if you are safe. I would love for you to come to the ranch for a visit. Do you think that is possible? You can see from that circus outside that spending time here or anywhere in public is impossible." says Barry disgustedly.
"I suppose it's possible, but ..."
"I'll furnish the transportation. You don't need to worry about a thing. You just tell me when," interrupts Barry.
"All right, would mid June work for you? Michael will be out of school then."
"Perfect. I'll be through with all this publicity stuff by then too. Give me an exact date and I'll send my private jet for you. That way it will be harder to trace if someone is looking for you. Plan on staying at the ranch for at least a month, all right?" says Barry. "I want a chance to get to know the two of you."
Eric and I spend the next hour telling Barry about our new life in New York City. He updates us on the changes he has made at the ranch and tells us that Scoot and the other guys that make up Drake Security are all relocating to the ranch where he is building them an office and living space over his barn.
When time comes for us to leave, one of Barry's security guards escorts us down the back stairs to a waiting limousine that takes us back to our apartment.
******
From that day forward Eric is on cloud nine. He is going to get to spend a whole month on a real ranch! He wonders if Barry has horses and stuff. He can't wait! He really likes Barry and is very grateful for his and the other guys help in protecting him and his Mom from his Dad. His Dad was a very mean man. He hated the way he used to hit and kick his Mom. He hated that he wasn't old enough to do something to make him stop
Since seeing Barry in New York, he and his Mom have rented every movie they can find starring Barry Farrady. He is a great movie star and all of the movies are really good. He can't wait to get to know him better. He'll be glad when June gets here!
******
Steve Simpson has been scanning all of the tabloid websites for any mention of Barry Farrady. He has read hundreds of tabloid stories about the famous movie star. He is hoping Farrady will lead him to Melanie and Eric. They seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
He made arrangements for a member of the group that works for a magazine out of Seattle to stake out Farrady's ranch. So far he hasn't turned up any useful information.
As he is scanning the websites one more time, he sees a story he missed earlier about Barry Farrady appearing in New York City for the premier of his latest movie. He slowly pages through the article looking at all the pictures when he sees it, a picture of a crowd of people in front of a ritzy hotel in New York City. Right in the front row is Eric Calloway. Bingo! He immediately dispatches a couple of members to New York City to try and track down the boy and his mother. He furnishes them with recent pictures they can use to gather information.
******
When Barry finally finishes all of his public appearances for the movie and returns to the Rock Springs Ranch, he has something to look forward to, Beth and Michael will be arriving in two weeks. He is extremely excited and can't wait to really get to know them. Barry is haunted by the memory of the
brief kiss that Melanie gave him as she was leaving that cold January morning. He is burning with curiosity to know if they possess a true sexual attraction or if it is just a figment of an over active imagination.
In the months since Darren Calloway was killed, Barry has updated the security at the ranch by adding a ten foot fence with razor wire on the top around the entire perimeter. Security cameras are spaced so that someone is watching every inch of the perimeter twenty four hours a day. Armed guards are stationed at the entrance and patrol all areas of the ranch regularly. He has a permanent security force to keep the Paparazzi under control and prevent any other issues that might arise. Barry also has the ability to access any of the security cameras from his computer in the study.
He has installed an automatic gate requiring a security code and paved the road between the Murray's ranch and his own and a guard is stationed at the gate around the clock also. The Murrays and Barry are in the process of building a state of the art airfield to be shared by both ranches in the future since both own private jets. It will have a lighted runway that is heated to keep it clear of snow and ice in the winter. Housing for mechanics, pilots, flight attendants, and their families is included in the complex.
On the day Beth and Michael are scheduled to arrive Barry is so excited he can't sit still. He is pacing around the great room looking out first one window and then another. His mother says, "Barrett, for heaven's sake, sit down! You are driving me crazy!"
Laughing Barry says, "I'm sorry Mom. I just can't wait to see them again."
"I hope you don't mind that I invited Bob to dinner tonight, I want him to get to know them too. He will be a fine example for, what's his name now, oh yes, Michael."
"I don't mind at all, Mom. Bob is a good honest man. I am very happy that the two of you have hit it off. You deserve to be happy Mom," he says. "Don't forget we are all having dinner at the Murray's home on Saturday. I think Dani and Michael will be great friends. They are exactly the same age."