Hulagu's Web The Presidential Pursuit of Katherine Laforge

by David Hearne

  Katherine took in the majestic white towers that jutted up over the landscape, and as she turned her head, she glanced out of the corner of her eye behind them. A feeling of relief washed over her as she saw that only her rented car was trailing them.

  “The royalty payments from the wind turbines are probably going to be more dependable than the money we earn from the cotton crops. It has certainly given many of us a greater sense of economic security. In Roscoe, right now, with so many of us over 55 this money sort of becomes our retirement fund.”

  Enjoying the warm breeze blowing through her hair, Katherine said, “Cliff, Roscoe should be proud of what it has accomplished.”

  For a few seconds quiet filled the air and Katherine could hear the faint rhythmic swoosh of the wind turbines.

  “Not many people realize that my little town of Roscoe will produce more electrical energy from wind than most countries, but I hope that, we can promote that and get on the map for pioneering this change in energy production. We hope to open a Wind Energy Visitor’s center here in Roscoe, and coax cars off the interstate to come and visit us. The new direction Roscoe is heading makes us all excited and proud of its accomplishments. We recognize it will change our town and a lot of us are very proud to be associated with all of this.”

  Cliff coughed a bit and then continued,

  “To many communities, the wind farms have become like the oil boom we once experienced decades ago. But growth is going to stop if we don’t get government support for the creation of better transmission lines from West Texas to the East. We need a way to transmit the electricity we generate across the state to areas that lack the resource we have. We are trying to get legislature passed to invest $6.4 billion into new transmission lines, which would last 50 years, and would reduce power prices by more than $3 billion a year. That is a great deal for our state where in two years we earn the money back in savings and at the same time reduce greenhouse gases.”

  “Cliff, you are right. It would be great to power more homes and businesses with solar and wind energy, so your group being a little vocal about it, hopefully will wake up politicians and the PUC to provide the infrastructure needed. They don’t want to be the reason why a backlog of wind energy projects sit idle here in Texas when we so desperately need new energy resources.”

  Cliff pulled the jeep off of the main road and drove up to a parking area near one of the wind turbines. “Are you ready to take a look at these beauties?”

  “Absolutely, it will be nice to get out and walk around a bit.” Katherine’s rented car swung into the parking lot right behind them. Frank and David climb out into the late afternoon sunlight. David walked over to join his father. Frank stood by the car for a couple moments busy talking on the phone. He continued his conversation as he drew near to Katherine, she could tell he was talking to his wife. He hung up the phone and said, “So Katherine are we going to take a walk around?”

  “Yes, I think that would be very informative and give you a chance to talk to your wife about that new baby. We are going to go ahead, and you take a few minutes and do what you need to make her feel okay. Catch up with us as soon as you are done.”

  “Katherine, Diane is fine. Just a bit confused as to when I will see her again!”

  “You tell her soon. Once we leave here, you need to go home for a weekend and see her. That is an order.” Katherine said sternly with a smile.

  “Okay, if you say so. She will be happy to hear that. Just give me a couple minutes and I will be with you.”

  Katherine, Cliff and David started hiking over to the base of the first tower and Katherine asked.”

  “David can you take a picture of Cliff and me with a wind turbine in the background?”

  David happily obliged taking a series of pictures of his father and Katherine posing with the wind turbines glistening in the background. The wind was a little stronger than usual and Katherine’s hair kept blowing over her face, but he was sure he took some good ones that she would like.

  Katherine commented, “The sound of the props turning are actually very soothing and probably even more soothing to anyone making a few thousand dollars for just harnessing the wind.”

  They moved up the row of towers that cast eerie gray shadows across the late afternoon landscape. Cliff was going to meet one of the engineers just up ahead and show her some of the inner workings of the turbine.

  Frank had not returned yet, and she was a little perplexed with his personal business interfering in the tour of the site that Cliff was providing.

  Her phone rang and at first she did not recognize the number. It was Diane. She took the call knowing that she was going to be thanked for giving Frank a weekend off.

  “Hello, Diane.”

  “Senator, what is wrong with Frank?” A frantic Diane blurted out.

  “Whoa, Diane what is wrong?”

  “He was talking to me, and then he was not, but his phone was still on, and I could hear something horrible.” She said in little gasps.

  “Well, Diane we are just up ahead of him looking at some wind turbines, and we will walk back and find him for you.”

  “I am afraid. The sounds I thought I heard were something like him gasping or gurgling, and I thought I heard a voice whisper ‘die bastard’. When he wouldn’t say anything to me, I hung up and tried calling him back a few times, and he never answered the phone” She said in a very emotionally choked up voice.

  “Diane, calm down and we are going back to find him. We will call you right back okay?”

  Katherine really did not wait for a reply, but hung up and called Venter, “Jannie, listen up. We need you to come and get us. Bring your gun and be careful. Something bad might have happened to Frank.”

  “Katherine, you stay on the phone with me. I am coming right now, and I am being careful. What am I looking for?”

  Adrenalin surged into Katherine’s veins and fear tightened its cold fingers around her heart. “You’re looking for Frank,” she said hurriedly, “and be careful because I am afraid it might be those two, I mentioned to you earlier behind this.”

  “I was the only car in the parking lot, so I doubt that anyone else is here other than those who work here. You are with Mr. Etheridge, and his son?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I think you need to start coming back toward the parking area, so I can cover you better. Right now you are too far away for me to be very helpful, if someone tries to attack you.”

  Katherine motioned to Cliff and his son to come with her. They wore that ‘what in the Hell look’ on their face as they tried to figure out what was going on.

  Suddenly, Venter voice boomed across the cotton field. “Katherine I found him. You stay there. No, Jesus Christ, you need to go back to the car. You need to get back there fast.”

  Katherine started to come to where Venter stood, but he waved her away, and started coming toward her with his gun drawn. “Move Senator. All of you get back into the car. Just listen to me.”

  David and Cliff grabbed Katherine and Cliff said, “I think you better listen to him Senator. He looks very serious.”

  The three of them quickly moved back toward the rented car with Venter dashing behind them with his gun at the ready. Katherine strained to control the awakening fear coursing through her. Her senses intensified, and exaggerated everything around her. The crush of the grass underfoot sounded like sticks cracking in two and the blood pulsing through her veins became so loud that it blocked the swoosh of the turbine’s propellers. The comforting breeze blowing against her face, now felt like some crushing evil entity.

  Their heavy breathing punctuated the stillness, as they reached the car. Without hesitation, they clamored into its safety. Venter arrived and quickly slid behind the wheel. The car roared with power almost the instant he closed its door. Venter threw it into reverse and gravel flew in all directions as he quickly backed up.

  It was late afternoon and the highway was now far more congested. Venter raced alo
ng an open stretch of blacktop and the parking lot fell away “Jannie, what is going on?” Katherine asked feeling her heart beating erratically.

  “Someone killed Frank.” Venter said matter-of-factly and without waiting for a response he barked” Mr. Etheredge, can you call the police for me?”

  Katherine sat in stunned disbelief as Venter swung the car into the passing lane.

  David Etheredge pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and said, “I’ll call them. What is the message?”

  “Just give them the address of where we just came from and tell them there was a killing there. Tell them it was an attempt on Senator Laforge’s life”

  Just then Katherine’s phone rang. It was Diane. Katherine hesitantly answered it. In her mind she tried to think of what she should say. She knew that she could not yet tell her what had happened. “Hello Diane, I don’t have an answer for you yet. Give me a few more minutes and I promise I will call you back.” Her stomach turned as she spoke these words. How could she tell Diane that her husband was dead?

  “Please tell me that Frank is okay! Why can’t he talk to me?”

  “Diane, I just do not know what is going on yet. I am as confused as you. I just don’t know anything concrete yet. Please give us a few more minutes. We do have a situation here and the police are on the way. I promise, I will call you, as soon as I know what the situation really is.”

  “What do you mean situation?”

  “Diane, I have to talk to the police now. I have to hang up.” Katherine felt so guilty lying to Diane, but at the same time she wanted to know more about Frank’s death before she told her about it.

  Katherine sat motionless for a moment and then exhaled the breath she had been holding since she had hung up the phone and willed herself to stop trembling. Now her fear was diluted by rage and anger. Her mind envisioned what probably happened, and what she supposed had been planned for her, if Venter had not been there. The mental images were pornographic in their violence. Thankfully, her thoughts were punctuated by the wobbling wail of nearing police sirens. In front of her, she could see the police cars charging down the highway.

  Venter abruptly pulled the car over to the side and barked out that they were returning to the scene with the police. He shot the car across the road and idled it, waiting for the police to pass them. At the same time, he kept up a constant conversation with the police on his cell phone. Three police cars tore by and Venter eased the car back onto the highway and raced after their flashing red lights.

  By the time they got back to the site, and waited for the police to secure it, the moon had replaced the sun. Katherine tried not to think about this new horror, and instead focused on the darkening sky and the eerie shadows cast by the white towers over the gray landscape. She needed some distraction to ward off her tears and suppress the building anger roiling within her. Clutching at her fragile sanity she reminded herself that she was running for President of the United States, and she had to appear strong. But that was not how she really felt, under the pretense of strength was a feeling of abject helplessness accompanied by a numbness that slithered into her along with a sense of a tangible evil pervading the air about her. Somehow Hell had crashed into her life again.

  Finally, three police officers came to her car and asked Katherine, if she would accompany them to where the body laid. Katherine struggled to suppress her tears as she climbed out of the vehicle. Once outside, her confidence disintegrated even more, and she found her hands shaking and cold sweat oozing from her brow. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to squeeze away the confusion and fear that tore like talons at her stomach. Somewhere in the swaying cotton fields, a dog howled mournfully.

  For a moment she just continued to stand there, as if paralyzed, and then her eyes opened, and she breathed deeply of the night air. An officer’s voice penetrated the silence and asked Katherine if she was okay. She uttered a barely audible yes, and then started to walk falteringly with them to Frank’s corpse.

  The walk seemed to go on for an interminable time. Above, the moon sailed through the black clouds illuminating the wind farm with quivering shadows. As she walked, Katherine began to delude herself that she was simply experiencing a terrible nightmare and that when she awoke, Frank would be there smiling.

  She just had to let this nightmare play out, and all would be okay.

  Suddenly, they stopped and the scent of death and blood assailed her nostrils. She knew it was not a nightmare, you wake from, but one of those nightmares you live within. As she looked down at the form in front of her all the doubts and fears rushed back into her being.

  There propped up against its base was the body of Frank Payne. His blood soaked clothes glisten under the full moon as blood still oozed from his slit throat. A note hung from a knife stabbed deep into his face. Senator Laforge was overcome with anger, remorse, and revulsion as she stared at the gristly sight of her brutally murdered campaign manager. She stared in absolute horror at the gruesome scene. An officer’s voice finally broke her fixation. “Senator, is this Frank Payne?” He quietly asked nodding at the corpse.

  She did not reply, perhaps from her confusion, she was still trying to comprehend his question. A sliver of the moon’s illumination washed over the form on the ground, and it was enough to spotlight the familiar hair now matted with blood and the face twisted in shock.

  “Yes, it is Mr. Payne.” Katherine said in a barely discernable whisper. In her mind the questions raced, why did they kill him? She reached for the note. But an officer grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  “Sorry Senator, until the FBI gets here no one can touch anything. I can tell you this; however, the note is a threat against you. If you are ready, I can take you back to the car and get you back to the station.” The officer said in an apologetic voice, while he gently held her arm.

  As Katherine started the walk back to the car her stomach churned, and she staggered to her knees vomiting uncontrollably. She kneeled there gasping for air trying to compose herself as the three officers watched helplessly as she continued to dry heave. Finally, her stomach stopped convulsing, and she regained her composure. She defiantly wiped the spittle from her face, but could feel the acid still burning in her throat and mouth.

  She got back to her feet, and like in a trance slowly started toward the car. It was now time to do what she could put off no longer. With a fog of tears burning her eyes, she opened her cell phone and dialed Frank’s wife, Diane.

  * * * *

  The town hall was filling up once again. After the announcement, that Senator Laforge was found, many of the town folks decided to return. The town hall was where the action would be. In fact, it was already happening. A large number of armed police and plain-clothes security personnel had arrived and appeared to be taking up positions within the auditorium. I hoped this was a good sign.

  I assumed Katherine had been found alive, and was still going to come here. It sounded crazy, but then why else would they have all this security here. Some of the guards were speaking to the people sitting at the VIP table. One of the women sitting there was Frank’s very pregnant wife, Diane. Apparently, she still supported her deceased husband’s dreams. Others seated with her were party officials and community leaders. I had also noticed at a table, near the rear of the auditorium, sat the numismatist, Mike Fuljenz with some of his associates. He had been an unwavering supporter and friend of Katherine’s during many of her ordeals. Many out-of-towners had come to this town hall meeting because it had been heralded as one of her most important campaign events, and because it was held in her hometown.

  Witnessing this army of security brightened our day. My wife, Tom, and Vince exuded excitement from this turn of events. It was an odd thing to be thinking about, but even the fact that Katherine had gotten this far in her campaign was still hard for me to comprehend.

  Part Eleven

  The Speech

  “It is appointed unto a man to die once, and after this the judgment”

 
; ~ Hebrews 9:27

  Outside the town hall was still terribly cold and windy. The sky was a deadly gray with an occasional streak of light cutting through the gloom. Everyone appeared to be in a perpetual state of alert as they waited for word of Senator Laforge’s expected arrival.

  I was still thinking about how Katherine was able to cope with the death of Frank Payne. I remember reading that a common mode of coping with death is denial, but for Katherine that was an impossible luxury. She had to suppress her grief and quickly dispel any disbelief, anger or confusion over Frank’s death. Her ambitions dictated that she deal with death quickly and differently and reject denial and accept his passing.

  Besides accepting his demise, Katherine had the immediate problem of finding someone to fill his position. That would be difficult, because Frank had taken over the day-to-day control of Katherine’s campaign, and his no-nonsense style had made a huge impact on her rising popularity numbers. Katherine had told me once that, “Frank was fearless, and understood how all the different parts of a campaign needed to come together. He was part teacher, part manager.” His replacement would have a very difficult task.

  Frank was someone who made things happen from his forceful manner, and inspired fierce loyalty among aides. Once Katherine came back from Iraq, he had people flocking back to her campaign to work for him. But now he was gone.

  I remember the days directly following Frank’s death that there was a great out pouring of anger by people expressing their feelings about his murder. People were outraged at the brutality of the crime and many could not comprehend that this was a deliberate act by those opposing Katherine’s political platform.

  The funeral was a portrait of grief and shock. The specter of murder loomed over the already grim occasion, as throngs of mourners converged at Frank’s final resting place. His funeral was covered by all the major networks and workers in offices, barrooms, stores, and beauty shops paused their workday to tune into a piece of history in the making.