“Amen to that,” Jason replied. “Predators who attack young kids are the worst, and that’s why I keep fighting against them whenever I have a chance!”
“You certainly are one of the bravest teenagers I have ever met,” Mary Gordon added. “Brandon told all of his friends it was like an action movie the way you broke in and helped him escape!”
“My dad was not at all happy about the two bullets holes in the side of my Explorer,” Jason replied. “But that was a small price to pay to get this guy out of there,” he continued smiling at Brandon as he gave him a high five. “Besides that’s what we have insurance for, right?”
“Speaking of insurance,” Gordon Jacobs said. “I have a new job now! One of the human resources people from a large insurance company offered me a job after he heard that I was out of work during the news coverage about Brandon. So Brandon, you won’t have to worry about your mom and I arguing about finances any more!”
“That’s great, Dad!” Brandon replied. “Now we can argue about more important things like what’s on the television, doing homework, or me going out to skateboard!”
“It sure sounds like things are starting to get back normal in the Jacobs family,” Jason said. He then turned to Camille and Robbie and asked them how things were working out for them.
“I did write a letter to my father like you suggested. Believe it or not, he actually came and visited me last night!” Robbie said, shaking his head in amazement. “He wants to take me to a Giants game, meet his new family, and start making up for abandoning me all of those years. I was hesitant about going at first, because I still am not sure whether I can trust him.”
“And what do you think of this new development, Mrs. Nelson?” Jason asked.
“I told Robbie that this was his decision to make, and he decided that he should at least go and check things out. Now that we have the child support money we were owed, I am taking Robbie out on a shopping spree tomorrow to get him some Giants gear, a new computer, and television so he can watch a few games and be knowledgeable about the team when he goes to the game. Even if this family thing doesn’t work out, Robbie has a new friend, Brandon, and with our new apartment all furnished and set up now, he can have friends from school come over as well. Robbie is so happy now that he can do simple things other kids take for granted, like inviting a friend to spend the night.”
“Speaking of friends,” Jason said, “there are some other people I want Robbie and Brandon to meet a little bit later who also have been crime victims and can offer them some insight. But I think that Daniel’s band is about to play, so I want to sit down and enjoy their music. I think you will like it too!”
The musical entertainment provided by Daniel’s band turned out to be a wonderful set of tunes that had appeal to all the different generations represented in the audience. Their set included the song “Diana”, which Daniel proudly dedicated to “my love and steady girlfriend, Diana Miglione.” She beamed with pleasure in the back of the room where she was helping her mother cater the party. As the set progressed, more and more of the audience got up to dance and party to the music. Most of the time, Jason sat with Laura, holding her hand and rocking to the music. “Can you believe that our friends are becoming rock stars?” he told her.
After the set was over, Jason brought Robbie and Brandon over to meet the band, and then he saw Ben Kessler sitting with Eric, and their families. “You have got to meet Ben,” he told the two boys. “He’s another kid who had an experience like you, but even worse! He was held captive for a couple of weeks by two of the worst predators we have ever come across! Now he has completely worked through it. You have to talk to him!”
Jason took Brandon and Robbie over to the table where Eric had rejoined Rebecca, his Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Jorge, along with Ben Kessler, his older sister, and their parents. When Ben heard about the party, he begged his parents to bring him. He wanted to tell Jason how well he was doing and to thank him again for all of his assistance over the past year. Jason had arranged swimming lessons for Ben after Eric started to get him interested and confident in his abilities. Now Ben had grown a couple of inches, had slimmed down due to all of the exercise he was getting, and looked great.
After Jason said hello to everyone, he complimented Eric on the band’s performance. “You guys sound better every time I hear you. All I can say is that the sky’s the limit for you guys!”
Eric got up and gave Jason a hug. “You know that everything we have accomplished is because of what you have done for me and every other member of this band. We owe you big time, Jason!”
“Yeah, and my reward is to hear your super quality music continue to improve. The pleasure’s all mine, Eric. Now I want you and especially Ben here to meet two special kids, Robbie Nelson and Brandon Jacobs. They are the latest in our group of friends to go through predator hell, but now they are both recovering nicely.”
“I don’t know how you do it, Jason,” Eric said, “but somehow you are always there to help after a kid has been attacked by some low life pervert! Now take a look at Ben Kessler! Doesn’t he look great?”
“Oh yeah,” Jason replied. “I almost didn’t recognize you there, Ben. I thought maybe you were one of Eric’s swim team buddies! But there is no question in my mind that you had a lot to do with Ben’s recovery, Eric.”
“Just spreading the good around, as you like to say, Jason,” Eric added.
“So tell me how you are doing, Ben,” Jason said. “Like Eric said, you look great!”
“I am doing fine, Jason. I still have occasional nightmares from those weeks of captivity, but more and more that horrible time in my life is fading into the background,” Ben said. “I now am focused on the present and being able to enjoy high school, and my life in general on the family farm.”
“That’s why I wanted to you guys to meet Ben,” Jason said to Brandon and Robbie. “He went through such hell during his captivity but managed to survive. His rescue was the icing on the cake, after I was able to find Nick.”
“Hey Brandon and Robbie,” Ben said shaking their hands. “I am sorry for what you had to endure, but now that is over and it is time for you to heal. You can’t do it alone; you need people to help you. Jason and especially Eric helped me get through what you guys are now experiencing. I would like to return the favor by helping you guys out! You guys have to come and spend a weekend on our family farm near San Matthias. We will have a really good time! It makes you feel good just to feed the animals, work in the gardens, or walk around the property. Later we can go swimming in town or play miniature golf. Are you guys up for it?”
“Let’s do it, Brandon,” Robbie said in an encouraging voice. “I’m sure we can work out the timing and the transportation down there.”
“If your parents are unable to drive you down there, I will,” Eric told the boys. “I love going down there any time I can! Why don’t you two sit down for a minute and see what can be worked out.”
After Robbie and Brandon sat down with Eric and Ben, Jason went over to congratulate the other band members who were still at the band area. “Nick!” he exclaimed shaking hands with the band’s talented keyboard player, and now one of Jason’s neighbors. “I haven’t seen much of you around lately. What have you been up to?”
“Girls, that’s what!” Jonathan said with a laugh.
Nick blushed a little and said, “It’s true. There are a couple of very cute girls I have been seeing, and we have been going out to movies and mixers together.”
“You mean there is actually someone dragging you away from your piano?” Jason said with a big smile. “I can’t believe it!”
“Well, it’s true,” Nick replied.
Jason went over to Nick and gave him a big hug. “I am so proud of you, Nick. You have done so much to recover from what happened to you last summer. I still am haunted by the music you wrote for the Requiem, and what you are doing with the band is incredible. Now you guys have landed your first major gig. Totally aweso
me!”
“Hey, I owe so much of my current success to you, Jason. My life was dangling over a deadly precipice when you risked everything to come and rescue me from those crazy men. I will never, ever forget what you did for me!”
“You know that just seeing you happy and hearing your music is all the thanks I ever will need, Nick,” Jason replied. “Going after you was the most foolhardy and dangerous thing I ever did. But I would do it again in a heartbeat!”
“Friends for life!” Nick put up his knuckles to Jason.
“You bet, Nick!” Jason answered. Looking over to Jonathan, Jason asked him how he was doing.
“Just like Nick here, I am thriving too. Mom has been free of her addiction now for over six months, is working in a very cool gift shop, and has gotten back into cooking, and making the house look artistic. I’m going out to New York to visit my dad during spring break. I also just found out that I got accepted into the state honor band this year.”
“You are one amazing reed player, Jonathan,” Jason replied. “You rock when you take those solos on sax or flute.”
“Just like Nick, music is my life, Jason. And just like Nick, I owe my life to you!” Jonathan said with feeling in his voice.
“I think you have to give some credit to Daniel and Tim, too,” Jason said. “Tim took it upon himself to look after you when that awful meth dealer, Scott Brewster, started to bully you. Then Daniel flipped that flare at just the right moment after Scott spotted us escaping from his cabin of horrors. Otherwise the two of us were toast!”
“Timing is everything in our business,” Jonathan replied with a laugh, “and yours was impeccable on that day! Just like my friend Nick here, I consider you a friend for life for caring about me and my mom when we were down and out, and putting your life on the line to rescue me from Scott when he was trying to turn me into a drug addict!” Jonathan continued, putting up his knuckles.
“On that day, Hunter & Holmes rocked, Jonathan!” Jason said returning the knuckle hit. “Wow, these knuckles are starting to get a little sore!”
“Wait a minute! You have one more round to go!” Tim walked up to Jason and they hit knuckles. “I think I fit into that category, also.”
“You certainly do,” Tim’s girl friend Teresa said, coming up and giving Jason a kiss.
“I know that you are doing well, Tim,” Jason went on. “Daniel tells me that a lot of the reason that your band’s demo CD came out so good was due to all of the extra work you put in mixing the tracks in your studio.”
“Well, it is right next to my bedroom,” Tim replied. “Sometimes I can’t sleep when there is music to be made! It sure is a far cry from what I was doing a year ago, beaten down and trapped in that abusive boot camp! I’m proud to say that today I am one more success story on your great list of accomplishments, Jason!”
“Definitely, my friend, most definitely!” Jason said. “Helping people get out of jams makes me feel really good inside. And getting you and Cody out of that “anger management” prison was one of Hunter & Holmes’ greatest successes.”
“And don’t forget how you helped Teresa, too!” Tim exclaimed. “Now we are counting the days until she turns eighteen and is free of the foster care system!”
“Just like you looked after Jonathan, Tim, Teresa looked after you. She stuck up for you when no one else would!”
Tim turned and gave Teresa a kiss. “You are one fine young lady!”
“Enough about the past!” Jason went on.” I am really looking forward to your band’s tour this summer. Laura and I definitely plan to come to at least one of your performances, if we can get tickets!”
“I wouldn’t worry about that part,” Tim said with a laugh. “I think we could somehow manage to swing a couple of good seats for you and even a back stage pass!”
“Ah, I guess it pays to know the drummer,” Jason replied.
“You’ve got that right!” Tim responded with a big smile.
Just then Laura came up to Jason, and held onto his left hand. “Tim here was telling me that he can get us good seats at one of the concerts when they go on tour this summer,” Jason told her.
Laura gave him a little kiss and replied, “It’s nice to know someone who’s well-connected.” She then addressed Nick, Jonathan, and Tim. “You guys sounded so good tonight. The band has really been making progress. You should be very proud of your efforts. Everyone I talk to just raves about your sound.”
“We all love playing and working together,” Jonathan replied. “We were just thanking Jason again for making it all possible.”
“Come on up to the front, Jason,” Laura said. “Some people want to make a toast to you!” The couple walked hand in hand to the front of the room.
Captain Antonio Garcia and his adopted son Arthur had joined the party and were just finishing plates of food at the Hunter’s table.
Just as Jason and Laura arrived, Bill Hunter stood up and clinked his glass a number of times to get everyone’s attention. When the room quieted down, Mr. Hunter said, “On behalf of my wife, Edith, and my son, Jason, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. As you all know, the past two years have been an amazing time for Jason, and as a result for us. We are very proud of his accomplishments and happy for the numerous people he has helped. I know that many of you here tonight fit into that category. Jason constantly tells us that helping decent people like you is what makes him happy, and what makes him continue to do good works for others.
“As parents, we dread hearing about the risks that our son has taken from time to time in pursuing these cases. The good thing is that Jason has learned something from each one, and uses that knowledge to provide himself and Daniel with a better security net each time they start a new investigation. One of the reasons we wanted to have this party was because Jason’s latest cases have been solved with minimal risk, while at the same time resulting in some very bad people being put behind bars where they belong.
“Before I bring on a special guest for a short presentation, I would like to thank a number of people who made this evening possible. First I want to thank Joe Connor and Jill Baines from the Whatever Foundation, for securing this hall tonight when our guest list began getting too large to handle at our house. And let’s have a big hand for Louisa Miglione and her daughter Diana who provided us with a fabulous dinner.”
After the applause for the food died down, Bill Hunter continued. “I think we need to have another round of applause for Daniel Holmes and the Second Chance All Stars. Tonight their music spoke to all the generations present in this hall!” Again there was an enthusiastic round of applause and some cheers. Daniel and the other band members waved back at the crowd.
“Now I would like to introduce Captain Antonio Garcia, Chief of Detectives of the Silicon Valley Police Department to say a few words.”
Captain Garcia stood up. “I first met Jason Hunter two years ago, after the very unfortunate event of his kidnapping by some criminals who, as Jason discovered later, were after a fortune that was supposed to be stashed away in his father’s safe deposit box. Jason was just 14 at the time, and very shaken up by what had happened to him. Being a crime victim did not sit well with Jason, and eventually his best friend Daniel Holmes persuaded him that the only way to recover from what had happened to him was to search for the criminals who grabbed him and figure out why a normal kid from a typical middle class family would become their target. The team of Hunter & Holmes was born!
“Not only did Jason and Daniel solve that case, but since then they have embarked on a series of investigations that have brought a number of predators and other criminals to justice. Jason has become a real leader in the fight against those who would bring harm to kids in our community. In my experience what Jason has accomplished is unprecedented! In just the past month, Jason was instrumental in tracking down two vicious human traffickers, gamblers who tried to interfere with the high school basketball playoffs, and two very mean kids who nearly drove a young girl to
commit suicide.
“I heard on the news tonight in a report from Jaime Orlando that he has now nicknamed Jason the ‘predator shredder’!” When the audience heard that line, they erupted into applause and cheers again.
“Through his Whatever Foundation,” Garcia continued, “Jason has devoted a considerable amount of money in his quest to fight back against predators and others who would harm teenagers. I know that a number of you in the audience tonight have been recipients of his generosity. And I have Jason and Daniel to thank for introducing me to my adopted son, Arthur. Way to go, guys!
“Today the deputy chief called me into his office and actually asked me if our investigative unit had solved as many cases this month as Jason had!” There was more laughter from the audience. “Luckily I could tell him that it was a tie. But that got us to thinking that maybe we should follow the old adage, ‘if you can’t lick him, join him’. So tonight I am going to do just that!
“Jason Hunter, will you please stand up and raise your right hand.” Somewhat puzzled by this request, Jason nevertheless stood up and held his hand up. “Do you agree to uphold the laws of this city, county, and state, and work to fight crime and protect our citizens?”
“I do,” Jason affirmed.
“Then by the authority granted to me as Captain of Detectives, you are now sworn in as a deputy to the Silicon Valley Police Department.” Captain Garcia reached into his pocket and got out a small box. “In affirmation of your status as a deputy to the department, I present you with your identification badge. Congratulations, Jason!” Captain Garcia then went over to Jason, shook his hand and handed him his badge.
The audience went wild and gave Jason a standing ovation. Jason took out his new badge to examine it. “This is unbelievable and totally awesome!” he told Captain Garcia while people were cheering. Captain Garcia then helped pin the badge onto Jason’s shirt.
The audience continued to roar their approval. Then a few people started yelling, “Speech, speech.” The chant was picked up by others until the entire crowd was chanting for Jason to speak. Finally, Jason turned to the crowd and waved his hands for silence.
Days of Destiny Page 31