Always a Brother

by Michael Shenk

  They stared after the people in the vehicle. They looked like anybody or everybody else in the airport. No uniforms, no sirens, no drama.

  The cleaning lady pushed her cart past them, looking over momentarily. “I hear you are on the way to Mexico?”

  Johnny shifted his feet, puzzled. How would she know that?

  Terry broke away from Isaac and gave the woman a hug. “Thank you so much, Lucy! Thank you so much!”

  The cleaning lady smiled broadly and pushed her cart back toward the restaurant, turning once more to wave a graceful hand. “Have a nice trip!” she called back, accent more pronounced.

  The women had tears in their eyes but smiled at the confusion on the faces of the men.

  “Are you telling me she’s an undercover cop?” Isaac was incredulous, and the language that followed caught the attention of several people walking by, earning him a few scowls.

  Johnny started to laugh. “Oh, man, am I ever glad we didn’t rough him up! All she saw were a couple of nice guys helping a sick friend. That’s righteous, dude!” His slip into Jason’s slang made them all laugh.

  “Now, what?” Mary was concerned. “Do we have to stay here, or can we go to Mexico?” They all looked at her, then at the time.

  “We don’t board for two hours, a little more if we push our luck.” Isaac had the timing figured out, his internal clock and love of numbers still front and center. “If they need to talk to us, it shouldn’t take long.”

  He looked in the direction the cart had disappeared, then at Terry. “Why don’t you text the RCMP guy, what’s his name?”

  “It’s Long.”

  Terry looked at her phone, “Oh, here is a message from him. “Wait for me, at your gate,” she read, “We need to talk before you leave.” She looked up, “Well, there we go. Hope we don’t miss our flight.” Johnny took Mary’s hand, “You have a story to tell! Getting around us and stopping him in his tracks – what got into you?”

  She interrupted him. “I’m starving. Let’s go through security and then get some more food. They’ve thrown ours away by now.” She smiled. “Do you realize we were all sitting at the table together less than half an hour ago?”

  On the walk to their gate and security check, Isaac tried to keep the mood light. Johnny was brooding, and the women were close to tears.

  Isaac caught their attention. “You know, I don’t think I’ll be able to lie on the beach at the resort.”

  Mary took the bait. “Why not? Scared of sunburn?”

  “No, it’s all the giant umbrellas, just standing there…” he paused dramatically, “waiting for scary Mary here.” There were a few weak smiles as he continued, “Did you say she cracked it?” He stopped walking abruptly. “I need to go buy that, what a souvenir!”

  He mimicked Jason. “Yo, Isaac, what’d ya bring me from Mexico, dude?” He switched to his own voice, emphasizing the unique accent. “Oh, here you go, Jason. This may look like an umbrella, eh, but you see, it’s really a nutcracker. When I seen it, I just knew it was the gift for you!”

  It wasn’t really that funny, but they all laughed, tension having its effect.

  “Why do you say I seen it? You should say, I saw it!” Terry had asked this before, and frustrated, she turned to the Amunds, hands outstretched. “What the heck! It drives me crazy!” They all laughed some more, unable to answer her question, or even try.

  Seventy-five minutes later, they were free to board their airplane. Officer Long had interviewed them all, referring to Lucy’s notes.

  Who was Lucy? Mary wondered; what was her real name, why was she stationed in the airport? She looked around, wondering who else could be someone they did not appear to be – there was a lot of that going on.

  Joseph had appeared to be Terry’s friend – but wasn’t. Johnny had appeared to be embittered for good – but wasn’t. Terry had been fearful, depressed - and that too, would soon be changing. Mary wondered about herself, not recognizing the glow that set her apart from the woman she had been a year earlier. Being and feeling loved agreed with Mary Amund.

  Officer Long was excited and easy to talk to. “You guys were really in the right place at the right time! We were tracking this guy. His real name is not Joseph, as you may have guessed.”

  He smiled at Terry. “We have had him under surveillance for a long time. He was living in Toronto.” He rubbed his hands together. “This is a good day! And don’t worry, we have a line on the other two. There’s a chopper in the air as we speak. Hopefully, they’ll be in custody this afternoon.”

  He watched the men closely as he said this, Johnny noticed. He was relieved Isaac didn’t say anything, but it was obvious Long noticed his sardonic grin.

  Officer Long knew Joseph had talked to them and Johnny wondered if there would be any follow-up questions for him and Isaac.

  “Terry, we want you to know that to the very best of our knowledge there is no one else out there. From the emails and text messages we have intercepted, it seems, uh, Joseph was involved in a scheme to salt a gold mine.”

  They looked at him blankly.

  “Our theory is, and we won’t know for sure until spring, that they were taking small amounts of gold nuggets and gold dust up to mining claims in one of the Territories. It appears a consortium has slowly been buying a large number of claims across the North. We think they were planning to hire a prospector to test these claims, salted with all this gold they have been smuggling, and write up a report on ‘the new bonanza!’ Start a fake gold rush, so to speak. With a report such as this in hand, they could sell their pretty much worthless claims for a lot of money, especially to foreign investors who were looking for a quick buck in Canada.”

  “So, you’re saying I hauled gold up to Joseph from his guy in Red Deer?” Terry was incredulous. “Gold? This just doesn’t sound as dangerous as drugs, or guns, or whatever! And hey, what was I hauling on the trip south to Red Deer?”

  “On the way down, you actually were transporting bags of pay dirt to be processed. From what we know at this point, some of the claims do have gold; just nothing special, nothing to make them valuable. They couldn’t set up a processing operation on the claims without drawing unwanted attention. So, they sent the pay dirt south to be processed, and what gold they found could be sent north later with the gold from other sources.”

  Isaac interrupted, “This doesn’t even sound smart, if there was already gold, why bring up more? And, I thought you could tell where gold is from, the chemical makeup… oh they probably mixed it with the dirt that they sent down, hoping they could get away with it.” He nodded to himself, voice trailing off.

  Long nodded, “These guys were in for the big score. We believe this was a long-term project. They probably were waiting until the price of gold went up again before selling.”

  “So, we had better be quiet about this?” Johnny smiled, but his tone was serious.

  Long nodded, then raised an apologetic hand as he took a call. He walked away for less than a minute, rejoining them as he buttoned his phone back in his pocket.

  “Weird, the guy chucked his phone in the toilet. The tech guy says it was wiped completely clean of fingerprints, he’s checking it as they drive. Makes you wonder what Joseph was thinking.” He shook his head again. “Smart guy though. He tried to blame you guys for taking the phone, took us extra time to find it. Tech says it was underwater too long, totally done.”

  Johnny was watching closely out of the corner of his eye, and he would have sworn Long winked at Isaac.

  “So, you’re telling us that Joseph was just one of the guys moving this gold into the north? Why wouldn’t they just haul a truckload of the stuff up there?” Terry was harsh in her relief, tone more demanding than normal.

  She continued, watching Long, who didn’t reply, allowing her to continue.

  “So, Joseph tried to kill me just to keep himself safe and hired the other guys to do it for him?”

  Long kept nodding, mouth pursed.

 
“So, there is no one else out there looking for me, just Joseph and the two other guys?”

  “Until we have confirmed the whereabouts of the other two men, we are not entirely sure. We hope to know in a few hours. But our best guess at this point is that no one else in the scheme even knows you exist, and no one has any reason to wish you harm. Except Joseph, of course. But he should be our special guest for a long time.” He laughed – a man pleased with the situation.

  “I wish I could tell you details about the team that has been working this case.”

  “But then you’d have to kill us.” Isaac deadpanned, earning smiles from them all.

  Chapter 53

  When Long said goodbye, Johnny walked with him toward his exit.

  “Is there anything else we need to do, uh, any follow-up?”

  Long shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” He glanced at Johnny, “So, that was your wife who stopped the guy, with an umbrella?”

  Johnny just looked at him, waiting, no expression on his big face.

  Long grinned. “You ever been told you’re a poker player, son? No, the phone in the toilet, the umbrella, I don’t think it will matter at all. He pretty much spilled his guts already. Living in hiding has him stretched near his breaking point. Our guys in Toronto didn’t think he could make it much longer without a nervous breakdown.”

  He looked at Johnny closely. “I am guessing he said something to you about the other two guys. We sent a chopper out looking for them, and they already found a shipping container in the middle of nowhere in some sort of supply compound. It’s near the National Park. The weather has been above freezing for a week, and they noticed this container with a lot of ravens circling. Some local guys are taking snowmobiles up there as we speak. I don’t envy them at all.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t mention this to the women, could put a damper on your trip. We will contact Terry when we have them in, uh, custody, and let her know we, uh, tracked them down.”

  He put out his hand, shaking Johnny’s with a firm grip. “Terry has my contact info, and I have hers. If anything comes up, just give us a call. Enjoy your trip!”

  Johnny walked back to the gate, smiling when he saw his wife and friends, thankful for the resolution. He knew he would do his part as Terry healed. He guessed there would be bumps in the road, but he was a trucker, a logger, and was learning to be a husband – and a brother. He had proven his ability to handle trouble in the past and knew that he would handle more in the future.

  He knew it was time to talk with Mary about his past, and maybe a few close friends as well. It was now the time to face fear, reluctance, sorrow; whatever was holding him back. Maybe it was time to start farming, keeping the dream alive, the dream that had given hope and sustenance to his uncles, the dream that could become his own, and that of his children.

  He thought of the forge he knew was stored safely in its box, hidden in a special place on the farm. He thought of the bar of ancient metal, greased and carefully wrapped in oilcloth, waiting for him or another Amund to replicate the work of an ancestor. He thought of tradition and honor and love and sacrifice. He thought about being a child and being a parent.

  And settled comfortably next to Mary high above the earth, he thought about cool water and warm sand, and fighting mystical fish on the blue ocean swells. He thought about friends. He thought about loving his wife, holding her in his arms.

  He was Johnny Amund. He could always have a brother, and he would always be a brother. He slept.

  Later that afternoon: Calgary International Airport

  The woman was exhausted, and while her husband went to order some fast food, she took the children into a family restroom she knew was always clean. She wasn’t disappointed. The room smelled fresh, tile gleaming – the little joys. The baby was sleeping in his car-seat while she changed the three-year-old’s diaper. It was time to finish potty training, but they had been so busy, so many trips. She pushed her hair back from tired eyes, and smiled at the baby, so small, so cute, so loved. She leaned down and kissed the toddler, making him giggle.

  The four-year-old girl was bouncing, excited. She would have her birthday party soon after they got home.

  “Mommy look!” she squealed, pointing at a cheerful poster on the wall.

  “Shhh, don’t wake the baby!” It was hard to be kind, but little Sarah had been so good, so patient.

  “But Mommy, look! It’s the hospital where we took Baby Stevie!” She wondered why her mommy started crying when she looked where Sarah pointed. The bright squares of color she saw on the sign at the hospital and now recognized on the big poster made her feel happy.

  “It’s okay, Mommy, Baby Stevie is getting better.” She hugged her mommy’s leg. “I’m going to share my birthday presents with him, that will make him better too!”

  A little later that afternoon: Alberta Children’s Hospital Accounting Department.

  “But sir, really! It just came in this afternoon. How do I handle this so late in the day?” The weary manager sat up straight in his desk as he processed what he was hearing.

  “Okay. What you’re telling me is that a little earlier this afternoon we were given an anonymous donation of almost a quarter of a million dollars?”

  He was standing now, his despondent search for good seats at the hockey game forgotten.

  “That’s right!” The breathless voice of an employee in the accounting office replied.

  “It’s anonymous, came in from an offshore account! We don’t know what to do!”

  “Well, that’s just fine. We love donations! Just put it into our present drive. If something is fishy, well, we’ll deal with it later.”

  Dinnertime: Calgary RCMP Forensic Unit

  The technician smiled as he searched through recent activity on the phone. Someone had made a large deposit that afternoon, emptying an account, shifting the money to another. He entered the code into his computer.

  “Hey, Boss, you’ve got to see this!” he yelled over his shoulder. “I think we’ve got the original jokester at work here.”

  A few minutes later, the boss chuckled. “I agree.” He rubbed his thick hands together, now openly laughing. “Are you kidding me? They had him in the bathroom, and they transferred his money to a local charity?”

  As he walked away, the tech called him back. “What do we do with it, let it go?”

  “Well, why the heck not?” He shook his head and swore. “I like these guys’ style; yes indeed, I truly do!”

  He walked away, then stopped, and turned back, still grinning.

  “Hey, listen, we got all we need. That phone was reported destroyed, so go ahead and destroy it now, stop digging. We really don’t need to know any more.”

  Summer, 1991, Williams Lake, British Columbia

  She moved slowly up the crowded street, enjoying the fit of her scarlet serge jacket and tall, black boots, mirrored columns in the sun. The summer heat was intense. She didn’t mind. The parade would be starting soon at the Williams Lake Stampede. She had been chosen to represent the RCMP, riding at the head of the parade with her commanding officer, carrying the flag. Her new community was fascinating. She couldn’t help responding to the excitement and traditions of the Stampede, and she looked forward to the rodeo dance that evening when she would be off duty.

  From the saddle she scanned the crowd, recognizing several faces, a few friendly nods directed her way. Her posture was strong, her eyes were clear Her face did not convey the happiness she felt inside, the growing confidence, the relief of feeling useful and wanted.

  Then her eyes narrowed, and she reined her horse to a halt. She sat very still, captivated by a scene directly in front of her.

  Two big men were standing on the sidewalk and her attention was drawn to their strong, calm presence. One of the men bent down, holding a small, straw cowboy hat out to a young boy, whose shock of blonde hair was bright in the sun.

  His little cheeks were flushed, and his sturdy chest was heaving, eyes shini
ng. “Hello, Uncles, I was playing with…” His voice was excited but measured and trailed off when he saw the hat being offered.

  “For me?”

  He looked expectantly from sober face to sober face, taking measure of the gift.

  “Thank you!” He took the hat with both hands, holding it out, turning it, looking inside, identifying the back. He put the hat on his head, tipping it back to look up at the men. He smiled.

  “Thank you.”

  Her breath caught. The men looked strangely familiar, and then she knew exactly who they were – a hospital on a terrible winter day. She stared fiercely at the vignette playing out on the sidewalk, background noise fading, vision tunneling into a clarity she had never experienced.

  One of the men stepped forward, calmly pushing a side-stepping Appaloosa firmly back onto the street, its young rider yelling her thanks.

  The little boy’s face was shining, quietly grateful, looking at the men soberly. But then his face fell.

  “But what about Sammy?” He turned, indicating the dark-skinned boy behind him.

  The men turned, looked, turned back to the boy.

  “What about Sammy?”

  “He doesn’t have a hat.” He took off his hat, holding it to his chest with both hands, looking up at the men.

  Together, both men’s stern faces creased into momentary smiles, and they nodded at each other.

  “Vell what about dat!” The man in the Ritchie Brothers hat nudged the other, putting a large hand on the blonde boy’s shoulder.

  “Let’s go find dat Sammy a hat.” He stooped slightly and put the hat back on the blonde boy’s head, and motioned kindly for the other boy to follow, stepping out to cross the street.