A Father's Justice Pt. 06

"I have been authorized to confirm that information," Smith said. "At this point, I think it's fairly safe to conclude that everything regarding the incidents involving Knight is related at some level." The scene shifted yet again, going back to the blonde reporter.

"Agent Smith tells us the agency is sifting through a mountain of evidence that suggests executives were involved in a myriad of crimes. It seems we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Back to you, Jerry," she said.

"Thank you, Brenda," Jerry said. "For more, we turn to Andrew Conrad, live at the federal courthouse where disgraced former CEO Jacob Knight is set to appear yet again tomorrow morning. Andrew?"

"Yes, Jerry, indeed, Mr. Knight, who is confined to a wheelchair as the result of a mugging, is set to appear here tomorrow morning," Andrew said. "I spoke to Marvin Morrison, the federal prosecutor in charge of the case." The video changed scene and they saw a tall, thin man with curly hair talking with the reporter.

"The evidence we've seen so far suggests to us that the executives of Knight Petroleum spent more time committing crimes and covering them up than they spent producing oil and gas," Marvin said. "And something tells me this is just the beginning."

"Will there be more charges filed?" Andrew asked. Marvin looked intense as he answered.

"Absolutely," he said. "And I expect there will more on top of that."

"Will you be speaking with the surviving executives?" Andrew asked.

"Yes," Marvin said. "We've already started those discussions, and we've widened the investigation to include lower-level managers."

"The defense has been quite effective in blocking your motions so far," Andrew said. "What is your strategy for that?"

"Well, Andrew," Marvin said. "You're right that the defense has been effective in putting up roadblocks. But I think that will all change tomorrow."

"What kind of charges can we expect to see?" Andrew asked.

"Shocking charges," Marvin said. "That's all I'll say about that right now. You'll get a better idea tomorrow morning."

"So, Jerry," Andrew said after Marvin walked off, "it looks like we might see some fireworks tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Andrew," Jerry said. "We'll be watching." He turned to face another camera. "The allegations against Knight Petroleum have also had a serious impact on the market today as shares have dropped, causing concern among investors. We now turn to Eyewitness News financial analyst Tyler Morgan. Tyler, what do you see happening?"

"Well, Jerry," Tyler said, having suddenly appeared in the shot, "I think Knight Petroleum may be on its last leg, so to speak. If something isn't done soon, the company will fold, and that could have global repercussions."

"Do you know of anything in the works?" Jerry asked.

"I've heard rumors, but nothing I can conclusively report at this time," Tyler said.

"I know if something does happen, you'll be the first to let us know, Tyler," Jerry said. "Thank you." He turned back to the camera. "Up next, man's best friend goes on a little joyride. Stay tuned to Eyewitness News." Bob turned the TV off as the station went to a commercial.

"You're the analyst, Bob," Ryan said. "What do you think?"

"I think Knight Petroleum is screwed, blued and tattooed," Bob said. "I'll be surprised if they're still in business a month from now." Ryan nodded his head in agreement.

"I think you're right," he said. He pulled out his phone and called Smith, who answered on the first ring.

"Yeah, Smith," he said.

"Just saw the news," Ryan said. "Is all that shit true?"

"You wouldn't believe the shit we found at that camp," Smith said. "I have a feeling if we hadn't acted when we did, someone else would've."

"What did you find?" Ryan asked.

"Unbelievable shit, Ryan," Smith said. "More drugs than you can shake a stick at, DVDs of drug-crazed orgies, possibly including underage girls, ties to drug cartels, evidence of human trafficking, you name it. I also think I know why the agency turned a blind eye to Gillespie's murder."

"Damn," Ryan said. "Don't tell me they had a mole in the agency."

"Yup," he said. "Someone fairly high up in the food chain. He's already been brought in for questioning."

"Any evidence linking Lisa to all this crap?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing yet," Smith said. "It's possible they managed to keep it from her, but I don't see how she could've not known something was going on. Maybe she was blinded by Jake's money and too involved in her own work to notice. I don't know. So, what's the word on your end?"

"Well, Sheriff Coltrane put it together after the report this morning," Ryan said. "Came out to see me after the guys left."

"Oh?" Smith asked. "And he didn't take you in?"

"No," Ryan said. "In fact, he wants me to take over as sheriff when he retires." Smith laughed.

"Damn, son, you get all the breaks," he said. "You gonna do it?"

"I'm considering it," Ryan said. "I got a couple things to take care of first."

"Well, I just might be knocking on your door looking for a job when this is all over," Smith said.

"You planning to retire or something?" Ryan asked.

"I'm thinking about it," Smith said. "The agency just isn't what it used to be."

"Maybe they need a good man like you to become director and make it all right," Ryan said.

"Maybe. I don't know. It's all political these days. How's Beverly and your kids doing?" Smith asked.

"They're doing alright," Ryan said. "By the way, you coming to the wedding?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Smith said. "Anyway, I'll be in touch. You watch your six, you hear me?"

"Will do," Ryan said. "Bye." They ended the call and Ryan left the room to call Beverly. A little while later, he returned with a smile on his face. Sarah noticed, and sat next to him on the couch as he wrestled with little Ryan.

"Talk to Mom already?" Sarah asked. Ryan knew she meant Beverly. He nodded his head.

"Yeah," he said, as he tickled the young boy in his lap. "How did you know?"

"Well, you left the room to call, and then you come back with a shit-eating grin on your face," she said. "It's good to see you in love again. I remember you used to be that way with Lisa." Ryan looked at her and saw a tear form in her eye. He stopped tickling Ryan long enough to wrap an arm around his daughter. She broke down crying.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she cried. "I treated you like shit when I was a kid and you still saved my life -- twice. I don't deserve a father like you."

"It's okay, princess," he whispered in her ear. "You were young, dumb and impressionable when that happened. They took advantage of that. But you smelled the coffee and woke up. You've made something of yourself. I'm proud of what you've done with your life. You have a wonderful family and I'll always be here for you."

"Thank you, Daddy," she said, sniffling. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said.

"I'd better go make dinner," she said. After she left for the kitchen, Ryan turned his attention back to his grandson, who squealed with delight as the older man tickled him some more. That night as he slept, Ryan dreamed of pretty blonde farm girls in Daisy Duke shorts and white t-shirts.

...

The courtroom filled up quickly the next morning, as reporters, potential witnesses, and observers filed inside. No one paid any attention to the tall man who sat in the back row. Wearing a dark baseball cap, dark glasses and a bandanna that covered the lower half of his face, he looked much like several others in the room. Because of social distancing guidelines, everyone was seated at least six feet apart.

As the man watched, Jake was wheeled into the room, a chain locked around his waist. The attorneys entered and took their places and the bailiff ordered everyone to stand as the judge entered the room. They all sat back down when the judge nodded his head, having already taken his place behind the high bench.

He watched the lawyers make arguments, counter arguments and motions, followed by counter motions. The judge took it all in and said very little. To the man in the back row, it sounded like something out of an old Charlie Brown cartoon -- gibberish that included very little real words, at least to him. He did understand the judge's last order, however.

"Motion to continue granted," the judge said. Marvin stood to argue, but the judge pounded his gavel. "Court adjourned until tomorrow morning at 9:00," he said. "That is all." Marvin, frustrated, tossed his paperwork on the table in front of him as Jake sneered. The guards came to wheel him away and no one noticed the man had already left the room.

Likewise, no one paid any attention when the man stood at the junction of two hallways, watching the interaction between Jake and his guards.

"Goddammit, I need to take a shit," Jake declared. One guard shook his head and motioned for the other to check out the restroom. The second guard went inside, glanced around, looked under the large stall at the end and seeing no one, walked back out. No one noticed the tall baseball cap-wearing man walking out of the building.

"It's clear," the second guard said. Jake looked at the first guard.

"Get these off me before I shit my pants, willya?" Jake demanded. "I'm in a fucking wheelchair for crying out loud. I'm not going anywhere. Just give me some privacy for a couple minutes."

"All right, all right," the first guard said, unlocking the chains. "Make it fast, though."

"Yeah, yeah," Jake said as he wheeled himself inside the restroom. After the door closed, Jake made his way to the large handicap stall at the end of the restroom. He moved his chair to open the stall door and wheeled himself inside. He closed the stall door and was surprised to see a tall man wearing a baseball cap, dark glasses and bandanna standing in the corner. He wondered why the man wore an old apron, latex gloves and blue show coverings.

Something inside Jake snapped as he realized who it was before him. He also remembered what the man had said to him once: "If you ever raise a hand to Lisa, or if you ever do anything to hurt anyone in my family, I swear to God I will hunt you down like the dog you are and I will cut your stupid fucking head off and feed it to the pigs."

The blood drained from Jake's face and his eyes grew wide in terror as he realized he was about to die. He tried to say something but couldn't. The pressure in his chest suddenly built up and he could no longer breathe. As the man watched, Jake raised a hand to his chest, and tried with all his might to breathe, just one last breath.

But it never came. Jake slumped over in his wheelchair, unconscious. The man lifted his glasses and examined Jake with his one good eye without touching him. The man had seen enough death to know Jake had gone to his eternal reward. Or punishment, as the case might be.

He looked at his face in the mirror, the glass eye in his scarred left eye socket reminding him of something out of an old science fiction movie. He put the dark glasses back on and turned around. Bending low, he jumped up to the ledge at the bottom of the high window, and climbed up onto the ledge. He opened the window slightly to check out the littered alley.

Seeing nothing, he climbed out, quietly closed the window and jumped effortlessly to the ground. Following a pre-arranged path, he disposed of the apron, hat, booties, glasses and gloves in storm drains along the way.

...

About fifteen minutes later, the guards at the door to the restroom decided they had given Jake enough time to finish his business.

"I swear to God, he does this every fucking time we're here," one guard said. "Go in there and get him the fuck out here."

"Okay," the second guard said. A few seconds later, the guard came back out. "Call 911, we need an ambulance here right now," he said.

"What?" the first guard said. He keyed his microphone and made the call as he went inside. When he got to the stall, he saw Jake's lifeless body on the floor. His eyes were wide open and the guard knew he was dead. Nevertheless, he checked for a pulse. Looking around, he saw no evidence that anyone else had been in the stall, leading him to believe Jake had probably suffered a heart attack.

"Couldn't happen to a more deserving asshole," he said to no one in particular. When the paramedics arrived, he went to the security room to see if anything out of the ordinary had been reported. If anyone had been anywhere near this part of the building, it would have been captured by the video surveillance system.

Unfortunately, for him, however, the security system was down and there had been no video captured from that part of the building. Updates and maintenance, he was told, all in preparation for potential riots that might happen that night. Or the next. Crap, he thought. He went back to the restroom and saw them bringing Jake's body out on a gurney, covered in a white sheet.

"He didn't make it," one paramedic said. "We're taking him to the coroner for an autopsy, but we're pretty certain he had a heart attack." The guard nodded his head in understanding.

...

Ryan got into his rented sedan, noticing he still had a few minutes left on the parking meter. He put his patch back on, donned his old Stetson, then lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, offering a silent prayer of thanks that he didn't have to lay hands on Jake. When he finished, he realized he still had a couple stops to make before going back to Bob and Sarah's house.

A half-hour later, he pulled into the parking lot of the rehab facility where Lisa had been taken. He knew from Sarah that she would be here for some time undergoing therapy. He also knew that Lisa's ability to speak would be severely diminished, and she had limited control of her arms and legs. However, he also knew that she would understand what he had to tell her. He grabbed the DVD laying on the seat and got out of the car.

He went inside and was directed to her room. She perked up when she saw him and opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head.

"Don't say anything, Lisa," he said. "Just listen." She looked crestfallen and nodded her head slightly. He rolled a chair next to her head and took a look at her. She had once been so beautiful and full of life. That was all gone now.

"You know, you almost had me fooled," he said, prompting her to look at him, surprised. "I almost fell for it. But you know the old saying -- almost only counts in pitching pennies, horseshoes and throwing grenades. For a moment, I found myself starting to believe what you were telling me. I have to admit, the food was a nice touch. Nearly worked. And the phone -- that was nice. Did you know Elmer had it cloned and crammed full of spyware?" She shook her head.

"Problem is, Lisa, I don't believe you," he said. "I'll never be able to believe another word you say. That's what cheating and lying does." He paused to let it sink in before continuing.

"When I heard you were shot, I rushed right over. What I learned after that cut me to the core. That's when I learned your own board of directors conspired with Jake to hire a hit man to take you out." Her eyes opened wide. "I take it you didn't know they were out to get you, did you? Well, Elmer made a huge mistake. He threatened Sarah, Bob and little Ryan. He also informed me of your activities. Not only did you cheat on me with Jake, but with the whole goddamned board. And you were doing it long before you said you took up with Jake." He tossed the DVD on top of her covers.

"That's just in case you get bored," Ryan added. "According to Elmer, that contains the highlights of your career as a company whore for Knight Petroleum. Yeah, I know all about your executive 'retreats' in New Mexico and how you were the life of the party." He saw a tear slide down her face, but continued.

"Yeah, I've seen it," he said. "And so has Bob and Sarah." He paused to let it sink in before continuing. "She's not too happy with you right now. Especially since you planned to introduce her into your depraved lifestyle." Lisa dropped her head as more tears fell.

"Elmer had Sarah and little Ryan kidnapped," Ryan added. "Did you know anything about that?" She looked up, surprised, and shook her head.

"They're safe now," he said. "No thanks to you. But it seems that Knight Petroleum no longer has a board of directors. And I've been told by the FBI that they've uncovered a mountain of evidence of crimes your company has committed. Everything from trafficking to drugs, guns and who knows what else. I don't know if you had a hand in any of that." She shook her head and mouthed "no," but Ryan continued.

"So far, they haven't found any direct evidence linking you to those crimes, but that doesn't mean they won't," Ryan said. "Even if they don't charge you with crimes committed by Elmer, Jake and the board, you may get charged as an accomplice. If I were you, I'd get an attorney to cut a deal. Maybe they'll give you immunity if you turn state's evidence.

"At any rate, Knight Petroleum is all but history right now. You should also know that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Jake and/or his estate. Seems I'm only one of about 100 other men whose lives and marriages he's destroyed.

"I'm not a lawyer, so don't ask me to explain it all, but my lawyer back home also happens to be a member of the bar in this state, and he found a loophole in the law that makes the suit possible," Ryan added. "I wouldn't be planning any trips to the French Riviera any time soon if I were you. By the time they're done, I don't think Jake will be worth a plugged nickel. Even if his lawyers win the case, he'll go broke paying the bill." She looked at him with tears falling down her face.

"I... I'm so sorry," she croaked. Ryan nodded his head.

"Yeah, well, that and a couple bucks might get you a cup of coffee somewhere," he said, causing more tears to fall down her cheek. "But right now, it don't mean shit to me. You once asked if we could be friends. The answer to that is no. I can never be friends with a backstabbing, lying, hypocritical cheat. Besides, I've met a wonderful woman and we're going to get married soon." He pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of him and Beverly embracing each other. More tears fell as she sobbed.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Ryan asked. "Her name is Beverly, and she's made me feel better and more alive than I've ever felt in my life. I thought I would never love another woman again, until she came along. You know, she helped rescue Sarah and little Ryan. Sarah has even started calling her, 'Mom.' And little Ryan seems to love her as well. I think she'll make a wonderful grandmother, don't you?" Lisa's body jerked as she sobbed. He pulled his chair back and stood up.

"Chances are you won't be seeing me again," he said. "And I suspect Sarah and Bob will also cut you out of their lives," he added as she wept. "Sucks losing everything, doesn't it? But you know what they say -- karma's a bitch. And then you get the bill. Enjoy what's left of your miserable existence. Goodbye." He put his hat back on and walked out of the room. He could hear her wailing as he walked down the hallway and he saw the nurses rush into her room. He didn't care, though, and walked on out to his rented car.

...

To be continued...