Betrayal Ch. 06

"Nate is also your client, correct?" Boyd asked the lawyers. Nate pulled three twenties out of his pocked and handed one to each; they answered that he is. "Good. Tim and Nate, we'll limit this conversation, okay?" They both nodded, and Boyd continued.

"Based on information provided by Andy's clients, Ranger Terry and I executed a search warrant on the offices of a state official. What we found was EXTREMELY disturbing, to say the least; in fact, it was disgusting! I can't go into details, but we made copies and gave the originals to a highly-place friend at the FBI. We placed the copies in various places, because we aren't sure what the Fibees will do when they examine the evidence.

We do know many powerful people are at risk, and they are going to do anything in their power to keep if from getting out. It may be that deals are struck, some people resign, and some go unpunished...or it may be that they throw the 'organized crime' book at them and burn the whole bunch. Terry and I will be armed and vigilant at all times, and I suggest you do the same, Tim. No one knows what role you played, if any, but your name is associated with this mess, so watch your six.

Now, esquires, can I have a few minutes alone with the brothers? I promise no interrogation."

The lawyers left the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Tim, did you ever watch the videos you got from Rodgers's house?" "Most, not all" Tim replied, "Why?"

"We need to watch them now, if you still have them here. This shit started well before Karen and includes far more women. It goes to the highest levels of the state, and way up into the federal branch, not to mention some names everyone knows from sports, entertainment, and business. If any of them are on those tapes, we need to know it!" Boyd told him urgently. "Can we trust all three attorneys, or do we need to go somewhere?"

Tim assured him they had already watched a number of the videos and were completely trustworthy.

The quiet laughter died when they entered the den with serious faces. Jimmie retrieved the videos from his walk-in safe, and they looked at the tittles trying to find a clue to content. Two tapes without labels were bound together with plastic wrap. They appeared to be unused, but Tim thought one appeared to be only partially used or rewound so they put it in, rewound it, and hit play.

Both tapes were T-200 that were recorded in LP format, meaning they ran over 400 minutes each. After watching for an hour, they knew that sexual encounters had been filmed back-to-back; in order to determine the participants they would need to watch every encounter. One thing was already certain: Speath's allegation that the rich, famous, and powerful were deeply involved was fact.

Tim needed to get back to his family, as did Boyd, so they asked the Haussmanns to make three copies, secure the originals and one copy, and provide one to Tim and one copy to Jim Boyd. They agreed, and said they would keep copies locked up in their safe until they could be watched by the group at a future date.

"Before you leave... Sharon, Jana and their parents are allowing me to keep you three informed. Patti, can we borrow your office?" Thirty minutes later, they were headed home, pleased that the girls' interview with the Sheriff's investigators went as they had hoped.

***

The house was full when Nate and Tim arrived. The boys were busy entertaining his parents, his sister Jan and husband Gary, and Nate's wife Linda. Karen's parents were fixing hamburgers with all the trimmings, with Grampa Paul tending the pit and Granny Beth washing, slicing, and putting it on trays.

The condolences had been given to Paul and Beth before they arrived and to Tim when he arrived. His family was huggers, and more than a few tears were shed during the hugs, especially by his mother. Linda gave him a bear hug, whispered that she loved him and his boys, and to take care of each other.

Everyone gathered in the living room after the meal and cleanup to watch the boys play slowly out and talk. Their grandmothers bathed them at 7:30, and their daddy put them to bed with a story he didn't get to finish before they were sound asleep.

Tim had returned to the adult conversation and was about to take his seat when the phone rang. He took it in the kitchen, and was shocked to hear, "Hey, Primo -- good to hear your voice! It's been a long time!" Tim stepped back into the doorway and signaled Nate to come. "Buenos noches, primo Martin! Como estas?"

Nate's interest level jumped at the name, and Tim held the phone where he could hear. "Estoy bien, Timeteo, unlike a lot of your acquaintances, and enemigos. Tejas is a dangerous place, no?"

"Si, for some; for others not so much!" Tim replied.

"Lamento mucho que hayas perdido a tu bella esposa" Martin said sadly. "She was a lovely woman and fine mother to your sons. I know I don't need to tell you that we had nothing to do with it, even though someone tried to make it look like we did, verdad? Los cabrones did need killing, but..."

"I haven't heard the official version, but from what I've heard, it sounds like some drug deal gone wrong. I never thought of you y tu grupo though; I'm sure you were in Mexico at your house on Lago Azucar, no?"

"Yes, I was, and our local connection was not involved either. But, we're amigos; you know I would never hurt su esposa o sus hijos."

"I do know, Primo, just as I would never hurt yours," Tim answered quickly. Both knew their answers were conditional, but that's what needed to be said, because Martin was about to make an offer.

"I guess the pendejos who dismembered the bodies al Lago and those that left the cut off fingers near Pleasanton thought they could use the signatures of some Mexican banditos to throw the authorities off their scent. You think maybe they knew we could never be convicted because we were innocent and had good alibis?"

"There are some well-connect pendejos en Tejas who have a good idea of who is involved, who isn't, and who has the alibi to prove they weren't. I heard the clues were inconsistent; some of one group of bandits, some of another. It seems the lawmen are very confused about the fingers, but they aren't looking too hard because those guys were all wanted and the coroner says the fingers were cut off dead people, proving they are dead.

I don't know that much about what happened over at the Lake, but it seems like they are just trying to find out who the body remains belong to. You don't know, do you?"

"No se, pero I'll ask around if you want me to," Martin answered. I know you, primo: you are going to want to know who did this to your wife, your kids, and those other chicas jovenes the news talks about. Lo me quieres?"

"Por favor, Primo Martin. I do want to know, and I may need help when I find out," Tim explained.

"Para mi Primo Teo, anything I can do, gratis!" Martin responded.

"Bueno; llamame si sabes mas, por favor," Tim requested.

Nate shook his head in wonderment as they returned to the living room, where everyone was quiet. Their dad, John Michael, asked, "Interesting conversation; who was it?"

"A very unexpected call," Tim answered, "from 'cousin' Martin. He expressed his condolences and asked if he could help in any way."

"I thought I heard you calling him 'primo Marteen'; who is he?" Karen's dad asked.

"He's not really a cousin; in south Texas and northern Mexico, calling someone 'primo' is claiming them as your cousin, whether they are a relative or not. I met him back when I was a sophomore in college. We had some problems that he helped us with back then. He offered to help again, and I asked him to let me know if he learned anything important. He's an important man in Mexico and has influence in Texas, so who knows? Maybe he can help again," Tim explained.

***

Linda, Nate, Tim, and their dad were drinking coffee in the living room, talking softly and watching the early news with the volume turned low, when Tim bolted upright and increased the volume slightly. A replay of the Attorney General's update on the fire, given last night just before the 10 pm news, was on. He was praising the fine work done by AAG Speath, describing him as "a man of character and courage," and pledging to bring to justice those who killed him.

Tim looked at Nate in disbelief; "So that is the way they are going to play this? BULL SHIT! They've got the fucking tape -- they know god damn well what happened. Okay, that's it! FUCK THEM ALL! Time to use the nuclear option!" Tim left the wide-eyed group in the living room and called Jim Boyd from the kitchen.

"Good morning. I've been expecting your call since last night, Tim. Before you go off on the phone, can you meet me for breakfast at that little place we both like? We need to talk." Tim agreed, and got dressed.

"I have a meeting with the Ranger heading the investigation; I'll be back in an hour, or I'll call you." Tim took the roundabout route, making sure he wasn't followed, based on Jim's intimation on the phone.

Boyd was sitting in the last booth in the back with two cups of coffee. Tim started to speak, but the Ranger cut him off. "Just listen, and then I'll listen, okay?"

Tim nodded, and Boyd began, "Too many of the big boys are all at risk, and they are closing ranks. I'm not sure what I'm going to be able to do. Got any ideas?"

"I do," Tim answered, "because I anticipated this. Do you want to know, or would you prefer 'plausible deniability'?"

"In for a penny, in for a pound, my friend; what's your plan?" Boyd replied.

Tim nodded, looked around to make sure no one could see his mouth moving, and enlightened the Ranger. "I have a friend from college who is a rising star in television news; she's hungry, she's dedicated, she believes in the 'first amendment safeguards of our liberty', as she loudly puts it, and she will follow a story into a mine field. She's also VERY smart, and nothing pisses her off like privileged arrogance, misuse of power and cover-ups. I'm going to leak a good chunk of video and audio to her, give her a chance to build up an audience, and then give her even more.

When is the AG going to speak on this again?"

"Not until Thursday morning at 11, unless we give him something earlier" Boyd said.

"Don't," Tim commanded. "That will be perfect. She will be in Austin for the PC, I promise. Will other law enforcement officers be up there with him? Will you?"

"Yes and no. I'm 'second in charge' in case they need a fall guy, but I'm being told what I can and cannot say and do. I'm not important enough to be on stage with them."

"Well, good; that means you've got about 75 hours to find a bomb shelter" Tim warned.

***

The AG pompously took the microphone and gave his update. He was flanked by the DPS chief, the "law and order" Lt. Governor, and several staunch "law and order" legislators. He finished his address, again praising AAG Speath, and offered to answer questions from his pet reporters for the elucidation of his adoring public. The first few softballs from his pet newsmen he handled smoothly, but then...

Carole Ann unleashed a barrage of questions.

AG West grew more flustered as the gorgeous redhead laid out the highly informed questions, and the men behind him began to shrink. He tried to bluster and threaten his way out of the quagmire by calling Carole Ann's questions 'ill-informed and slanderous', but several other news people seemed to also have been previously informed, and he was given no slack. By the time his PR person got him off the stage, citing 'other obligations', the chum was in the water and the sharks were circling.

On the way off the stage, the Lt. Governor accosted West and the others, and ordered them to follow him to a meeting in his office. Unfortunately for the lite governor, by the time he took the short walk to his office in the capitol, his wife was on the phone ranting and raving about a video she received. She was so angry he could barely understand her, but he did understand her finishing statement: "HOW COULD YOU! You have daughters that age, you fucking pervert!!"

He returned the phone to its cradle, looked at the group of men, and, ignoring his female secretary and aide, said, "We're fucked!"

With that call, the focus of the meeting suddenly turned from how to discredit the reporter and find out where she got the damning information, to how to salvage anything: their offices, their power, or their marriages.

That very day, discretely edited videos that masked the faces and private parts of apparently young girls having sex with old men whose faces were not masked began playing on the Houston station where Carole Ann worked. Among the easily identified were AAG Speath, AG West, Lt. Governor Daniels, and several legislative leaders.

Business magnates got their moment in the sun a few days later, as did a Senator and three congressional representatives. By this time, the whole country was abuzz about the shenanigans in Texas, and feminists and religious leaders called for their heads.

Some of the religious leaders dropped out of the hunt for heads the second week, when their heads appeared en flagrante delicto on videos, and one feminist leader left the US to live abroad just before her debut.

A number of moving vans were seen in the west Austin neighborhoods favored by the rich and powerful over the next few days and weeks, and the top divorce lawyers were swamped.

The Governor kept a low profile, simply announcing he would let the system handle this, and then take action as needed. By the end of the second week he was breathing a little more deeply, his heart rate was back under 120, and then he found Tim sitting at his dining table with his wife, who looked pissed.

The governor's video never aired, but his resignation as governor 'in order to return to his law practice' was published two days later. One of his last official actions was to appoint Jim Boyd as the Director of the Department of Public Safety, replacing the recently deceased director who died at his own hand by gunshot...soon after his video aired.

***

Karen was buried in her hometown beside the grandmother she so loved. Tim gave a heartfelt eulogy, praising her as a teacher, as a wife, and as a mother who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her sons. He knew most of the people in attendance knew the circumstances of her death from news reports, and that many knew of her actions during the past five months, yet he made no mention of those actions, instead giving example after example of her goodness. He was about to wrap it up and return to his seat; he paused, considered his next words, and looked over the audience.

"Before I go, I want to tell you a parable; make of it what you will. I'm going to call this parable "Too Magnificent".

There was a rancher in south Texas who took great care of the livestock and wildlife on his ranch. He made sure the wildlife was well fed, even during the dry, hot summer months, feeding grain to the quail and protein to the deer year around when supplementation was needed. The animals prospered, and within five years, he had the healthiest deer herd possible in the Brush Country.

One particular young buck caught his eye, and he kept up with him, watching as he grew. When he grew his antlers at age 5.5 his rack was 14 points and over 36 inches wide. He ruled the herd, breeding does and passing along his genes to create fawns that are even more impressive.

At age 6.5 the rancher counted 16 points and estimated he would set Boone and Crockett records for a typical buck, with 8 on each side. Word spread when locals raved about the buck to their rich hunters, who approached the rancher one after another willing to pay any amount to kill 'The Trophy'. He refused, knowing the still young buck would continue to breed and spread his impeccable genes for many years before he began to fade. The rich hunters persevered, but he refused, which angered men who weren't used to being refused.

There were other dangers, including the road hunters who proliferated on the county lane along his ranch. The buck was wary and wise, and learned not to go near the road when he saw other young bucks get killed, and the number of road hunters declined when their shots at night were returned. They complained to law enforcement, which asked what they were doing on that lane at that time of night. The road hunting ended.

Ultimately, his magnificence became too much for a rich and powerful man, who paid outlaws to cut the fence and kill the trophy while the rancher was on vacation with his wife. The magnificent head was cut off at the neck, and the trophy was added to his wall. Unfortunately for him, the rancher persevered in finding the outlaws and convinced them to tell him who paid them to invade his property and kill his prize.

The rich, powerful man was arrested and the head of the trophy was returned to the rancher, who wept over the loss of the future for this creature and the progeny he would never have. The rich man's lawyers got the charges dismissed and he returned to his old ways.

In the end, however, Karma reigned: the man was killed by a stray bullet in a hunting accident not far from the ranch where he poached the trophy.

There are any number of moral lessons in this parable that I hope you will consider, but one I want to state as I close. It is possible, my friends, mi amigos, to be too beautiful, too magnificent in a world in which rich trophy hunters hold so much sway.

We need to be more like the rancher. We need to be alert; we must refuse to kowtow to the rich and powerful, many of whom have achieved that status through immoral if not illegal means. The evil ones should not be looked up to, not revered because they achieved riches and power through questionable if not prohibited and dishonest means, but rather looked at with suspicion and doubt, and their never-ending greed must be curtailed!

There are doubtlessly good men and women with great wealth, but they use their wealth for good, not evil. They are not 'Trophy Hunters'.

When the rich use their wealth to gain more wealth at the expense of good men and women, when they buy political favor, even political office, that is not democracy! That is plutocracy, and we need to resist, to revolt against them and their betrayal of our democratic ideals!

They buy office, or buy officeholders, and then make laws that benefit them, to our detriment.

We must not let these evil people rule our state and our country through purchase of our votes, or the votes of those whom we elect to represent us!

My wife's legacy should be that we, the people, regain control of our government. We must NEVER AGAIN elect the kind who ruled our state with an iron hand until exposed! Think of this when you vote in the upcoming special elections to fill the seats of the many evil men forced to abdicate when unmasked, and consider it again in the fall elections when we have the chance to change the direction of our state and nation!

Karen will not go unlamented by her family and friends, but whether her heroic death was in vain will be determined in the future by our collective decisions.

God Bless Karen. God Bless and Guide us.

Thank you for being here."

Dead silence reigned while Tim took his seat.