Flash 04: OJT, Part 02

The advantage of having our minds linked is that we no longer had secrets, like what she had with Wheeler. The disadvantage was that we no longer had any secrets, meaning it would be impossible to surprise the other the way we liked to do for our anniversary and on special holidays. My God, I thought, a fellow could go crazy thinking about this stuff.

We agreed that we would instantly know if the other was being deliberately deceptive or underhanded, so there would be no need for constant monitoring of the other. I felt much better about the situation after that, and I could tell she did as well.

I also kept a loose tab on the terrible three in Orange County. About halfway into the month, I connected with them as Hammer and Roger were discussing Joe.

"I found your boy, Nelson," Hammer said. Roger's eyes lit up in anticipation.

"Oh?" he asked. "How did you manage that?"

"Piece of cake," Hammer said. "I caught up with one of his co-workers. After a few beers, he sang like a canary."

"So, where is he?" Roger asked.

"In Idaho," Hammer said.

"Idaho? What the hell's up there?" Roger asked.

"He's at a camp for men who have been cuckolded," Hammer said.

"No shit?" Roger asked, laughing. "What do they do? Sit around a campfire in their bearskins, gnawing on potatoes while they connect with their inner wimp or something? Hah hah hah."

"It's not that kind of camp," Hammer said. "You ever see any of those movies about guys in Marine Corps boot camp?"

"One or two," Roger said. "Why?"

"Well, multiple that by about 50, and that's what this place is like," Hammer said.

"How do you know? You ever been there?"

"No, but I know a few guys who have," Hammer said. "They may be wimps going in, but they're stone-cold hard-asses coming out. They'd just as soon rip your dick off and shove it up your ass as to look at ya."

"And you think Nelson will come after me when he does?"

"Quite possible," Hammer said. "Especially if he thinks you're the one who fucked him over."

"Well, I am the one who fucked him over," Roger said. "But that's beside the point. Nelson's a pussy cat. There's nothing he can do to me. I'll get a restraining order on him. That should do the trick.

"You don't get it," Hammer said. "These guys don't give a shit about a piece of paper. And as for being a pussy cat, well, I guarantee you he won't be one coming out."

"What do you mean?" Roger asked, dropping the arrogant mask.

"They turn these guys into... monsters or something," Hammer said. "One of the guys I know who went to that camp went after the man who cuckolded him, and really messed him up bad. Just thinking about it gives me the chills. Laughed the whole time he did it. I'm tellin' ya, these guys are fucking brutal." Roger's face turned white.

"I guess you'd better go up there and take care of him, then," he said. Hammer shook his head.

"Can't get into that place. I know. I've tried," he said.

"When is he getting out of there?" Roger asked.

"Last day of the month," Hammer said.

"That's the day of the awards dinner," Roger said. "Alright, we'll just have to be careful. I want you to join me and Veronica at the dinner. Keep an eye out."

"Alright," Hammer said. I disconnected and called Max to let him know. He was concerned, but didn't think anything would come of it.

"Still, I'd feel better if the camp knew. I'll take care of that. You keep an eye on those three anyway," he said.

"Got it," I said.

"I'll make arrangements for the two of us to collect Joe when he graduates. Make sure he gets home in one piece," Max said. We ended the call and I went back to my studies.

Two weeks later, we went back to Idaho. When Max picked me up, I noticed a ring with a blue stone on his right hand. I hadn't seen it before, so I asked him about it.

"A little gift from Adrestia," he said. "Just in case we need to make a hasty retreat."

We spoke to Joe's attorney who briefed us on what he had done with the case. From listening to the attorney, there were a number of conflicts of interest in the divorce, and the information we provided was enough to get the attention of the local prosecuting attorney's office. He didn't say any more than that but I sensed something was in the works for Roger and Veronica.

We got to watch Joe participate in his bitch-burning ceremony, and was part of the audience at his graduation the next day. After he shook hands with his instructor, John and Gunny Rob, he collected his small bag and joined us in the rental car.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"We're going to take you home, unless there's someplace else you'd rather be," Max said.

"Actually, there is," Joe said. "I'd like to go to the Anaheim Convention Center if that's alright with the two of you."

"What's going on there?" I asked.

"Roger Lee is going to be named the man of the year by some big business group," Joe said. "I'd like to be there to give my regards."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Max asked.

"No, I'm not, but I really don't care," he said. Max chuckled at that.

"Alright," Max said. "Anaheim Convention Center it is."

"I'll get an Uber to meet us at the airport," I said, pulling out my phone. After I made the arrangements, I connected with Joe's mind to see what he was planning. He intended to shame Roger at the ceremony in front of as many people as he could. I wasn't sure I liked what he had in mind, but I understood how he felt and figured he owed it to himself to publicly face the man who destroyed his life and marriage.

"Mind if I see your phone?" I asked him.

"No problem," he said, handing it over to me. I already knew what he wanted to do, so I copied selected audio from my laptop to his phone. I showed Joe what I had done and saw a smile spread across his face.

"Perfect," he said. "Thanks." We got to the airport and met our Uber outside the terminal. Traffic between the airport and the convention center was quite heavy and it took us quite a while to reach our destination. By the time we got there, the ceremony was well under way, but that didn't stop Joe.

"Don't go anywhere. We'll be back," Max told the Uber driver in a voice I knew would make him obey.

"Sure thing," he said, turning the car off.

We got out and followed him to the front doors and entered the center. We found where the ceremony was taking place and headed out. Max and I nearly had to run to keep up with Joe, who apparently knew exactly where he was going. When we caught up with him, he was talking to a doorman in a tuxedo. The man looked at Joe's pressed denim and sneered.

"I'm sorry sir, this is a black tie affair," he said haughtily. Joe nodded his head.

"Of course it is," he said. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed the doorman's tie and crammed it in his trouser pocket. "There's my black tie. Thank you." We followed him as he headed for the door.

"Sir, these gentlemen can't go with you," the tieless doorman blustered. Joe looked back at him.

"These gentlemen are with me. You got a problem with that, dickhead?" The look on Joe's face convinced the doorman to let it go. He waved his hands in front of him.

"No sir," he said. "Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you," Joe said, his face red. We went into the darkened room and stood along the back wall. Roger was on stage, being introduced by a somewhat obese man in a tuxedo that looked to be one or two sizes too small for him. Roger stepped into the spotlight and gave a crooked smile before launching into his own speech.

"I've always been raised to think of others before myself," he told the group, heaping praises on himself. As Clint Eastwood once said in an old "Dirty Harry" movie, he was clearly a legend in his own mind. After a minute or two of this, Joe shook his head and spoke out loud enough for everyone in the large room to hear him.

"LIAR! You're a goddamned liar," he exclaimed, causing some to gasp and look at him in shock. "You've always been nothing but a cheat, a thief and a liar," Joe added.

"Who is that?" Roger asked from the stage, shielding his eyes with one hand.

"Here's your man of the year," Joe yelled, his voice dripping with hatred. He pulled out his phone, maxxed out the volume, then held it high so the microphones hanging from the ceiling could capture the audio. He played one of the audio clips I copied earlier.

"I'm going to fuck your wife and take her from you. Hah hah hah," the voice on the recording said. Gasps were heard throughout the room as the voice on the audio was clearly Roger's. Veronica stood and looked in our direction.

"Joe, is that you?" she asked. Hammer was sitting at the table with her and stood, turning around. I saw him reach into his jacket and knew he was going for a gun. He almost got it all the way out of the holster when I reacted. My vision turned red and as everyone watched, he was flung backward into a large concrete post.

He hit it with a sickening thud and seemed to be suspended there for a second or two, his eyes wide as he tried to catch his breath. When he finally slid down, everyone could see deep cracks in the post where he had made contact.

The gun he held fell on the floor next to his table and Veronica reached down to pick it up. Panic ensued when everyone saw the pistol. People screamed, then got out of their chairs and rushed the back door. She looked to find us and I tried to focus on her but was unable to get a clear view thanks to the people in the room between us.

"Veronica! NO!" Roger yelled as she pointed the gun in our general direction. He jumped off the stage and started to head in her direction.

"Hit the deck!" Max told us in that strange voice of his. I felt compelled to obey, as did Joe. We heard one gunshot, then another, followed by screams. Suddenly, we heard four more shots in rapid progression. These were close by us and I realized they were from deputies who had entered the room.

I looked up and saw the deputies were by Roger and Veronica's table. I could tell there were two people laying on the floor there. Looking around, I saw another woman laying on the floor splattered with blood. A deputy was kneeling next to her. Hammer was in a pile at the foot of the concrete post and another deputy was busy checking him out. We stood and surveyed the scene in front of us.

"I think it's time we got the hell out of Dodge," Max said.

"You two go on ahead," Joe said. "This is my home. It's my fight now. I'll take care of it from here."

"Alright," Max said. "But your bag is still in the car. Let's go get it." We went back to the Uber and pulled Joe's bag from the trunk.

"I want to thank you both for everything," he said, shaking our hands.

"You're welcome," Max said. He pulled out a business card. "Give us a call if you need anything. And don't be a stranger."

"I won't," he said with a smile. We watched him walk back into the convention center, which was now surrounded by a number of vehicles with flashing lights. Max looked at me before speaking.

"What do you say we go home?" he asked.

"Works for me," I said.

...

Epilogue (Four months later):

Roger and Veronica survived their gunshot wounds after undergoing hours of surgery. They spent a couple weeks in the hospital before being arrested and hauled off to jail on a growing pile of charges. In addition to everything else, Veronica had been charged with attempted murder.

In her desire to kill Joe, she ended up shooting the wife of a prominent local district attorney, who was now out for blood. The woman fortunately survived the shooting, but was still in therapy.

The Hamilton Group fired Roger and Veronica as the two of them were placed in handcuffs. By then, the senior partners had also filed complaints against Roger with the State Bar. Using the information Max and I provided, the district attorney was able to present an airtight case against the two and they were found guilty of all the charges against them.

Roger was sentenced to a total of seven years in state prison and would probably be out in about five. Veronica, however, was sentenced to 20 years for all of her crimes, which now included attempted murder.

Joe's attorney also filed a civil case against Roger and Veronica over the destruction of his personal property and the emotional damage the two of them caused which led to Joe's stay at Camp Rollins. They settled out of court for a large but undisclosed amount of money.

The divorce records revealed several conflicts of interest and, when put together with the other evidence we provided, showed that Roger and Veronica began their sexual relationship almost immediately after establishing an attorney-client relationship. That, along with Roger's felony convictions, prompted the state to revoke his license and disbar him.

The records also showed the judge who presided over the case had received a large campaign contribution from the PAC Roger's company operated. In addition to the numerous false statements, information we gathered from Roger and Veronica indicated that Joe signed the papers under duress. Armed with this information, and Veronica's confession, the terms of the decree was appealed. It is still being reviewed, and Joe says it may take another five months for a decision to be handed down.

Hammer also survived the incident at the Convention Center, but he is now confined to a wheelchair. It seems that in the contest between his body and the concrete post, the post won. Hammer is paralyzed from the waist down, and has limited use of his arms. He now resides in a long-term care facility courtesy of the state.

Ginger and I stopped off to see him after attending the sentencing hearings for Roger and Veronica. By now, Ginger was clearly showing her pregnancy. He trembled when we came up to him.

"Well, Hammer," I said. "I see you're still alive. By the way, this is my wife, Ginger. Ginger, say hello to Mr. Thomas 'Sledge' Hammer." She flashed her eyes at him briefly as I chuckled. His eyes grew wide and his hands began to shake.

"Hello, Mr. Hammer," she said in a soft but very firm voice.

"H...Hello, Mrs. Drake," he said, his voice shaking from fear.

"As you can see, Hammer, she's quite pregnant. Twins. Imagine that. I don't suppose I need to remind you to stay as far away as you can." He shook his head.

"No, Mr. Drake," he said. "I got the message."

"Good," I said. "I'm sure you're aware that it's never a good idea to get between a mama bear and her cubs." Just then, Ginger's eyes flashed again, this time a bright red. I also four small points of light emanating from her extended belly through her maternity clothing. Hammer saw it as well and the blood drained from his face.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mr. Drake," he said. "You'll never see me again, I promise." I nodded my head.

"Smart man," I said with a smile. "You know, maybe you should consider a career change. I know it's done wonders for me. Take care of yourself. And pray we never meet again. Goodbye." He nodded his head as we turned and walked away.

"You're such a bad boy," Ginger said in my mind. I laughed in response.

Four months after Max and I left Joe at the Anaheim Convention Center, I got a call from Adrestia. She said Joe was in town for the day and asked if we could join them at her house. Of course, I accepted her invitation.

We got there and enjoyed catching up with Joe. After dinner, Adrestia asked us all to join her in the front room. When we got there, we heard a knock at the door. Max answered and a tall man wearing a beat-up Stetson came inside carrying a box.

He looked like he had just stepped out of an old western movie. He wore a floor-length duster over a pair of worn blue jeans and a double-breasted red shirt. I saw an old-style tin badge on the shirt and the two revolvers slung on his hips. He extended a hand and I accepted it. I tried, but was unable to read anything from his mind.

"Name's Peace," he said with a slight smile. "Justice O. Peace. Mah friends call me Eli," he added in a deep Texas drawl.

"Good to meet you, Eli," I said. He shook hands with Ginger, Joe and Max, then gave Adrestia a quick hug before handing her the box.

"Thank you, Eli," she said. She turned and gave the box to Joe. "Go ahead, Joe. Open it." He pulled off the thin twine from around the box and opened it up. There were tears in his eyes when he pulled out two binders. He opened them both and flipped through the pages.

"Is this for real?" he asked, looking up at Adrestia. "This isn't a joke, is it? Please tell me it isn't a joke."

"It's no joke, Joe," she said. "Those are your collections." Tears fell freely from his eyes as he thumbed through the books.

"How is this possible?" he asked.

"Where I come from, nothing is impossible, Joe," Adrestia said. Sobbing, Joe hugged Adrestia.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," he said in a voice choked with emotion. I wiped a tear from my eye and saw Ginger and Max do the same. Even the grizzled cowboy who brought the box was fighting tears.

"I know exactly what this means to you," she said. "It also meant a great deal to your father and your grandfather. Now you can pass it down to your children."

"But I still don't understand how you were able to do this," Joe said.

"I helped your grandfather through a very difficult time when he was in Europe during the war," she said. "I watched as he raised your father, and as your father raised you. I saw the joy this collection gave all three of you. When I learned what Roger and Veronica planned to do, I asked Eli to exchange the original with a carefully-crafted replica that would pass even the closest scrutiny. I also asked him to keep it someplace where no one would ever be able to find it until it was time to return it to its rightful owner."

"But wait," I said. "I thought you had strict protocols and rules about getting involved."

"And I followed those protocols, Cameron," she said. "Although I may have bent them just a bit. I never once got directly involved in Joe's marriage. But I couldn't sit by and do nothing as they destroyed his prized possession."

"Well, I for one am not about to complain," Joe said. "I am eternally grateful for what you've done. I'll never be able to repay you for this." Adrestia smiled and took Joe's head in her hands.

"Just be happy," she said. "Live your life. Find another love. Trust me, she's out there, waiting for you. And always do the right and just thing. Do that, and we'll always be there for you." He nodded his head.

"I will," he said. "I promise."

"Well, if y'all will excuse me, I've got work to do," Eli said. "Good to meet you, Mr. Nelson," he added, shaking Joe's hand. He shook Max's hand, then tipped his Stetson at Ginger. "Ma'am," he said. "And I'll be seeing you around, pardner," he told me as we shook hands.

"I look forward to that, Eli," I said. He smiled, then turned and headed out the door. A few moments later I heard a loud "hyahh" followed by the sound of hoof-beats.

"I need to head out as well," Joe said. "I have a plane to catch. Thank you again. All of you."

"You're welcome," Max said. Adrestia, Ginger and I echoed his sentiments. Max turned to me after Joe left. "Good job, son," he said with a smile. "Why don't you take a couple days off and I'll see you back in the office on Wednesday."

"I'll see you then," I said. We said our goodbyes and left for home.

"I have a feeling our lives have just gotten a bit more interesting," I told Ginger as I drove.

"You and me both, Cam," she said quietly. "You and me both."

...

Fade to black.

More to come...

Notes: Camp Rollins was first mentioned in my series, "The Camp." Gunny Rob shows up in "The Camp Ch. 04: Gunny Rob."

Adrestia Rhamnousia first appeared in "The Cheating Zone 03: Lori." She is also featured in her own series, "Cheater's Gallery," and plays a prominent role in the "Max Burnage" series.