Justice Ch. 02: Ghost Riders

The following is a continuation of two stories, "Justice Ch. 01: Amos and Andrea" and "The Camp Ch. 03: The Coward." To understand the full context of what is taking place here, I suggest you read those two stories first.

Many thanks to those who offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories. For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper...

Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...

*****

I looked at my image in the mirror and reflected on the events of the last year. It had been one hell of a ride. A little more than a year ago, I found my first wife, Andrea, having sex with her boss in our house. Worse yet, they were doing it in our marital bed.

Andrea wanted me to accept her sordid affair and threatened to destroy me if I chose divorce. The next day, after seeing an attorney, I met a fellow who introduced himself as Justice O. Peace. He turned out to really be my great-great-great-great grandfather, Elijah Jones - a man who was killed while serving in the Union Army under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Don't ask me to explain it, because I still can't.

Justice, or rather, Grandpa Elijah, helped me "bushwhack" the two cheaters. Over the next year, I filed for divorce after reporting Andrea missing. I won the lottery and quit my job as a field service IT and network technician, then bought a house in the country. That's where I met Danni Williams, the current love of my life.

She introduced me to Ringo, my horse, and taught me how to take care of him and ride him. We also dated and fell in love. Her parents, Bill and Kathy Williams, took me under their wing and helped me adjust to country life.

We got to know each other pretty well over the last few months. Her parents traditionally went to church on Sunday mornings, then enjoyed a large family lunch afterward, spending the rest of the day relaxing. I was given an open invitation to join them whenever I wanted, so I did - mostly to be with Danni, but I also enjoyed Bill and Kathy's company as well. Weather permitting, I would ride Ringo to their ranch, which wasn't very far from my house.

Today, though, wasn't going to be just another Sunday afternoon visit. I intended to propose to Danni and I hoped she would accept. Nervous, I looked at myself in the mirror one last time.

"Are you ready for this, Amos?" I asked the image looking back at me. That's my name, by the way - Amos Jones. The image didn't respond, but I did. "Let's git 'er done," I mumbled. I grabbed my hat and my jacket, making sure I had the ring in my pocket, then walked out of the house and headed to the corral, where Ringo was waiting for me by the gate. I had already saddled him up for the ride and I think he knew where we were going.

He bobbed his head as I petted him down. He was such a gentle creature, and it was hard to believe that something so gentle could harness as much power as he did. I climbed into the saddle and settled in. I loved riding him - I felt on top of the world when I sat in that saddle. Nudging him with my boots, we headed out.

I made it to their place in good time and put Ringo in their corral. Walking to the house, I saw Danni waiting for me at the door. She gave me a scorching hot kiss as I took her in my arms.

"Long time no see, cowboy," she said after breaking her kiss.

"Yeah, been what, 10 hours?" I asked, smiling. She smiled back and punched me in the arm, playfully.

"Come on in," she said. "Mom's got everything on the table and I'm starving."

"Well, let's not keep her waiting," I said. We walked in the house, holding hands. Her father, a giant of a man, stood up and shook my hand.

"Yer getting' pretty good with that horse of yours," he said, smiling. "I'll make a cowboy out of you yet."

"I had a good teacher," I said, looking at Danni. He laughed and gestured for us to enter the dining room, where a large table was filled with food.

"This smells mighty good, Kathy," I said.

"Thank you. I hope you like it," she said. What was there not to like, I asked myself. Steaks, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, green beans and homemade bread. My mouth was watering.

"Well, let's all have a seat," Bill said.

"Um, I have a couple things I'd like to get off my chest first if y'all don't mind," I said. They looked at me, no doubt wondering what I was going to say.

"Go ahead, son," Bill said.

"Well, first off, my divorce from Andrea is final," I said. "And I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life," I added, looking at Danni. I pulled the small box out of my pocket and dropped to one knee in front of her.

"These last few months have been wonderful," I said. "And I don't ever want this to end. I'm madly in love with you, Danni, and I'd be honored if you'd marry me and be my wife." Danni brought her hands to her mouth as her mother wiped a tear from her eye. Danni wrapped her arms around me and began smothering me with kisses.

"Yes, Amos," she said. "I'll marry you. I love you so much." I opened the box and put the ring on her finger. She smiled as she admired the ring.

"It's a beautiful ring," she said. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"It's the ring my great-great-great-great grandfather Elijah gave to his bride a long time ago," I said. "It's a family heirloom."

"It's beautiful," Kathy said. "And in such good shape. Danni, you'd better take good care of that."

"I will, Mom," she said. "It's never coming off my hand." Bill looked somewhat emotional as he stretched out his hand.

"Welcome to the family, son," he said.

"Thanks... Dad," I said. That brought a smile to his face.

"Well, looks like we have something to celebrate today," he added, sitting down. After the main meal, Kathy brought out a homemade apple pie and dished us each a large slice. Afterward, Danni and I went out for a ride and ended up at a large pond on the back side of the property.

After securing our horses, Danni and I celebrated our love under the sky. We laid there, naked, on a blanket and looked up at the sky after a couple hours of mad, passionate love. Danni brought up her hand and admired her ring.

"This really is a gorgeous ring," she said. "Is this the ring you gave Andrea?"

"Yes, it is," I said. "If you like, I can get you another one."

"Don't you dare," she said. "I love this ring. Do you think your grandmother Elizabeth would approve of me having it?"

"I'm certain of it," I said. "One of these days, I'll show you her journals. She wrote about her husband a lot. She really admired him and wanted to make sure the family never forgot him." She rolled on top of me and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" I asked.

"For making this day so special for me," she said. "And for proposing in front of my parents. It meant a lot to them."

"Well, you mean everything to me," I said.

"And you mean everything to me, my husband-to-be," she said in response. We laid there on the blanket, kissing and cuddling together naked for another hour before we decided it was time to get dressed and get back to the house.

"You two enjoyed the view at the pond?" Bill asked when we returned.

"We did, Daddy," Danni said, giving her father a kiss on the cheek. He smiled as he looked at her.

"I'm glad," he said. "You know, your mom and I used to go there a lot when we first got married," he added with a knowing smile. "Still do, from time to time, if you know what I mean."

"TMI, Dad," Danni said. "That's just a bit too much information," she added with a smile. Bill laughed at that. He turned to me after Danni joined her mother in the kitchen.

"You done good, son," he said. "Kathy and I are proud to have you in our family."

"Thanks... Dad," I said. "You don't mind if I call you 'Dad,' do you?"

"You'd better," he said with a big grin. "And it would mean a lot if you called Kathy 'Mom,'" he added.

"I will," I said. "It's getting late and I need to get Ringo bedded down for the night, so if you don't mind, I'm going to head on out." Bill nodded his head in understanding.

"Sounds good, son," he said. "We'll see you soon, I'm sure." We shook hands and I went into the kitchen to say my goodbyes. Kathy gave me a big hug. I hugged her back.

"Thanks for lunch, Mom," I said. "It was delicious." She hugged me again, a tear forming in her eye.

"Thank you for everything, Amos," she said. I turned to Danni.

"Listen, I need to run some errands in town tomorrow afternoon," I said. "Would you like to go out for dinner and a beer tomorrow evening, say about 6:00?" Danni worked as an attorney and spent the week at her condo in town, since it was closer to her job.

"Sure," she said. "Just text me the details and I'll meet you there."

"Will do," I said. "Love you," I added, giving her a kiss. She returned the kiss.

"I love you more," she said.

"Okay you two," Kathy said, slapping Danni's arm with a kitchen towel. "I have work to do, so skedaddle." We all said our goodbyes and I headed out to take Ringo home. At that moment, I felt on top of the whole world. I had a good horse, and a good woman - life doesn't get any better than this, I thought to myself.

The next day, I got up early, took care of Ringo and headed into town. I had several things I wanted to get done, and I also wanted to stop by the old house Andrea and I once shared. It was still in my name and I had rented it out to George and Linda Simmons, a young couple looking to start a family.

They were nice people, took good care of the place and always paid their rent on time. George had even expressed an interest in buying the place and I really wanted to help them out. I considered paying the mortgage off and deeding the place to them, but I wasn't sure what the ramifications of that would be. Would I take a hit on my taxes? Would it affect the property's value? I simply didn't know. I made a mental note to consult with my financial planner to see what the best plan would be.

When I finished my visit, I looked at my watch and noticed it was already 4:30 pm, so I sent Danni a text, telling her I would meet her at the Hitching Post. It was the same bar and grill where I had met Justice a little more than a year ago. She texted me back: "C U there. Luv U."

"Luv U more," I said in response. A few seconds later, I saw a text from her full of hearts and kisses. God, I love that woman, I thought to myself.

"Hey, cowboy," she said when she walked up to my table. I got up, kissed her, then pulled out a chair. We each ordered a burger and a beer and discussed the day's events. Danni had just wrapped up a big case she had been working on for months and reveled in the idea of finally having a clean slate for a day or so.

Our plates had just been cleared when I saw him - Justice. Or to be more precise, my grandfather Elijah. He saw me and headed to our table. I stood as he came up and shook his hand. I almost called him "Grandpa," but caught myself just in time.

"Danni," I said. "This is my good friend, Justice O. Peace. He helped me get through my issues with Andrea. Justice, this is my fiance, Danni Williams."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Peace," she said with a smile.

"Please call me Justice," he said. "Mr. Peace was my pa." He looked at her ring. "That's a mighty nice ring you have there, young lady."

"Thanks," she said. "Amos said it belonged to his great-great-great-great grandmother Elizabeth." For a moment, I thought I saw a tear in his eye. He wiped his eyes and smiled.

"Care for a beer?" I asked him. "After all, I owe you one."

"Yes, you do," he said. "And I'd love a beer." After the waitress brought our beers, I offered him and Danni a cigarette. They both accepted one graciously. Pulling one out for myself, I struck a match and lit their cigarettes before I lit mine.

"I'm glad to see you finally got some respectable clothes," he said with a smile. "Nice hat, too. I remember when this old thing looked that good." We exchanged small talk for a while but I was curious to know what brought him back.

"So, what brings you back to these parts?" I asked.

"Well," he began. "I got a situation and I could use your help. In fact, I'd be mighty obliged if both of you could help."

"Oh?" Danni asked. "What's going on?"

"A fella got himself into a situation kinda like what Amos got into with his first wife," he said. "Only this fella's situation is a lot worse. He tried to deal with it himself but he ended up biting off more than he could chew."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "He went to some camp up in Idaho for three months to get himself fixed up. Came back and it all went to hell - 'scuse my language - on him."

"Where is he now?" Danni asked.

"He's being held against his will in a secret underground jail of some kind over at the Acme building by the river," he said. Danni and I looked at him in shock.

"Held against his will?" Danni asked. "That's illegal."

"Yes, ma'am, it is," he said. "And he's not doing too good. They've got him on bread and water and they're really messing him up bad."

"How do you know all this?" Danni asked.

"I visited with him just a bit ago," he said.

"How did you manage that?" she asked.

"I had to trick the guards," he said. "Used my old Ranger badge."

"You were in the Texas Rangers?" Danni asked. Justice nodded his head.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "A long time ago. Served under a different name, though."

"Who was your captain?" she asked. I realized she was trying to reconcile his story so I didn't say anything.

"Bill McDonald," he said. "He's long since retired."

"I see," Danni said. "So you were in Company A?"

"No, ma'am," he said. "Company B, Frontier Battalion." Danni nodded her head slightly.

"And how did you learn about this man?" she asked.

"He asked for help," Justice said. "I was assigned the job."

"And who do you work for now?" she asked. "The feds? FBI?"

"The highest authority, ma'am," he said.

"You said he was at a camp in north Idaho," Danni continued. "What camp was that?"

"Camp Rollins, ma'am," he said. "His name is Mike Bradley."

"Bradley," she repeated. "I know that name. I got something from Camp Rollins a couple months or so about him. Very unusual allegations. I tried contacting him, but I was never able to. I even called my contact at the camp to verify my contact information. Strange thing is, no one ever reported him missing."

"I'm not surprised," he told her.

"What about his wife?" she asked.

"They told him his wife was dead, killed in some kind of airplane crash," Justice said.

"You don't believe that, though, do you?" she asked.

"Not for a minute, ma'am," he said.

"Where do you think she is?" Danni asked.

"Somewhere in Albania," he told her. "She's being sold into slavery and was given a deadly mix of contaminated drugs. She's on borrowed time as it is and there's nothing anyone on earth can do to help her. Right now, she's making her peace with God and hoping she can see her husband before she goes."

"And who's selling her?" Danni pressed.

"A lying, sniveling piece of dog crap - 'scuse me - named Doug Carson," he said. "The same one who drugged and imprisoned Mike."

"Doug Carson? You mean, the CEO of Acme Enterprises? One of the richest and most powerful men on the planet?" Danni asked, shocked.

"One and the same," Justice said.

"And you know all this, how, exactly?" she asked.

"I told ya, I work for the highest authority," he said. "I just know. Don't ask me how. Look, ma'am, I understand you want all your t's crossed, but I have two people who won't last much longer unless something is done. And even after I get Mike out of there, Carson will just find himself another target. I can get Mike out one way or another. I'd rather do it legal-like and I'd like to see Acme torn down. By the book."

Danni looked at Justice and I could see the wheels in her head turning.

"Okay," she said. "Let me go back and do some preliminary work. We can meet here same time tomorrow, if that will work for you." Justice nodded his head.

"I think they'll be okay until then," he said. "But they're running out of time."

"Alright, Justice," she said. "I'll get right on it, I promise. I'll have some answers when we meet tomorrow."

"I appreciate that, ma'am," he said. She looked at us, then stood.

"I'll call you tomorrow, okay, dear?" she said, looking at me.

"Sounds good, babe," I said. "Love you."

"Love you more," she said, giving me a soft kiss on the lips. She extended her hand to Justice. "We will talk tomorrow, I promise."

"Thank you," he said, taking her hand. "I'm sorry if I seem short. I know you're a damn good attorney and you're just doing your job. It's just that there's two souls in the balance and not a lot of time."

"I understand," she said before leaving. We watched her walk out of the bar.

"That's a mighty fine woman you have there, son," he said, looking at me. "Reminds me of your Grandma Lizzy at that age." I smiled.

"I consider that high praise, Grandpa," I said.

"I take it, then, that she doesn't know the whole story," he said. I shook my head.

"No," I said.

"You're gonna have to tell her at some point, you know," he said. I nodded my head.

"I know," I said. "I just don't know how I can do that without coming across as completely crazy." He laughed.

"You'll figure out a way," he said. "By the way, speaking of your Grandma Elizabeth, she says Danni's a keeper and you'd better treat her right. Trust me, boy, she's not above giving you a spankin' on your rear end."

"You sound like you'd enjoy that," I said. He laughed, then took a sip of his beer.

"I might," he said. "Been a while since your grandma gave a grown man a spankin'." He pulled out a large watch, flipped it open, then shut. He looked at me before speaking. "I need to get goin', son," he said. "I'll be here tomorrow, same time. Thanks for the beer."

"My pleasure, grandpa," I said, extending a hand. He took it in his and wrapped his other arm around me.

"Good to see ya again, son," he said. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

"Me too," I said. "See ya tomorrow." He touched the brim of his hat.

"See ya," he said, walking away. I paid my tab, then jumped in my truck and headed home, thinking about what Elijah had told me. He was right, I was going to have to level with Danni at some point. But how?

The next day, I got up early as I usually did, grabbed a cup of coffee, then headed out to tend to Ringo. I could tell he was a bit antsy, so I saddled him up and took him for a short ride. I had the feeling he wanted to run, but I was concerned he might accidentally step in a hole and go down. I went back to the dirt road, and let him loose. Talk about an "E-ticket" ride! He ran at a full gallop for quite a while, with me hanging on for dear life.

I got Ringo back, saw to his needs and headed into the house to take a shower. After I got cleaned up, I went downstairs and grabbed a sandwich. Then my phone rang. I saw it was Danni's number, so I answered.

"Hey, sweet thing," I said. "How's it going?"

"Good," she said. "I'm a bit tired, but I'm okay. Listen, do you think you can swing by the condo about 3:00? I need to talk with you before we meet Justice tonight."

"Sure," I said. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "I just need to get some things straight in my own mind, that's all."

"Okay," I said. "I'll see you at 3:00."

I knocked on her door right at 3:00 and she let me in with a kiss. I could tell she had just taken a shower as her hair was still a bit damp.

"Come on in," she said. "I just got out of the shower. Please, have a seat and I'll get us some coffee." I sat down as she went into the kitchen. Her laptop was open on the table and there were a number of papers scattered about. She came back in with two cups and sat them down on the table before taking a seat.