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Jim was found guilty of all charges, which included sabotage, conspiracy to commit murder, and adultery. He was stripped of all rank, pay, and privileges and handed a dishonorable discharge. Then he was sentenced to life at Fort Leavenworth.
As promised, Harold could shield Rhonda somewhat, thanks to her cooperation. She was found guilty in a federal court of being an accomplice after the fact. She received a three-year sentence in a minimum security facility with Harold's intervention. As promised, Mike sent her pictures of Lisa but never took his daughter to see her in prison.
"Why can't I see Mommy anymore, Daddy?" Lisa asked one day.
"Your mother did a very bad thing, sweetheart," Mike said. "And to tell you the truth, she's too embarrassed and she doesn't want you to see her where she is right now. I know that she loves you, though, and she misses you a lot."
"Is it because of what she did with Uncle Jim?"
"Yes, sweetheart, it is," Mike said.
"Promise me you'll never leave me like that, Daddy? Please?" Mike took her in his arms and held her tight. He wanted to promise her more than anything, but he always taught her to tell the truth and never make promises that couldn't be kept.
"There might come a time when I do have to leave, but I'll do my best not to, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Little Angel," Mike said. Fortunately, his work kept him busy and in one place. Mike struggled with the demands of single parenthood, but he had a lot of support, especially from Lisa's teachers.
One of those teachers, Alice Hemmings, had lost her husband in a fiery air crash. Mike met her husband a few times, a captain who served in a different squadron and liked the man. After his death, Mike stepped up to help Alice when he could, and the two of them became good friends.
They began dating a few months after the funeral and became quite close. Alice fell in love with Lisa, and the two girls became inseparable.
In November 1964, JFK was re-elected to the White House. That same month, Mike and Alice got married. After getting Rhonda's permission, Alice adopted little Lisa.
"Lisa needs a mother, Rhonda, and you don't seem too interested in seeing her anyway," Mike said, handing Rhonda the paperwork. Rhonda said nothing as she looked over the paperwork, quietly signed it, and handed the package back to Mike.
"Tell Lisa I'm sorry and I wish her all the best," Rhonda said quietly.
"I will," Mike said, collecting the package. "Of course, you know this means no more pictures or letters."
"I know," Rhonda said, fighting back the tears. "Goodbye, Mike. And good luck with your new family."
"Goodbye, Rhonda," Mike said, leaving the room. He never saw her again after that. Rhonda waited until she was back in her cell before she broke down crying. With Lisa's adoption, there was nothing left for her on the outside but loneliness.
On July 20, 1969, Mike, Alice, Lisa, and four-year-old Michael Barnes, Jr., watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. By now, Mike was a full Colonel and was being fast-tracked for his first star. After watching the first moonwalk, Mike stepped outside and looked up at the night sky. Lisa joined him a few minutes later.
"What's on your mind?" Mike asked.
"I was just wondering what they're doing up there right now," she said.
"Hmm. Maybe they're looking up at Earth wondering what we're doing right now. You still wanna be an astronaut? Go up into outer space?" Mike asked.
"Yes, I do," Lisa told him. "You think they'll ever let girls become astronauts?"
"If I have anything to say about it, yes," Mike replied. "Where would you like to go?"
"There," Lisa said, pointing to a bright star. "'Second star to the right... and straight on to morning," she added, quoting a line from the old Peter Pan movie. Mike smiled as he hugged his precious daughter.
"From your lips to God's ears, sweetheart," he said as a meteor streaked across the dark sky.
"'Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
It's been a long road..."
....
Fade to black...
- COMMENTS
Imshaken12 days agoA driver for a General in the U.S. Army or Air Force would be officer not a sergeant. Although maybe SaddleTramp's universe it is always a sergeant. :o) A very entertaining story! Thanks for sharing!! I don't understand why the MC's ex wife would be willing to give up parental rights to her daughter? It was a 3 year sentence not life.
5 stars.
Anonymousabout 1 month agoFrom what I gathered, Rhonda loved Mike the cuck, but only loved Lisa as long as she was the child of Jim, as soon as she discovered Lisa wasn't Jim's daughter she lost interest and allowed her to be adopted. Like who even does that. What exactly is the benefit to anyone in having Lisa adopted?
The numbers of children adopted by their step parent when their bio parent is still alive is as close to zero as you can get.
Anonymousabout 1 month agoGot to say that all in all I pretty much hated the story. However it was well written so that redeemed it.
The actions and behaviour of Rhonda was never fully explained. Knowing someone longer is not an explanation. We also didn't really get any credible reason as to why Jim was being investigated so thoroughly, nor why he'd behave as he did.
Vulcan_in_Ohio2 months agoGood BTB story but probably belongs in the Science Fiction category. Anon below states that one cannot start all eight engines at the same time on a B-52. Anon is wrong (see reference below). The same technique is also used on KC-135 aerial tankers that must take off within three minutes in an emergency. In fact, the B-52 had no APU (auxiliary power unit) for many years, although I’m told they are trying to retrofit them. They were normally started with external “huffer” carts but in an emergency, they were started with an eight pound cartridge (like a big shotgun shell) plugged into each engine. When fired, sufficient compressed gas is forced through the engine to spool it up sufficiently for starting and self-sustaining (by injecting fuel and the automatic igniters firing). This can be done on all engines simultaneously, which is “hard” on the engines, or just engines four and five, using them to start the rest. There are YouTube videos showing this, but below is a brief written description in a reference. I believe the new, specially designed Rolls Royce dual engine turbofan retrofits for the B-52’s can be started more conventionally and quickly, but they are still being tested and I don’t have the scoop on them yet.
https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/air-force-b-52-cart-start/
