The Legacy Ch. 03

Wasn't this just great? Here I was, stuck in this little town, until at least Monday. It was going to be another three days before they put that asshole Carl in front of a judge. Then the jerk would probably just plead not guilty and be released on bail. Anyone else would get six months to a year, just for spitting on the sidewalk.

It wasn't as if I was in any great hurry. What really burned my ass, was the double-standard system!! If the plain working class people should do anything wrong, they get the book thrown at them. Most of them can't afford a good lawyer, so they get appointed public pretender. However, some rich asshole can literally get away with murder, by bringing in a whole team of high-class expensive lawyers. He'll get off with just a slap on the wrist.

I was still kicking myself for not busting him up good while I had the chance,, but II knew that if I had, it would be me sitting in jail with the just out of school public pretender telling me to just plead guilty and he will get me off with just two or three years. That's justice, in this world.

Now I was sitting in my cheap motel room trying to find something other than soap operas or infomercial drivel on the idiot box. I had already been all through town trying to find something interesting to do. I swear these small towns roll up their sidewalks come five in the afternoon on weekends. I heard a faint knocking coming from the door, opening it I saw a vision of loveliness. It was Laurie from last night, holding my shirt.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for last night. Here you came to help me when the asshole hit me, and you almost got killed."

"I never thought Carl had the balls to take a shot at me. It's a good thing he couldn't shoot worth a shit." Then, realizing to whom I was talking, I added, "Sorry about the language."

She laughed and said,, "That's okay, I've heard a lot worse. I'm just lucky he was such a poor shot. I cleaned your shirt for you,, and thanks for letting me use it."

"I couldn't let you walk around with blood all over your clothes. I hope you could get the blood out of that expensive blouse you were wearing last night."

"I didn't even try! Carl bought me that blouse. I think he did it just to turn heads and show people what a big man he was by going out with me. It just makes me sick thinking of the way he treats people. He treated me like one of these rich guys treats a trophy wife. Just a piece of eye candy shouting that's how rich and powerful I am that I can have someone like this."

"What I can't understand is why you were ever with him in the first place. Obviously, besides being beautiful, you're talented and smart."

"At first, Carl was very sweet and attentive to me. But when he was either drinking or hanging out with his friends... that's when he'd become a jerk. I'd heard rumors about the way he really was but I didn't believe them. I guess I was a little starry eyed. He was a star athlete in football and baseball while we were at school. Anyway, he always seemed to hang out with all the elite people. He always had these fancy cars, and went to the best places, and his family is the richest one in the county."

"I hope you don't take this wrong, but you could do a lot better than that jerk. I found out last night he probably won't even be doing any time for what he did. Hell he should get five or ten years for attempted murder. But, after Monday, he'll probably be out on bail."

"Besides returning your shirt that's another reason I'm here. He's already out! When they took him to jail last night, they only charged him with disorderly conduct. He was released to his own recognizance. From what I was told he's driving around with a rifle in the gun rack of his pick up."

"WHAT! Disorderly conduct? That bastard was shooting at us! Come on, we need to get to the police station, and get this straightened out, right now."

With her giving me directions, we found the local police station a few minutes later.

Storming inside, I said, "I just found out that Carl...," realizing I didn't know Carl's last name I turned questioningly to Laurie. She said. "Lewis, Carl Lewis." Turning back to the desk sergeant I continued, "I just found out that Carl Lewis was released last night on his own recognizance, and that he is only charged with disorderly conduct. Since when is attempted murder only disorderly conduct? That asshole took a shot at me, and was trying to find me to take another shot when I disarmed him. Now I'm told he's driving around town, with a rifle in his back window!"!"

"I don't know anything about any attempted murder. All I was told that he was in a bar fight. Carl Lewis is the son of one of our most prominent citizens. Just who the hell do you think you are, coming in here and telling us how to run things?"

"I'm the guy he took a shot at. Now I find out he's not only not in jail, but driving around with a rifle in his truck when he's already tried to kill me once."

"The only charge brought against him was disorderly conduct. Carl has been an outstanding citizen of this county so why shouldn't we PR him?"

"Your so called outstanding citizen has been raising hell around here for years. Just look here. Isn't Laurie also a member of this community? See the marks he made, hitting her in the face. That's what started everything last night. After he hit her, I knocked him on his ass to keep him from hitting her again."."

"You hit him? Maybe I should lock your ass up for disorderly, too!"!"

I pulled out my cell phone and hit speed dial and said, "Bethesda Naval Hospital? This is Staff Sergeant Jacob Thompson can you connect me to the Judge Advocate General Office?"

I easily avoided the desk sergeant's grab for my phone as he said, "What are you doing?"

"You said you were going to arrest me. I'm arranging for a lawyer to represent me. I think by the time he's done I'll own this shit hole of a town."

"I didn't say I was arresting you, just that maybe I should. It does take two to fight."

About that time, a voice came on the line, so I held up a finger to the desk sergeant I think he thought I was going to tell them to never mind and was surprised when I said,, "This is SSgt Jacob Thompson,, I was discharged medically yesterday from the Naval Hospital there. On the way home I stopped in this little hick town, now I have all kinds of legal problems. Can you recommend a good lawyer?"

I listened to him for a minute and repeated so the desk sergeant could hear..

"So, since I'm a disabled Vet, and medically discharged, the military will represent me free? That's great." Then I went on to describe what had happened the night before and that the police had just charged him with Disorderly Conduct and turned him loose. Now he was driving around with a rifle in plain sight. And, the police were threatening to lock me up!! The man on the phone then asked to speak to the desk sergeant. After handing him the phone I couldn't hear what was said until the desk sergeant gasped, ''Force Recon' and turned white as a sheet.

After he hung up and handed me back my phone he said,, "You could have easily killed Carl Lewis last night couldn't you?"

"It would have been easier than capturing him alive."

"Can I ask then why you didn't? He was trying to kill you."

"It wasn't necessary. He was too stupid the way he was to be able to kill me, though he might have killed someone else."

"Since I am here, I need to a place a formal complaint against Carl Lewis for attempted murder. I'll tell you right now that if daddy's boy Carl tries anything with me he's going to end up either in the hospital or the morgue. At this point I couldn't care which."

"I'll be watching you. You start any trouble in my town, and you will be sitting in my jail."

"Oh, I won't be starting anything. However, I may just be finishing it. Now where are those complaint papers I want Carl Lewis, to be charged with attempted murder?? There are plenty of witnesses! This time when he's locked up, he had better stay locked up!"

I filled out the paperwork, then turned to Laurie and said, "Okay, I think we're done here. Now show me where Carl's father lives."

Laurie seemed scared to go with me to see Carl's father. So after getting directions I dropped her off at her sister's apartment, and made arrangements for her to meet me later that night, at the same bar.

Heading towards Carl's father's house, I kept an eye open for his truck. Laurie said it was a red Ford F150. I didn't spot it before I had reached the house. I knocked on the door, and it was answered by an older woman, whom I took to be either his mother, or a housekeeper.

"May I speak with Carl Lewis, please?"

She left me standing there, and after a minute, an older gentleman came to the door.

"I am Carl Lewis, may I help you?"

"I'm looking for your son, Sir."

"He's not here, right now. I think he was going hunting. He came and grabbed his rifle and took off. Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm the one that he tried to kill, last night. I mean to have him back in jail, and charged with attempted murder."

"Whoa!" the old man said in alarm. "Why don't you come in and explain this to me?"

Going in, I sat and related the events of last night. II told him of how I saw his son backhand Laurie, knocking her down. Then I described how I'd knocked Carl down, and what had led up to him trying to ambush me in the parking lot with a 9mm automatic, and me disarming him by breaking his collarbone. While telling him this, I saw a look of horror come over his face.

"I had no idea that any of this had happened. I wonder why nobody informed me of this."

"Sir, that's easy enough to see. The problem is you being rich and powerful, people are scared of you, and what you may do if you are displeased. The cop I just talked to certainly didn't want to do anything to disturb you. I think Carl has been using that for years to run roughshod over everyone around here."

"Damn!! I guess I am partly to blame. You see his mother died when he was twelve, and I was never around. II was always working, trying to keep busy, trying to keep from missing my Mary so much. I guess I really failed him. Now I saw him come here and get another gun. I hate to say this, but he's probably going to try to kill you again. What are you going to do?"

"I mean to capture him, and put him back in jail," I told him, not wanting to upset him any more than necessary. He seemed like a decent guy, and was not at all what I expected.

"You can do that, how?"

"I was just discharged, yesterday, after twenty-three years in Force Recon. I'll try my best to capture him, but I'd better warn you I might have to hurt or possibly kill him, if it's dangerous or if someone else's life is in danger."

"I understand. Please be careful. Try not to kill him. He may not be the best son in the world but he is all I have."

"I will. I just hope that this time they don't just turn him loose again."

"They won't."

"How can you be sure of that?"

Surprising me, he said with a small smile, ,"I'm the District Attorney."

"No wonder everyone's afraid of you!"!"

"Please, don't remind me. I can see I have a lot of fences to mend around here. I don't like people being afraid of me. I became the District Attorney to try to help people in this county, not for the power or the money. I already had money, and my wife's family was wealthy, also. When she died, all of that came to me, too... though I'd rather have Mary back, instead."

I really was starting to like this guy. Too bad his son was such an asshole.

I then asked, "Do you have any idea where he may be?"

"He hangs out with Bubba Jenkins and his brother. They have a farm about three miles south of here on Route 5Five."

After getting directions, I thanked him and left to find the Jenkins farm. Soon I was heading south down Route Five and saw a mailbox with the name Jenkins on it. After fishing around in my duffle bag (I know, I know... the Marines call it a seabag) I got my 1911a .45 caliber automatic. I then silently eased up towards the house. II saw what had to be Carl's F150 parked out front. The rifle was still in the rack in the truck's back window. .

I watched through a window, and saw Carl talking to two men. They looked like typical Rednecks but there were no guns in evidence, and they seemed to be trying to convince Carl of something, they were arguing with him. Thinking that this would be a good chance to take them with no bloodshed, and not wanting to be accused of breaking and entering,, I knocked on the front door.

I stayed out of sight of the peephole. When one of the brothers answered I shoved him back into the other two and yelled ''freeze' taking them all by surprise. I tied Carl's hands with his own belt.

I turned to the other two and said, "This man is wanted for attempted murder, are you with him?"

I knew I didn't have anything on them, except for them talking to an asshole.

"No way! Carl was here trying to get us to help him kill some dude, but we weren't having nothing to do with that. No way are we going to prison for him, even if he said his Daddy could fix it."

I said, "Would you put that in writing? You may have to testify in court."

"We didn't do anything!"

"I didn't say that you did. Just write down what you were talking about."

"His Dad is a powerful man around here. He wouldn't like us turning on his son."

About this time Carl started yelling, "My Dad will fix you all for this!"

Seeing that the brothers were starting to get scared I said to Carl, "Who do you think told me where to find you?"

*

Edited By TeNderLoin, pcbondsman & The Old Fart