Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible

New Living Testament, copyright ©1996, 2004

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishing, Inc.

Quotations used by permission from Bartleby.com ©1993-2004

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Prelude

Lee Austin and Freddy come head-to-head with one another. Convicts break out of prison. A rapist/killer is on the loose. The basketball team goes to the state finals, but will they capture the championship?

Take all this and new characters coming into the mix, and new love interests are sparked. Other love triangles deepen; and Leon has returned. What will become of him, and how will this affect Baker. Freddy sets the time for a final face-off with Baker. What will all of this do to the city of Montie?

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Excerpt

Somewhere in Columbus, Ohio -11:03 a.m.

A tall man jumped out from behind a clump of bushes from the side of Mackinaw Road. At one time it was a hundred-mile stretch of blacktop that used to be a trail that would lead you from Columbus to Cincinnati back in the day. Almost seventy years ago, three large sinkholes ended that idea. Now, if it’s used for anything, it’s either to bring a date there to make out with or dump your trash.

In this case, Johnny “Baby Boy” Jackson, just finished making out with a chubby sixteen-year-old girl who begged and pleaded with him not to hurt her.

Johnny had snatched her from a bus station in Columbus, punched her in the mouth to shut her up until he got to Mackinaw Road.

He kept his promise not to hurt her after he raped her brutally. To Johnny, sex isn’t brutal, sex is all about feeling good, and when he gets rough; to him, that feels wonderful.

But he kept his promise not to hurt her anymore. He broke her neck.

In a notebook in his car, he wrote her name down: Natalie. 16. Number 41. The first one? Ellaine Mae Jackson. 62.

His mother.

__________

If you try to hang onto your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake,

you will save it. Matthew - 16: 25

Painful for man is rebellious independence when it has

become inevitable, only in loving companionship with

his fellows does he feel safe; only in reverently bowing

down before the Higher does he feel himself exalted – Thomas Carlyl

The way I see it, no sense in hanging onto a life that’s going

to end one way or the other. After all, like taxes, death is

inevitable, and if you get on my radar—trust me, it will

happen, and it won’t be pretty – Freddy

__________

Lee followed George Lassiter from the Hightower Inn, one of the better hotel’s in Ankara. There were four high-priced hotels. Lee had called all four, asking if either a Lassiter, Jerry Miller or Tracey McPhearson had registered.

When he found out George Lassiter had been staying at the Hightower for two days, Lee suspected he might not have much time to hunt him down before he would be out of Turkey and onto someplace else.

It wasn’t until Saturday night when he spotted his target making his way across cobblestone streets, passing under brightly lit windows holding glassware (hand blown), clothing shops, or a local food or fruit store with people inside, seemingly all talking at once, each bartering for a good deal.

Lee followed at what he considered to be at a safe distance and would do so until he knew the time was right to make his move. He didn’t want any of the locals to get in the way or killed.

Lee continued to watch as George slipped through a doorway and went up a single flight of steps.

Lee waited twenty minutes. He then watched as George retraced the steps he had climbed until he reached the open doorway. Quickly, George looked left, then to his right.

Lee pulled out his Styler 9mm, cocked the hammer ever so lightly and fired point blank at George’s head. But it was the surrounding silence and the slight tick of the hammer pulled back that gave George a half-second edge, for he literally dodged a bullet.

Lee was angry at himself. He should have known better.

He saw George duck down into the shadows around the doorway, and then he heard what sounded like police sirens. He ditched the Styler in a place where he would later come back for it. He still had his .38 on him. He could carry in Turkey, and it hadn’t been fired.

“Freddy,” he whispered, “you got a free pass this time.”

What Lee didn’t know was that Freddy had circled around Lee and took up a position neither Lee nor the Kurdish police knew of.

As Lee was questioned by the police for his name, passport, and gun permit, and as to why he is in the area at such a late time of night and had he heard any gunfire. His responses well-rehearsed was, “I’m a tourist from the United States and just exploring. I thought I heard a loud bang, but I didn’t hear any shooting.”

Freddy committed to memory all he heard and saw.

When he arrived in Rome. He would look into this Lee Austin.

Monday – October 29th

The Squad Room – 8:31 a.m.

“Just a couple more things.

“For those of you who haven’t checked you inbox, you will find a facsimile on one Johnny “Baby Boy” Jackson, who isn’t anyone’s baby boy any longer. He is forty-six, six-three, two-twenty, and sports tat’s up and down both arms.

“He was released from the Nebraska State prison last January and is considered extremely dangerous. His rap sheet tallies eight rape convictions since age sixteen; two of which were his mother and sister. And of those two, he murdered his mother, but the court couldn’t convict because somehow the evidence had been tampered with somehow.

“Currently, he is wanted in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio with seventeen charges of rape, and over three dozen homicides. He hasn’t made his way into our state to my knowledge, but we have been put on alert for this individual. If you spot him, call for backup, then arrest him.”

“What if he doesn’t want to come along peaceable-like?” asked Clinton.

“Based on any aggressive action on his part, you do what you have to do, but first do your best to bring him in unharmed, wounded—or if need be, dead.

“Now onto some good news. Next Monday, Johnathan Prescott will be returning to active duty.”

A few cheers were raised and a smattering of applause, along with a few well-meaning comments, such as, “Probably all fat and lazy from all that good food Andrews been feeding him.”

Then Clinton opened his mouth.

“From all the sex he’s been getting, he’ll be as useless as tits on a bull.”

“All right guys, that’s enough, and Clinton? Keep your opinions to yourself.”

Baker looked around the room and asked, “Anyone have any questions? If not, then get out there and stay safe and keep our streets safe.”

As everyone filed out of the room, Rick Lowery came up to Baker.

“I was wondering if Montie’s basketball team is making another run for another Divisional Championship. Do you think they can do it again?”

“Hard to tell, but I hope so, Lowery. It would be great to see them go all the way and win the state championship this time.”

“I think they have a good shot at it. Your son, Stevie, and Ron Snyder, are the top two shooter’s.”

“There are three regular season games left,” added Dianne. “Two home games against Stanhouse and Williamsburg and the last game they play at Brimford.”

“Yeah, but Brimford and Stanhouse are both tied for second and a game behind The Pythoners,” said Terrance. “They need to beat both of them to lock in the county championship. Either way it’s been a hell of a season.”

“Either way, I think we’ve analyzed this enough. You and Lowery need to get out there and do what you do best. Just keep your eyes open if you do spot Jackson. If he’s carrying, it would be a hunting knife and a .32 Remington. It’s all in the report in your inbox.”

As Terrance and Lowery left, Baker walked into the break room, stuck a quarter and a dime in the coffee machine, pressed extra cream, extra sugar, waited three minutes, then grabbed her cup and made her way back to her office. Just as she made it to the door, she saw Satchell about to leave his office.

“Busy day already, Satchell?”

“You can say that. I have a meeting with the Mayor at 9:30. At 10:30, I have a meeting with the Fire Marshall, Sam Jessup. From there, I head over to Montie High and give the annual speech, aka lecture on safety. At noon, lunch with Samantha. After that, it’s whatever comes up next.”

“You and Samantha are becoming quite the item lately.”

Satchell smiled a sheepish grin.

“I know. The whole thing was more of a surprise for me than anyone else. I wasn’t looking, but looking for, found me. I can thank my brother-in-law and his wife for that. They hatched the whole thing up, though Don denies he had a hand in it, and now, well; I’m grateful to them.”

“You look happy, Satchell. I know it was hard on you when June died, but now, you look. Oh, I don’t know … reborn maybe? Either way, I am happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Baker. You’ll have to excuse me, but I need to get a move on. Talk with you later. Give my best to Ed and Stevie.”

As Satchell took the steps down to get to the parking garage to his car, Baker went inside her office and sat at down at her desk and started checking her email.

There wasn’t anything of major importance but as she sipped her coffee, she let her mind drift back. Back to the night little Leon Hargrove showed up at her front door all the way from Tomahawk, North Carolina, almost 650 miles away. His appearance was just one of the mini-to-major events that took place.

Sunday Night – August 19th

All four sat around the dining room table and listened as Leon explained why he came back.

“After momma died, the three of you took me in, no questions asked. And honestly, I was scared. You all being white, me black, and you,” he pointed at Baker, “being a cop.”

He tilted his head down and took a deep breath.

“Then, things started going good. I mean, like Stevie, he, well; I kinda looked at him like an older brother. I could talk to him, and we did stuff together. And when you guys went places together, you took me with you. It felt like a second chance at having a real family again. Then comes momma’s sister.”

“Leon, did she mistreat you in any way?” asked Ed.

“No, sir. Well, she didn’t beat me if that’s what you mean. But she lives darn close in the middle of nowhere. No way for me to make any real friends and the kids I did meet on the school bus and in school, lived too far from me. Nearest one was Darnell Foster and he was about three miles away. Aunt Lynetta got no cable, no TV. She says all that stuff is sinful.

"She had plenty of money though to spend on her drinkin' and partyin' with her friends.

Heck, they still use a separate building to go to the bathroom they call an outhouse! Never seen one before and hope I never see one again! That’s where you poop and pee, and it smells! One time I thought I was gonna fall in!

“I don’t like it there. I don’t like living in the country. I want to live here, in Montie. I want to live here with all of you! Please?

“Besides,” and this was when Leon started to cry, “my momma is buried here.”

Baker blinked her eyes, took another sip of her coffee, and realized it had gone cold. Going back to the coffee machine for a second cup, she remembered the conversation she had with Judge Edmund Carson the very next day.

Monday – August 20th

Judge Carson’s Chambers – 9:30 a.m.

“Lieutenant, the boy has to be returned to Mrs. Mason. She is his legal guardian and currently his sole caretaker.”

“Actually, Judge Carson, she isn’t. What I found out this morning before I came here is that what remained of Leon’s mother’s money from the insurance policy, Mrs. Mason pretty much pocketed with the pretext of using it for Leon. And from what I understand, little to none of that has happened.”

“This is an issue for the State of North Carolina to handle. This is out of our authority.”

“Let me ask you, Judge Carson, if I can get Mrs. Mason to allow me to adopt Leon up here, would that suffice all parties concerned?”

“I would say it would. But is that what you want to do?”

“I have, ever since Leon’s mother died.”

“Then you want to do this out of a sense of responsibility?”

“Not at all. I want to do this because he needs guidance, love, and a feeling of belonging.

He doesn’t have that with Mrs. Mason.”

“Then here is what you must do for the time being. First: place him under foster care. Second: have foster care services notify the nearest County Courthouse wherever this Tomahawk place is located and have them notified of your intent. At which point, they will notify the boy’s aunt, this Mrs. Mason, of your intention to adopt.

“Be on notice Lieutenant, if she says no to your intent to adopt, you will have no legal recourse or responsibility for the boy. Are we clear on this?”

“We are, Judge.”

“If in fact she agrees, only then can you apply with the proper paperwork for adoption. You may have to wait up to ninety days. If, after that time, everything appears to be in order, then the boy, Leon Hargrave, will legally be your son, with either your last name, or your actual married last name.”

And that’s where things stood for a week.

Two days later, Stevie came up to her and said he wanted to play basketball, as well as coach.