Chapter 27
Three weeks had passed since the riot at the grocery store. The media frenzy had grown to a fevered pitch in town with the announcement of no charges filed against Chuck Wilson and the two young men still held in the county jail on Felony Theft charges. Several protest groups had showed up in town, but, for the most part, had remained calm.
“Free the Innocent! Stop Racism!” the large group chanted that had set up outside of the county jail. It did not matter they had caught the two young men under arrest in the act of committing a felony. All that mattered was their prosecution was unjust in the minds of the protesters.
Another group had set up on the highway by Chuck’s driveway. Shouts of “Murderer!” and “Racist!” filled the air, only fueling the media frenzy. Silas had tried to get them to leave, but as long as they did not break any laws, he was powerless.
Andrew had gone to Austin several times attempting to get assistance. However, they informed him; as long as things remained relatively calm, they were on their own.
Silas knew that Sandley was a powder keg waiting to erupt. All it needed was one more incident to light the fuse.
“Mommy, can I have pizza for lunch?” Shelby grinned, as her mother pushed her wheelchair up to the table.
“I don’t think it’s on the menu today, Sweetheart. I think it’s chicken,” Shelia smiled when she saw the frown appear on Shelby’s face.
After Shelby had regained consciousness, her doctor had moved her to the Rehab Unit in the hospital. The strength was slowly returning to her body, but they still were unsure when she would walk on her own again. Shelia had taken time off to be there for Shelby as she went through her treatments. It was painful and quite grueling, but with each day, Shelia believed she saw improvement.
“Good afternoon, Shelby. You look hungry,” the older woman, pushing the food cart said as she stopped at the table in front of Shelby. She reached inside of the cart, and pulled out two trays and set them on the table.
Shelby looked at the chicken drumstick, mixed vegetables, and the small pile of mash potatoes. “Yes ma’am, but I was hoping for pizza.”
“Pizza? Oh, my that does sound much better than baked chicken. Well, why don’t I make a deal with you? If you eat your lunch, I’ll see about them letting you have pizza for lunch tomorrow; fair enough?”
Shelby glanced over at her mother who was smiling then back to the older woman. “You have a deal.”
Shelia could not help but laugh at the look on Shelby’s face as she grabbed the drumstick and took a big bite.
“Well, I need to get back to the kitchen. You ladies have a nice lunch.”
Shelia and Shelby both said goodbye then quietly ate their lunch.
Once they had finished, Shelia set their trays at the end of the table before she turned to Shelby.
“Well, young lady, it’s time for you to go to your appointment.”
Shelby knew she had to go, but the idea of another physical therapy session was not appealing in the least.
“Okay, but I can’t wait to go home. I hate doing this all the time,” Shelby moaned.
“I know you do, but it’s the only way you’ll be able to walk again. You have come such a long way, so don’t give up now.”
Shelby looked at her mother and saw the sadness in her eyes. When she had first gotten sick, Shelby could not understand what was happening to her body. Her father had told her to lay on the couch and rest, but while laying there, she suddenly felt strange. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital bed.
“Okay, but I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t, but I’m very proud of you for working so hard to get better. Come on, we don’t want to be late,” Shelia grinned as she pushed Shelby’s wheelchair to the Physical Therapy room.
The mood of the crowd gathered around the small bonfire grew dark, as the outsiders stoked the fires of hate.
“You don’t have to put up with being treated like this. You have rights.”
“They think they are better than you, but we will show them.
The grumbling grew to a fevered pitch when a man from the back of the crowd shouted, “Justice belongs to us!”
Shouts of anger erupted, filling the night air.
“Yes, Eye for an Eye!”
“Kill the Murderer!”
“We will no longer wait for justice!”
The man from the back of the crowd stepped forward with the flames of hate burning in his eyes. “He murdered that boy because he was Latino, like all of us. We all know how the people of this town feel about us. They will protect him from paying for his crime, so it’s up to us to make him pay.”
The man knew the media would broadcast their story across the country once they made their move. He also knew the federal government would not step in and do anything, as this was just another incident involving minorities fighting for their rights. As he looked into the eyes of those gathered around the fire, he knew this would be a grand statement for the cause.
“What’s going on over here?” Tyler Jemison asked.
The man spun about to face Tyler and at seeing his uniform, replaced the look of hate in his eyes with one of surprise.
“Why nothing, Officer, we are just enjoying the beautiful evening.”
Tyler narrowed his eyes, unsure if he believed the statement. “I don’t know you. You’re not part of the group that lives here are you?”
The man steadied himself before answering, “No, but I am a friend of theirs. I only want to help them.”
Tyler stepped forward to get a better look at this stranger. He could not quite put his finger on it, but something about the man did not sit well with him. He knew they hated the fact that he was able to speak Spanish, which was one thing they had on several of the townsfolk.
“Well, we don’t want any trouble here. Do you understand? Things were sounding a little out of hand, and that’s the last thing we’d want, correct?”
Tyler looked the man directly in the eyes trying to get a gauge of what he was thinking.
“Yes, Officer, that’s the last thing we want as well. We’ll keep it down, I’m sorry.”
“Good because I don’t want any trouble.”
As Tyler glanced around the crowd, he saw a look of disgust and guilt on most of their faces. He knew how they felt about him, but he also knew that Frank would never put up with a mob threatening violence.
“Don’t worry, Officer. We promise not to cause you any trouble here tonight,” the man announced, as he looked around at the others.
Tyler looked at the man again and still had a feeling of foreboding overtake him.
“Okay. Be sure the fire is completely out before you call it a night. The last thing we need is a brush fire.” Tyler looked at the group once more then turned and headed back to his truck. Once he got inside, he picked up his cell phone and dialed.
“Chief Greer.”
“Good evening, Chief, Tyler Jemison here. I work with Frank out here at the mill.”
“Good evening, Tyler, what can I help you with?” Silas was surprised to hear from Tyler instead of Frank.
“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest with you, but I thought I should give you a heads-up.”
“Okay, go on,”
“There’s a group gathered out here this evening; I’m not sure, but I’m getting a bad feeling. They aren’t doing anything that I can act on at this time, but my gut tells me they are up to no good. I have a feeling they’re planning something against Mr. Wilson. I thought you might like to know so you can keep an eye on him.”
“Damn, I’ve been worried about this with all the crap they’ve been saying in the media. I have noticed more people from out of town in the interviews lately trying to stir the pot,” Silas groaned.
“Yeah, I have too. In fact, there was one of them here tonight. He acted innocent, but there was just something about him that I don’t trust.”
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“Well, thank you for the call. I appreciate it more than you know. Tell Frank to call me tomorrow when he gets in, okay?”
“I will; goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Silas hung up the telephone.
Once Tyler was out of site, the man turned to the group and let out a low, hate-filled laugh, “See, they are not as smart as they think they are. Let’s enjoy ourselves as the fire burns down then we will make the murderer pay.” This statement caused the others to laugh as they gathered around the fire again.
The moon lay hidden behind the clouds filling the night sky. The predators moved through the trees unseen. Their low murmurings drowning out the sounds of the nocturnal woodland creatures as they scurried for cover.
“Stop here,” the man whispered. “Look, all the lights are off in the house.”
The others nodded their understanding, each anticipating the moment the murderer would pay for his crime.
A frantic bark, followed by a pain-filled yelp brought Chuck out of a sound sleep.
“Damn it, something’s wrong with Missy,” Chuck moaned as he reached for his jeans hanging on the chair by the window.
“I sure hope she didn’t mess with another skunk. You remember how long it took to get the stink out of her the last time,” Sandy groaned as she sat up on her bed.
Chuck looked at Sandy and grinned. “Well, if she did you get to clean her this time. She’s your damn dog.”
Chuck had always liked Missy. She was a good dog and had been a companion for Buck. They had planned to breed them, but she was still too young. The first few nights after Buck died Missy had slept by his grave as though waiting for him to come home. It had taken Sandy luring her back to the house with steak bones before she would finally leave Buck’s gravesite.
“Stay inside until I know what she’s gotten herself into.”
Chuck slid on his boots and walked to the back door. He was about to reach for the doorknob when the telephone rang.
“Damn, who’d call at this time of the night?” He reached for the telephone receiver.
“Hello.”
“Chuck, it’s Silas. I hate to call at this hour, but I’ve received some distressing news that I thought you should know.”
Chuck tried to make sense of what Silas said. “Distressing news; what’s going on, Silas?”
“I received a phone call from Tyler Jemison out at the mill and he said there was a group out there acting suspicious tonight. He said he didn’t hear everything they said, but he got the feeling they were talking about you.” Just saying the words caused a chill to move over Silas’ body.
“I’ve been worried about something like that, Silas. Damn…”
Silas felt his heart catch in his throat, “What’s wrong, Chuck?”
“Missy was barking then she let out a yelp. I was just going outside to see what’s wrong with her. You don’t think…”
“Stay inside, Chuck. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
Silas grabbed his keys and ran out to his truck. Once inside, he called the Sheriff’s Department and asked for backup then he called Doug.
“Doug, get out to Chuck’s place as soon as you can. I think something’s about to go down out there.”
The sound of breaking glass followed by the popping sound of fire brought Chuck to full attention. Sandy ran into the living room to see fire consuming the curtains hanging by the front window and slowly spreading across the back of the sofa.
“Oh, my God, what’s happening?” she screamed.
“Get back,” Chuck yelled as he rushed past her with the fire extinguisher.
“Oh no!” Sandy jumped back out of the way, as another window broke. This time, the flaming object landed next to the large overstuffed chair sitting in the corner of the living room. Flames immediately consumed the chair and began to spread across the carpet.
“Chuck, I smell gasoline,” she shouted as she backed away from the flames.
“Damn, these are bombs made from beer bottles. Go to the kitchen and call the fire department,” Chuck shouted above the sound of the fire and more breaking glass.
Sandy did as told, but just as she entered the kitchen and reached for the telephone, another window shattered. The smell of gasoline filled the kitchen with the liquid from the broken bottle spreading flames across the floor.
“Chuck, I can’t reach the phone,” Sandy cried out.
“Hold on, I almost have this under control,” Chuck fought the urge to cough from the thick smoke filling the house. He finally had the fire under control when he heard Sandy scream in pain from the kitchen.
The short drive to Chuck’s house seemed to take an eternity. Silas had just pulled off the highway when he saw the glow of the fire at the end of the driveway.
“What the hell?”
The site playing out before Silas’ eyes was something out of a nightmare. Flames and smoke billowed from the broken windows, and Silas wondered if Chuck and Sandy were safe, or still inside. As he stepped out of his truck, Doug sped down the driveway and pulled up next to Silas.
“Call the Fire Department,” Silas bellowed as he rushed toward the house.
Doug reached for his radio and ordered the Fire Department come out and fight the house fire.
“Chuck, Sandy, are you in there?” Silas shouted as he ran toward the house.
Silas was nearly on the front porch when he felt a sharp pain on the side of his head. He reached up his hand and felt moisture. He pulled his hand away when another sharp pain hit him on the side of the face.
“What the hell…” Silas stumbled, trying to gather his senses.
“Are you alright, Silas?” Doug cried out as he got up next to him.
“I don’t know, but I think something hit me,” he held out his hand, noticing the blood.
The sirens screaming in the night air as the cruisers rushed down the driveway was a welcome sound for Silas.
“Good, they’re here,” Silas said as he wiped the blood on his pant leg. He strained to see inside the house, but the flames blocked his view.
“Chuck, Sandy, are you in there?” Silas shouted again.
Silas was about to step up on the front porch when something caught his eye.
“Run, run,” a man’s voice shouted in Spanish.
Silas turned and noticed a small group of men running toward the wooded area to the east of Chuck’s house.
“Stop!” Silas yelled as he followed the escaping group with Doug running closely behind him.
The fire truck arrived on the scene, and the firefighters began working on the fire. Unfortunately, the fire consumed most of the house by the time they were able to get it under control. Two firefighters had gone inside and found Chuck and Sandy unconscious on the kitchen floor, overcome by the thick smoke filling the room.
The sound of breaking twigs and heavy breathing alerted Silas of which direction to run. The pounding in his head and nausea steadily increased with each step as he struggled to catch the group now disappearing in the trees.
“Doug, we can’t let them get away.”
“I know,” Doug said through gasps of breath.
Both men continued forcing their way through the trees and underbrush until…
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Doug cried out in pain.
Silas spun around and to his horror; he saw Doug crumpled to the ground.
“What happened?” Silas rushed over to Doug.
“I stepped into a hole of some sort. I think I broke my ankle,” Doug groaned.
Silas glanced over his shoulder at the shadows disappearing in the distance. He wanted to continue, but he knew he had to get Doug to safety.
“Can you stand if I help?” Silas reached for Doug.
“Yeah, I think so.” Doug wrapped his left arm around Silas’ shoulder and held on as Silas stood.
“Crap; that hurts. Maybe we should take off my boot?” Doug moaned.
“No, it’s best
to leave it on to prevent any more injury. Also, the boot will help keep the swelling under control until we get you to the hospital,” Silas groaned, hoping it was just a bad sprain and not broken.
“Shit, I didn’t think about that. I sure hope they don’t have to cut the boot off; I just bought these a month ago.”
Silas looked at Doug and laughed, “Leave it to you to worry about a pair of damn boots.”
“Silas, Doug, where are you?” Bridges shouted through the trees.
“We’re over here,” Silas responded when he saw Bridges and several deputies coming toward them.
“Did you see who they were?” Bridges asked.
“No, we didn’t. They had too much of a start on us. I did hear them speaking in Spanish, so I have a good idea who they are.”
Bridges and the other officers rushed over to where Silas and Doug were waiting.
“Damn, what happened here?” Bridges shook his head as he looked at Doug, who was standing on one foot with Silas supporting him.
“I had a little mishap with a hole,” Doug grinned.
“Is it broken?” Bridges asked.
“I’m not sure, but it sure feels like it is.”
“You two help him get back to the house, and the rest of us will continue to follow them.” Bridges pointed toward two of the deputies then he looked back to Silas.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Silas said as the two deputies took a hold of Doug and braced him.
“Man, I’m sorry, Silas. I should be going with you,” Doug groaned.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. You need to have that ankle examined. Bridges and I can handle this,” he grinned, trying to put Doug’s mind at ease.
“Come on, we don’t want to lose their tracks,” Bridges said, as he turned and walked deeper into the trees.
It was roughly fifteen minutes since the group split up after the attack on Chuck’s house. The man in charge knew the authorities were tracking them, which is why he had the others headed out in different directions.
“We need to be careful not to lead them back to the mill,” he said in a whisper to those still with him.
“We showed him, didn’t we? The Gringo wasn’t so tough, after all,” one of the men chuckled.
“No, he wasn’t. I only wish that Police Chief hadn’t showed up when he did.” The man knew the chance of discovery was high with Silas having seen them as they escaped into the woods. He also knew Silas would never rest until he caught them.
“We have made it impossible for him to track us, so we have no need to worry,” another man added.
The man wanted to believe that they had fooled Silas, but he knew they should not let down their guard.
“Quiet, I hear something.”
Frozen in place; they each held their breath and waited.
“Jose, it that you?” the voice came from the underbrush just ahead of the group.
“Damn it, what are you doing here?” Jose pushed forward to the woman hiding in the brush.
“I was worried. The others are already back, so I was concerned that you had gotten captured,” she cried.
“Damn it, woman, you could have led them to us!” The man looked at her then he looked at Jose. “Come on; let’s get back to the camp. I hope the fire is still going.”
The woman looked down at the ground and nodded her head. “Yes, just as you ordered.”
“Good, we need them to believe we’ve been there this whole time.”
“Damn it, they’ve split up,” Bridges groaned.
Silas looked down at the disturbed brush and smiled. “It doesn’t matter; I know exactly where they went.”
Bridges looked at Silas and smiled as well. “Come on, let’s go and meet them back there.”
Silas reached for his cell phone and dialed. “Tyler, I need you to do something for me.”
The look of surprise on the faces of the returning group, once they realized the authorities had them surrounded, was priceless. Tyler, along with several deputies had laid in wait for their return. When they had gathered around the fire, laughing at what they had done at Chuck’s house, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by numerous officers.
Silas and Bridges arrived a few moments later to find those responsible for attacking Chuck and Sandy, handcuffed and awaiting their fate.
“Well, well, look who we have here,” Silas said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
The man held his gaze toward the fire, refusing to look at Silas.
This act of defiance only drove Silas on more. “I can honestly say that I’m not surprised you had something to do with this,” he chuckled.
The man continued to hold his gaze on the fire, refusing to surrender to the taunts.
Bridges looked at the man then to Silas. “Silas, isn’t this the man who led the protest at the grocery store? I seem to remember him spending some time in my jail.”
Silas looked at Bridges and grinned, “He sure is. This is our mutual friend, Mr. Alejandro Munez.”
Bridges looked at the man and laughed. “Damn, I guess he didn’t get enough time in my jail after all. I guess destroying a grocery store wasn’t enough for you. Now you’ve moved on to arson and attempted murder.”
Munez looked up at Bridges with a look of defiance in his eyes. “I want to speak to my attorney.”
Bridges looked at him and smiled, “Don’t worry, you’ll get to talk with your lawyer soon enough. Come with me.”
Once the group responsible for attacking Chuck was loaded in the squad cars, Bridges turned to Silas. “Are you going to stop by the hospital and check on Chuck and Sandy?”
“Yeah, I’m headed there now. Thank you for your help tonight,” Silas held out his hand.
Bridges took the offered hand and returned the handshake. “Hey; anytime. Call me when you know how they’re doing, okay?”
“I will.”
Both men walked to their vehicles and got inside.
Silas watched as Bridges drove down the driveway and pulled out on the highway. He then reached for his cell phone and dialed.
“Silas, oh thank goodness. I heard about Chuck and Sandy,” Jen said breathlessly.
“Yeah, in fact, I’m headed to the hospital to check on them now.”
“I cannot believe those people would do that. How horrible, they both could have died.” Jen never understood how people could be so cruel.
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that bunch anymore. Bridges is taking them to the jail as we speak,” Silas chuckled.
“Good, that’s good to hear. Do you want me to meet you at the hospital? I’d love to see Sandy.” Jen always had liked Sandy since they were friends in school.
“I don’t know if they will let you in to visit with them at this hour. I’m going there in an official capacity, so I’ll be able to talk with them. Why don’t you stay at home and I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”
Jen knew there was no sense in protesting. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”
Once they had hung up their phones, Silas started his truck and pulled down the long driveway.