PARTNER, INCLUDING SAME SEX MATCHES. He could not think of a better way to divert attention away from the facts of the case and get the people on his side at the same time. It was a brilliant strategy, only made possible because he opened the door for him. Jacob probably planned the whole thing from the beginning, figuring he would natural blame everything on their sexuality.
The quandary of Ricardo’s position didn’t allow for anything less than a total victory, or else it might end up costing him everything. He decided from the start to keep Samantha in the dark about certain details of his plan for them to be together, not wanting to risk putting her in harm’s way from his actions.
2
In the days following Warren’s infamously renowned, boldly unpropitious fugitive flight from the law, Michael and Jacob started working on a defense strategy, minus any proof refuting the incriminating evidence they knew had to be false. Along with the ever vigilant presence of GP Sally watching Jacob’s back, the GAC assigned SI Chandra as an investigator for the defense, claiming his skill and integrity were unmatched by anyone. Jacob was thankful for the help, thinking they would not be able to discredit the prosecution’s case on merit alone. They needed to devise a stratagem to sway public opinion their way. The people had already turned against Warren and Owen once Ricardo exasperated the situation by blaming everything on their alleged homosexual relationship, which gave people something to rally behind in the name of justice. Man retained a hidden bloodlust kept deep down in our psyche, and we were more than willing to use it when called upon for the right cause. The two popular television personalities lost any public favor. Their fans and colleagues quickly disappeared. Most everyone automatically believed Ricardo’s damning allegations. Jacob knew he would need to use different tactics from what he had learned in law school to win them back. He just did not know by what means yet.
The first planned consultation to discuss his client’s case met with dissatisfaction from not being able to meet in a sociably acceptable setting more congruent to maintaining a tranquil atmosphere, instead of a gloomy courthouse conference room. Because of the charges against them, Warren and Owen were officially sequestered and forced to live in separate detainment quarters under a court directed order. Jacob had put in a formal request to release them under his custodial supervision, allowing him and Michael to safeguard their care and secure their appearance in court by having Owen stay at Jacob’s and Warren at Michael’s place. Except, the GAC could not legally overrule the mandatory segregation requirement for anyone charged with unlawful physical conduct.
Hearing them pull up in Jacob’s family Eco-SUV on that day, Hanna and Eve rushed to the front door unaware of the change in accommodations, expecting a happy reunion of old friends, even under their present circumstances. After seeing only Michael, Jacob, and GP Sally exiting the vehicle, Eve and Hanna felt disappointed by the absence of welcome guests, but retained positive attitudes, not wanting to add to their worries.
Hanna got used to having GP Sally around. She even made up the guest room for him, which he neglected to use from never being off duty. She could truthfully swear under oath to never seeing him actually sleep. Even though Michael insisted he could be completely trusted, Eve was still getting used to having the big guy around. Harvey’s loyalty to the GAC was unbreakable as with his sworn duty to protect Jacob. Like secret service agents of old, Harvey Sally would proudly take a bullet in the line of duty. It did not matter if he liked the person he was protecting or not. It was a code of honor to live and die by that could never be broken.
The relationship between Michael and GP Sally had always been a rocky one until Michael came up with a rather unconventional concept in defending Warren and Owen.
“Instead of running away from the big elephant in the room, we should embrace it.” Michael said sitting at the kitchen table with Jacob, Hanna, and Eve. GP Sally silently listened, standing in the doorway.
“Why don’t you denounce the two most grievous charges as false, and without admitting anything else, propose a new philosophy explaining how we finally evolved beyond our baser instincts since we gained control over our emotions.”
Jacob tilted his head to the side as he raised his hand and ponderously stroked his chin in an inadvertent Thinker pose.
“You just might have something there, my friend.”
Giving GP Sally a telling glance of consensual forbearance, Jacob decided it was time to confide in his most trusted friends and loved ones the modifications he and the GAC were planning to institute in the SBP system.
“I think it is time I told you what this is really all about. The day after you popped up out of the water, I was waiting with Eve in your hospital room for you to wake up when Harvey came in and told me the GAC wanted to see me. I had no idea what he planned on telling me or the significance it would have on today.” Jacob paused to take a breath before continuing.
“The GAC imparted an allegorical insight to me that day that changed my way of thinking. He conveyed a clarifying recognition of how we now live in a much different world from when first starting over, and why it became a necessary evil at the time to gain control over certain aspects of people’s lives in order to save them from themselves. He demonstrated a rational justification for instituting the extreme measures they did, offering an interpretive understanding of how we were only able to accomplish this because it was during a time when the people did not have anything left to lose. Their survival depended on it. It was the lone reason why they were able to pry people away from clinging onto materialistic wealth and foolish superstitions thousands of years old. The Author knew he couldn’t save the world he lived in, even with his powerfully written words of wisdom nobody wanted to hear. Our old civilization reached its tipping point. It was too late to stop. For far too long, our ancestors denied the valuable life lesson we finally learned. They remained unwilling to sacrifice the very things preventing their evolutionary growth as a species. It wasn’t until after all the wealth and riches in the world became worthless compared to the need for food and shelter, when all the silver and gold couldn’t buy you a drink of water or a slice of bread, and the only value a dollar had was the warmth generated from burning it, that they could finally see after dark.”
At the end of Jacob’s last sentence, Michael let out an audible guffaw before giving voice to similar thoughts going through the minds of everyone seated there.
“Can you imagine some rich fat cats trying to heat their mansions with their millions? They probably cried real tears of sorrow for their worthless fortunes without ever actually shedding a teardrop for the lost lives of others.”
“They used to say money is the root of all evil.” Eve mentioned the old adage.
“But they were wrong, weren’t they?” Hanna added.
“That is because the only place true evil exists is in the hearts and minds of weaker men.” Jacob said.
“And women, too,” Hanna included her gender.
“This is the reason why our species was granted the free will to choose, to be able determine what is right and what is wrong. It is what defines us. It gives us purpose. It is what drives us to be separate from beasts roaming the earth merely to sleep, feed, and multiply. But like our animal ancestors, you can only cage free will when trapped with our backs against the wall, and then like a defeated beast, we will also become submissive. But once we get a whiff of the sweet taste of freedom, our natural instinct to fight for what we want takes over after getting what we need.”
“The power to control others is a totally consuming, completely addictive drug people have always done terrible things to possess.” Hanna said putting forth another shortcoming of the human race.
“And just like in the days of old,” Jacob continued with his observational indictment of our envious natures to greedily lust after a gluttony of prideful desires, while spurring on a vengeful wrath for fostering our slothful lives. “Once people obtain power, it is very rare for anyone to willingly give it up, because power
is the true meaning of wealth. In the past, those with money had the power to control the lives of others through their jobs, their homes, and even the salvation of their mortal souls. They were able to bend people to their will whenever it suited their needs or whimsy. Then again, we still had about as much right to choose as we did before the Prophet Warrior and General Cain came along with a big plan and a powerful army to set thing right, basically saying either you are with us or against us. It wasn’t that different from having to pay taxes all your life to keep a roof over your families head and food in their bellies. Many people used to work a job they hated to be a good provider or just to survive. Consequently, if you wanted to remain a part of polite society in the civilized world, you didn’t have much of a choice, unless you decided to forgo family connections and become a mountain man or a beach bum. The big difference between then and now is by accepting the will of others to control part of our lives everyone is given the opportunity for a good life—working a job you enjoy without any of the financial worries from the past making you sick or leaving you stuck with hospital bills you couldn’t afford—probably experiencing a better, fuller existence than you would have living back then.”
“But now that we have turned the corner, we reached the point of no longer being willing to sacrifice our civil liberties for the sake of survival. We want back our freedom to choose. It was really just a matter of time.” Hanna connected past desires to present ones.
“This is exactly what the GAC and I have been secretly working on. Except, I am starting to think someone found out about our special reformation project. It has to be someone deeply rooted inside the system, hiding in plain sight. The GAC no longer feels the FWF is our biggest threat, even with the rumor going around that they have found an heir to the Prophet Warrior. The FWF are no longer the ones striking fear in those afraid of losing their power, which is when they start lashing out at people who they perceive could be a threat to their way of life.”
Jacob paused for a solemn moment of reflection before apologizing for his part in their friend’s misery. “I cannot stand knowing my actions might have set all this in motion, which is how they attack, chipping away at the things you care about the most. I do not want anybody else being hurt because of me. I will understand if anyone wants out. As for me, I have to find out the truth. Because no matter how far we have come, evil will always exist. It grows more powerful with each passing day, until it eventually consumes everything in its path. Unless. Someone is willing to do whatever they can to stop it.”
3
As one of those hiding in the shadows, behind a drawn curtain he did not want pulled back to reveal just an ordinary man of little consequence, and not some wise, powerful heir born to set things right, Michael felt he was too much in the sun. Remembering how he almost choked back the sip of tea he was taking when Jacob mentioned the surprising insight the GAC had about his existence, and what it might be causing others to do. He wanted to shout out right then, ‘I’m the Prophet Warrior’s heir.’ Except he could also see the shock registering on Eve’s face, too. Discretion won out in the end, still it left him wondering how much they knew, and how much was purely conjecture. Although he felt it would be perfectly safe to confide in Jacob, he could not risk the negative effect it might have on Eve. His instincts told him, Jacob was as unaware of his hidden identity as they were about Warren and Owen’s sexuality. Michael figured you don’t normally suspect those closest to you, unless you are also doing something covertly, which was why Michael noticed the slight change in Eve’s face, and why Jacob did not see his words have a similar effect on Hanna, who Michael sensed was doing everything possible to suppress her own astonishment.
Feeling proud of Jacob for doing what he could to help their friends, Michael oddly enough thought the responsibility should be his. Only, Jacob seemed much more suited to the task then he would ever be, making him doubt his supposed hereditary lineage. Eve still believed in him, as did Jacob in a subconsciously knowing way. One thing Jacob did know, he could count on Michael to find what others could not. Research, after all, was just as much of an investigative process as solving crimes, which was why Jacob partnered him up with Special Investigator Raymond Chandra.
SI Chandra’s other new partner did not take to Michael’s current assignment too well, especially after Chandra sidelined her with filing reports. Except they kept coming up empty the closer the trial date neared. Combing through Caesar’s Palace’s parking lot for the past three weeks, Chandra openly discussed his suspicions about the conveniently found evidence. They went through the surveillance cameras canvasing nearly every square inch of the lot, thinking they should have been able to pick up a trail to follow.
Chandra openly admitted he did not trust Ricardo. And after finding time gaps in the video footage, he felt his suspicions confirmed. They focused their search on where Ricardo found the timer trigger, inexplicitly located off camera, hidden in a nook between two storage sheds. A security technician informed them that they had been experiencing problems with signal disruption in the parking lot cameras ever since the wedding announcement.
While Michael found the missing footage frustrating, Chandra took it as a sign they were on the right track. He told Michael the time gaps proved someone else played a role in the bombing, which also gave them a timeline to follow.
“I don’t know why I did not think of this before, but we may gain a better perspective by looking elsewhere.” Michael gazed skyward, “somewhere way up high.”
SI Chandra stared up at the clear blue sky, slightly confused by the ambiguous statement.
Chandra’s confusion was not too difficult to comprehend, considering he did not have knowledge of something Michael technically shouldn’t. One of the perks of being the top researcher for the biggest celebrity in the country was the occasional insight into sensitive, top secret government projects kept from public knowledge due to the paranoia it might cause people, who would not understand the sound reasoning behind the decision.
Aside from the earthbound technology, there were many satellites launched into orbit around the planet, each tasked with a specific purpose, and still viable for use from long-term power supplies. Just as the terrestrial technology needed to go through massive reboots when first turning the power back on, someone had to figure out how to do the same thing with the satellites floating in space. After years of the brightest minds in the country trying and failing to write and download a program capable of breaking through impenetrable firewalls and bypassing encrypted passcodes, Foster Gideon was a man born for his time.
Necessity often dictated when a true genius needed to be born; like Da Vinci, Einstein, and Edison, their brilliant minds came along in a time when most needed to enlighten, educate, and shine a brighter light on the future. Gideon was one of those unique individuals with the ability to think outside the box. He created the DTR (Dormant Technology Reboot) program to manually take-control over a satellite from earth without having the proper access codes. A modern day cyber-punk genius, he was the William Gibson of his generation with the analytical, brilliant mind of a Steven Hawking’s.
Of course, knowing something existed did not mean you could easily access the information, unless you had or knew someone with top-secret clearance, and Michael knew one person who did.
After leaving the courthouse, it did not take Jacob long before becoming cognizant of an overlooked resource tool and the need to utilize it. Jacob was the only one who had the required access at his immediate disposal. Angry with himself for not thinking of it earlier, considering he was the one who told Michael about it, Jacob remained thankful for the chance to exploit a means he was sure his adversary could not access, much less have the chance to corrupt the data.
Heading over to the Luxor, the thirty-story pyramid encased in dark bronze glass was in its heyday a prime example of postmodern architecture. The tip of the pyramid contained the brightest beam of light in the world, visible from space, and powered by thirty
-nine Xenon lamps focused into one intense narrow beam generating over 42 billion candlepower of light. Although, since then, there were some modifications made to it, giving it an entirely different function from its original design.
The new focus of the redesigned light-beam came from the brilliant mind of child genius, Foster Gideon. A true Mozart of technology, at age ten, he restructured the light into a high-density, infrared laser beam capable of sending a computer coded program to any targeted satellite. Called Gideon’s Trumpet, it allowed the DTR program to take control over any abandoned communication satellite (COMSAT) it targeted and reprogramed it to broadcast live radio, television, and sporting events, while also providing twenty-four hour news and internet access. The eye in the sky served one other vital purpose, maintaining the nation’s security with continual video surveillance of the entire planet 24/7.
The extraordinary marvel of human ingenuity behind wunderkind Foster Gideon’s DTR program did not stop after downloading it. He also revamped the two hidden containment warehouses designed to amass and store the valuable data retrieved from space. Concealed in two practically autonomous facilities, the main operation center was located on the top floor of the Luxor in a place dubbed the Black Room—since no one was ever seen coming or going from it. Stationed under the resplendently radiant light, the perpetual stream of information enabled everyone in the country to stay connected to each other over long distances. Rumors abounded inside and outside the glass walls of the media capitol as to what purpose the Black Room served, without anyone ever coming close to the guessing truth.
The Black Room had a direct link to its sister facility, the Stratosphere’s 1,150 foot observation tower, where the amassed information was stockpiled and housed in massive computer databanks, concealed in the onetime widely renown revolving restaurant called the Top of the World. The fifth tallest structure in the country had been given a new moniker by frightened schoolchildren, who referred to it as the Dark Tower, based on ghost stories made up to keep away the curious minded. Few people knew about either facility, while fewer still had clearance for direct access to the information.
Among the four men entering the main lobby of the Luxor, only GP Sally had the necessary credentials. Jacob heard the same ghost stories growing up everyone else did, but never believed in such things. One day he decided to ask his mentor about the local urban legend. The GAC had been his guardian since his mother died giving birth to him. His mother used to be a cook for the GAC and got pregnant when only seventeen. Jacob never knew his father, and his mother claimed the same thing, denying his existence right to her grave. While his mysterious birth might have been the root cause of his inquisitive nature to seek out and expose hidden truths from the past, Jacob never asked or wondered about his birth father. Something his journalistic mind never sought to investigate.
The GAC explained the sound reasoning for maintaining control of the sensitive information on that long ago day when childhood curiosity caused him to ask about the mysterious Black Room and Dark Tower. Jacob could grasp the necessity of protecting the public from themselves through use of extreme measures when essential to accomplish their ultimate goal of peace and prosperity for everyone. Knowing how even the Prophet Warrior understood the need to pick up a sword when words weren’t enough to make people see the truth. Another valuable lesson, he took away from that day was that things were not always what they appeared to be, and GP Sally was one of those onion people, the more layers you pulled back, the deeper the mystery became.
He belonged to a special, elite group identified by a retinal implant that granted them access to the highest levels of security in the country. The GAC was the only one with power to recruit and authorize their mission objectives. After joining the Department of Security, Harvey swiftly rose up to become one of the top members of HOUSE, earning him the respect of all who served with him. Within ten years, they promoted him to the high-ranking position of Guardian Protector to the GAC, who he served for the next twenty-two years. Then in an unprecedented move, Guardian Administrator Cain V did something no other GAC before him dared do; he assigned his personal protector to watch over someone else fulltime, causing a slight murmur from those who knew Harvey’s real identity. Most people based his decision on Jacob’s immense popularity, and because the GAC was such a big fan.
The elevator stopped at the 30th floor, heading up as far as it would take them. GP Sally had to escort them the rest of the way. He put his right eye up to the retinal scanner on the control panel, allowing access to the surreptitious 31st floor where the mysterious Black Room of childhood folklore was located. The elevator door opened upon reaching its destination, revealing a short hallway leading down to the legendary room’s namesake—a black door. The only other thing in the hallway was a cluster of about twenty video cameras mounted over the black door covering every square inch of the white walled hallway. There were microphones attached to some of the cameras, but there was no intercom for callers to buzz for entrance.
The need for anyone to announce their arrival was totally redundant as all the cameras instantly focused in on the four men standing in the elevator. GP Sally stepped out with the others cautiously following.
“Guardian Protector Sally, I can see you brought some unauthorized guests into my domain. You must have a very important reason for this gross breach in protocol,” a deep, loud voice echoed out, reverberating off the hallway walls in a thunderously booming sound as the elevator shut behind them, cutting them completely off the rest of the world.
“I believe you know I do and what it is.” GP Sally replied conclusively.
“That may very well be true, but it would be a mistake to assume your needs will always be congruent to mine,” the loud voice echoed back. “However, I can see you are in the company of good men like yourself. Special Investigator Chandra’s long years of hard work and dedication to the job should have earned him that exemption from retiring he wants so badly. I might have to do something about that. We cannot afford to lose any good men with the dark days ahead for all of you. Even Jacob Rose, the country’s most highly renowned celebrity, will soon know the stinging pain of loss, but will persevere to become the great voice of the people he was always meant to be, speaking out on their behalf, fighting against injustice wherever it may hide.”
Everyone standing in the hallway listening to the prophetically cryptic words coming from the unseen sage shared Jacob’s incredulously confused state.
“And we must not forget about Michael Angel, warrior, hero, killer of large rodent creatures of unusual size scurrying around in the depths of darkness, escaping near certain death, only to rise up to the top in the process. Who knows how far he will go.”
After demonstrating his detailed knowledge of their lives, the deep voice got to the point at hand, knowing what they came for and why. A small, hidden slot opened up in the middle of the door and spit a flashdrive out onto the carpeted floor.
“You will find everything you need on that.”
GP Sally stepped over and picked up the flashdrive from off the carpet. Handing it to Jacob, they piled back in the elevator and rode down in silent contemplation with the profound words echoing in their heads. Each of them experienced a mixed bag of emotions affecting their brains with one distinctly shared feeling of coming dread.
Chandra managed to suppress the huge sigh of relief he felt surging through him after the strangely believable voice implied he would be permitted to continue serving his country the only way he knew how, also mindful of the warning of impending doom.
Finding himself in a more perplexed state of mind, Michael wondered how the booming voice of gloom knew about him fighting off the large rodent creature down in the damp and dreary dark, especially since he never told anyone about it.
One thing no one doubted was the information contained on the flashdrive would have the irrefutable proof needed to win in court.
4
Inside the Black Room, the source of the t
hunderously pounding voice originated from the fifty-eight year old, scrawny recluse, who’s thin, scraggily grey hair and beard was all that remained of Foster Gideon. His transformation into an eccentric, Howard Hughes-type personality started over forty years ago, the day he locked himself in the special room he designed the moment it was finished, and as far as anyone knew, he had not come out since.
With his birds-eye view of the world, plus the ability to access every surface camera from traffic lights, parking lots, and building security, Gideon had seen too much of everything, eventually becoming too much for him. There has always been a fine line between genius and madness ever since our brains became capable of processing intelligent, analytical thought. Many times being difficult to distinguish between the two, Gideon’s creatively brilliant mind teetered on the edge for most of his life before finally slipping over into the abyss.
Anchored in his electric powered command console, Gideon could move freely and completely around the entire room in any direction, up or down, backwards and forwards, without ever leaving his seat. Surrounded by over a thousand video monitors picking up feeds from every security camera in the country and every rebooted satellite back on line, Foster Gideon had become Big Brother watching over everything with his own COMSAT Network at his fingertips.
One of the craziest things about Gideon few people knew aside from the GAC was he took it entirely upon himself to take control of monitoring the Black Room and the fully automated Dark Tower storage center, from which he could access all of the data. In fact, if he wanted, which he didn’t, the GAC would not even know how to go about getting him out of there. Gideon might have been a bit of a kook, but he was also the wisest man the GAC knew and probably to have ever lived since the Prophet Warrior. He had full faith Gideon would never do anything to destroy what they built. He only worried about what to do when Gideon was gone, or what would happen if the information should fall into the wrong hands.
5
“I, Ricardo Danielle, hereby swear on the sanctity of the fundamental truths written down in The Book of Tomorrows that the testimony I am about to give will be an accurate and factual account of events or actions I am here to bear witness to and shall not be influenced by personal opinions or biased by the beliefs of others, on this I vow upon my solemn word of honor as a citizen of New America.”
Back in court, Ricardo confidently sat in the witness box after swearing to tell the truth on the new oath of honor for giving courtroom testimony. In an unorthodox request made by the defense counsel to present his case before the prosecution’s, Jacob boldly claimed he would not only prove his clients’ innocent, but he would also be willing to rest his case on the testimony of a single witness, if he was willing to take the stand. Jacob noted the GAC raising an eyebrow after revealing the witness he wanted to call. Savoring the moment for when the bait he threw out hooked a big fish, Jacob waited to see if Ricardo would bite.
Displaying a sarcastic, mocking smile of disbelief, Ricardo took the challenge as a direct slap in the face, and a call to honor he would proudly answer. Freely consenting to the unprecedented offer, he was cocksure Jacob’s slick tongue could not twist things in a way to get the jury to believe their attorney’s lies and sympathize with the defendants. His case was too solid. However, before taking the stand, Samantha cautioned him to be leery of Jacob’s intentions and the odd situation.
Ricardo remained confident in the strength of his case, having no inside knowledge of youthful urban legends being true. He did think Jacob was up to something, but wasn’t going to let him get away with it. His clever words were not going to save his clients or him when it was all over and done. It was a decision Ricardo would soon regret after feeling the weight of the swift and damning repercussions it brought down on him.
“So tell me, Ricardo, are you comfortable sitting in that chair? You might want to get used to the feeling.” Jacob began his cross-examination.
“As a matter of fact, I am very comfortable. But as you well know, outside of law school, neither of us has spent much time in a courtroom, much less the witness box. With that said, I am quite happy to be given the opportunity to expedite these awful matters, so then we can get our friends the help they desperately need.”
“Oh, I see. So you still consider us to be friends. You don’t think having two of your friends arrested and persecuted…I mean, prosecuted might not have put a crimp in your relationship with the defendants and myself.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot put aside my personal feelings over the law. It is what holds everything together. Something as a member of the BAR, I hope you would know, but I will let my actions speak for my conscience. Also, in my heart, I know what I did was right, and maybe one day when cured, we will be able to put this ugly business behind us. I bet they will thank me, then.”
“Oh my, you are an optimist. You have hope for a better tomorrow. Good to know and something else you might want to keep in mind when pondering over all that has happened here today. Because you are absolutely right about one thing. We are all well acquainted with each other. You, me, the defendants, his honor, so this is a bit of an unusual situation we have here. We are veering outside the norm, which should not really matter. As you so keenly pointed out, nobody really knows anyone that well, and sometimes not at all. But we are here seeking the truth, and no matter how you get there, the key to unlocking it is usually found closest to the heart.”
“Well, I certainly hope you will get to the heart of the matter sometime before the dinner hour. This seat isn’t that comfortable,” Ricardo said with a facetious reply, bringing about some murmured laughs and giggles.
“All right then. Why don’t we? Now, since you claim my client’s alleged homosexuality as their motive, I am left with just one question.”
“Go ahead and ask, and I shall elucidate you on the subject, but nothing you say will change the truth from being true.”
“I did promise you I would shed some light on it, though. So simply put, if my clients were motivated by their mental state, what motivated you to frame them?”
“Excuse me,” Ricardo retorted.
“I no longer think that will be possible.” Jacob told Ricardo to his face, stepping directly up in front of him as he prepared to drop the hammer down. “For at this time, I would like to present to the court incontrovertible evidence that not only proves my client’s innocent beyond all reasonable doubt, but also clearly implicates the prosecuting attorney of conspiring to frame them for these crimes, proof of which I have right here on this flashdrive.”
Jacob held up the flashdrive so everyone could see it, and as the GAC noticed the distinct fuchsia color, he quickly banged his gavel down at the same time Ricardo called out.
“Objection!”
“Chambers.”
Watching the desktop monitor with the flashdrive plugged into the side of it, the GAC sat back in his chambers with a visible look of severe disappointment on his face.
“I must say this is very discouraging to see. Why on earth would you do something like this? What could have made you act so irreprehensible? Were you working alone or is this part of someone else’s master plan?’
Ricardo stood in front of the desk the GAC sat behind passing judgment on his actions. He had no idea how they knew what they did, but there it was right in front his eyes as the GAC turned the monitor towards him with the video paused on him planting the evidence.
There wasn’t much he could say. He would have to take the fall alone. He would never betray the trust between him and his benefactor.
“I don’t have anything more to say at this time.” Ricardo decided to stand mute until he could figure out what went wrong.
“Well, I am sure going to have plenty enough to say,” Jacob screamed at Ricardo.
Standing firm, Ricardo remained silent.
Taking command of the situation, the GAC stood up before things could escalate from the building tension about to boil over.
“Before get
ting into all this, and believe me, we will, let’s get this mess cleared up first,” the GAC said, keeping to proper procedure and appeasing Jacob’s anger for now.
Back in the courtroom, the jury and the defendants were not the only ones wondering what was going on. Standing in back of the prosecutor’s table, Det. Archer started to worry about Ricardo for the first time, fearing he might have lost control of the situation. Something he usually always had, but somehow Jacob had turned the tables on him, something she warned him he might do.
Coming back into the courtroom, Jacob’s confident stride and Ricardo’s hangdog face pretty much confirmed her deepest fears. Something had gone terribly wrong. They caught him playing with fire, and now they were going to burn him for it.
The murmuring voices grew louder as Jacob went over to Warren and Owen, who could only get a thumb’s up sign from Michael. Even with Eve and Hanna indicating a favorable outcome with their happy faces, it still wasn’t enough to cull their anxious wonder, until receiving confirmation from Jacob with two beautifully simple words.
“We won.”
Warren managed to suppress the urge to jump up out of his seat and hug Jacob, but not the elated emotional release of ecstasy as he let out a high-pitched victory yelp.
“Order in the court,” the GAC commanded with a bang of his gavel after sitting down on the judge’s bench.
Everyone in the courtroom instantly became quietly attentive, all chatter ceasing, all eyes fixed forward.
Ricardo stood waiting for the dismissal of the charges, also knowing there would soon be new ones filed against him. Samantha remained by his side, desperately hoping things would work out fine, despite the heavy negative vibe she felt coming from him.
“In light of new evidence presented to the court exonerating the defendants on the charges of manslaughter and treasonous acts, due to direct prosecutorial misconduct, I hereby dismiss all the charges with prejudice and would like to express the apologies of the court to Warren Stacy and Owen Sandy. You are free to go. Again, let me offer my sincere, personal regret any of this ever happened. You will both be restored to your former positions and be given nationwide coverage vindicating you of the charges, while I also promise you a swift indictment of the guilty party who falsely accused you of these crimes.”
A great cheer rose up from the defendants and their friends, including members of the jury and the spectators. Almost everyone applauded the righteously just decision with representatives of the media and press eagerly waiting for the big headline they knew would be coming next.
“Order, order in the court,” the GAC called. “Bailiff, please have the officer of the court take Mr. Danielle into custody on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.”
“Ricardo, what happened? What did you do?” Samantha asked.
A hush fell over the celebratory crowd with the shocking news representing a true moment of poetic justice. The court officer stepped over and proceeded to handcuff Ricardo while reading him his rights. The voice of the bailiff reading the charges against the prosecutor came as such an unexpected turn of events, changing the focus from cheers of victory to jaw-dropping, awestruck amazement.
“Ricardo Danielle, you have the right to remain silent or speak out in your defense with the foreknowledge that whatever you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. If you wish, the court will provide representation for your defense. Do you understand and acknowledge these rights given to you at this time of your arrest?”
“Yes. I know my rights,” Ricardo said.
As they led him away, the only other comment he made was to Samantha. “I’m sorry.”
Standing in stunned silence, Det. Archer watched them take Ricardo from the court in great shame instead of the glorious victory he had anticipated. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice SI Chandra step up behind her until he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.
“Det. Archer, you need to be in my office at 9 a.m. sharp, tomorrow morning. You have some questions to answer and may have to account for your conduct during any part of this investigation.”
“Yes, sir, I will be there.”
Warren and Owen once again found themselves back in the public’s good graces, surrounded by great friends, who were more like their non-judgmental family. Before going out to celebrate their freedom, the GAC gave them something else to cheer.
“In concluding these proceedings, I want it put on the record that a proposed reformation of the SBP system will be the main agenda for a special meeting of the Committee of Experts tomorrow night. At that meeting, I will strongly recommend the removal of certain restrictions and allow people to choose their own mate from either someone in the system, or perspective couples may select each other to see if they are a compatible match. This new provision will also include a program designed for same gender couple matches. The growing need for change has been made abundantly clear as evidenced by the events witnessed here today. I am sure all twelve experts will agree with my assessment and institute these changes immediately. I would like to thank everyone for their time and patience while sorting through these complicated matters. The jury is dismissed and court is adjourned.”
More elated cheers of joy rang out as Warren did not hesitate to give Owen a big hug, feeling safe and secure in who he was and the company around him.
6
With the celebration feast moving into the late evening hours, Warren was still cooking, even though everybody had been full for hours. Like a fish out of water for too long, choking on land, and then unexpectedly tossed back in its wet wonder-world, the familiar confines of his kitchen made the chef in Warren feel like he was trolling through friendly waters again. Almost from the moment he left the court, Warren started baking pies and cakes as thank you gifts to show his appreciation to all those who stood by him and Owen. The first was a special cherry pie he sent over to the GAC after finding out from Jacob what kind he liked best.
Putting the finishing touches on a scrumptiously delicious Boston crème pie for Jacob—his favorite—Warren felt all his worries fade away, replaced with a blissful hope his dream of living free from fear of being his true self would soon be a reality.
If Warren only knew the big, nightmarish, dark cloud moving over their lives, he might have stuck his head in the oven just to get it over more quickly.