Hawk’s mind cleared enough for him to realize that he had not killed Cramer. But instead, the only person he had loved in his life, other than himself. He calmly dropped the clip from the butt of the pistol, walked back to his desk, slammed another full clip into the pistol, jacked a shell into the chamber then shot himself in the temple. He died on the way to the floor.
Chapter 8
When Tommy left the warden’s office he was walking on a cloud. At that precise moment he was a multi-billionaire. The farther he walked down the hall, the higher he became.
He didn’t remember walking through the visiting room. He only became aware of his location when he was in the hallway outside the door to his room. He dug the key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned and pushed the door open.
Lisa sat in the chair with her legs crossed. Her foot bounced up and down impatiently, perhaps nervously, while she waited. She had been leaning back looking at the ceiling, her mind a million miles away. His sudden entrance startled her and she lunged forward suddenly and yelped her surprise. Her crossed leg fell to the floor with a flop. She yelped again as she suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her ankle with both hands. She looked up through her bangs and smiled ruefully, “Needles!” she exclaimed, sucking in her breath while moaning in exquisite torment and hissing through her teeth. Her head fell heavily between her knees and she laughed hysterically as the tingling sensation left her helpless. She began to bounce her foot on the floor to help restore the circulation.
“See what you made me do?” she accused. “You come barging in here like a bull in a china shop, scaring the dickens out of me! You should be ashamed!” she laughed, looking up from her knees, through her bangs, again.
“But, I’m not,” Tommy laughed back. “Serves you right, coming into a man’s room. Making yourself at home. Daydreaming ‘till your foot falls asleep; a million miles away in some indescribable fantasy. You’re lucky it’s me and not someone that matters,” he continued, crossing to the chair, leaned her back and kissed her soundly. “There, that should teach you!” he said, then kissed her again.
“I’m a slow learner. Show me again. And again. And again,” she repeated after each kiss. “I hope I never learn!” she laughed, as he kissed her over and over at her every request.
“Enough! Or you’ll be spoiled. I’ve got to take a shower,” he said, pulling his shirttail out of his pants.
“Lucky me!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and pulling her own shirttail out.
Afterward, they lay in bed face to face. Tommy whispering, told her what had happened in the warden’s office. She was impressed that the warden was gullible enough to be tricked into letting Tommy use his computer.
“He never lets anyone use his terminal!” she said, unbelievably.
“He was after something, you can bet on that. And he believed I would lead him to it. Or at least show him where it was so he could go and get it.”
“Did you?”
“No, nothing he didn’t already know. At least nothing he can prove now. Well, with one exception,” he smiled slyly. “The Feds will be able to trace the theft of several hundred thousand dollars back to his terminal.”
“He’ll have a hard time explaining that.”
“He can only blame me. But, I won’t be me in about,” he looked at his wristwatch. “Oh, another ten hours or so.”
“Why won’t you be you?”
“I’ll be the real me, Tommy LeSade. Tommy Mistri will vanish into the ether like mist under a hot sun.”
“Chambers will say you are one and the same.”
“It will just be words. There will be no record of me ever being here.”
“How are you going to manage that?”
“I’ve got friends in high places and a computer program you wouldn’t believe.”
“I’ll just bet you have. You’ve got a very good friend in a low place, too. She needs a visit from you desperately,” Lisa said, taking his enlarging penis in her hand and squeezing it gently.
“You know, I was just thinking about talking to her face to face,” he said, slowly turning around on the double bed.
“I like face to face confrontations, too,” she laughed, spreading her legs and opening her mouth wide.
* * * * *
When Judge Ryan received Tommy’s email, stating that the game was on, he started the paperwork, and planted the evidence, that would free him from prison. It was simple really. All he had to prove was that Tommy had been denied a Constitutional or Civil Right. That was the easy part. He himself had made the mistake. He had considered evidence that had not been presented to the jury to access Tommy’s punishment.
In Baily v Washington State, the Supreme Court ruled this to be the denial of trial by a jury.
Judge Ryan dictated his opinion to his clerk. His clerk forwarded the opinion to the Court of Appeals by fax. A friend of Judge Ryan’s received it and took it to his judge. The Appeals Judge read it, affirmed it, then issued an order demanding the immediate release of Inmate Tommy Mistri from custody. From there, the Appeals judge petitioned the Governor’s office of the state for a full pardon for Tommy Mistri.
Governor Cartwright received the petition read it through, thought about it for a brief instant and then signed it with a flourish. He had it faxed to every law enforcement office in the state demanding the expungement of all records pertaining to Tommy Mistri. Failure to comply immediately would result in heavy fines from the Governor’s office.
Within twenty-four hours after receiving the Pardon and Order, all known records pertaining to Tommy Mistri were expunged, or otherwise destroyed. He existed nowhere except as a figment of imagination in the minds of a few, very select people.
* * * * *
When Cramer received word of Hawk’s murder/suicide, he knew for a fact that Hawk had not stolen his money. That left only one person in the entire world; Tommy LeSade, Captain, United States Army Ranger/Sniper. The question was where was he?
Only three people in the world knew about Operation Clean Sweep. General Hawk, Tommy LeSade, and himself. Now Hawk was dead, and he didn’t steal his own money. So, that left only one possible suspect - Tommy LeSade!
So, it was time to go to the states. He still had friends in Washington, D.C., Langley and Quantico, Virginia. It was time to pay them a visit and call in some old debts from years ago. He had to find Tommy LeSade, Andrew Ryan or Wendell Cartwright. Any of the three would do for starters. Of course if he lucked into LeSade first, the other two would be useless.
After he got all of his money back, he would kill all three of them. Somehow he knew they were all in this together. Then, he would vanish to some island somewhere and live like a king. After all he would have twice as much money, since LeSade had stolen the General’s, too.
Cramer didn’t know that half of the stolen money had already been dispersed into thousands of bank accounts around the world. Only the Mistri Virus could retrieve it and reassemble it all back into one account without missing one of the thousands of possible accounts worldwide. And only Tommy LeSade could enter the Mistri Virus.
The sudden inexplicable influx of funds into their accounts left many a veteran wondering where their sudden largess had come from. Many were afraid to spend it, thinking it a computer glitch that someone would discover and demand back. They planned to have it on hand, just in case. Then, almost as an afterthought, they had received confirmation that the money was back pay from various government programs that had been lost in the shuffle of bureaucracy. Many had just accepted it in stride, as if a long overdue bill had been paid in full. Others never noticed their bank books didn’t balance by several thousand dollars. They were long past worrying about such trivial matters. That’s why they had accountants. Or grave tenders.
Cramer had his secretary book him a flight on the first thing smoking to the United States, by any route. As he left the office he shot the unsuspecting man in the head once and ordered h
is maids to clean up the mess and ‘report the body in the alley.’
An hour later, he sat in the first class departure lounge sipping gin and tonic while he awaited the boarding call. He sipped his drink slowly and plotted his revenge. It would be so cold and so sweet. He could hardly wait to see the look in LeSade’s eyes when he told him that he had personally killed that nosy little cunt, Lieutenant Lindsey Tremmel in Iraq when she was getting too close to the truth about who had shot him. Then, he would kill LeSade. End of story.
Cramer came back to the present when he heard his flight called. He stood, drank the last of his watery gin and tonic, grabbed his coat and bag, then took his place in line. He clutched his first class ticket in his right hand as he stepped forward.
* * * * *
Lisa was jittery with excitement as she ran up to Tommy on the rec yard. Her face was flushed red with heat and excitement. Her sweaty bangs stuck to her moist brow.
“Tommy! Come on, Buster!” she panted breathlessly. “You’re being released right now! You’ve been given a complete pardon from the Governor! Can you believe it?” she gasped, big-eyed.
Tommy just looked at her, then started walking toward the building and his room. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder when he realized she wasn’t beside him, like an excited puppy.
“You don’t seem very excited.” she said, looking at him, mystified, as she caught up.
“I’m not,” he replied, then turned and started walking again. “I already knew.”
“How did you know?” she demanded.
“Good planning.”
She looked at him in disbelief, then started walking beside him. By the time they arrived at Tommy’s room Lisa was wiping tears from her face. Tommy looked at her curiously.
“What’s wrong, Sweetie?” he asked, concerned, pulling her into his arms.
“I guess this is all for us, huh?” she asked sadly.
“Why would you say such a thing, Lisa?” he asked, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her deep green eyes seriously. “I thought maybe you loved me and would want to be my wife, forever. Why don’t you want to now?”
“Oh, Tommy, I want that more than anything in the world,” she replied, hugging him tightly around the neck.
“Is that a yes, then?” he asked, looking down into her watery eyes.
“Yes! Definitely!” she laughed. “Yeahhh! Wow! I feel like flying. I’m so happy!” she squealed exuberantly.
“Well, don’t fly too far,” he laughed. “I need a ride home.” He began stuffing his personal property into a bag. The rest, he left where it lay. The scavengers of the prison could have it when they found it.
“I’m ready,” he said, taking one last look around.
“Let’s boogie,” she giggled.
“No time right now. But at home, I’ve got a king-sized bed!”
“Life is good!” she exclaimed as they left the room and walked down the hallway to reception.
* * * * *
arden Chambers was so mad he could eat nails! But, he didn’t have a clue what he was mad about, for sure. But, he suspected he had been used and played like a common chump. Or worse, a fiddle! There was definitely something going on with Mistri/LeSade, Ryan and Governor Cartwright, but he didn’t have a clue what it could be. And that was why he was so angry.
Now, Mistri/LeSade was being released from under his watchful eyes. Slipping through his fingers and there was nothing he could do about it. Mistri held the key to the secret. Or Mistri himself was the key. Either way he was getting away and would probably never be seen again. At least by him.
Well, at least he had gotten a Warden’s position out of the deal. He had finally decided Governor Cartwright must not remember him from college, or the girl he had taken, made love to and then discarded like the slut she was, back to the high and mighty Wendell Cartwright. It hadn’t been his fault she had gotten pregnant and then committed suicide when he refused to marry her and screw off his future. Things just happen for no good reason sometimes. How was he to know she was emotionally unstable?
Besides, Cartwright was Governor now and that had been at least ten years ago. It was best to leave the past in the past and look to the future; that was John Chambers’ personal motto.
What Warden John Chambers didn’t realize was that that girl in college was the baby half-sister of Wendell Cartwright. And Governor Wendell Cartwright had loved her dearly. In fact, he had bided his time for years, waiting for the perfect opportunity to remind John Chambers just how bad he was hated.
That time had arrived and pure living hell was about to descend on the head of John Chambers, Warden.
The clock was already ticking.
* * * * *
Retired Colonel Austin Lake decided early on that he wasn’t too keen on the outcome of his retirement. He missed the mission his life no longer held. He missed the hustle and bustle of military preparedness. Being prepared and staying prepared, that was what it was all about.
Now, he never knew what to expect from one minute to the next. And all he seemed to do was sit around waiting for the next shoe to fall. As if the world was waiting to breathe. But, nothing ever happened and as far as he knew the world never took a breath. So he was suffering silently in suspended boredom. And he hated being bored! He needed something to happen! Hell, anything would beat the nothing his life had turned into.
Linda, his wife, bless her heart, still worked at what she loved. She still had her life. She was happy in her career as a RN and swore she would continue to work until she dropped! That was good for her. Bad for him. Because now all he did was sit around in his fat boy chair and slowly fill it from side to side.
Like now, he sat in his “fat boy” chair in his living room, in Austin, Texas watching some mindless show or other on TV. Whatever it was, he thought, it was boring him to death.
He looked up at the ceiling as a sudden thought brought to mind his old friend Captain Tommy LeSade. He wondered what in the world he could be up to. Maybe he would email him a message. Maybe they could get together for old times’ sake. Maybe LeSade had something going on that he needed a fat, black, retired Colonel’s help with. Hell, anything would beat this boredom he was suffering through. Maybe LeSade would save him before he went completely insane!
His decision made, he scrambled out of his chair and went to the computer terminal. He sat down and began to type. When he finished, ten minutes later, he pressed ‘send’, then went back to his ‘fat boy’ chair to await an answer.
He doubted LeSade was setting in front of his computer waiting on emails. LeSade undoubtedly had a life he was living.
He waited for over an hour. No answer came.
‘Well,’ he thought, ‘he’ll get around to it when he gets home. He’s young. Out and about. Things to do, people to see, places to go. No time for an old fart like me.’
Recently he had been wondering why he hadn’t heard from Tommy in nearly a year. Usually he’d receive a brief note about some mind blowing computer program he was developing. But suddenly, it seemed, those brief messages had stopped. Time had moved on and Colonel Austin Lake, retired, had become lost in a boring world of doldrums. He kicked back in his ‘fat boy’ chair, switched the TV to a different game show and almost immediately began to doze off.
Life was boring! Boring, boring, boring!
* * * * *
Tommy and Lisa spent their first week alone together, not far from a flat, comfortable surface. It didn’t matter what it was, a bed, a floor, a coffee table, a couch, a dinner table, a cabinet. If it was flat and big enough it was employed. Even a large chair had served their purpose and needs. It really didn’t matter, when a mutual need arose, they took care of it, as long as they were out of sight of prying eyes.
The second week Tommy spent answering mail, fax’s, emails, arranging his and Lisa’s banking needs and checking into accounting firms. Taxes wer
e going to be a nightmare. He assigned one bank account with a balance of twenty five million dollars in it just to pay taxes on the rest.
Lisa had resigned from the U.S. Marshal’s service and was at the moment searching for a larger house for them. She had sold her small house to a friend for five hundred dollars since she didn’t need the money and the friend needed the house desperately.
Tommy’s house was fine, but not quite big enough for a growing family. They were sure their family would grow eventually at the rate they were working on it. Lisa refused to take birth control.
Before meeting Tommy, her sex life had been next to nothing. Her job had been her life, but when sex was in the forecast, she insisted her partner wear a condom. After all, she used a diaphragm, but diaphragms didn’t protect against disease. True, condoms were not 100% protection, but they beat a blank. All in all, she had not gotten pregnant and she had no communicable diseases. And she had been unable to get pregnant, so far.
Though they hadn’t discussed marriage, they were both secretly certain that when the time was right, they would be married. It seemed it was understood. Lisa had seen too many times, the disaster of unwanted pregnancies. The hard decisions that had to be made and the resulting effects on the fetus and the mother, the children born to families that couldn’t afford an abortion, or the child, and not to mention the father who truly wanted the child, not knowing his very life and future depended upon it. So, the family ended up with a child that wasn’t wanted and couldn’t be properly cared for, on one hand, and the father whose life was destroyed by the loss of his child, on the other.
Then, there were the other unplanned children in the family who suffered by the addition of yet another unaffordable mouth that needed to be fed, cutting the meager rations of the existing children even thinner.
In short, she knew it was a recipe for disaster and she planned on not being a careless participant in such.
Money would not be a problem. Love would not be a problem. The problem was deciding what size house they would need in the long run. She could solve that problem and she was working diligently to do just that.
Lisa had known love, support and encouragement her entire life, therefore, was well equipped to pass it along to her and Tommy’s offspring. In fact, she was looking forward to it.