Desperate Times Three - Revolution (26 page)

Bill was struggling to get into the jacket. “Down in the mineshaft,” he replied, his voice thick with resentment.

Connor suddenly scooped up the laptop and got to his feet. “We are going now,” he barked. “What mineshaft? Where is Gnomes now? Do you have any idea who he is?”

Jimmy and Bill exchanged a confused look as Connor ushered them out the door. “Hey,” protested Bill. “I don’t have any shoes on. I can’t go to a dinner party barefoot.”

“You can and you will,” replied Connor. “Tonight you are eccentric.”

Bill looked at Jimmy and smiled. “I can pull that off.”

“Future. That period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured.” ~ Ambrose Bierce

Patty and Sonya sat together sipping wine at one of the dinner tables. Above them, the moon was nearly full and cast a ghostly light across the tranquil waters of Lake Minnetonka. Voices chattered all around them, and Patty smiled politely as she heard her name from time to time. Many of the people here were upper crust and in her opinion as stiff as sheet metal. She enjoyed her conversations with the wrestlers, who seemed so down to earth and gracious compared to the area snobs. Patty could see that Sonya had her eye on one of the young wrestlers who had obviously become quite interested in her. Patty had to look away as the young man, without a hint of subtlety, made goo-goo eyes at her young friend.

“Oh, my God,” sighed Sonya. “What an ego.”

Patty fought the urge to laugh as the wrestler, who was dressed in a white button-up shirt and a bright red tie, began flexing his chest muscles. He had long blonde hair that fell past his shoulders and a Cro-Magnon forehead. His eyebrows and moustache were several shades darker than his platinum hair, and his teeth were so white they practically glowed. He stood smiling with confidence, nodding at Sonya, just out of earshot.

There were television news crews staked out around the party, and Patty had already interviewed with three of them. Over the past few days, she had given dozens of interviews, pleading for anyone with information on Ken’s whereabouts to contact Mayor Hogan’s office. People were already openly speculating about the possibility of foul play. Patty insisted that they didn’t know her husband, and she refused to even entertain the possibility.

“Look at him,” whispered Sonya. “Are you kidding me?”

Patty sneaked a look over at the young man and burst out laughing. He now stood in profile in the classic bodybuilder’s pose; red-faced, fists at his ears and arms bent at the elbows. He stared off at the moon and studied it with great interest. “Who is that?” Patty giggled. “He is so funny.”

“I don’t think he’s trying to be funny,” whispered Sonya. “And I think that’s Sunset Sam’s boy. He’s a chip off the old block, huh?”

Patty nodded. “I thought he looked familiar. He should quit dyeing his hair.”

They sat there in silence for a minute until their entertainment wandered off to join some of his friends. Patty giggled when she watched Sonya’s face register disappointment.

“Excuse us,” said a man from across the table. “Would you mind if we joined you?”

Patty looked up to see a handsome couple. The man, who was roughly Patty’s age, had a full head of brown hair and was at least twenty years older than his date. They had matching teeth and tans. He wore a black tuxedo while the woman modeled a stylish, low-cut dress, and jewelry too obnoxious to be anything but real. “Not at all,” Patty replied.

Showing impeccable manners, the man pulled out a chair for what Patty assumed was his wife, before sitting down next to her across from Patty and Sonya. He reached out and offered his hand to Patty. “William Gardner. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Dahlgren. This is my wife, Janet. Janet, Mrs. Patty Dahlgren.”

Patty took the hand and shook it. The hand was as cold as ice and there was no grip in his shake. Janet Gardner quickly took her hand and Patty was shocked by the contrast. Her hand was hot to the touch, and she squeezed Patty’s hand, tightly. “Please, call me Patty. Everyone does. William, Janet, I’m pleased to meet you. This is my friend, Dr. Sonya Chen.”

“William, Janet,” Sonya said, “nice to meet you.”

The couple smiled politely but remained focused on Patty. Janet Gardner tossed her auburn hair back and adjusted her gaudy diamond wedding ring. “We were wondering if you’d care to discuss the issues,” William said, in his thick, upper crust voice.

“We’d love to,” replied Sonya, dropping her elbows on the table and folding her hands in front of her. “Go for it.”

Patty had to fight to hide her amusement. Sonya had been snubbed, and she obviously wasn’t going to take it lying down. “Sure,” she said. “What would you like to know?”

“Well,” Janet said, staring at Sonya’s elbows as if they were wild animals. “I hear your husband plans to raise taxes. We’re wondering, why doesn’t he just run as a democrat? What is all of this nonsense about forming a new political party? He’s confusing the voters.”

Patty bit her tongue and let the questions settle into her mind. A television camera crew had wandered over, and they were suddenly immersed in white light. “My husband isn’t running as a democrat because he doesn’t belong to the Democratic Party. If the voters are confused, they should educate themselves. And, as far as raising taxes goes, I believe it’s high time that we closed the loopholes that have been created to benefit corporate America and the super-wealthy. Everyone needs to pay their fair share. Don’t you agree?”

Janet Gardner’s face was cold and impassive. “I believe we’re being taxed to death, but this isn’t about our views. We’re here to get yours. Your husband claims to be a man of faith, yet he supports gay marriage,” she said, wrinkling her tiny nose. “Has he ever read the Bible? Doesn’t he worry about burning in hell?”

“Listen, bitch,” snapped Sonya, pointing a finger across the table.

“Please,” Patty said, taking Sonya’s arm at the wrist. “Let me answer that.”

“Please do,” William Gardner urged, with unabashed sarcasm.

“How dare you question my husband’s faith! Who are you to decide who has the right to be married? I know plenty of people like you, convenient Christians, who bend and twist the Gospel to make it suit your narrow, little minds. The Bible says,
‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’
That’s the only passage you and your friends need to worry about. If you ask me, hypocrites like you are the ones who should be worried about burning in hell.”

A crowd had gathered around the table, and William Gardner’s face began to redden with each passing second. “Let’s go, Janet,” he said. “This simpleton isn’t worth our time. Ken Dahlgren doesn’t stand a chance to win the presidency. This rattling windbag is proof of that.”

“Excuse me?” Patty asked, standing up from the table and thrusting a finger at the man. “If my husband was here, he’d knock your teeth out.”

“Oh, I’m so afraid.”

Patty bared her teeth at the couple and was shocked to see William Gardner recoil in fear.

“You have two seconds to get out of here,” a man said from behind Patty. “Or I promise you that I will knock your teeth out. Get moving!”

Patty felt her knees grow weak as she suddenly recognized the voice. She turned to see Sonya covering her mouth with both hands. Tears flooded Patty’s eyes, and her heart pounded inside her chest. “Ken!” she screamed, feeling his strong arms engulfing her. Patty buried her head in his chest and sobbed. She wrapped her arms around her husband and swore she’d never let him go.

“I love you, baby,” Ken said, his own hot tears falling on her bare shoulders. “I love you so damn much!”

For the moment that only undying love makes possible, time stood absolutely still. The husband and wife stood together as one, and nothing else in the world mattered.

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Jimmy, Julie, and Bill, found themselves seated in Jessie Hogan’s study as a whirlwind of plans was hastily put together. The paneled room was full of wrestling artifacts, and trophy cases lined the walls. Jessie sat at his desk, an American flag behind him, Arnold Connor standing at his side. Hogan was on his cellphone, barking like a rabid dog.

“I don’t give a shit who you need to call,” Hogan roared. “I want that goddamn Blackhawk here in fifteen minutes. Do you understand me?”

Jimmy looked down at Bill’s bare feet and studied the long, yellow toenails. Hogan continued his rant for another minute before he flung the small phone down onto his desk.

“Well?” Connor asked, crossing his thick arms at his chest. “Are they sending it?”

“Oh, yeah,” growled Hogan. “My guess is that it’ll be here in ten minutes. I want both of you on that chopper,” he said, pointing at Jimmy and Bill. “Your country needs you.”

“I’m sorry,” said Julie. “But Bill knows where the mine is, and he can take you there. You don’t need Jimmy.”

“That’s right,” agreed Bill. “I know where it is.”

Hogan shook his head. “I’m sorry; we can’t risk it. Nothing is going to look familiar from up in the air, and besides, it’s dark out. I really have to insist that Jimmy goes along.”

“No,” Bill said. “I can find it. I’m part Native American. I’ve never been lost in my life. Jimmy can stay here at the party.”

Hogan stared at Bill and then at Connor. “I don’t know; what do you think?”

“I think he can find it. Besides, I can always call and talk to Jimmy if we need him. We won’t be long. It’s your call, Jessie, but I think we can handle this on our own.”

Part of Jimmy wanted to fly in a Blackhawk helicopter and head off on another adventure. He was still unsure where he and Julie stood, but he didn’t want to deal with that, not now. He watched as Hogan scratched his bald head, staring at Connor indecisively.

“Goddamn it, you’d better not be lying about being an Indian,” Hogan grumbled, turning his attention to Bill. “We’ve got to get these guys. I can’t stress how important this is. Lowell Gnomes is our link between Washington and Wall Street. If we can get our hands on him and get him to testify, we’ll take them all down. This is huge, people. Do
not
screw it up!”

“You can count on me,” Bill said, nodding his head with all seriousness.

Jimmy stole a look at Julie, waiting for the caustic comment or automatic eye-roll. He was surprised when neither came. She reached out and took his hand and smiled. There was a hint of old Julie in the smile, and Jimmy returned it with one of his own. He wanted things to be good between them, more than anything. He only wished he knew what was going on inside her heart.

Twenty minutes later, he in his dark suit and she in her cocktail dress, they stood together on the front lawn as the Blackhawk helicopter flew away in the night sky. They waited there, staring out across the lake as Hogan and his men returned to the house.

“Do you think he can find it?” Julie asked, taking Jimmy in her arms.

“God, I sure as hell hope so,” Jimmy whispered, and he leaned down and kissed Julie tenderly. “I love you, sweetie,” he said. “I don’t want to fight anymore. Life is too short.”

“I don’t to fight, either,” she replied, softly. “I know I’ve been a bitch lately, and I’m sorry about that. It’s a woman thing, but it’s never been that bad. Can you forgive me?”

Jimmy kissed her again and smiled. “What’s to forgive?” he asked. “As long as I know you love me, we’re good.”

“Oh, I love you, Jimmy Logan. As soon as we can find a minister, you and I are getting married. And if you so much as ever look at another woman, I’ll kill you. You know I’m not kidding, don’t you?”

Jimmy smiled and nodded his head. He didn’t doubt it for a second.

They kissed again and a moment later began to walk in the darkness to the back of the house where the party seemed to be in high gear. Ahead, walking in their direction, the silhouette of a man and woman appeared from out of the shadows. They were on a collision course, and Jimmy pulled Julie closer to him to let the couple pass.

Julie suddenly gasped and tore free of Jimmy’s grasp. “Patty!” she screamed. “Oh, my God, Jimmy, it’s Patty!”

“Julie, Jimmy!” exclaimed Patty. “Praise Jesus!”

Hugs were exchanged and re-exchanged, and tears fell like rain. They listened in rapt attention as Patty told her story and Ken filled in the blanks. “A brain tumor,” he said, shaking his head. “Thank God we’ve got her back. Doesn’t she look incredible?”

They found a secluded picnic table and brought Ken and Patty up to speed on everything that just transpired.

“How on earth did he figure out the password?” Ken asked. “That man never ceases to amaze me.”

“I don’t get it, either,” Julie said, shaking her head. “But, if it wasn’t for Bill sticking his neck out, Jimmy would be on that helicopter right now. That was awfully nice of him.”

“I’ll say,” agreed Patty. “He really is a good man. He’s just a little different, that’s all. We’re going to have to find him a nice position, once you two are in the White House.”

“Right,” said Ken. “I see something on the west coast, or maybe Alaska?”

“I was thinking Hawaii,” said Julie, seriously.

“When are they going to serve the food?” Jimmy asked, trying to change the subject. “I’m starving. Do you know what they’re serving?”

“Canned beef stew,” said Ken. “Are you still hungry?”

They all had a good laugh, and together they walked back to join the party. Jessie Hogan spotted them and rushed across the lawn to meet them.

“There you are,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you. There’s a young woman who absolutely refuses to leave. She sounds like a crazy woman. She’s in the house, and I have the police on their way to take her away. She says her name is Cindy Huggins?”

“Cindy!” squealed Julie, throwing her arms around Jimmy in a bear hug. “Oh, my God, where is she?”

“You know her?” Hogan asked.

“Are you kidding?” asked Ken, spinning Hogan around and pointing him to the house. “Take us to her now!”

“Praise the Lord,” Patty said, sounding like a tent revival preacher.

With Hogan in tow, they ran. Hogan directed them to an open door where a stout man stood guard. The man nodded silently to them as they quietly walked inside the room, leaving Hogan and the guard where they were.

She sat weeping softly, holding her head in her hands, stringy long hair hanging down and hiding her face. She looked small, sad, and terribly alone. Her clothes were ragged and filthy, and Jimmy could see dirt underneath her fingernails. Her tennis shoes were torn on both sides, and bits of mismatched socks stuck out of both of the tired sneakers.

Patty turned to the others and held her finger to her lips. She went to Cindy and dropped to her knees. “Cindy?” she asked. “It’s okay; you’re home now.”

Jimmy watched through his tears as Cindy wrapped her arms around Patty and wept. “I thought I’d never see you guys again,” she moaned. “Why didn’t anyone come for me?”

Patty took off her glasses and shook her head, brushing tears out of her own eyes. “Nobody knew where you were,” she said, softly, stroking Cindy’s hair. “Don’t worry, honey, everything is going to be just fine.”

Cindy slowly pulled away and ran straight to Jimmy, nearly tackling him in a two-handed hug. “Oh, sweetie,” Jimmy said, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her with all of his strength. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you,” replied Cindy, her voice choked with emotion.

She tore herself free of Jimmy and repeated the process with Julie and finally ended up with Ken, who wasn’t letting go. He stood there holding her as if Cindy was his own daughter, and Jimmy supposed that wasn’t far from the truth. They had become a family during their stay together, all of them—the bruised, but not beaten survivors—and their bond would never be broken. Jimmy was as sure of that as he was of his own name.

“Where’s my dad?” Cindy said, rubbing her red eyes.

“He’s on a top secret mission,” Ken said. “And I am not kidding. At this moment, your father is on a Blackhawk helicopter. We’re all very proud of him.”

“Really?” Cindy asked, a beaming smile spreading across her face. “You’re talking about my dad? Are you serious?”

“We are,” said Patty. “Your father should be back in a few hours. He’s going to be so happy to see you!”

Cindy nodded. “I miss him,” she said. “Can you believe it? He drives me crazy, but I miss him so damn much.”

“Cindy,” Julie said, taking her by the arm. “Come on. We’re going to get you into a hot shower, and I’ve got some clothes that you are absolutely going to love. Go on, you guys. We’ll come out and find you after I help her get ready for the party. This won’t take long.”

Jimmy watched as Julie took Cindy out into the hallway where she explained to Hogan what they were doing. They disappeared from sight, and Hogan poked his head into the room. “Could this party get any better?” he asked, grinning. “Come on. We’ve got guests waiting.”

For the next twenty minutes, they visited with Sonya Chen, the woman responsible for saving Patty’s life. Jimmy immediately liked Sonya, who graciously accepted their heartfelt thanks and retold Jimmy the story about how Ken had come to Patty’s rescue, adding, “not that she needed it.”

They drank champagne and toasted each other, and the band played on as guests continued to arrive. Jimmy estimated that there were three hundred people in Hogan’s back yard. He suddenly wondered if any of them happened to be a judge or a minister.

He certainly hoped so.

He left Ken and Patty with Sonya and excused himself. He needed to find Hogan and explain his situation. With his heart threatening to burst at the seams, he went off in search of the former television wrestler. Jimmy threaded the crowd, looking here and there, nodding to people as they pointed at him as if he were a celebrity. And it struck him that he actually was a celebrity, and that realization struck him hard. He found that he didn’t want to be a celebrity. He continued his search, puzzled at why he couldn’t find the largest man at the party. Jimmy brushed past tuxedos and evening gowns, smiling at the pretty faces and scanning the crowd.

He found Hogan in the front yard, sitting alone on a wooden bench, smoking a cigar. There was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s sitting next to him. Hogan looked right at Jimmy and didn’t seem to recognize him. Jimmy took a deep breath and wondered what had gotten into the man. That was when he saw the tear fall.

“Come over here, Jimmy,” Hogan finally said, picking up the bottle. “You’re going to want some of this.”

Jimmy approached him warily. He sat down on the other end of the bench and took the bottle out of Jessie Hogan’s quavering hand. “What the hell do I need this for?” he asked.

“Just drink, please…”

Jimmy unscrewed the cap and drank the fire liquid, fearing what was to come. Hogan didn’t keep him waiting.

“The helicopter crashed into the middle of Lake Vermillion ten minutes ago. I’m sorry.”

Jimmy gasped as the breath rushed out of his lungs. “No,” he said. “No, don’t you bullshit me, you asshole. I don’t believe it. No!”

“Arnold Connor was my best friend,” Hogan said, taking the bottle from Jimmy and raising it to his lips. “We’ve both lost someone we love,” he said and took a long drink. He smiled sadly and handed the bottle back to Jimmy. “You take this. I’ve had enough.”

Again, tears flooded Jimmy’s eyes. He got to his feet and walked towards the lake, away from Jessie Hogan and away from reality.