Friendly Faces

Young and blind,

life is bliss,

Youth is picky,

communal politics is sociability,

Young and poor,

the future is behind that door

The world is dark,

politics forgot,

just to see a friendly face,

from blissful, blind childhood

Dion Boucicault

"Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them."

Among the Oil Derricks: Chapter 13: The Final Chapter!

CHAPTER 13

“Hades was arrested yesterday and so was the actor,” Elem said over the phone, “The actress is down at the station with him trying to get him out.”
“Anything else?” Asdis asked, bouncing Athena Rebecca on her knee.
“The kid ran off.”
“Perfect, proceed with our plan. I’ll be out there later tonight.” Asdis hung up the phone and dropped Athena off her lap. Athena’s given name was Rebecca. She had been named by her father after his sister. Asdis hated the girl’s father, so she called the child Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. Athena was just a little girl, but she already had two identities. Her mother had bought a fake birth certificate for her and made up a father who didn’t exist for her. Now that Athena no longer needed to be nursed, Asdis mostly sent her away to one of her mansions to be cared for by a hired nurse. Asdis believed strongly in education and started Athena learning her ABC’s already. Soon she would hire a tutor to teach her child year round so by the age sixteen she would be smart enough to out test a masters graduate.
The government had no record of her existence. Rebecca had just disappeared and Athena had taken her place unknown to the world. Perfect for high profile crimes.
“Send up Savannah,” Asdis paged. A young woman in her twenties arrived. “Take Athena. Here are your tickets. I am sending you away for a few months. I will arrange everything when I want to see her again.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the blonde young woman took Athena’s hand and walked her out as Athena toddled amusingly to keep up. Asdis watched contently. Athena would have no lack of gentleness with Savannah, but neither would she be spoiled. Asdis hated one thing more than a spoiled child; a stupid spoiled child. Perhaps she hated the former because it was like looking in a mirror that she had no room for. She hated the latter because she hated stupidity and believed that they had no right to be spoiled, they had not brought any worth to themselves. Whatever the matter, Athena would sooner be thrown out of the house than be entertained as a brat.
“Dr. Steffensson,” the page rung.
“Yes?” Asdis asked sharply.
“Your car is here.”
“I’ll be right down.”

It was getting dark and Drake knew he needed to make a decision on where to stay. Why shouldn’t he go back to The Sanctuary? He would like to work on his journals, anyway. Even though it was getting dark, he would rather just walk than take Spero. The Carlyle’s would notice. Dusk was upon him as he walked across the terrain. It was dusty and the brush sharp, but Drake was used to it. For the first mile he hurried, but after that, he sauntered along slowly. The stars were lovely. That was another thing he wasn’t able to enjoy in the city as much. He could hardly see the stars in the city, but here there were so many. Tears threatened and he quickly looked down and wiped them away.
He and Ashley used to go out at night and he would point at the stars and show her constellations he had read about in the library where they spent much of their time. She would then laugh and say that whoever named it that or even saw it must have an imaginations “huger” than her’s and afterwards point towards what she saw and give them silly names like “Ozzie” or “Teddy.” Once she claimed she saw a horse. She asked Drake what was a good name. He shrugged.
“What’s a word for ‘free’ in a different language?” she wondered.
“Libero,” replied Drake, “it means free in Latin.”
“Good, I name it Libero,”  she told him, “because Jesus Christ frees us so we don’t have to be held down by our lot in life or our sin. You see, we might be poor now, but when we die and go to him, we’ll be rich and live in mansions and there won’t be anybody to hurt us. Of course, you’ll be there with me. I won’t like it without you. You’ll live with me, won’t you? I think Jesus wouldn’t mind.”
Drake laughed and hugged her, “Whatever is in heaven, I’m guessing its wonderful. How’s that? No worries.” Ashley kissed Drake’s cheek and promised not to worry. But that was so long ago yet it felt so near.
Suddenly he smiled and looked up at the stars and murmured, “You know, you might not be with me, but maybe you are looking down. Maybe you’ve been praying for me all this time. Whoever is looking down, I know God is. I never knew what it was like to have someone always there except you, and then I was the protector. Now I have one, too, and you are with him!”
As he stood gazing at the stars somewhere not very far away someone was also gazing, but not at stars. They were gazing at him through nocturnal binoculars. “He’s the one,” a low voice mumbled.
A second man nodded slowly, “If anyone knows those caves, the boy will.”
A third man shook his head, “Putting our faith in a boy less than a third our age?”
“Why not? He’ll hardly resist us, not when we’re willing to be tough with him,” replied the first.
“He’s just a kid,” muttered the third.
“Exactly,” answered the only woman among them.
“Will he really know what we need to know?”
“I’m sure of it and if a woman can’t get him to tell, no one can.” Asdis replied.

“The peasant boy shivered in his cell. The ‘hospitality’ of the evil princess now appeared warm compared to this death trap. All was gone now, his street friends, his landlady, his darling sister, and even the prince and princess. All had gone from him now and soon his treasure would be, too, and there was nothing he could do. Even if anyone wanted to help him, they couldn’t have, they didn’t know where he was. But who wanted to, anyway? No one. He was all alone, again.”
Drake’s ears perked. What was that? Someone had entered The Sanctuary. The lights went out, but as soon as blackness surrounded him a yellow glow of a strong flashlight flickered from the other side of the Holy Curtain. “Nice try, kid,” a deep voice growled, “nice try.”
Drake lept up, kicking his notebook away, crying, “Who are you and how dare you pass the Holy Curtain and enter into the Inner Sanctuary without leave?” with as much authority as he could muster. He imagined himself sounding similar to the good guard at the temple ordering the evil princess out of the Holy grounds. Unfortunately Drake’s cry had about as much power as the guard’s had to the princess. None at all.
“Nice imagination, kid, but play time’s over,” snapped one of the men. The two behind him darted forward and grabbed Drake by the arms.
“Let me go!” Drake shouted and struggled, every sound echoing in the cave creating a horrible clatter.
“Oh goodness, Marcus, do let him go!” Asdis entered the chamber and addressed her latest boyfriend, “We only want to talk to him!”
The Marcus nodded at the two men who obeyed, dropping Drake down between them as they sat down.
“What do you want?” Drake groaned, tears filling his eyes. He suddenly felt very alone and in danger.
“Don’t be afraid,” Asdis crooned, “We’re not going to hurt you. It’s like this. I’m an ambitious woman, Drake, and from what I’ve seen of you, you are, too. You won’t go anywhere while I talk will you, my boy?”
“I’m not your boy,” Drake said sulkily, his eyes drying.
“I guess that’s right, you’re no one’s boy, you belong to the state,” Asdis replied patiently, “you love no one and no one loves you. Oh wait, perhaps I’m forgetting the ‘prince and princess.’ They love you, do they? And you love them?”
Drake’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’ve read your story, guessed the characters, and foresee the ending. Cute story. You are very talented and you seem like a child who needs to be found by someone… someone who has the power to do something about your talent!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am a single mother with a little girl. Her name’s Athena. She’s an only child and I have to watch over her constantly. You would be doing me a favor if you came to live with her and I would give you everything you could want to make you great.”
“That’s not the only favor you’d want, I bet,” replied Drake.
“No, it’s not. You’re a smart boy who knows about caves and this area. Last year, I realized a way to create a new antibiotic. It’s safer and more effective and might even be manipulated to fix cancers. But the substance needed is nearly impossible to find except - except in a deep cave like the Carlsbad Caverns. What do you say? Athena would love a brother and I have always wanted more children.” Her voice was soft and inviting. She sounded excited and animated in an innocent way. She did not carry the air of someone dangerous.
Drake was not deceived, “No you don’t, you want the caves, even though the process will destroy them. Besides, I know you didn’t find the formula, Dr. Johanson did and, wherever he is, he’ll get mad when he finds out you’re here.”
“Nonsense, I’ve already taken care of him. The police will soon be reporting an unidentified body of a man floating in the Pecos,” the woman told him as lightly as though she were informing him she had killed a mosquito.
“You killed him?” Drake asked softly.
“In a word, no. It was an accident. I had nothing to do with. Do you think I would want my little Athena’s mother to be a murderess. Thoughts! But you have never had a loving mother, so you wouldn’t know.” Drake said nothing but glanced up at the glowering Marcus who stood like a sentinel behind his controlling mistress. He knew that even if she hadn’t killed him herself, Marcus had for her.
“I don’t think you wonder why I don’t announce my discovery to the world, not yet. Dr. Seth can be dead for a few years. As for what I want… the government is so stringent in keeping their precious caves safe. Unfortunately there is no way to get down there secretly from there, but what about another natural entrance? You know all about that, don’t you, now? You’ve suspected for a long time that your “Sanctuary” connected to one of the deep rooms of Carlsbad. Isn’t it fascinating? Forty miles of underground caves connecting one way or another. And you are now convinced of it, yes? You confirmed it. Will you show it to me?”
“Why would I do that?” Drake demanded.
“Drake, you are trying my patience. Perhaps your friends did not realize that harboring a runaway of the state could be called kidnapping, but I know that, and I have pictures that will be concluding proof.”
“I -” Drake hesitated.
“Love is a dangerous thing. Look what it’s doing for you now? It enables you to be used, to be hurt, and to be predictable.”
“That’s - that’s not true,” Drake struggled.
“What has it ever done to you, Drake? All it’s ever brought you is pain! Your parents? Ashley? Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle? You are one of many foster children and I doubt you ever gave them reason to love you. Your horses can’t love you like you love them and this cave is rock! stone! heartless and cold… surely you don’t think that actress loves you? She grew up with kids, you’re just another one to her, not to mention good PR. And the actor…” She chuckled, “the actor! Tell me, Drake, the moment there was any danger, what did he do? He left you! That’s how they are, they care while it’s easy and favorable to them then leave you when it’s not.”
“So you don’t care about Athena?”
“She’s my daughter, I have to take care of her! It would be a contrition worthy of penance to do such a thing as leave her.” Asdis sounded exasperated.
“What do you want exactly? What’s in it for me? And what will I have to do?” answered the boy sullenly, tracing grooves in the rock in front of him with his finger.
“Show us your caves,” Marcus answered for Asdis, “You give us what we need; we’ll give you what you need. Asdis won’t turn you in.”
“I have a huge mansion in the country. You can go there and live with my daughter. You’ll hardly see me if you don’t like to. You’ll be taken care of amply simply for caring for my daughter. When you want, I can teach you my trade and make you useful and rich.”
“What if I say ‘no’?”
“Well then,” her voice changed from an innocent woman to a dangerous one, “Marcus?”
Marcus flipped open a knife and stroked the blade with his thumb, “We have ways to keep you uncomfortable until you do. Now you know what’s at risk. Will you lead us down the Wide Way?”
Drake gathered up his courage which wasn’t hard because of his growing fury. Jumping up he threw a well aimed rock at his captor’s flashlight causing it to drop and break, shouting, “I’ll not show you! I want nothing to do with you!”
The three men and Asdis fumbled around for their spare flashlights and one by one flicked them on. The beams scanned the room until lighting on Drake running towards Crossroads. Two began to run after, but a sharp command stopped them.
“I’ll take care he can’t run away again,” Marcus pointed his loaded gun in the boy’s direction.
“You’ll do no such thing!” a voice exclaimed as two arms grabbed him from behind, “And you’ll be sorry you ever touched him.”
The criminal struggled and threw Derek off him. Two police officers came out apprehended the two accomplices. Marcus grabbed for his gun, but Derek leapt at him regardless of his safety.
“Watch out!” Drake shouted.
The man had managed to get the gun between him and his assailant, pointed it at Derek’s torso as he jumped at him, and prepared to pull the trigger. *Crack* *Crack* Two shots went off. Derek sat stunned on the floor of the cave. His shirt was torn and his side bleeding where the bullet grazed him, but other than that he was not harmed. Marcus, on the other hand, lay with a bullet in his back from Sam Aldridge who had just arrived in the cave. Selena was right behind him. “Where’s Dr. Stefansson?” Both she and Sam Aldridge looked around as several more officers were now in The Sanctuary. Emilie rushed in last.
“Is everyone okay?” she asked in a concerned voice, scanning the faces.
“He’s not,” an officer nodded to the injured villain.
“Oh, but Derek, are you-?”
“I’m fine,” Derek stood up.
“And, Drake! There you are!” She held out her arms and Drake ran and hugged her. “You’re safe, safe and sound,” she sighed, “Praise God!”
“Um… Emilie… while we’re here,” Derek brushed his hair with his fingers awkwardly, “um… we’ve known each other for about three or so years now.”
“Yes and I want you to know that in that time I’ve watched you grow from a selfish boy into a selfless man,” Emilie smiled, keeping Drake near her.
“Oh, you have -” Derek smiled abashed.
“If you step outside, we can clear everything up,” Sam Aldridge interrupted.
“Right, I’ll be right out.”
“What?” Drake asked.
“I’ll explain to you in a second. What were you saying, Derek?” Emilie rested her hands on Drake’s shoulders.
Derek took a deep breath and said rapidly, “Emilie, you’ve inspired me to be a better man. I didn’t know what it was to be a man or to love until you set it on my heart to seek it. And… I love you and would be so blessed if you would spend the rest of your life with me.”
Emilie smiled, “I would love to! But... can Drake join us if he can?”
Derek laughed, “I was actually going to ask that myself. What do you say Drake?”
“One condition,” said the boy.
“What’s that?”
“Someone please explain what you have to work out with the police?”
“Oh, right! Derek, why don’t you do that! I’ll explain it to Drake,” Emilie said. “You see,” Emilie explained to Drake as Derek left, “we did get in trouble for having you. Derek was arrested a little after you left this morning. That is why I didn’t come back. I was trying to get him out. One good thing came of it. We talked a little about engagement and agreed to pray about it. Last night, he called my dad and asked him to marry me. He said yes. My dad’s been praying about it since last year – way ahead of us. ”
“What now?”
“Well, apparently your little brawl helped the investigators who were on the Dr. Johansons’s track get back on the right one,” Emilie told him, “They realized the he was after you, but they couldn’t get in touch, so when they heard about Derek they thought we could all do each other a favor.”
“He’s dead.”
“We know,” Emilie nodded, “which begged the question, who’d killed him? The authorities decided it had to be a rival and that rival turned out to be no other than Icelander Dr. Asdis Stefansson. They did some figuring and decided she’d move tonight and they needed our help to get your help. We had to get CPS approval, but they said yes, so the charges are dropped.”
“Then you and Derek went and found me, you guys told me the plan to lure the bad guys into the cave, make all that racket so you guys could get in unheard and then capture them in the act,” Drake finished, “I was really nervous, actually. I played my part so well, I really did feel alone and helpless. She had me for awhile when she threatened to cause trouble for you, though. That made me afraid, but then I remembered it wouldn’t be alright to cover up for anyone, and you wouldn’t want me to, either, even for you. Never minding all that, though, it was exciting and the caves are saved! What about the formula of Seth’s, though?”
“Faulty,” Emilie answered, “some other doctors did some research and tested it; doesn’t work. I can’t imagine what he was thinking.” Agent Selena Morris who was standing near glanced at Aldridge. “Dirty business that man must have had planned. Good job, Drake. Next time, though, we should just tell the police.” She climbed out of the cave.
Drake laughed following her, “Yes!”
    “What’s wrong?” Emilie asked as the two agents followed her and Drake with grim faces.
    “Stefansson somehow slipped away,” Aldridge replied, “How far back does the Wide Way go, Drake?”
    “I don’t know. I haven’t fully explored it.”
    “We’ll have some men stay here for a couple nights until we can find some professional spelunkers,” Aldridge told Selena who nodded. Her focus was really on an upcoming car.
A social worker stepped out. “I’m with CPS and am here for Drake,” she said haughtily. An officer nodded towards Drake who didn’t move from Emilie’s side. “Drake Byron, we have a foster home ready. Come on into the car.”
Drake frowned, “I want to go back with the Carlyle’s or with Derek and Emilie.”
The social worker shook her head, “No, you’ve caused them enough trouble. Come along.”
“You know my number,” interrupted Emilie hugging him, “We won’t lose contact, okay?” Drake nodded numbly and walked over to the car. He took a deep breath before he climbed in. The back seat, the car, a destination unknown, all over again. He breathed deeply. It would be easy to hardened himself again, but he was done with that. He had to find a new way to deal with this other than having a stone heart. A new way! Drake sent up a prayer to God.
“CPS had changed its mind and decided to press charges,” the agent called before getting into the driver’s seat and driving away.
Everyone was quiet, many indignant. The officers looked surprised. The investigator was angry and Selena were livid. They had given their word! They had said they would drop charges! Derek was shocked and crestfallen, but none was as upset or angry as Emiliei who muttered in a burst of rage, “The - the… if - those! - mm!” She couldn’t speak.
Drake was taken to a new foster home he hated worse than any other, but kept his good attitude up and prayed like St. Patrick everyday. The CPS agents tried to convince him that Derek had been bad to him and persuade him to tell them the ‘truth’. At first he wouldn’t even talk to them. At last he told them the story, the true story and nothing else.
He wrote his story more than ever now. He named his chapter The Beginnings of the Aftermath: The Trials After Hope.
He wrote how the wicked king he had just introduced into the story captured and locked away the prince, sent the pauper to a rich boarding school, and had executed the evil Princess. He wrote how the good princess labored day after day, night after night, often in tears behind closed doors, for the freedom of her prince. The peoples’ hearts were of course for the prince and against the king.
The police and agency kept looking for Asdis but didn’t find her until a few years later. By then, she was more of a skeleton than a body in a shallow grave. Athena’s nurse was found around the same time married with kids. None of the children were the child the officers were looking for. When they asked her about Athena, she simply said that Asdis came three years back, fired her, and took the little girl away. She has no idea where they went. With Savannah’s help they were able to find many of Asdis’ hidden mansions and estates, but there was no sign of the little girl. Her whereabouts remained a mystery for many years after until Selena found her with her uncle who had been on the top wanted list for several years.
Naturally the news got out to the media, but even without Chandler’s help, everyone was on Derek’s, who helped the “boy who saved the caves”, side. Even the more sensible people who did not just follow their feelings and fancies in matters of justice were on Derek’s side and agreed that there was not enough legal evidence to convict him. This was the hope.
Derek now had a lawyer and was out on bail. When the trial date came it was national news. People across the nation watched it on TV and their computers. Drake was forced to testify. He handled his words and answers very well resulting in his testimony working against the prosecutors rather than for as they had counted on. The second big bash to the prosecutors was that Emilie managed to escape testifying at all. She did not even go. Her reasons were legitimate and not disputed. When Derek spoke to her later saying he was alright as long as it was true even if it worked against him, she said its value wouldn’t have been true, anyway, but that was not the reason she had opted out. Her reasons she kept private. Lack of evidence caused Derek to be acquitted.
During that time the police and investigators had gone after the originators of the David Mason Ponzi Scheme, named after one of the major suspects. It was a long drawn out process, but Derek recovered enough money to pay anything that was still owed and have enough left over to start a new life. He was far from wealthy but more content than ever.
“So, after all the fear, all that pain, all that loneliness, the pauper not only found a new life, but he learned he had had friends all along he didn't know, like his landlady who would have understood to the best of human ability if he had just told her. The prince was encouraged to take the throne, but he refused. He would sit in the smaller throne over a smaller realm, because that was his and no other was. The pauper respected him all the more for this. The prince and princess were married and adopted the pauper. They wanted to take him on their honeymoon, but the pauper insisted they go alone. He stayed with his old landlady and her husband who were now his godparents. The prince never lost contact with that one friend he made in captivity. Even though life took them in separate directions, they met several times after the friend was released. And several months later, sitting comfortably in the small palace, the adopted young man gazed out thinking, ‘Sometimes we have to make the choice to go on when forward looks bleakest and backwards look lightest in order to get to the light on the other side, and even then, the road there might not lighten for a while, but now you have hope and it is sure to come, no matter what, even if it is not in this lifetime.”

Robin Williams

"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone."

Among the Oil Derricks: Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Aldridge sat on the bench impatiently. Selena had told him to meet her there. Where was she? She was no longer trailing Hades, so she couldn’t have fallen into danger with him. Had she tracked down the doctor and made a rash move and gotten herself killed? Good riddance, he thought sarcastically, she was too much trouble for the whole agency anyhow. How her grandfather managed to raise her is a wonder! She ought to have been sent to boarding school to learn the meaning of order, not allowed to take care of her own education at home when she decided she didn’t like the public or private schools any longer. Her grandfather had some cheek sending her to aid the agency before she was an adult. He should have lost custody years ago.

Of course, none of this was truly what he thought. Aldridge had known Robert Morris Sr. since they had first joined the CIA and been transferred together with their pals to different more secret agencies. They had been each other’s first partners. When Selena’s mother was murdered by her father, Aldridge had helped Morris gain custody over her and her two older half-brothers before they could even be picked up by CPS. Selena was in fact a favorite in Morris’ circle and Aldridge thought of her more fondly than a niece, making him anxious to keep her safe. He had faced many dangers, told many sad stories, but he knew he would not have the courage to face Morris and tell him that his granddaughter whom he had entrusted to him was dead or missing or met some horrible fate. It did not matter that he knew he did not have to worry. No matter how many times he told himself Selena was a competent young woman, more wise, patient, and even obedient than many agents, he would be very glad for her to arrive.

Finally he spotted her jogging up. “Sorry I’m late,” she apologized breathlessly, “Everything went wrong since this morning. I’ll not tell you about it because it began with make-up and you’ll only laugh at the trouble girls go through to make themselves presentable.” He was smiling now. She feigned a frown then said, “You weren’t worried about me?”

“Of course not,” he lied obviously.

She smiled tolerantly, “Of course not. Anyhow, despite all the things that have gone wrong, something has gone wonderfully right!”

“And what is that?” he asked amused at her youthful energy and animation.

“The Carlsbad police have arrested Derek Walker,” she said.

“I never imagined you would be happy someone was arrested, I thought you liked him,” Aldridge remarked. In his mind he followed where the conversation was going so that her next words were no surprise.

“I do, he seems like a decent man, but listen,” she was very excited, “he’s the man who has been looking after Drake.”

“And…?” asked Aldridge with a knowing smile that revealed he was as thrilled as she was.

“Drake is our key to the doctor! But the boy won’t trust anybody else but Derek and Emilie,” she continued.

“Why don’t we just use Emilie to get to Drake and not go through all the issues of using a prisoner?”

“He made a very stupid mistake, but I think I can understand, and I think we can help him out,” explained Selena.

“Now wait just a second, young lady,” interrupted Aldridge, “You are suggesting a deal, aren’t you?”

“Why not?” asked Selena.

“Because the reason he was arrested is not our case, our case is the doctor Johanson and his go man, Ares,” Aldridge explained.

“Mr. Aldridge,” Selena put on her persuasive voice he knew too well. He was about to lose. “If we can convince CPS that this is for the good of both the caves, national security, AND Drake, can’t we at least try?”

“Well, that wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Aldridge sighed, “It is actually something we can do. Satisfied?”

“No, compromised, but I can’t always get my way,” answered Selena contently.

“Thank goodness for that,” teased Aldridge, “How about driving me back to the hotel?”

“You said you didn’t trust my driving,” laughed the girl.

“That was last year, but you haven’t killed anyone, so I guess I’ll take my chances. Do me a favor and don’t get pulled over. It doesn’t look good for the agency,” Aldridge climbed in.

“I’ll try,” grinned Selena climbing on in the driver’s side. Despite their silly interchange, they still felt the heavy weight of the case.

“He’s dead,” Aldridge said bluntly a few minutes into the drive.

“Who?”

“Dr. Johanson, he was found in the Pecos River earlier this morning.”

“Coincidence?” Selena asked ironically. Aldridge smiled grimly. “I don’t think that changes our plans, though. We can still get at the doctor. Only this time, it will be a different doctor.”

Aldridge nodded, “It does seem like this mysterious person has been copying Dr. Johanson.” There were several moments of silence. “I wonder what that’s like.”

“What’s like?”

“It was a little girl who found the body. She had gone to the river with her family to play and she finds a mauled body of a man. I don’t know if I will ever be able to comprehend what that’s like for a child.” He looked at Selena to see if she understood. She had no emotion on her face. “I’ve seen my fair share of bodies, but I remember the first time. It was a bit shaking for both me and your grandfather.”

Selena smiled. It was hard for her to imagine her grandfather being fazed by a body. “It can be traumatizing for a kid to find a body,” she said as though from experience, “It can also be hardening.” She wondered to herself whether she should be more sensitive to this sort of thing. Selena couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t seen a dead body. He mother had been murdered by her father when she was three years old. She and her two older half-brothers on her mother’s side, Robert and William, were there when it happened. They were all taken in by Mr. Robert Morris, whom her second oldest brother was named after. Their mother had sent them often to stay with him when Selena’s father became too violent. Selena’s heart beat with indignation. She was the oldest child of a man she could never forgive. Growing up with Grandfather Morris who was an agent brought her all sorts of adventures and being surrounded by men, she was their little girl. The anger from her early childhood and the adventures from her youth made her a soft young woman with a titanium hard shell that was only getting thicker.

Derek had barely been in his cell for thirty minutes when a guard once again came in and called his name.

“Here.”

“Come with me.”

Derek slid off his bed and followed the officer. He was led to the interrogation room. It looked no different from the last time he was there and gave him just as little hope.

The young woman Derek had seen with Hades sat in the interrogator seat and an older man he had never seen before stood very close behind her. The young woman no longer had the air of a rebellious young person looking for an edgy relationship but the air of an agent of the law on a mission. The man had a stern face of a lawman. Both looked as though the situation was grave and neither looked like ordinary officers. Some sort of special investigators perhaps, supposed Derek, what do they want with me? It was rather unnerving.

“Walker, charged with harboring a runaway, correct?” the young woman asked. Derek nodded. “Drake Bryon, blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes, age twelve - or thirteen - we don’t actually have his birth certificate. Right?” Derek nodded again. “Well, Walker, if you were going to harbor a runaway, Drake would be the one,” she told him with a pleasant, expectant smile. Derek looked perfectly perplexed. “Do you know where we can contact him?”

Derek paused then said, “He might come to Emilie if he sees her, he might come to me if he sees me. I don’t know. He won’t come to an officer if he can help it.”

“Then, Walker, this just might be your lucky day,” the man declared, “We need his help, therefore we need your help. We are willing to make a deal. If this works and CPS agrees, the charges will be dropped completely. Do we have a deal?”

“What do you want?”

-------
Sorry I was late posting this chapter. I've been really busy and I completely forgot, which is really funny considering how much I can hardly wait to post the next chapter that I tend to do it on Sunday.

Daily Dose

"An honest enemy is better than a friend who lies."

Among the Oil Derricks: Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

“If you’ll just put your hands on your head… you do have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used again you.”

“Sir, I’m sure you know, I’m a celebrity,” Derek interrupted pleadingly, “if the vaguest rumor or picture gets sent to the media or a magazine it will be plastered everywhere and twisted anyway it can be. For our safety and the benefit of the doubt, would you please allow me to take my car down to the station?”

The officer eyes him warily as he radioed someone else while Derek prayed in his mind. “I have the OK. I’ll lead, you’ll follow, and another patrol will follow you, so no tricks.”

“Thank you!” Derek breathed both to the officer and God.

“Under any other circumstance this wouldn’t be allowed, but as it is, you probably couldn’t get away easily,” the officer followed him to his care, “My daughter’s a huge fan, in fact. I can only imagine how she’ll scream when I tell her I’ve arrested her celebrity crush.”

Derek would have laughed if he didn’t feel so much like crying. This was all going wrong! Arrest? Harboring? When he wanted a different path in life, this was not what he had in mind. How many years could he get in prison? Ten? Eleven? Or was that kidnapping? At any rate it was too many. He’d be nearly forty by the time was was out. Drake would be long caught and gone. Emilie probably married with child. His career would be over for sure.

Derek sighed as he pulled up at the police station. To his humiliation he had his picture taken, his fingerprints copied, and information taken down before being asked the well expected question of “Where’s Drake Byron?”

Derek shrugged and answered earnestly, “I don’t know. He ran off somewhere.” No one disbelieved him.

“Would you like a lawyer?”

“No, I’d like to make a call, though.”

“There's the phone.”

Derek dialed Emilie’s number. “Hello?” Emilie’s voice came over the receiver, “Derek? Drake wants to see you. Where are you? I came back and the care is gone.”

“I’m at the police station.”

“You’re what?” Emilie cried.

“I was arrested for harboring a runaway. Could you come down? I guess you’ll have to bring him with you?”

“He’s not with me, I don’t know exactly where he is,” Emilie replied, “I’d be willing to come down, but you drove me here, remember?”

“We’ll send someone to pick her up,” an officer mouthed to him.

“They’ll send someone for you,” Derek repeated.

“Am I charged?” Emilie sounded upset. An officer shook his head.

“No.”

“Okay, I’m at the derrick.”

An officer stood and left the room. “Someone’s coming… could you contact…” Derek was flustered and an officer was motioning for him to end the call, “Would you contact my family, don’t tell them much, and assure them everything’ll get cleared up.” The officers looked skeptical.

Six hours later they were no closer to ‘clearing it up.’ Emilie had come down and done everything she could but they would not let Derek go. So, Derek sat in an uncomfortable old cell, hungry because he hadn’t eaten the dinner and miserable out of dread while Emilie sat tired in the waiting room too exhausted to brainstorm any more.

“Station is closing, Miss, I’m afraid we have to send you out,” a secretary told her.

Listless and red-eyes, Emilie stood and stepped outside. The cool air woke her from her zombie-like state. “-I could show you,” the officer who had arrested Derek was saying to her.

“W-what was that?” Emilie shook her head to wake herself more.

“A hotel, down the road,” he repeated.

“Oh-oh, yes,” she stumbled down the stairs so tired she appeared drunk.

“Miss, I could call my wife to pick you up, you shouldn’t drive, or a taxi,” the police officer caught her.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. Five minutes later the officer’s wife arrived and helped her in.

“We have a spare room, why don’t you stay with us,” the wife suggested at last seeing her state, “I can give you dinner and my daughter would die to meet you.” Emilie nodded. She had stayed awake long periods of time before, but never under this sort of stress. Not even staying up to finish movie projects the night before the cinema release date took so much energy out of her.

“What did Dad want - OMG!” a thirteen year old girl suppressed a scream when Emilie walked in, “OMG! OMG! OMG! Emilie Lawrence! Can I have your autograph, PLEASE!”

“Shelly, she’s had a stressful day, tomorrow, okay?” Mrs. Buskirk to her daughter, “Why don’t you calmly show her into the dining room?” Shelly obeyed as well as she could in her excitement.

“I thought Dad said there was a woman who was trying to help her friend out of jail who needed a ride to a place to stay because they were tourists,” Shelly said to her mom, “Wait! Please tell me… who was it?”

“Shelly, your dad had to arrest Derek Walker today -”

“WHAT?” Shelly screamed, “He arrested Derek WALKER?! How could he? She’ll never give me an autograph now, nor will he for that matter. Why did Dad do that?”

“Harboring a runaway or something.”

“He’d never do that! Derek Walker is great! He wouldn’t break the law! Not without a good cause!”

“Maybe he thought he had a good cause. Now, to bed! How Emilie to the guest room, please.”

Shelly showed Emilie to her room, apologized for the mix-up, and went to her own room. Emilie fell right to sleep. It was ten by the time she woke up.

Earlier in the day, Hades had watched all the commotion from afar muttering to himself, “So much trouble, we could have just kidnapped the brat. Seth really blew it this time. The police will be on us. I don’t know how or why, but they will. Boy, have we played dumb.”

 “Mr. Hayden Ares?” Someone said behind him.

“Oh hi.” It was Selena. Behind her was an older gentleman. Uh-oh, was this her old man?

“Hi, I just wanted to introduce you to my supervisor, Mr. Sam Aldridge. I’m an agent and we are arresting you.”

“What?” Hades hand went to his inside coat pocket.

“I don’t think so,” Selena drew her concealed weapon as did Aldridge.

“We have you covered, Ares,” Aldridge stepped forward to take his weapon, “Don’t try anything. We’ve been watching you for awhile but it wasn’t until Selena here came around that we got a break. Looks like you finally have a weak spot.” Hades didn’t let him finish before swinging a punch. Aldridge managed to block but couldn’t grab him in time. There was a small scuffle. The agents were hesitant in shooting in the fray near so many people giving Hades the chance to bolt.

“Stop or we’ll shoot!” they shouted as they rounded a corner.

“I don’t think so,” Hades stood before them with a trembling young girl in his grasp, his pistol to her head. “Now drop your guns and I’ll just walk down to the parking lot, take this little prize with me and be on my way. If you don’t follow me, I might think about leaving her on the side of the road for you to find.” The girl let out a cry and struggled. He shook her harshly and shouted, “Put Down Your Guns! I’ll shoot her, you hear!” He shook his gun threateningly. The agents glanced at each other.

“Haden, you’re surrounded,” a feminine voice shouted from behind him, “Let the girl go or we will be forced to shoot you. We don’t want to do that!”

“I bet you don’t,” the man whirled around, forcing the girl with him. Selena was on the ramp just below. He glanced to his right and there was Sam Aldridge his gun drawn.

“Fine, this is your fault!” Hades began to pull the trigger. The girl shrieked and there was a series of shots. The captor fell to the ground unconscious. At the same moment Sam took a quick step forward and pulled the weeping little girl away and pushed her into the her terrified parents’ open arms. Agents surrounded the fallen foe and handcuffed him. He began to awake from the taser stings as they forced him to his feet.

Hades glared at the young agent woman who stood to the side with her supervisor. She didn’t respond with either fear or pride. She simply looked at him and followed the other agents who surrounded them to the police car. “Now the next step,” he heard her say as he was guided into the back.

Just before they police car pulled away, Hades happened to see a young man approach Selena from behind with a smile that told him he could be no other than her significant other and tap her on the shoulder. The young woman turned, then with a cry of delight, threw her arms around him. “Tay!” she exclaimed, then the car pulled away and he could see nothing more.

He was informed of his rights. His picture was taken. The secretary raised her eyebrows when she heard his name and looked up his records. He had never been arrested before, but they still had records on him, to his surprise. His fingerprints were taken and he was interrogated, but he said nothing. “He’d better get me out of this,” thought Hades to himself, “He’d better not betray me. If he does, he’ll have another thing coming, I don’t care how long I have to wait.”

Finally they gave up and sent him to a cell. While passing the office he saw Emilie sitting there anxiously. He smirked. So his call had brought them on those two, but would they be able to trace it to him? If they did, would that cause them to let Derek go? Suddenly he had an uncomfortable thought. What if they were in the same cell?

He was taken to his cell. It was dinner time so no one was there. He was told which bed was his then taken to the cafeteria. There he saw Derek. With a quick step he slipped next to him. “So you’re here, too?” he asked in a low tone. Derek glanced at him in surprise without a word. “Yes, I’m here. But I’ll be out soon and take my advice. The first opportunity that comes your way to get out, you’d better take it. Prison is where we’re going or else and that’s not an easy place to get out of even if you can break out. It will never come off your record.”

“Why are telling me that?”

“We’re both in here, just a friendly word of warning amongst prisoners before we’re at odds again. Watch yourself. They don’t play friendly here.” With that word he slipped away so quietly and quickly it gave Derek a chill. It was no wonder he had stayed out for so long and he had no doubt he would get out, which only served to depress Derek more. He could not bring himself to eat anything so he passed.

The next morning Derek woke up from an unpleasant sleep at seven sharp. Breakfast was as bad as last night’s dinner, so he skipped it, too. Most of the prisoners sat around watching TV. Derek wasn’t interested in anything they were watching, so he sat on his bed keeping as much to himself as possible. Many of them recognized him and most left him alone, but a few found him too tempting of a bully victim to resist.

Derek lay on his bed feeling sorry for himself when the headline of a newspaper another prisoner was reading caught his eye. Without a thought, he snatched it out of the man’s hand. “Hey!” the man shouted, but his voice was not heard. Derek desperately scanned the article. It was about a Ponzi scheme. The police were looking into the matter, but it was too late for the people who had invested in it. “The greatest, cleverest ponzi scheme in history,” they said. Many businesses, celebrities, and influential people had been tricked. Derek’s heart beat in dread as he read each name. It felt like hours, even days, though it was less than seconds before he reached his name.

“Derek Walker took the greatest loss from this. Though he is in a financial scrape, if he finds his way into several movie roles this year to work on, which he no doubt will, he can pull through without losing all his possessions, though he might have to relocate to a smaller house and opt out for a cheaper car for a little while. Reporters are trying to locate him. At present no one seems to know where he or his girlfriend Emilie Lawrence is.”

“Did you hear me or are you deaf?” a towering prisoner tore the paper out of his hands.

“No,” Derek answered defiantly looking the man right in his eyes, “I didn’t. ”

“Fine!” the man threw a punch that Derek managed to duck, but he wasn’t going to be allowed to get away that easily.

Because the prisoner he was fighting was bigger, stronger, and had eaten he had the obvious advantage, but Derek still held his own. It was not until the guards were headed over that the fight ended. Unfortunately the fight ended before the guards could see it, so no one was caught. Derek sat frustrated on his bed. Now he was hungry, miserable, broke, and bruised and bleeding. He felt his lip wondering if it was swelling as badly as he felt it was. No, it wasn’t, thank goodness. What about his - ooh, yes, there was definitely a bruise there. Was the crash before or after he paid for the hotel room? What about the rental car? And the tours? If not, he would be in debt for the rest of his life! Ugh! Why did this have to happen?

“Would you turn back, if you could?” a voice asked him.

Derek turned in surprise to a smaller prisoner speaking to him. He looked so young he must have just turned eighteen, Derek supposed. “What?”

“I watched you on TV and heard some interviews about what you were going to do,” the prisoner said eagerly, “If you had the chance, would you turn back now?”

“I don’t think I’ll have it,” replied Derek uninterested in a conversation.

“But if you did, a chance to go back, would you? Would you give up all your goals and hopes?” The young man seemed pitifully desperate for an answer.

Derek rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t he be left alone? “You know, I am in a bit of a financial straight right now! Before, I wasn’t sure if I would, but now I think I would. I never believed I would say this, but I think I might owe a lot of money!”

“After coming so close?”

“So close to what?”

“To making it past your first trial, as Christians call them.”

“Yah, well, Christians get in trouble for things they don’t do, not for things they did.” answered Derek shortly.

“That’s not true, I was a Christian before I came here, but I guess I never really knew the meaning of the word,” the young man sighed, “big mistakes and mine weren’t even paved with good intentions like yours. I should have listened to what I learned as a kid, but I didn’t.”

“What are you in here for? And how old are you?” despite his best efforts, he was becoming interested in him.

“I’m eighteen, I just turned eighteen three days ago,” he replied, “they moved me out of juvie pretty quickly.”

“Hmm…”

“I joined a gang,” he confessed seeming eager to talk,  “and we killed a man. Last year, it was.” Tears filled his eyes, “I don’t think the guilt will ever go away. I don’t think it will. The guy had a sister that he was taking care of. She had nobody else, just an innocent little thing. He wasn’t a good guy, but he had a soft spot for her. If he had been better he might not have found himself in the situation, but then, if I had been better or stronger, he might not have died. I couldn’t say no before. All those little yes’s and inabilities to say no grew into YES! YES! YES! wholeheartedly which grew into the same bitterness and hate and desire for villainy as the gang. Guess it’s like it says in Proverbs.”

“You’re still a Christian?”

“More now than I was, for certain,” the young man shook his head, “but Christians do bad things, too, they are people.”

“Mhm…” Derek became uninterested again. What did he care about Christians doing bad things? Everyone did bad things. That wasn’t what bothered him, what bothered him was HIS bad thing.

“But, would you really turn back?” He seemed so insistent on this subject.

“Yes, I would, why on earth do you keep on asking?” Derek wanted to exclaim, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the earnestness of the young man that caused him to rethink his answer. Suddenly he became curious. “What would you suggest, then? Since you are not satisfied with my answer, before?”

“Well,” the young man smiled shyly almost embarrassingly, “I was actually praying a couple days ago and I felt that God was about to bring someone that I was supposed to challenge on this. I saw you and He told me you were the one.”

“Okay…” Derek shrugged. He tried to keep himself stoic, but something about that touched him. God had sent someone to challenge him on giving up? Really? Did He care that much? That was - amazing. What? What was he saying? That couldn’t really happen, could it?

“You know, if you do turn back, it won’t go back to normal,” the young man remarked.

“What are you saying?” Derek knew in his heart what he meant, but he didn’t want to have to admit it so he wanted the other to say it. He was not ready to give up on giving up yet.

“Well - “ he was about to explain.

“Walker, Derek,” a guard came in.

“Here,” Derek grumbled.

“Phone, come with me,” the guard led Derek to the phone in the hall.

“Hello, Derek Walker,” he hoped it was Emilie.

“Hello, Derek!” a familiar voice greeted him cheerfully.

“Mr. Chandler, good to hear from you,” Derek said hesitantly.

“You bet it is! We have a movie and the lead role screams your name!” the casting director and producer told him.

“I’m a bit-” Derek began.

“Yep, yep, we heard!” Chandler interrupted, “Why else would I call here? But we’re willing to take care of this. We’ll get you out and keep it hushed. It if leaks, we’ll work the media. You sign the papers and leave your reputation and freedom to us not to mention the money.”

Derek said nothing. He had no doubt Chandler could and would do exactly what he said successfully, but he also knew the movie he would be asked to play in would be PG-13 at beyond best. Still, he was stuck in jail and Chandler could get him out and take care of PR all for one movie he’d still be paid for. “If you’re thinking we’d do this dishonestly,” Chandler added, “you’re wrong. It will all be ethical!”

“Technically,” Derek corrected in a subdued tone.

“What? Oh, I see. Look, Derek, you’re an actor,” Chandler told him, “not a family man, not a PK, not even a suburb or city kid. You’ve been acting since you were a baby, I remember, I hired you and your mom for your first commercial. I’ve helped make you what you are! Naturally not knowing any other life might make you curious, especially after meeting a hot, innocent girl like Emilie who is like no one else you’ve ever met, but hear me out. You were living the dream, and Emilie, once you get to know her, she won’t be so mysterious and you’ll get tired of her, but you’ll have given up everything for her, a single woman amidst thousands. That’s not my fault, that’s not her fault, that’s your fault. It’s how you and I were born. Look what all this change has done for you. You looked for a god, you looked for good, and this is what you’ve got. There is no god except who you choose and there is no good except what you decide. I’m offering you a free way back like nothing has ever happened all costs paid. You’d be a fool not to take it.”

Derek sighed. “Well,” he said quietly, “I guess I’m a fool.”

“You’re what?” Chandler spluttered, “Are you refusing?”

“Even in this short time, I’ve become aware of three things, God, real love, and my conscience,” Derek said evenly, “and even here, I have all three, while there I had none. And even in this misery, my conscience is more at peace than it ever has been. If I go back, it will die and I’ll become a man worse than ever I was. I’d rather pay the price for my actions than that even if I also have to live with what’s not my fault on the side.”

“You - you,” Chandler stammered, “Fine!” *Click*

Well, there goes my brute force chance to freedom, Derek thought, surprised at how little remorse he felt. His chest and heart was lighter and it seemed as though a power far greater than Chandler’s promised him that everything would be alright. He had burned his last bridge, there was no longer a way back.

The young man looked at him questioningly when he came back. There was an obvious change in the look in his face. “It’s all forward, now,” he murmured half to himself and half in reply to the young man’s inquiry, “It’s over, a new season’s begun.” Then in his mind, “No looking back, not now.” The young man smiled as though at an outcome not surprising but that he had been very worried would not come to be.

“What’ your name?”

“John Collins.”

“Nice to meet you.” Derek shook his hand. He did not want to be there, but if he were, it would be nice to have another who shared the faith.

Emilie climbed out of bed and walked out into the living room where Shelly was staring at the TV with her mother. “Oh, this is horrible,” she was murmuring. Emilie sat down on the couch to listen.

“Among the celebrities affected are Elsie Stone, Martin Brett, James Tate, Gabby McLeod, “ the anchor was saying, “and Derek Walker, who took the greatest loss. We were not given numbers, but it is rumored that he might lose everything because of this. The police are looking into this and the bank is naturally doing all within it’s power to find the culprits. Unfortunately, even if they do find them it is too late for many people. We can only hold our breaths as we wait for more news.”

Emilie was stunned. She knew better than they how great that loss was for Derek. “I wonder if he knows,” she mused out loud.

“It can’t have hurt him too badly, could it?” Shelly asked.

Emilie eyes answered her. “I think I had better be going,” she said quietly, “I have some things I need to do today.”

“Do you need to call a car rental?” Shelly’s mother asked.

“No, that’s alright, I could use a ride to the station though,” Emilie shook her head, “I’ll take Derek’s car. I don’t think he’ll mind.”

“I can take you there now,” she offered. Emilie accepted the offer.

At the station, Emilie pulled out Derek’s keys that she remembered only that morning that he had given her when she saw him the day before and climbed into his car. She drove down to the Carlsbad Caverns and went into the Visitor building. “Hi,” she said wearily to the ranger at the front desk, “I’m a friend of someone affected by the ponzi scheme. I am not sure if the payment went through and I wanted to pay for him.” The ranger smiled at her encouragingly giving Emilie a little energy.

“Would that be Derek Walker?” she asked. Emilie nodded. “Yes, we have that down. Funny thing, it said it went through, but when we checked after hearing the news we saw that many actually didn’t.”

“I don’t know, but, here, I can cover it,” Emilie handed her debit card to the ranger who swiped it through the cash register.

“All covered,” she told her, “that is a very nice thing of you to do. I am sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“It’s the least I could do…”

“No, ma’am, the least you could do is nothing. It is something. Don’t underestimate it; you’ll get discouraged that way.”

“Alright, thanks,” Emilie smiled and walked out feeling just a little lighter. Next she drove to the car rental to find the same thing happened. Again she covered the costs. She went around for several hours trying to recall where Derek had spent a lot of money. She couldn’t cover everything, she knew, but she did what she could. Finally she filled up the car with gas and returned to the station during visiting hours and waited to be permitted to see Derek. She wouldn’t tell him unless he brought it up.