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Post by cutter on Apr 29, 2018 9:49:57 GMT -6
Under normal circumstances, I would agree. Come on, guys. Mark is under arrest, thinks the love of his life will not survive, and at the age of 16 has just taken the life of another human being. He tried to save Malachi, but his actions led to that sorry individual's death. The boy has a lot to cope with right now.
By the way, how did I do with this chapter?
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Post by tckaija on Apr 29, 2018 21:45:22 GMT -6
Cutter, with that cliff hanger, you can't leave us hanging for very long. I also had the thought that the city cop might be on the take with how he wanted to handle everything. Yeah, had that same thought, too! Any cp worth his salt would see the scene and draw the proper conclusion... white girl down with a knife in her chest with a <known> local Hero, also battered, yelling to her to not diem and 4 knocked out and one dead Gangbanger scattered around... That town clown is either Dirty or is an absolute fool!
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Post by cutter on Apr 30, 2018 14:32:45 GMT -6
Do you mean Eric, and or Larry? There's something to that.
I live in Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby. I frankly can't stand it. All it does for us is give us more traffic, higher gas prices, random road closures, and generally makes my job harder. Oh yeah, you can't find a hotel room for at least fifty miles in every direction that weekend and getting a table at a restaurant is near impossible. You know it's bad when your local McDonald's is on a half hour wait.
Still, thanks for the kind words of support and the compliments.
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Post by texican on May 1, 2018 22:35:20 GMT -6
Do you mean Eric, and or Larry? There's something to that. I live in Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby. I frankly can't stand it. All it does for us is give us more traffic, higher gas prices, random road closures, and generally makes my job harder. Oh yeah, you can't find a hotel room for at least fifty miles in every direction that weekend and getting a table at a restaurant is near impossible. You know it's bad when your local McDonald's is on a half hour wait.Still, thanks for the kind words of support and the compliments. C, Hang in there, it is only one weekend.... Waiting for 30 minutes at mickeyd's is twenty nine minutes to long.... Texican....
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Post by cutter on May 3, 2018 21:25:56 GMT -6
Here's the next one. It's all setup and background. Mark is so screwed in the head right now it isn't funny. For the record, Malachi's ending doesn't bother him all that much. Please, enjoy.
Chapter 20
(Friday, May 7, Rubycon office, 3:45 PM)
(Cell phone)
“M-Mom?”
“Skyler! Honey, are you ok? What happened?”
“M-Mom, they arrested Mark. Stacy...Stacy’s...Oh, Mom!”
“Honey, calm down. Is the crew with you?”
“T-They’re h-here.”
“Honey, it’ll be ok. Put Sam on the phone.”
“Mom wants to t-talk to you.”
“I’m here, Mom.”
“Sam, what happened?”
“I don’t know for sure. All I know is that they took Stacy out in an ambulance in a real hurry and the Franklin cops literally threw Mark into a cruiser in handcuffs. There’s cops everywhere and Pete’s here.”
“Tell Bobby to get you guys out of there.”
“Bobby, Kit, and T are still in the school. Kit called Sky and told her to drive us home. Mom, we all talked and we want to all go to the hospital. Mark and Stacy our our own. We can’t help Mark right now, but we want to be there for Stacy.”
“Don’t let Sky drive; she’s too upset. Can you do it?”
“Yes, Ma’am. So you’re ok with us going?”
“I’m ok with it, but the rest of you guys need to check with your parents. They all think you’re coming here for the campout.”
“We’ll deal with it. We’ll be at the hospital. I’ll keep in touch.”
“Be safe, Sam. Take care of our girl.”
“I will. Bye, Mom.” (Click)
(Morgan, on cell phone, on the way to the Franklin jail.)
“Wainwright, Wainwright, and Hughes. This is Savanna. How may I direct your call?”
“This is Morgan Marshall. Please connect me to Evan Wainwright.”
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Wainwright isn’t available right now. May I take a message?”
“Is he in the office?”
“Yes, but he said not to disturb him.”
“Savannah, you can put me through or I can call his cell and tell him why I had to. Tell him Morgan Marshall needs to speak with him immediately. If that doesn’t jog his memory, tell him my maiden name was Baxter, as in Charles Baxter.”
“Very well, but he won’t talk to you right now. Hold please.”
(...)
“Morgan, I’m very sorry for your wait. Why have you called me after so long? What may I do for you?”
“Mr. Wainwright, my husband’s youngest brother has just been arrested on a murder charge; he’s 16 years old. I don’t know anything more. We need the best defense attorney we can get and you’re the best one I’ve ever heard of. Lord knows you kept Dad out of enough trouble.”
“Has he been interrogated?”
“I don’t know. A friend of ours is the school resource officer at his high school. He’s the one who called us. He said he told Mark to keep his mouth shut but doesn’t know how long he will last under the circumstances. Mr. Wainwright, Mark’s fiance is in surgery right now for a stab wound to her chest. We don’t know if she’ll survive.”
“So he is not accused of killing her.”
“Not that I know of. I don’t know who he is accused of killing. Mark is a skilled martial artist and is capable of taking a life, but I can’t believe he would do so without reason. Will you help us?”
“Get to the jail and forbid them from questioning him. That will establish lack of consent and void anything he would happen to say to them. I will text you a name and phone number of a lawyer. He lives in Nashville, so it will take time for him to get there, but he is licensed to practice in Kentucky. I will be on a plane tonight and will be there as soon as possible. I am also licensed to practice law in Kentucky. I will represent him personally.”
“Mr. Wainwright, money is no object. We just want Mark protected and cleared.”
“Morgan, I will do all that I can. I suspect it will be quite a bit easier than defending your father was. I am going to call my lawyer friend and tell him to expect your call. Give me twenty minutes and I will text you his information so you can call him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wainwright.”
“Morgan, I did what I could for you and Erin when your parents died, but I wasn’t satisfied with what that was. I’m doing this as much for me as for you. I’ll be in touch.” (Click)
(Franklin Hospital, OR, 4 PM)
“Doctor, her pressure’s dropping. She’s fibulating.”
“Get that crash cart over here! Set it for 300!”
“Aaron, wait!”
“We’re losing her!”
“You can’t! Look at her heart!”
“Oh my God! We have to hurry!”
“Nurse, suction! Give me glue and a suture!”
“She’s flatline.”
“One more stitch, got it! Now, Aaron!”
“CLEAR!”
“Nothing.”
“CLEAR!”
“Still no pulse.”
“Give me 350! CLEAR!”
“Still nothing. I’m sorry, Doctor.”
“Stacy, don’t you give up on me now! Give me 400 and 1 mg adrenalin! CLEAR!”
“I’ve got a heartbeat! Nice work, Doctor.”
“We’re a long way from done. Watch her vitals closer. Jason, I would have killed her if it hadn’t been for you. That cut to the heart wall would have ruptured if I had shocked her before you repaired it.”
“Get your head back in the game, Aaron. She’s still dead if we don’t get this done. Nurse, give me a scalpel, please.”
(Franklin Hospital, surgery waiting, 4 PM)
“Larry, Erin; we’re here.”
“We don’t know anything yet.”
“What can we do?”
“Pray with us.”
Sam and Sky, Jess, Billy and Stephanie all gather around Larry and Erin and kneel down with them. They join hands in a prayer circle and begin to ask God to save Stacy’s life. A little while later, Deputy Jim Thornhill brings Bobby, Kit, and T to the hospital. They go to the surgery waiting room and find the group still deep in prayer.
“Guys, you need to come see this.”
“Bobby, we still haven’t heard anything about Stacy.”
“I’ve already told Cheryl where you will be. You really need to come see this.”
“Just tell us, Bobby.”
“Aunt Erin, you wouldn’t believe us. Please, all of you just come with us; it won’t take long and Cheryl will come get us if they need us.”
They reluctantly get up. Bobby has to support Larry. He is so upset he can barely stand.
“Where are we going?”
“To the parking lot. Trust us, you need what we have to show you. It will help you.”
The group walks through the hospital to the main entrance and outside into the parking lot. Under the trees at the far side, at least 100 kids and nearly as many adults are sitting in the shade in the grass. In groups of three and four and more, all of them are holding hands in prayer circles, their heads bowed. Many of the kids and a few adults have tears in their eyes. One of the boys looks up and sees them. He lets go of the hands holding his and comes over to the crew.
“You’re Stacy’s parents?”
“Yes, Sir. What is all this?”
“Ma’am, every student here was in that lunchroom with Mark and Stacy four years ago. They were there for us. We couldn’t let her go through this without being here for her. We can’t save her life, but we can and are asking God to. We’ll be here until we know she’s ok.”
Larry can’t help it. His precious daughter is so much more than even he knew. His knees buckle as he bursts into tears. Bobby eases him to the ground and holds him. Erin goes to him and kneels down in front of him.
“Love, it’ll be alright. God won’t deny so many. He’ll let us keep our daughter. I promise, it will be alright.”
(Franklin jail, general lockup)
Mark sits with a thousand yard stare. His arrogance cost his precious Anastasia her life. He saw the wound himself. That knife didn’t just get her lung. It was too close; it cut her heart too. He knows his precious Anastasia is dead, gone forever, and it’s his fault. He tried to save Malachi, but he’s not sorry he couldn’t. At least Anastasia has justice; her death was avenged. He got the love of his life killed. Whatever they do to him won’t be enough. Mark is alone in this world now; without Stacy, he has nothing left. He doesn’t care what they do to him. He is so lost in his misery that he doesn’t register what any of the men with him are saying. He doesn’t respond.
“Aren’t you a little young to be in here with the men?”
(...)
“Hey! I’m talkin’ to you, boy!”
“Do you know who that is? Leave him alone!”
“Who cares who he is? I asked him a question. He needs to learn a little respect.”
“You moron, that’s Mark Marshall! My little brother and little sister were in the lunchroom over at the middle school when it blew up a few years ago. He and his friends saved their lives! They got them out!”
“So? He’s in here now, so he can’t be that special.”
“Think whatever you want, but leave him the hell alone! Mark? Mark?”
“What?”
“Are you ok? Don’t sweat this. You can’t have done anything all that bad.”
“I wish that was true. Just leave me alone.”
“Alright, but thank you for letting me keep my brother and sister. I don’t care what they say you did, you’re a good man.”
“I was, but I’m not now. Please, just leave me alone.”
“Hey boy, thought you might like to know your girlfriend didn’t make it. You killed her too. You ready to talk now? I hear it helps to confess your sins.”
“Leave him alone, you sorry pig!”
“I see you made a friend, boy. I hope he kissed you first.”
“Dyer, why don’t you stick that pistol in your mouth, pull the trigger, and make this world a better place? You’ve been an ass since grade school. Leave him alone.”
(Franklin jail, front desk)
“I’m Brian Marshall. We were told you are holding my brother, Mark. Where is he?”
“He’s in lockup.”
“Why has he not been allowed a phone call?”
“When the little bastard learns to respect authority, we’ll let him have one. He won’t cooperate.”
“And what does that mean, exactly?”
“He won’t answer our questions, won’t talk to us at all.”
“May we see him, please?”
“When he grows up and figures out that we’re in charge, I’ll think about it.”
“You will not ask him anything else. His attorney is on the way. I am his legal guardian and you do not have my consent to interrogate him. Is that understood?”
“If you’re in such a hurry to get him lawyered up, you must know he’s guilty too.”
“We don’t even know what he is accused of doing! All we were told is that he is being charged with murder!”
“Well, that means he murdered somebody. It’s really not that hard to understand.”
“What is your name?”
“It’s on my shirt, if you can read.”
“Not good enough. Give me your business card. I want proof of who I talked to.”
“Fine. Here, not that it will do you any good. Face it, your brother is a criminal and he’s going to prison.”
“We’ll see. I meant what I said; you do not have consent to ask him any questions. If you do, you will have violated his Constitutional rights.”
Brian and Morgan go outside to wait for the lawyer. When Morgan spoke with him, he was only too eager to help. He promised to meet them at the jail in two hours. Apparently, Evan Wainwright commands respect and loyalty, at least among lawyers.
(Franklin Jail, 6 PM)
“I’m Kevin Ormsby. I am Mark Marshall’s attorney. You are holding my client without legal representation. I have a court order, signed by Judge Gregory Phillips, ordering Mr. Marshall’s release on bail. You will take me to Mr. Marshall immediately and process him for release.”
“We haven’t even booked him yet! The little bastard won’t answer our questions!”
“Judge Phillips said to have you call him if you decided to be difficult. Here is his card. I suggest you take a more respectful tone with him; he doesn’t tolerate disrespect well.”
“He’s just a family court judge!”
“He is still a sitting judge with full judicial authority and you are holding a minor. He can also write arrest warrants for law enforcement officers that the Sheriff can and will execute. Shall I call him to see if he wishes to go that route? You know, he has a soft spot for children.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“In a heartbeat, I would. I don’t like your attitude. I’ve had problems with your department before and am out of patience with you people. Now, do you take me to Mr. Marshall and release him into my custody, or do I make a phone call?”
“Come with me. (Under his breath) Damn lawyers.”
“I could say the same about bad cops. Watch your mouth, officer.”
(Outside the jail, 6:30 PM)
“Mark, are you ok? You’re bleeding!”
“It’s not mine. Anastasia touched my face before I killed her.”
“Mark, I just talked to Erin. Stacy’s still alive and still in surgery. Who told you she was dead?”
“The cop who arrested me. It doesn’t matter. I did this to her. I got her hurt.”
“Son, did you stab her?”
“No Sir, but she was stabbed in a fight that I started.”
“Then you didn’t do this to her. Mark, we will beat this. You will be a free man. I spoke to a Deputy Eric Preston on the way here. According to him, the security recordings clearly show the dead boy attempting to stab you in the back and Stacy protecting you. They clearly show you engaging Stacy’s attacker. They also clearly show you attempting to keep him from falling over the rail. Your actions were in self defense and you did try to save his life.”
“It doesn’t matter. If it wasn’t for me, Anastasia would be safe. I’m not worth defending.”
“Mr. Marshall, several clients I represent are not worth defending, and yet I defend them. Many of the clients your attorney represents are not worth defending, but he does. You sir, are a far better man than they are. You are very much worth defending. I believe Mrs. Marshall told me you and Stacy are to be married. Put this out of your mind as much as you can right now. Your place is at the hospital. You should be there when she wakes up.”
“Sir, I saw the wound; I know enough about injuries to know her chances aren’t good. If she survives, she will not want me anymore. It was my arrogance that put her where she is. I told her at lunch today that the five of them against the two of us were good enough for us if it came to a fight.”
“Mark, you were in a school. You had every reason to expect that even if a fight did erupt, you would not be facing an opponent armed with a deadly weapon. The school failed to guarantee your safety. The school resource officer failed to deal with the threat before you were forced to…”
“Now wait a minute! Eric is only one man in a school of around 700 students! He can’t be everywhere. He came as quick as he could!”
“That is immaterial. They deny you the means of protecting yourself and then do not adequately provide for your protection. The fault for this entire situation lies with the school administration, law enforcement, and your attackers. You need to get it settled in your mind that you and your fiance did not do anything wrong. They will no doubt try to expel you from school for acting in the way you have been taught is honorable. The police clearly intend to try to punish you unfairly. Mr. Wainwright will need you to be absolutely certain of the rightness of your actions in order to successfully defend you. Mark, you did the right thing; you have to believe that.”
“What I did killed a man and may yet kill Stacy. Have you ever killed a man, Mr. Ormsby?”
“No sir, I haven’t.”
“Then you can’t understand. I hope you never can.”
“I have killed men in combat before, Little Brother. You only had two choices, kill or die. You only had two choices, kill or let Stacy die. You made the right choice. Stacy saved your life today and you repaid her by giving up a piece of your soul. You have saved her life before in a very real sense. If you are so hell bent on keeping score, then you two are even right now. You’re in Hell and it’s going to get worse, but lean on me and Todd. Lean on Larry. We’ve all been where you are now. Don’t let that bastard George Dyer get to you and don’t ever think you did anything wrong. Mark, you’ve been a hero so many times that you’ve forgotten what normal is supposed to feel like. You and I are going to have a long talk later, several of them; but unless Mr. Ormsby has more he needs to sort out with you, we’re going to the hospital right now so you can be at Stacy’s side when she wakes up. It’s where you belong.”
“I have nothing more. Mr. Wainwright will be in touch with you either late tonight or early tomorrow. I wish you all the best and hope you never need me again. Don’t hesitate to call on me if you do.”
“What do we owe you?”
“Not a thing. Mr. Wainwright has already settled any debt you might owe me.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ormsby. Come on, Mark.”
Mark can barely make his feet move. He knows how this is going to end, no matter what anybody else says. His precious Stacy will not survive, and if she somehow does, she will finally hate him for all he has put her through. Either way, he is alone. No matter what his brother and that lawyer say, he knows his only future is prison or execution for murder. He hopes Stacy lives. A part of him hopes she leaves him if she does. He knows if she dies or stays with him if she lives, she will see how terrible he really is. His only lifeline right now is the knowledge that she once loved him because she didn’t know any better. He wishes he could trade places with her. He has always known that she is so much better than he is.
(Hospital, 6:30 PM)
(Kit reading a text)
Can’t talk. Mark released on bail. On our way there. Need help bad. Mark in Hell, has given up. Don’t know what to do. Word on Stacy?
(Kit typing)
No word yet on Stacy. Still alive and in surgery. I have an idea. ETA?
(Answer)
15 minutes
Kit puts her phone back in her pocket and takes Bobby’s hand.
“Bobby, Mark’s on his way and needs our help bad. Morgan sent me a text and said he’s given up.”
“We’ll do what we can. Any ideas?”
“Yeah, but we need everybody to do it. We probably have a good 200 people outside praying for Stacy. We need to borrow them for Mark for a few minutes. We don’t have much time. You tell Larry and Erin and I’m going to go ask for their help.”
“I’m so glad I fell in love with you. Go, I’ll take care of this end.”
(Outside)
“Guys, we need your help bad and we need it now!”
“Is it Stacy!?! Is she…”
“No, Stacy is still in surgery. The nurse said they were getting ready to close. She’s alive. She’s still not out of the woods, but she’s still with us. No, we need you to help us help Mark. He’s on his way and will be here in a few minutes. My Mom said he’s given up. He needs us now. He needs our support. Guys, he needs us to hold on. Mark’s in trouble this time, and he needs us to save him. Will you help us help him?”
Almost as one, the whole group stands up. They have never forgotten what Mark and Stacy did for them four years ago, and in the time since. They all want this chance to give back to the friends that have given them all so much.
“We’re here. What do we do?”
“A word, a touch, whatever you feel comfortable doing; that’s what he needs. He needs to see we all care about him. He needs to see that we think he’s worth it and we care about him. He needs to see that there are a lot of friends and allies on his side.”
“Then we need to get to the front entrance. We need to line up on both sides so he doesn’t have any choice but to pass between us. Guys! It’s got to be all of us. It won’t take much from each of us, but we all have to say or do something for him. We have to make him see how many people care about him, how much he means to all of us. We won’t get a second chance, so we have to get it right the first time. Let’s go!”
The boy, Jake Harshfield, leads the huge group of students and adults to the front doors. He doesn’t know it yet, but he just earned his place in the crew if he wants it. As the mass of people pass by, Kit sees the last person she expects to see.
“Mr. Bauer?”
“Kit, don’t look so surprised. The crew has done so much for me; I can’t let you down when you need all the support you can get. It’s what being a Christian is all about.”
“You…”
“Last summer. You started me down the path almost four years ago and I kept following it to see where it would lead. Kit, you started me on a journey that saved the souls of me, my wife, and our children. There will be four more people in Heaven because you took the time to give a blind man his sight.”
“Welcome to the family, Mr. Bauer; ours and God’s.”
Bobby had come out and is standing beside Kit. He laughs.
“What’s so funny?”
“Morgan said those very same words to me, the night you led me to Christ. I guess it’s true; like mother like daughter.”
“I wish Eliza was here.”
“She is, William too. Betty just got here with both of them and Jordan and Noah. Tabby and Sherry came with them too. I almost forgot, Alan’s here, and Jennifer. I don’t know who called them. The whole crew is here for Mark and Stacy.”
“Good thing. It sounds like he’s going to need all of us and everybody else too. Let’s get up there.”
“Alan, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t believe you. Now’s not the time anyway. We’re here for Mark and Stacy. You’ll have plenty of time to stab me in the back again later.”
Alan walks away to the other side. When Brian, Morgan, and Mark show up a few minutes later, it’s obvious to the group just how bad off Mark is. Brian and Morgan have to coax him out of the truck. The man they knew who always stood tall and had a swagger in his step is just a shell now. His shoulders are hunched and his head hangs low. He drags his feet as he walks slowly toward the hospital. Most of the students can’t believe what they see. They are truly worried and their hearts go out to him. Somehow, every student, parent, and teacher manages to touch him as they speak words of encouragement to him. None of it registers with Mark. When he reaches the doors, he has to stop because Jordan and Noah block his way.
“Mark, she’ll be ok. We’re all here for you. You’ll be ok too. It’s our turn to take care of you now.”
“Mark! Man, you guys get in here. Doc come to talk to us!”
When Mark looks up, T sees something he never thought he’d see. There is a look of pure terror on Mark’s face.
“Mark, you got to come. They won’t talk to nobody else.”
“Why not?”
“The paper say you next of kin. They only talk to you.”
“Oh God, no.”
T understands what Mark’s going through; he went through the same thing with his brother. Jordan and Noah part as T steps forward and puts his arm around Mark’s shoulders.
“She save you and me both. We do this together. Come on, it be ok.”
Brian and Morgan hang back as Mark lets T guide him to the waiting room and what he knows will be the most heartbreaking words he will ever hear.
“T, I’m afraid.”
“So am I. We do this together. You never give up on me, I ain’t gonna’ leave you hangin’ now.”
“She’s everything to me, T; and she’s gone.”
“You don’t know that. She was alive thirty minutes ago.”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if she makes it, she’ll hate me.”
“Mark, you crazy. That girl love you. She couldn’t hate you if she wanted to. Really man, it be ok.”
When they get to the waiting room, Jess sees T supporting Mark. He really is helping Mark to stay standing and walk. She sees what Eliza saw and goes to him. She doesn’t say a word, just takes his hand in hers. It makes T happy, but he doesn’t even look at her. Right now, Mark needs him more. T eases Mark into a chair and Aaron starts to tell him the news.
“Mark, can we speak freely about Stacy’s condition with all these people around?”
“Aaron, they deserve to know more than I do. Tell us.”
“Stacy came through the surgery. The knife cut into her heart but didn’t go deep enough to penetrate. Dr. Albright caught that and repaired it. I didn’t see it. We had to remove the bottom third of her left lung. She will have reduced lung capacity, but at her age, she’s still growing some so that might not be as severe as it could be. She will take time to get accustomed to it, but she will. She’s not out of the woods yet, but we think she’ll recover and heal well. Given how young she is, she may never notice a difference after she heals. Mark, we think she’s going to make it.”
Mark can’t hold it back anymore. He starts sobbing. He can’t control it, he would give his life for Stacy, He wishes he could take her place now. He would give anything for her to be safe and him be the one fighting for his life. Silently, the whole crew surrounds Mark. Each of them has a hand on him in support. There is no judgement, no condemnation. Mark has been there for all of them. He has been their strength many times. The only emotion each of them have is gratitude that they can finally be there for him. Each and every member of the crew would give everything for Mark, because he always gives everything for them.
“Aaron, can Mark see Stacy when he’s ready?”
“He’ll have to gown and mask, but I’ll take him personally. She isn’t awake yet, but she needs him at her side.”
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