American Tapestry Winter JenningsChapter 5
- 3 years ago
- 19
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My cell rang. FaceTime request. Birdy Cummings. Odd, she was supposed to call me on one of my burner phones. A specific one. Before I answered, I connected the phone to my MacBook. Hurriedly, and I was glad I’d practiced the drill, I completed the 11 steps necessary to be able to record the call on my laptop.
“Hello.”
“Winter! I’m so sorry! Run!” Birdy with a shotgun jammed to her chin. Silence for a moment, then Birdy screamed, an anguished, almost inhuman shriek.
Something was being done to her offscreen. Something horrible.
I was gripping my cell almost hard enough to crack it. Staring at my laptop in horror.
A calm, almost pleasant voice said, “Winter Jennings. You’re next, carpet muncher.” Greta Gunther.
I yelled, “Wait! Don’t!”
“Bye Bye Birdie.”
The blast jarred me, made me jump. She must have purposely held her phone right next to the shotgun.
Heart racing, face flushed, hands shaking, I called Daddy. Gave him Birdy’s address; we both knew she hadn’t been killed there. But he’d know the fastest way to get a team to her house to verify it. And the forensic people would start there.
And Daddy would also know the fastest way to get protection to my office. I had the sense that this was now personal with Gunther. Birdy would have had to tell her the entire story. With me as the driving force that had flushed Ms. Sniper out.
I moved away from the windows, just in case. Sat down with my new Mossberg ATI Tactical shotgun across my knees. One of two I purchased after DJ Winston was assassinated. The second one I’d taken to a part-time police armorer and had him saw off 2/3 of the barrel. Illegal as hell, but it fit right into the special concealment compartment in my F-150.
The third shotgun, my original, was in our loft in the Wrigley.
I called the Sullivans and told Jessie what had happened. She said, “We’re gone.”
Next: Vanessa. No hesitation, “I’ll take the kids to Mission Hills. What’s Phillip’s New York number?”
I gave it to her, my voice subdued. “Wait until the police show up. They’ll escort you, make sure there’s no tail.” Pilar could sit on Walker’s lap. I didn’t need to tell Vanessa to garage the distinctive Jag. I did say, “Take the shotgun.”
Who else? I considered alerting the other Irregulars. But decided that was a stretch. Gunther was after me. Besides Birdy knew only their street names, didn’t have any contact info.
So. Daddy would see to my mother and sister. Vanessa and the kids would be tucked away. The Sullivans were on their way somewhere.
I imagine Gunther had called me soon after she had tortured my name out of poor Birdy. A grandmother, 60 years old. Her youngest daughter was pregnant again, I remembered that. Birdy who so enjoyed the cloak and dagger stuff.
I heard the sirens from blocks away. Peeked out a corner of my southernmost window to verify they really were who their decals claimed. I spotted Sergeant Finch and moved away from the windows. Snipers.
Mayor Tom Lynch held the press conference in the Union Station parking lot. Symbolic. And smart, dozens of reporters clamored for his attention. The Media Department had set up a giant screen, much like the ones that had showcased DJ Winston.
This evening the spotlight was trained on Greta Gunther. The best likeness of the handsome, black haired woman became the most famous face in Kansas City. All over, actually. The HEADSHOT! sniper now topped the Most Wanted list of every legitimate law enforcement agency.
It was three days before Birdy’s body was discovered. By smell. By dogs nosing around, whining. An abandoned garage in Salina, Kansas. A city of under 50,000. About 200 miles across State Line. Gunther was heading west. And probably north. Idaho. The FreedomRiders compound.
Homeland Security would be all around the 700 acres. But it would be impossible to cover every way in. There were probably tunnels that wouldn’t show up on satellite and drone coverage.
Every highway, state and county road, farming and logging path, no matter how obscure, would be manned, every vehicle searched.
No one was very optimistic that Gunther would be found that way. That hardcore survivalist family and their followers were tactically trained. Refresher courses, drills, the latest in technology. And 2,000 allies inside the compound. Plus plenty of sympathizers along the way.
The FBI team, Quantico division, found that Gunther, under the name Karen Olson, had purchased a used Saturn station wagon. Black, a 1995 S-Series. In Kansas City, Kansas. Paid cash, $2575.
The FBI learned this from the nationwide tip line. But they learned it three days after Birdy’s body had been discovered. So Gunther had been in the wind for about a week.
The FBI had my laptop, the one I’d recorded Birdy’s murder on. I wondered if I’d ever get it back. Decided I didn’t want to.
Daddy, through Hank Morristown, kept me up to date on the Gunther rumors. The latest were from DC. And, if true, terrifying. Although most of what I heard was as unreliable as that kid’s game, Telephone. And what turned out to be fairly accurate was late in reaching KC. Not all of it, but most of it.
The US Senator on the powerful Judiciary Committee, Harper Wainwright, doesn’t fit the mold of his conservative western state, Wyoming. He is a Democrat for one. An increasingly rare breed out West. Even though he’s 72 and in his fourth term, he’s still the junior senator. But with a massive independent streak. Which is what his constituents liked. Fierce self-reliance was more valued to a lot of them than party labels.
Wainwright is a much-decorated Vietnam veteran. Which he doesn’t talk about. When that stint ended, a three-letter agency in DC had a quiet talk with him. And sent him to Berlin for a crash introduction to the Eastern Soviet bloc.
Wainwright doesn’t talk about that either.
He’s worn his hair in a brush cut all his life. As have his male relatives. He comes from a respected family of cattle ranchers -- quiet, hard-working people who don’t grumble much when weather, markets, livestock diseases and similar events go sideways.
Harper Wainwright is a listener. More intelligent than he lets on. But he does more than listen, he remembers. And every once in a while takes action. Usually subtle, oblique, nab ‘em before they know he’s there, action.
He heard the first hint, just a whisper, about David and Charles Meriwether almost two years earlier. About two years before the CEO of Oasis had been assassinated.
Wainwright had never met his billionaire Montana neighbors, few people had.
And that vague passing comment sounded more like a tipsy wish than real intelligence. He was at the bar of T-Joe’s Steakhouse in Cheyenne. The senator was waiting to meet two fly-fishing buddies. No political talk, no business talk, just three old friends swapping trout lies.
Wainwright was considering the blackened prime rib. But he knew he’d end up ordering his usual, the 16-oz. ribeye with peppercorns.
He was leaning sideways on the bar, his back to a large, ruddy man in a well-worn cowboy hat. White. The erstwhile cowboy, his own back to Wainwright, lowered his voice, but the senator could still detect the smile in it, “Well the Meriwethers are up to it again.”
Wainwright didn’t hear the mumbled reply, but easily made out, “They stepped into the arena big time. Black money. Financing ... friendly groups.”
Two weeks had gone by since Birdy’s murder. Then Greta Gunther was spotted on one of the drone feeds. In the FreedomRiders compound, casually jogging her usual five miles, dark head holding steady, arms pumping smoothly.
Hank Morristown had managed to cling to his Oasis task force leadership. Daddy said it’s a testament to the esteem DC has for the quiet, dogged man.
With Daddy’s assent, Vanessa and the kids moved back in with me in our Wrigley loft. Not because Gunther had been located. More because we couldn’t spend our life in hiding.
Barry Hopkins was back from the St. Louis safe house, back working at Oasis again. The FBI decided that he wasn’t a high-level target. The healthcare company had back-paid him for all the time he missed at work. Appropriately so. Dan Bartlett, the placeholder CEO had decreed it. At the behest of the two Helsinki women really running Oasis.
But both Barry and I, plus the Sullivans, Vanessa, Daddy, are certainly accessible. Especially to the FreedomRiders sniper unit. Not a comforting thought.
Senator Wainwright forgot about the Meriwether gossip until he returned to DC. He called in his chief of staff, 56-year old Constance Grayson. Connie is a respected professional, highly recruited by other senators, both Democrats and Republicans. And by the White House in the two previous administrations.
Wainwright smiled at her. As usual it was just the two of them in his hideaway office in the Capital. No trophy walls, no photos with grinning politicians. He said, “Start a file. David and Charles Meriwether.
Connie smiled back, “Oh my.”
‘Start a file’ didn’t necessarily lead anywhere. But when it did, Senator Wainwright was at the forefront, with more knowledge, more facts, more connections, than anyone else.
He pioneered the first federal study on the opiate epidemic. At the urging of his personal physician who had seen the early signs of devastation coming. The senator co-authored the first legislation to turn emergency funding over to the states.
Wainwright believed in the science of man-influenced climate change. He didn’t argue with his colleagues, just did enough quiet, friendly, arm-twisting to fund the hiring of dozens of experts in the field. Rarely going right at a controversial topic head on, he wrote the rider to focus on added protection for the power grid. Something most legislators could agree on. The newly hired scientists were in under an innocuous banner.
But Connie knew ‘start a file’ wasn’t done casually, not by Senator Wainwright. She said, “Direction?”
He told her about the overheard snippet in that Cheyenne steakhouse. Connie nodded, made a note, looked at her boss and said, “Hate groups.”
In the logical part of my consciousness, I understood why the FBI, or the ATF, or any branch of Homeland Security, couldn’t obtain search and arrest warrants for the FreedomRiders compound and Greta Gunther.
Oh, they could. But by the time the raiding party arrived at the only vehicular entrance to the enclosure, Gunther would be long gone. Tunnels were almost a certainty; they were assumed to be buried too deeply to show up on satellite. Plus there were hundreds of small exits. Just turn off one electrified section and Gunther could be miles into the woods in any of three directions.
Beyond that, there was every possibility of an armed response. Over 2,000 angry men and women who genuinely hated governments. Especially the Federal one. Add to that the dozens of homeschooled children who could become unwitting shields. Or perhaps not so unwitting. Programmed from birth, many of them.
Optics.
Helicopters were ruled out. Without question the FreedomRiders would have surface-to-air missiles. And have them ready once a warrant was served.
But the emotional side of my brain seethed. I wanted the cunt who had killed, in this order: Bob Morrow, Barry’s assistant. DJ Winston. Birdy Cummings. And most probably others that we didn’t know about.
Hank sympathized with me. I sympathized with him.
Birdy Cummings haunted me. A pleasant woman who got such a kick out of playing Nancy Drew.
Greta Gunther.
An FBI assistant showed Daddy and me into a conference room. Against all policies and protocols, Hank Morristown showed us the Gunther family tree. An ugly tree, gnarled and twisted with poisonous roots.
He pointed to the top, “Klaus Gunther, Greta’s grandfather. His ancestors were Idaho outlaws too, but Klaus was the first one to go off the grid, to declare war on the government. Founded the FreedomRiders in 1965. Funded from bank robberies, small time heists, dope, the usual.”
The arrow pointing down went to one black & white photo: “The son, also named Klaus. Current head of the movement. Three kids.”
Three arrows pointed further down to three color photos: “Niclas, the oldest. Jannik. Then Greta, daddy’s sweetheart, she’s the baby of the family.”
Cunt.
Hank kept the pointer on her face. “A lot of early FreedomRiders underestimated her at first. Gave her shit because she wasn’t popping out white babies.”
That, I had learned, was the primary female mission -- deliver babies to grow the pool. The FreedomRiders and their fellow travelers were fine with non-believers -- especially blacks and browns -- having abortions, access to birth control.
Just not their own women. They were expected to deliver baby after baby.
Well.
Hank moved his pointer back up, “Word is that Niclas, the oldest kid, is the smartest. Not that Greta is dumb, she isn’t. But she’s more of a stiletto, Niclas is a planner.”
There were dozens more Gunthers and their relatives on the cork board. Many deceased, and not necessarily of natural causes. A startling percentage were incarcerated. The Gunthers were equal opportunity prisoners -- federal, state, local.
Off to the side of the mug shots there was series of close-ups. Every arrested Gunther had an 88 tattooed on his left forearm. Hank told us what we already knew, “The eighth letter of the alphabet -- H. Double H, Heil Hitler.” Sweethearts.
Arrows pointing to tiny boxes emanated from most of the young women -- children they had borne. Future FreedomRiders.
Hank pointed to one photo, unlinked to the Gunther outlaw family tree -- “Otto Gunther. One of Greta’s cousins. Odd duck, doesn’t seem to have any affiliation with the FreedomRiders. Wharton graduate. Stockbroker in Philadelphia.”
Daddy said, “Uh oh.”
Hank shook his head, “We’ve run him through all the filters. Seems clean. But we’ll keep an eye on him.”
When Constance Grayson started a file, it was never something so boneheaded as putting a manila folder in a locked filing cabinet. Well, she did that. And the notes were handwritten. She never went digital on sensitive cases.
And it was difficult to imagine anything or anyone more sensitive than the Meriwether billionaires. Come to think of it, it wasn’t that difficult. The Meriwether billionaires AND hate groups. American Nazis.
After Connie and the senator agreed on his schedule for the day, she put a throwaway phone in her purse and left the Capital. Took the Capital Subway System to the senator’s main office in the Hart Senate Building. Plain Jane architecturally, but at least it didn’t look like a cereal box.
She told the seven staffers, mostly young men and women, “Back in an hour or so.” They were used to seeing her leave without giving a reason or destination.
She walked in the general direction of the Smithsonian and dialed a number. To another throwaway which was changed at least once a week.
Matt Striker knew who the caller was. Constance Grayson was the only person who called the investigator on his ever-rotating roster of burner phones. He answered, “Striker.”
“Got a moment?”
Matt laughed, anyone in the know made time for Connie. For the chief of staff of one the most quietly influential people in town.
Matt Striker was 36, young for his rung on the DC ladder. Tall for his profession. Discreet beyond imagination. Dark hair, a lined Nathan Lane face, expressive and sympathetic.
Connie sat next to him on a bench, both looking straight ahead, “New file. David and Charles Meriwether. Possible funding for hate groups.”
She stood and walked back toward the Hart.
I went back to work, back to something approximating a routine. But Greta Gunther was never far below the surface. Unlike my last big case, a rogue lab in California, Gunther wasn’t a faceless adversary. I knew what she looked like, what she sounded like. What she had done.
I’ve never killed anyone, never even shot at anyone. But I felt, without much doubt, that I could shoot Gunther. Of course, I’m no sniper, so I’d have to get close in. To a sniper.
There was no doubt in my mind, she would try to kill me. The carpet muncher who had ... not quite ruined her life. But certainly inconvenienced her. Homeland Security had the FreedomRiders compound under permanent surveillance. Well, permanent until things changed.
Gunther could have plastic surgery, I guess. I probably would in her situation. Apparently the FreedomRiders had enough money to bring in a medical team. Bring in a hospital for all I knew.
At the time, I had no way of knowing those early, faint, Meriwether / FreedomRiders rumors were being adroitly orchestrated way back in DC.
Matt Striker worked solo. No receptionist, no administrative assistant, no partners. His was a lone-wolf operation.
Thanks to Constance Grayson, Matt had licenses and permits that gave him every bit as much leeway as a senior FBI agent. Pack a weapon on a commercial flight? No problem. Concealed carry everywhere in the country? Naturally.
But more vital than the street-level advantages, was his digital access to almost every government website in the country. Federal, state, county, parish, city.
People understandably make fun of government Alphabets. But the law enforcement databases that Matt could navigate were invaluable. ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). The FBI’s NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System). NCIC (National Crime Information Center).
Because of the possible Meriwether connection, Matt regularly checked RMCIN (Rocky Mountain Criminal Information Network) because it included states from Arizona north to Canada. Including Montana and Idaho.
Matt wasn’t at a genius level on computers, but he was more than good. Just below brilliant. His real flair, however, was in interactions with people at almost every level. He wasn’t intimidated by high ranking politicians. He wasn’t influenced by K Street. In fact, the world of lobbyists didn’t know he existed.
Those who did know him -- precinct cops, grifters, hustlers, secretaries, storekeepers, bar patrons -- saw him as a pleasant, low-key guy. His one-man shop had something to do with executive travel arrangements. Or was it futures trading? Furniture imports?
Hank Morristown, through Daddy, told me to be patient. That he was working on something. Something bigger than Greta Gunther, but it included her.
Be patient. What choice did I have?
As prearranged, Constance Grayson called Matt Striker a week after their initial Meriwether meeting.
He sat next to her and said, “Not much.”
“Early innings.”
“I spent two days in Montana. Billings. Some bar talk about that Meriwether PAC. RightWorld. Politicians aren’t popular, as you know, in that part of the country. But folks seemed positive about RightWorld. Doing the Lord’s work and all of that.”
Connie shook her head. If the Lord’s work included defunding Head Start, closing down public schools, eliminating Planned Parenthood. And sponsoring private militias, backing close-down-the-federal-government politicians, jailing anyone who strayed from their narrow orthodoxy.
Matt said, “Went up to Coeur d’Alene too. The FreedomRiders have a quiet presence. Do their shopping in town, so that boosts the local economy. I overheard three different people say Greta Gunther had been framed by the Feds.”
I work on myself to avoid becoming a hater. Sometimes it’s difficult, particularly in these charged political times.
It’s hard not to hate the hate groups. In my mind, I’ve shorthanded them to ‘American Nazis’.
But the leftwing ... at best, naive dreamers who see Utopia through Washingtonian eyes. The government can fix everything for everybody. Well, no.
A darker view, promulgated by conservatives, portrays the left as anti-American, anti-Christian. anti-free markets ... the party of antis. And some in the movement, like the Antifa activists, fit into that category.
But I’m not a hater. Mostly.
I invited the Winter Irregulars to a Saturday luncheon at our Wrigley loft. Except for Cathy Austin, none of them had been here before. Sort of a church and state separation. Or something. In any case I had been shielding my family from the street people.
But Birdy’s murder ... well, something inside me shifted. She now felt closer to family than street.
In addition to Cathy, the honored guests who were able to attend were:
Buster Fagin and his mate, BJ Kowalski.
Tony Gonzales, that handsome fat man who is always making moves on women. It had shocked me that my mother had an affair with him. But I got over it -- she’s human.
Joey Viagra. I prepared Vanessa and the kids to be ready for his personal erection reports.
Bernard Mingo Cochran. I’d keep an eye on the slick little crook.
Bobby ‘Just Kidding’ Armstrong. No way he’d miss a free feed.
Sara Cunningham. Involved with that horrible Hugo Blenheim.
Squeaky Collins, still in high school.
Jittery Gerard Malden.
Corky Dawson, the Peanut barmaid.
It wasn’t a Birdy Cummings memorial, nothing like that. Although I planned to say a few words in her honor. But in addition to thanking the Irregulars, it was an opportunity to remind them that it wasn’t a game. It could be dangerous.
Just ask Birdy’s children. And grandchildren.
The FreedomRiders were almost impossible to infiltrate. The Meriwether brothers, far more so.
Money, deep rooted suspicion of the outside world, zealous acolytes. Xenophobia. David and Charles never appeared in public. They weren’t recluses though, nothing like that.
They hosted fundraisers. Each brother owned several houses, mansions, ranches, beach homes, around the world. To be invited to a conservative event at the Meriwether level meant, in the circles that mattered, you’ve arrived.
The donations were gathered at the very start of each conference. And the amounts shared with the attendees. No one arrived without a six-figure check to fund this cause or that one. Often, seven figures.
It was an insular rightwing world, everyone knew everyone else.
Matt Striker would have to start somewhere else. Somewhere lower.
At my Irregulars party, Tony Gonzales hit on every female in the loft. Including Pilar. Vanessa gave Walker a ‘chill it’ look and he tried.
But the most persistent Pilar pursuer was little Buster Fagin. Pilar seemed more amused than anything at the 12-year old boy. But Walker was becoming visibly annoyed.
BJ nudged Walker, “Buster juss want some gash, Walk. And that ain’t no trash talk.”
Out of the mouths of babes. Even my son had to smile.
Another park bench in DC. Now it was almost two years since Senator Harper Wainwright had heard that initial Meriwether scrap of gossip. And three days after the assassination of the CEO, Donald Jefferson Winston. The FBI didn’t have a single lead. Not a solid one, anyway, not a promising one.
Matt Striker had moved full time to Coeur d’Alene. He eventually cozied up to one of the biker brothers in a loosely knit Idaho gang, Rocketeers. The bikers were remotely affiliated with the FreedomRiders. Matt had never asked a single question more penetrating than, “Another brew?”
Matt didn’t try to pass himself off as anything more than an amateur Harley fan. No 72-hour Cannonball runs, no tricked-out bikes. But he and Rags Reston had one shared background -- they’d both served, at different times, in Basra. Neither one talked about it much. Except for some initial conversations to establish the other one wasn’t bullshitting.
Reston ostensibly worked as a mechanic at the nearby truck stop on I-90. But his real gig was cooking meth. He was careful, dedicated. And connected. Through his biker friends, he made regular cash donations to the FreedomRiders. Not nearly enough to make him a player. But enough to allow him to continue to operate his little lab.
In DC, looking straight ahead, Matt told Connie. “Disturbing gossip. Heard it both places.” Billings and Coeur d’Alene.
Connie waited, she wasn’t much of a chatterbox. Which further distinguished her in this town.
“Two things. There are whispers linking the FreedomRiders to that assassination.”
“Oasis. Kansas City.”
“Right. Second subject. Rags Reston ... well, he has a tell. When he thinks something is serious, his voice lowers, he gets quieter.”
Connie waited.
“Rags was a little more talkative than usual. There’s some FreedomRider buzz. Excited chatter. Some big event. No details but I heard one guy in Billings say, ‘About time. The world will sit up.’ And this is even a wispier scrap, the code name of the operation, if there really is one, might be KZ.”
“I’ll get back to you.” This rose to the Senator Harper Wainwright level. In his hideaway office. Swept for electronic surveillance twice a day.
Connie added two purposely cryptic notes to her Meriwether file: Oasis. Big event.
Greta Gunther hadn’t left the FreedomRiders compound for 27 days.
Stay patient.
Fuck.
Senator Harper Wainwright sat beside Constance Grayson in the back seat of the black Lincoln Town Car. Which had been stretched, not to gargantuan lengths, but enough to install a back-facing seat. The senator conducted many of his most private conversations on the move.
Matt Striker noticed the security team following them. In addition to the two armed men in front. The privacy divider was up.
The senator said, “The Oasis assassination, that’s a law enforcement issue. Pass the rumor along to your FBI contact.”
“What about the Kansas City office?”
“DC first. Then a courtesy call to the field office.” He shook his head, “HEADSHOT! was terrible. And kids around the world saw it. But that’s in the past. They’ll eventually track down who’s behind it. I hope.”
Connie murmured, “The Meriwethers.”
Wainwright nodded, “If there is a FreedomRiders connection to Oasis, the Meriwethers might well be involved. Very indirectly of course. Tracks well covered.”
He looked steadily at Striker, “But this other ... something big. Something the world will notice. We may have to take action without ... proper sanctions.”
Striker said, “Those are bad people. Out at that compound. My contact has never been inside the wire, but he believes they can outgun the Idaho National Guard, the State Police, any single police department in the state.”
“Do you think they’re planning something in Idaho?”
“No, honestly I don’t. These are not stupid people, not at the top anyway. If they go for something, it’ll be a bigger target. More deaths. Or something symbolic like Lady Liberty.”
“Just like the terrorist groups we’re monitoring.”
Connie said, “The FreedomRiders are terrorists.”
Shortly after the Sullivan twins had identified Greta Gunther, Hank Morristown invited Daddy and me to his office. “Meet a guy from DC.”
Matt Striker, if that’s his real name, has the most soulful eyes I’ve seen short of Pantone’s Basset Hound. Matt had a nice quiet demeanor. Serious subject, but he didn’t take himself too seriously. Tall, I like that too.
Hank said, “Tell ‘em, Matt. They’re cleared.”
“I’m just a private investigator. Like you, Winter. But I’m working, sort of off the record, for the US Senate.”
Daddy said, “Who? Which committee?”
Hank said, “Confidential, Dave. Sam says to trust Matt, he’s a straight shooter.”
Sam. Sam Sifton, Hank’s boss in DC.
Matt said, “I’ve been looking into the FreedomRiders. Spent most of the last two years on the fringe. Never tried to get inside, so this is ... hearsay. Gossip. But I’ve heard it more than one place.”
Daddy stirred. He wanted to know the backstory. Who Matt was working for.
Matt said, “The word is that the FreedomRiders are involved in the Oasis killing. Assassination.”
I kept a straight face. It was nice for once to see the locals a step ahead of the big guns from DC. But this was Hank’s show so I kept quiet. Apparently Sam Sifton had too. Hadn’t mentioned that the FreedomRiders were more than involved. The founder’s granddaughter, Greta Gunther had pulled the trigger.
Hank must have like what he saw in Striker. He slid Gunther’s picture across his desk. “The sniper.”
Matt Striker was stunned. Just for a moment. Didn’t try to hide it. I liked that. Then he smiled. Which turned into a quiet chuckle. “You rubes must have stumbled over a clue.”
Hank gave him the outline. Matt was suitably impressed. He, with all his DC connections, with his time in Idaho, had heard a rumor. We had identified the fucking killer.
Matt said, “Damn good work. Very impressive. That direct tie-in between the FreedomRiders and Oasis nails it. No question.”
Then, he elaborated on another rumor. Perhaps an even more vital one -- the Meriwether brothers and the FreedomRiders. Funding.
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Although I like to think of myself as a city girl, I spent four months with a cowboy / hippie / redneck / poet. We were opposites in so many ways -- politics for sure. Also, taste in clothes, food, art, movies. Just about everything except in bed. I’ve never talked with Daddy about my sex life. And don’t plan to. He’s never asked, not even when I was way too young to be involved in the kind of mischief I was cheerfully seeking. I certainly won’t talk with him about Corrine Anniston. Where...
After they dried off and dressed, they enjoyed their picnic lunch next to the water. “Who else has access to this area?” she asked as they lay back in the grass.“Only us,” he said, closing his eyes and feeling the warmth of the sun on his face.Without a word, they both had reached over to one another and held hands. Their fingers interlocked, both emitting a sigh. During the next week, the king would not allow the queen behind the tapestry. All he would tell her was that he was working on...
BDSMA Tapestry of Stars The first thing that drew my attention when I came into my local Pride center for the first time was a large tapestry with gold stars covering it. Above the tapestry was the the words "We remember" in large glowing letters. I went over to one of the staff and said, "Wow. That represents all the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people who have lost their lives?" "Actually, that's just for the Trans people. We need a book for the others." I went over to the...
In order to come up with the down to buy BaBoomz, (hey, up with the down!) Vanessa and I have to divest ourselves of our shares in four American solar panel distributors. In sub-Saharan Africa. But it had become time to sell anyway. Gertie explained the evolving situation to us over drinks at BEAR’s on Broadway, “The fucking Chinese are everywhere. They finally started manufacturing their panels in Africa. So it was just a natural extension for them to move into distribution.” Louie-Louie...
The king arrived back in the early evening on the third day. He summoned his counsel and had them meet with him.“Where is the queen?” he questioned them as he sat.“Sire, she is handling a situation at the moment and said that she will reunite with you at the dinner table.” said one of the elders.Unable to fully concentrate on the updates from the counsel, the king dismissed everyone with the excuse of being weary and needing to eat. He informed the counsel that they would assemble again...
BDSMPart 1The king and queen sat on their thrones and watched the last of the court exit the large wooden doors. The doors closed with a resounding boom that echoed through the throne room. Once the echos faded away, the king's shoulders sagged and his chin fell.“My queen.” The king said as he turned his head and looked into her eyes. “I am weary, I have taken the weight of the land upon my shoulders. I will ride out tomorrow and will be away for three days. I need to see the people and let...
BDSMAmerican Snapshot: In Montana it is illegal to guide sheep onto a railroad track with the intent of damaging the train. Vanessa and I agreed to bring Walker and Pilar back home. We couldn’t hide them forever, although Rebecca Montgomery was enjoying their company enormously. But school. Friends. Life. An FBI agent was still posted in the Wrigley lobby. Gunther wouldn’t be able to board the elevator even if he were foolish enough, or desperate enough, to return for another try. Nor would...
I knew now, knew without the slightest doubt, what my subconscious had been trying to tell me. The Oasis aftermath. The Gunthers. Or the Meriwethers. Or maybe both. Almost certainly Gunner. I had been the instigator of the Gunthers’ downfall. Was probably the symbol. Hated symbol. And the Gunther collapse was tied directly to the arrests of David and Charles Meriwether. The Buckshot Video was similar to the FaceTime video I’d saved on my laptop. When Greta Gunther blew the head off one of...
Pilar is tireless, gotta give her that. She entered Hobo in a couple of sheepdog contests mainly as a lark. And because her beloved border collie would enjoy it, love being outdoors, running, jumping, herding. Turns out he’s good at it. And Pilar must be too. Although it’s harder to tell with the handler. But between them, they started finishing in the money. Well, taking home a ribbon anyway. So Pilar applied herself. Talked with other trainers, owners, breeders. Studied countless videos....
Daddy brought Ash Collins to our loft. First visit. Vanessa had picked up the kids; my family was home. Ash gave Hobo the back of his fist to investigate. He’d read the file. Hero Dog. Hobo’s reconnaissance consisted of a thorough sniff-around followed by a single, approving lick. It was now 9 in the morning, still Tuesday, still sunny. I hadn’t peed myself. Ash nodded at Walker and Pilar, “Lose them.” My voice sounded off, “Of course.” Walker opened his mouth, then closed it. Ash looked...
Pilar waited until Hobo was two to start breeding him. She told Vanessa and me, “He’s in demand; we may as well cash in while we can.” And part of this surprised me. I was neutral on Hobo becoming a father. I assume dogs like pussy just like most boys do. What I hadn’t realized was how valuable some of the puppies might be. Even though we don’t know who Hobo’s ancestors are, there’s already so much talk in the sheepdog world. He’s winning more ribbons at a higher level. Hobo and Pilar are....
Vanessa and I took Lyft to the hotel and checked into the High Line. Overlooking the former elevated railway now converted into one of the most popular parks in New York. She and I were grinning as we unpacked. Why? Here’s a hint - the bellman opened our drapes as wide as they would go. He didn’t say anything, didn’t need to. He saw two hot-looking babes and pegged us correctly - a couple of showoffs. Now Vanessa and I aren’t gigglers, that’s not us. But there were a couple of wide smiles...
Pilar said, ““That’s good about Weinstein, right? The pig.” Vanessa glanced at me, then said, “Yeah, it’s a good thing so many women spoke out. Finally. But it’s not that simple.” Pilar frowned, “Why not?” Gertie said, “Ask Winter.” Walker looked from one of us to the other. Pilar’s hand rested on Hobo’s head. We were Saturday-lounging in our favorite corner booth. BEAR on Broadway. Fortunately we have an in with the owner who reserves the best table in the house for us when he knows...
Matt Striker invited me to meet him for drinks at Chaz. We’d done that once before. And I like the idea that it’s in the Rafael, that there are hotel rooms just upstairs. Instead though, I invited him to the Wrigley for a home-cooked meal. He travels so much, he’ll appreciate the gesture. Although the home-cooked part entailed my heating up pork soup and veal osso buco from Wrigley, the downstairs restaurant. Mainly though I wanted him to meet Vanessa, Walker, and Pilar. He knows I’m...
I’d kept the FBI-seized grey Escalade, circa 2015, while I was back in Kansas City. It had been my intention all along to stock up, go back to Texas, and fuck Bob Randolph over. And now my stock was sitting next to me as we barreled south through Missouri, a corner of fucking Kansas, down Oklahoma and north Texas into Dallas / Ft. Worth. I smiled at Kim Rhee, one of Harold’s little whores. Borrowed for an illegal sting. I picked the youngest looking one available. He smiled back, happy with...
After a satisfying solo dinner at Ruth’s - I went with Ahi Tuna, rare, instead of a steak - I was back in my Hilton room. Opening a bottle of red, which I also wouldn’t put on my FBI expense sheet. I’m not 100% altruistic though; Gertie will find a way to write the evening off. I’d rather face the IRS than Ash Collins. I was just chillin’. Looking out over city lights, one of my favorite sights. Hey, lights and sights. Phone call. Walker. Good, I’m just in the mood to talk with my little New...
‘Mmm, Bastien…’ Sebastien Byrne looked down in dismay, watching as his new bride lovingly faked her way through another orgasm. She was very good at it—soft and sweet, and imminently realistic. No glass-shattering screeches, or siren-like banshee wails. In fact, if he hadn’t been inside of her when it happened, he would have sworn that it had been real. His pleasure greatly diminished, he rolled over onto his side, and pulled her body tightly against his. Winter wrapped her arms around his...
I watched Alicia talking to us. Not down to us, but just as if she and I were dorm room pals discussing whether to order pizza or heat up some ramen. In other words, she wasn’t trying to convince. That’s a trait I admire. And I believe it comes from self-assurance, from believing that you are right. And that you know the subject, know what you’re talking about. I may test those waters myself, knowing what the fuck I’m talking about. Someday. She said, “We fell into the exaggeration trap...
The wagon finally pulls up to the shop, Grayson immediately jumps down and embraces his family in a huge hug, exclaiming “How I’ve missed you!” as he kisses his wife quickly and hugs each of his kids. Turning, he motions towards Sasha. Sasha then turns to the girl, and says “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” As the girl is waiting next to the back of the wagon, Sasha walks over to Grayson and he introduces her to his family. “This is Sasha, she’s the knight who escorted me all the way here.”...
Winter and I played in the bathtub together. Our fingers,lips and tongues,teased and caressed each other,until the water took on a chill and the bubbles from our bubble bath were almost gone. I drained the tub,turned on a warm shower and as we rinsed off I could not help but notice how beautiful she really is. Winter will grow to be be a stunningly gorgeous woman. I am sure of that.Once again I wrapped her in a towel and carried her back to the bed. She, snagged another towel from the rack as...
The homeless and poor peoples winter feastBy RotnebSynopsis: Every year there was organized a charity festival in the village hall for the city's homeless and poor people, a feast where all the poor once a year get filled stomachs and amused. This year will be something special when Lisa and eight other young women voluntarily donate their naked meat to the feast banquet and to entertainment for the homeless and poor. The story is only fantasy.The meats The first Sunday in February came the...
The king led her to the back of their dungeon. He stopped her in front of a reclining chair with multiple rods, shelves, and footholds emerging from the side and back.He released her hair, took the lantern from her hand and hung it on a hook that was suspended by a chain from above. The swaying of the lantern caused the light to shift, making the shadows dance and creating ominous and eerie figures on the wall. She was unable to fully picture the device because of the dim light and melding...
BDSMThe morning found the king and queen laying in the same position. With his hardness returning, he thrust himself and entered her with ease due to the wetness of their desire still on and in her. This encouraged him to wake her with his passion of wanting. His desire to paint the inside of her once again with his extract of life.Sometime during the night, the queen had removed the new gift the king had placed on her nipples that previous night. She had decided that she enjoyed the pleasure it...
BDSM"April come here," I spoke gently as always, resulting in a reluctant but immediate halt to the erotic triple lip to vagina proceedings on the mat in front of me. "Oh master please, we were just nearing that beautiful moment when the world catches fire and the stars explode, showering pure ecstasy throughout our bodies." Always eloquently submissive in her soft alluring voice, April rose on one elbow; her beautiful face moist with the juices of precum pleasures reflecting disappointment...
"April come here," I spoke gently as always, resulting in a reluctant but immediate halt to the erotic triple lip to vagina proceedings on the mat in front of me. "Oh master please, we were just nearing that beautiful moment when the world catches fire and the stars explode, showering pure ecstasy throughout our bodies." Always eloquently submissive in her soft alluring voice, April rose on one elbow; her beautiful face moist with the juices of precum pleasures reflecting disappointment...
LesbianIntroduction: Story about brave girl winter walk At first I have to start with me, that this project requires to give also self-experience. I have practiced winter nudity many years, but not regularly. There have been some pauses. I have been lucky to share winter nude walk with some girls, like here: http://www.nudeimagehost.com/viewer.php?file=56243058045088081241.jpg These are my photos and my car can be seen in two photos of these series. In previous winter I began from 1st January and then...
Marlene was a princess of the 9thB class in her school in little town of the northern country. She was an excellent student and also beauty – long blonde hair, pretty face and model-like legs. She was aware of her charm, but she wanted more. She tried to figure out, how to impress stronger. Marlene was ready to show up naked in front of the boys, but she wanted to find a good reason, which does not seem too easy. Suddenly she found a way – it must be an extreme nakedness like naked in...
In previous winter I began from 1st January and then every weekend, but not only the coldest (4-5 Feb), from which I wrote main story later. Longest time was at 26th February 1 h 47 min and temperature in this day about -4-5 (23-25 F), but sunny. Feeling of cold is not the same every time. Generally it can be very different. But normally after some 30-40 minutes is the warmest moment, then you don’t feel any cold. After some 1 h – 1h 15 min body started to feel colder again, but not too much....
October 12, 1996, Rutherford, Ohio Rutherford, Ohio was a relatively small town; but then again compared to Chicago, Cincinnati was a relatively small town. Rutherford was bigger than Milford, but not by a lot. It had the regional trauma center, the BMV, and the Harding County courthouse and other government buildings, as well as the Sheriff’s Department. I could imagine Milford being like Rutherford if all those facilities had been in Milford, instead of Batavia, which was the Clermont...
American-Man At War By Paul G. Jutras "1,2, 3, 4...." Christine said as she stood in gold three inch pumps and a backless evening gown with spaghetti straps. With the clicking of drumsticks the band prepared to join in. Soto began to played the guitar in his usual leather jacket, pants and boots and red tee shirt. Mark played the drums, Luke the keyboard in their yellow and red striped coveralls, and Starshine the tambourine in her purple blouse, leopard print mini skirt...
Siberia, morning of 23. December, second day of school holidays. Yulia xxxxxxx (family name secret), 11, unlike other girls, is nudist, which means, she spend holidays mostly naked. In summer it is not a big problem, only for community maybe, but here in xxxxxx (place name secret!) village nobody is complaining about matter. But now is winter. This year weather has been more severe already before winter solstice. Temperatures has been fallen below -30 and today is not an exception....
Richard Hyder was apoplectic, “Your Honor! This is outrageous! Trial by ambush! I’ve never seen anything so ... underhanded, so deceitful, in my forty-one years before the bar.” “Is there an objection in there?” Judge Graves seemed more amused than annoyed. “Yes! Yes there is. The Defense hasn’t even begun to present its case and this ... this ... private eye miraculously points the way ... I object! This ... these items cannot be entered into evidence.” “Grounds?” “Illegal search and...
On a hunch, Clint asked his Vanguard counterpart in Boise to go through the old surveillance videos before the raid on the Gunther compound in northern Idaho. A raid clandestinely approved and funded by Senator Harper Wainwright. And orchestrated by his chief of staff, Constance Grayson. And field-directed by Matt Striker. Boise called back the next day. Winner-winner, chicken dinner! Martin Folsom again. That tied him to two American Nazi compounds. And also made me start reconsidering...
I woke up in Palo Alto feeling ... refreshed. More like my old self. First time since ... well, it had been a while. Feeling morning-naughty, I sat under the shower spray and treated myself to a quickie. Dressed for success, I was checking myself out in front of the hotel mirror. Picked up my cell, “Hello.” “What are you doing in California?” I smiled, sat back in the club chair, Clint Callahan. “And this is your business ... why?” “I made it my business.” “Oooh, tough guy. I’m still...
The churning and merging is so vigorous that surrounding objects tremble with the movements, and so wet that a continuous sloshing sound is noticeable above the din of heavy breathing, rhythmic throbbing intonations and voices that betray heightened excitement and arousal. With pressure rapidly building and heat rising, the white frothy liquid reaches a point where it must burst from its dark enclosure. The bright juice sparkles in the sunlight as it is spewed, in copious amounts, into the air...
Group SexThe Necessity of Winter By Armond *** 1. Arthmael. I ripped the dagger from her heart... ...and held it, inches from the girl's fur wrapped chest. My hand refused to sheath the blade, pleading instead for release, to plunge it back. How I longed to; for the first time in my life, I would raise my wishes over duty to my people. Time stilled, as I fought my nature. The single movement in the room was bright red blood falling from gleaming blade.... ...one drop...
The police responded in under three minutes; two ambulances right behind them. One of them said, “Gun!” and I felt, but couldn’t see, one cop grab my shoulder bag where he removed the .38. The other one cuffed me, hands behind my back. Morales and I were rushed to University hospital. I ended up on the second floor of the Critical Care Tower. Morales was in the same building, but in the burn unit. When Suzette aimed at me, I had ducked my head and squeezed my eyes shut. That helped, but my...
There are sidebar effects, ripple effects, to many of my cases. Oasis was the second time I’d worked directly with the SAIC, Hank Morristown. Earlier he and Daddy had helped me out in California. Hank and I aren’t contemporaries — he’s closer to Daddy’s age. And we certainly aren’t social friends. But we were becoming ... if not fond of each other, familiar. Daddy invited us to one of his backyard gourmet cookouts. He uses ‘gourmet’ ironically because it’s usually just burgers and hot dogs....
Every case has its ups and downs. The Edwin Caruthers Foundation is no exception. Yes, I had been discouraged about the race track fatality. Well, not the fatality exactly, but the fact that it hadn’t been a factor, hadn’t been a secret, all along. I went back to Waldo, back to the cozy little bungalow where the Sullivan twins lived and worked. Worked in their bedroom office and, I assumed, lived in the other bedroom. None of my beeswax. I updated them on Woolsey and said, “Print out...
I was driving my red F-150. Gertie in the middle, Harold, shotgun. We were braving suburban Raytown without Columbo, naked without Harold’s bodyguard. Gertie wasn’t complaining about the less-than-comfortable middle seat. She was strapped in and going over today’s lesson with Harold. Again. “This isn’t a whore building, Harold. You’re playing it straight today.” “I know, Gertrude. Market diversification.” Harold, seat belt diagonally across his dark blue blazer, white shirt, Trumpian red...
2019 That was then; this was now, four years later. A lot had changed in my life since I told Carol Sue Parker goodbye at O’Hare. Of course, a lot would change in any four-year period; it’s just that I ended up measuring that particular span in terms of a young woman I had thought I’d never see again. Life goes on. Walker was now 15; I was 33. I was married, deliciously so, to Vanessa Henderson. Walker had a live-in girlfriend, his second, named Pilar Paloma. I was still doing a daily...
Chapter One“Damn it! Where did they go?” I mumbled to myself as I came to a fork on the icy path on this icy alpine mountain. Derrick, my boyfriend, thought this trip would be a great way to spend our winter break from the University we attended in Chicago.Susie, my BFF, and Sean, her boyfriend, all were excited about the trip. I guess I was the only one who didn't like the idea. The news has a way of making the world seem dangerous. Chicago doesn't have the best reputation, but I feel safe...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWe both awoke around six-thirty and we still smelt of sex, I think it turned us both on because she was soon all fours wiggling her arse and demanding, "Fuck me, come on, I'm horny!" We had a fast, furious five minutes of hard sex and we both came again. We then sat up to get our breath and Kelly said quite matter-of-factly, "What else turns you on? Would you fuck my arse, do a threesome with me and another girl? Would you tie me up and fuck me, spank me, piss on me, or me piss on you,...
aka “Winter in the Mountains” By Louishoney This story is written for ADULT entertainment ONLY! If you are not at least 18 years old, LEAVE! She ran as fast as she could through the forest and past the pines steepled atop the golden hills of grass. She was in a panic. Her footsteps were being dogged by a band of Chippewa looking to make her their sex slave again. Four or five of them had jumped out of the forest three days ago and ran after her across the meadow while she was...
Here is talking not me, but one girl about her winter nude experience.In the middle of December my friend suddenly proposed that I could ski nude. My first reaction was: what are you talking about!? But then very quickly I realized that it is good idea. I can't explain why I liked it but when that day came when we drove to the ski center, I was overexcited and I really had irresistible desire to go there nude and start to skiing. All my life I had always proper clothing according to weather and...
"Master, more slowly go! I pray you, less haste!" Ranulf reined in impatiently under the frost-rimed trees, brushing his red hair back from his forehead. The cold was growing more intense as they plunged ever deeper into the forest. His squire's hissing speech was slurred as the cold slowed all his bodily functions. "We'll make camp as soon as we find a place that gives us any shelter. That I promise." His voice was brusk but not unkind. The lizard man had served him well in his...
Pilar: “Guy walks into a bar and is shocked to see a horse behind the bar.” Walker: “Horse says, ‘What’s the matter? You can’t believe that a horse can tend bar?’” Pilar: “No. I just can’t believe the ferret sold the place.” Alicia Collins called me from New York. “Bear told you.” “Yes. Have to admit it shocked me. Vanessa too. And the kids.” “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. But I felt it was Bear’s news to share.” “No, I understand. And he would have wanted to be the one to tell...
Walker: “A rabbi, a priest, and a Lutheran minister walk into a bar.” Pilar: “Is this some kind of joke?” Walker and Pilar, holding hands, bowing, “Thank you, thank you. This ends our Kansas City engagement.” xxxxxxxxxx Douglas ‘Duke’ Arlington. A new trial, his second, for the murder of Gustav Hindenburg in Ft. Payne, Alabama. Different courtroom, different judge, different jurors, different defense attorneys. New evidence. Ned Daniels and Hilary Dunne would reprise their prosecutor...
For some reason, crime in America follows railroad tracks. And Kansas City has plenty of both. My first, and I hope last, shootout took place near my office in the Stockyards. Besides gunplay, it involved ramming my bright red F-150 into a larger Dodge Ram. The Ford Motorcar Company told me, and I verified it through an independent mechanic, that the frame had been wrenched out of shape. It could be straightened, but wouldn’t drive the same, not really. I sat down with Vanessa and Gertie...
The new year had passed long ago on Earth, but our start of the new year was just another day on Arbor. The Arborian New Year started on the first day of spring, the vernal equinox. I chose that propitious day to deal with the alaspore and its master. I wove a new trick out of something Cor showed me how to do using the wind. I wove a cocoon out of moving air as she had shown me. I was able to use it, as she did, as a method of transportation, but I couldn't become the wind as she could, so...
Saturday morning breakfast, Walker and Gregory in charge of provisioning. Vanessa smiled at Pilar, “Is Walker still servicing himself?” Sucking his own cock. “Sometimes. Depends on what I’m in the mood for.” Gregory turned to Vanessa, not one whit of embarrassment, “I can’t suck it yet, but I can lick the very tip. Pilar thinks I’ll be able to if I keep practicing.” Vanessa gave him her glorious smile, ‘How often do you practice, honey?” “Every night when I’m home.” Pilar said, “I have...
I woke late and lingered over my campfire and my breakfast. It would take only a half day's riding to get to where I was going, and anytime today would be a fine time with me. The skies had cleared again and it was nice to wait for the chill of the night to abate before setting out. Deak seemed to appreciate it, along with the relaxed pace. He tossed his head now and then and nickered at me softly when he did. Perhaps, like me, he was chasing Vulkai cobwebs out of his mind. Remembering my...