Betrayal: Chapter 4
There are no characters under the age of 18 having sex in this story. Please read the first three chapters before reading Chapter 4 because each story simply picks up from the end of the previous chapter.
Chapter 3 ended when the judge granted Tim temporary custody of the kids after Karen's story fell apart.
Karen did not take it well: she glared at her co-conspirators, and they glared at Tim. He returned the smirk they gave him when he entered. "If only they knew what I have planned', he thought; 'their time is coming!'
Benton turned to the other six and said quietly, "We underestimated him. It's time we look at other, more permanent options! Meet at my office at 7 tonight, and I don't care what your wives say! Be there!"
Supper at the Haussmann's was a happy affair. Jeanie had prepared spaghetti with meat sauce AND meatballs, a big salad, a bowl of fresh fruit, and gelato for dessert. Andy, Eric, Kassie, and their kids being made it a party-like atmosphere. After the meal, however, the men convened into Jimmie's office to listen to the tapes from the night before that the PI had dropped off.
The more they listened, the madder and more concerned Tim became.
"They are fucking unbelievable!" Tim ranted. "Their arrogance and lack of conscience, much less remorse, take my breath away!"
Andy spoke in calm and measured tones, cautioning, "That's true, but did you catch the underlying menace in the promise Benton made to Katy? She twice threatened them with ruin if she didn't get her sons back, and the second time Benton promised her they would do whatever they needed to make that happen. Rodgers told her not to sweat it; there is more than one way to skin a cat. Those may be taken as benign assurances, or as threats to you, Tim."
"I hope they DO come after me! They have no idea what I'm capable of!" Tim threatened.
"Just make sure your boys don't get caught in the middle, Tim," Doctor Eric warned.
Tim responded, "They won't hurt the boys: Karen would literally skin them alive if a hair gets mussed on their heads! No, if Andy's right, they will try to catch me alone, or with anyone but the boys."
They went back to listening to the new audio tapes from the phone and house. The discussion proved that they had committed the actions they swore under oath they hadn't, and that they conspired to fabricate a false narrative prior to the hearing. When the tapes ended, Jimmie stated, "They are TOAST! At the hearing Judge Williams will hear the conspiracy and send them directly to jail for perjury and conspiracy to commit perjury!"
Tim then started the video tape of Karen's first times with JW, Steve, and Frank. By the time they finished watching and hearing what was being said, his armor against Karen's charms was inches thick and made of titanium.
At Andy's behest, they turned their attention to the Board of Trustees meeting tomorrow night.
After hashing out the options, they agreed on a plan of action that would result in all of the professional educators facing dismissal for cause and the two board members being removed for moral turpitude. They concocted a special plan for Larry Barnes, hoping to not only get him fired, but also get his time in jail increased.
***
Thursday dawned bright and sunny, matching Tim's disposition. Jeanie had again slept with him, although this time she wore flannel pajamas and he wore sleeping shorts and a tee shirt. They cuddled, slept, and woke up snuggled against one another. Tim's raging hard on was poking Jeanie's thigh, but he was able to extricate himself without waking her.
As he stood by the bed looking down on her, he noted that the regimen of ice/heat/ice/heat had greatly diminished the facial swelling over the past 24 hours, and that her relaxed sleeping position indicated that the anti-inflammatory drugs had reduced the pain in her face, ribs, and lower back.
Still, from her right she was the same beautiful blonde creature Tim knew so well, but from the left she was something from a horror movie. As a result, she stayed inside and away from people as much as possible, and Eric had continued to make house calls to allow her privacy while she healed.
At the high school, Tim learned that both JW and Steve had submitted letters of resignation early this morning, having accepted better paying jobs at a 'rich school' out in the West Texas oil fields. Beth had also resigned to take a teaching job there, and all three had been granted leaves of absence by the superintendent.
Tim immediately called Andy: "I won't let them resign and leave -- I want their asses on a platter! Do I file against them for violation of school policies, or what?"
Andy explained that he had already spoken with David Pierce, his friend and president of the board of trustees, and the board would proceed with the hearing on inappropriate conduct, including blackmail, extortion, sexual harassment, and intimidation, against Rodgers, Slaughter, Hughes, Ward, Allen, and Benton. "Word has leaked that you will appear, and that you have proof of their guilt. I heard they have a noon meeting scheduled at Benton's home, which is available because his wife left him and is filing for divorce. Doesn't that make you feel bad for him?" Andy asked sarcastically.
Tim snorted in response; "So, I should be there at what time?"
"David will call the meeting to order at 7pm, accept minutes and reports, and then move into a brief closed session. They will review the allegation and applicable policies, offer an opportunity for the board member or educator to speak behind closed doors, and then return to open session. The consideration of evidence and the vote will have to occur in an open meeting. We may be called into the closed session, or asked to provide evidence during the consideration portion of the open session; David didn't know what their attorney would say.
After consideration and discussion, the president will entertain motions, they will vote, and then the regular meeting will commence. Let's meet in front of the administration building at 6:30 to see when the Board's attorney wants us to present."
Tim agreed, and returned to his normal schedule. Chet joined him at the field house at the beginning of the athletics period. He briefly explained to the athletes that Coaches Slaughter and Rodgers had resigned, allowed questions, and then told the kids and other coaches that Coach Kelly would be in charge of the offseason strength and conditioning program. There were cheers and clapping at that announcement, and everyone eagerly took the field after Coach Kelly apprised them of his plans to change the 'offseason workouts' to focus on helping them get bigger, faster, and stronger.
The workout was the most spirited the coaches or Chet had seen, and Tim was pleased at the enthusiastic support he was receiving from the kids and his fellow coaches. His afternoon classes went well, and he left immediately after his last class ended at 3 pm to go get his sons.
The daycare center director, Mrs. Gonzales, walked out with Tim, who was holding Mark on his left arm and Patrick on his right. She stepped in front of him and began animatedly telling him about a costume party planned for next week.
They were standing on the sidewalk about a dozen steps from the door, talking about the 'superhero' party when Tim's attention was drawn to a pickup parked across the street about half a block away. He was looking over her shoulder trying to figure out what it was about the truck that spooked him, when it started forward. He spotted a glint and saw a rifle barrel extending from the back window on the driver's side.
He tossed his unsuspecting sons in different directions, yelled a warning, and pushed the director to the side. The boys were flying through the air away from him when he felt a burn across his left shoulder near the neck and heard a shot. He almost immediately felt a tug at his left hip and heard another shot ring out. Ignoring the pain, he ran toward his truck to draw fire away from his sons, and heard a third shot just before he reached his pickup; that one missed, but he heard it strike something behind him.
He reached inside and pulled his pistol from under the seat. Another shot hit the windshield and flew by his head. He stepped outside the door and something hit him in the lower leg as he leveled his pistol at the shooter. It staggered him so he reset his feet and fired three rounds into the truck; the rifle disappeared and the truck sped off.
Feeling weak and lightheaded, Tim leaned on the truck. His head sagged, and he noticed blood all over his shirt and pants. He turned to his kids, who were being held by the center director, Mrs. Solis. They were sobbing and crying "Daddy, Daddy!" He started toward them, but discovered he had no strength in his legs; he fell forward onto the ground just as a police car screeched to a stop in front of his truck. Knowing his sons were unharmed, he allowed himself to succumb to the encroaching darkness.
***
Tim became vaguely aware of beeping and buzzing sounds around him and he heard voices. Opening his eyes, he discovered he was connected to various tubes and wires, and was surrounded by monitors and IV stands. His mouth was bone dry, and his neck and shoulder hurt when he tried to raise his head.
He heard a gasp, and slowly turned his head toward it. Suddenly, a hand gripped his and a female voice cried, "He's awake!" He recognized Jeanie, but was confused because she wasn't wearing an eye patch, her stitches were gone, and the swelling was absent from her face. She looked so pretty, but he thought he remembered that her husband had beat her up. He tried to talk, to ask her how she was, but she shushed him and whispered that everyone was all right, and he needed to rest. He closed his eyes and again succumbed to the darkness.
The next time his eyes opened, he had medical people, both male and female, all around his bed. He stared at the man wearing a white coat and a nameplate who was standing closest to him. He tried to ask him why he was here, but found that words couldn't escape from his dry mouth. A female in blue scrubs placed a straw in his mouth and let him suck a small amount of water before she withdrew it.
The doctor asked if he knew why he was here; Tim's foggy brain searched for a reason why a healthy man like himself would be in a hospital, but he couldn't make sense of the confusion. He croaked "No" and the nurse gave him another sip of water. Doctor James asked him what he did remember. Tim recalled that he had a family, and that he had been picking his boys up from daycare when...something happened. But what?
Then it all returned: he had been shot! He blurted that out, and then asked in a panic, "Are my sons okay?!"
