The Epilogue

Betrayal -- Epilogue

For some, the ending of part 6 left too many unanswered questions. I hope that this section, told largely from Jeannie's perspective, brings the desired closure to this story.

No detailed sex occurs or is viewed by persons under the age of 18.

If you haven't read Parts 1-6, this will be a mite confusing. This section picks up with Jeannie and Joe leaving the ranch after the events described in Chapter 5.

Jeannie stared out the passenger window of her dad's SUV, watching the brush fly by as they headed east to I 35 and then north to San Antonio. She appeared relaxed, but her countenance was stern, her body still, and her eyes never wavered.

"A penny for your thoughts" offered her dad.

"I doubt they are any different from yours, Daddy. Concern for Tim's boys and wife, concern for Tim and those who go with him, anger at those responsible. Sound about right?" she replied without turning her head.

"Pretty much. Add in a lot of prayer, and we're real close.

"You know he has to do this, right Honey?"

"I know, Dad. After hearing the confessions, and then his children and Karen being taken by a ranger and deputy, he's absolutely certain he can't rely on anyone else. I know that. But it doesn't make it easier, does it?"

It grew quiet again as the lights of San Antonio grew brighter and the ranch fell further behind. Jeannie leaned her seat back, put her bare feet on the dash, and lay back. The memory of cutting her husband in two with the shotgun, so easily pushed aside in the heat of battle and the aftermath, crawled back into her thoughts. How could she have so cavalierly taken the life of someone she had loved, had pledged to spend her life with?

At the time, it was an obvious decision; kill or be killed. Now, second thoughts and other options crept into her conscience.

"You really didn't have a choice, Baby. He came after you with the stated intention of taking you, letting men use you for sex, making movies of them doing it, and then selling you to the highest bidder. Yes, he was your husband, but in name only. He relinquished that position when he began cheating on you and beating you for not trusting him when he blatantly lied.

"If you hadn't pulled the trigger, he would have killed Tim -- maybe me too -- and taken you. Don't let doubts creep in; you had no choice!"

She knew that, but having her dad say it aloud did help. She turned her thoughts back to Tim, and his desperate quest. The possibilities were so terrifying she had trouble examining them, but she made herself.

He could be successful; rescue his wife and children, and carry them to freedom. If that happened, would he reconcile with Karen? That possibility hurt her heart, because she knew she loved him.

He could rescue his family, but be arrested by those in power who couldn't let the story get out.

He could find his family dead, kill all those responsible, and spend the rest of his life in prison, his claims discredited by the corrupt politicians who hold power.

He could die trying.

The only appealing outcome she could conjure up was,

he safely rescues his family but divorces Karen, marries her, and they live happily ever after

. That made her smile, but only briefly; the odds were bad.

***

Once home, Joe parked in the garage, lowered the doors, exited the vehicle with pistol in hand, and bade her follow him. Emelia and Kathy were waiting just inside. They hugged each other, and exchanged greetings and 'I love yous'.

Joe turned back to his younger daughter, grasped her by her upper arms, and in a caring but firm voice, asked, "Did you see the checkpoints as we neared the neighborhood, Jeannie? Did you see the brief flash from the trees as we approached the house?"

She looked confused and shook her head.

"Those are my people, but what if they weren't? I hate that we find ourselves in this situation, but you must be alert and watchful; your life, and our lives, may depend on it!

We don't know who they are, or what they know or don't know, but they do know you are Larry's wife and he -- they -- put a bounty on you! What happened in south Texas doesn't change that! You are still in mortal danger, and, as a result, so are your sister, mother, father, and anyone you're with!

"The danger didn't end because some of them are dead; if anything, the price on your head went up, and I have one on mine! Your mom and sis would be collateral damage, or good hostages, and nothing more, but we have to assume those highly-placed officials still want you for the same purposes.

"I'm sorry I have to kick you while you're down, but you don't have the luxury of stumbling through these times in a fog of regret and fear. We need the Jeannie from the ranch, not our little Princess."

Jeannie grabbed her daddy around the waist, hugged herself to him, and sobbed. Her mother and sister surrounded and hugged her too, and they cried on her while her dad stroked her hair and told her to cry it out, because she would need to be strong today, tonight, and for the foreseeable future.

She had no idea she had that many tears to shed, but after several minutes of sobbing she felt a strange relief, a calmness, and a sense of resolution setting in. Her mom and Kathy had long since stopped sobbing and were simply holding her. Finally, she turned her daddy loose, straightened, and said, "Thank you, my precious family -- I needed that. I guess I had to get that out of my system to face the horrors of the past month, and the murky and frightening present and future.

"Mom, Kathy, let's sit around the kitchen table and get you up to speed."

The update took well over an hour, because Jeannie and Joe were brutally honest in recounting the story and in describing the current situation and plans. There were several times when Kathy gasped and grabbed her chest, and a number of times when her mother shook her head and closed her eyes, barely able to stomach the thought of what happened. It was one thing to hear the stories of Joe's experiences in Vietnam before she knew him; it was quite another to have her baby girl involved in such events!

All four of them had tears in their eyes from time to time, but they accepted that some things just have to be done.

While the conversation was still fresh on their minds, Joe showed Jeannie where he had stashed various guns around the house, and encouraged her to keep the .38 special in her purse. He handed similar small pistols to his wife and older daughter with the same instructions, and then they devised a plan to defend themselves should an attack make it past the guards. Joe again warned all three of his girls that safety needed to be paramount in their thinking at all times.

"To think, six weeks ago I was married to Larry and had no idea all this was going on around me!" Jeannie stated, and shook her head in disbelief. "I must have been deaf and blind, and I was definitely an idiot for not leaving the first time he hit me - which was not even six months after we were married! Looking back on it, from the beginning I wanted him to be something he wasn't. I ignored what I didn't like, built up what I did, and clung to him like a mindless twit; it's no wonder he had no respect for me!"

"Sweetie, I'm afraid part of your problem was your dad and me. You were so happy, outgoing, and carefree as a child and teenager, and you were always the prettiest and most popular girl in the school. We failed to prepare you for the difficulties you would face, much less for charlatans like Larry. That was a hard lesson to learn, but you've dealt with it now, and all you can do is learn from your mistakes and forge ahead."

"Am I doing the same thing with Tim? It's almost as if he's 'the perfect man' in my mind. Am I seeing something that isn't there with him, like I did with Larry?

"I pray I'm not, because I've never felt so strongly about someone, but I think I need to hear other perspectives."

Kathy was shaking her head: "Alan says he's a great guy, and my impression is that he's crazy about you."

Emilia reached across the table and put her hand on her youngest daughter's: "Honey, I don't know Tim well at all, but I see things in him I never saw in Larry. I...we, hoped Larry would grow into his role as husband, and someday, as dad, but he didn't change and grow up. If anything, he seemed to be intent on controlling you, not forging a bond to withstand the rigors of marriage and family. We worried about that, we worried about you, and we worried about Larry.

"I certainly do not see those problems with Tim, but Joe knows him better. Joe?"

"Don't ever compare your ex-husband and Tim, Jeannie! They are nothing alike! As your mother said, Larry was a charlatan. He appeared to be a man of substance, but he proved to without values, character, or courage! Tim has all three in spades: maybe too much of each, if anything!

"I saw you two together, and there is no question there is a spark - no make that a lightning bolt - between you!"

He paused to smile and chuckle at his blushing daughter, who was seemingly recollecting that spark.

"Still, I'll caution you again, as I did down there: go slow!" He chuckled again. "Or at least as slowly as you can! When you get together, you two produce a whirlwind that sweeps you and everyone around you, up and away! I should have stuck to my guns and kept you apart, but it's hard to deny what you see and feel when under your combined influence.

"Oh, well, that's all in the past. Now we have to pray that Tim and his troops are successful, and go on from there. Frankly, I'm not sure what the future holds for you, much less for Tim, who is in the center of a maelstrom he did nothing to create. I know you love one another, but love isn't always enough!

"And with that, I realize we are discussing things over which we have no control. How would you feel about going to the chapel to pray for dispensation, and for good to triumph over evil tonight?"

***

Father Jose saw them in the chapel, noted their collective demeanor, and went into the confessional. He turned on the light, signaling someone was inside - even though it was the wrong day and time - and waited. Emelia was first, then Kathy. Their confessions were somewhat concerning, but nothing out of the ordinary for a priest in San Antonio.

Those of Joe, and then the sweet and innocent Jeannie, whom he had watched grow up and whom he had married in this very church, were, however, on a level he had not encountered since he served in Rwanda in the early 1970s. There was no single act of penance he could prescribe to cleanse them, so he ordered prayer, prayer, and more prayer: prayer without ceasing!

After they left, he prayed for them, repeatedly. He knew he should have ordered them to resolve to never repeat such acts, but... had they not acted, good men would be dead and Jeannie enslaved. He had seen firsthand what happened when evil men triumphed over good, and, regardless of current church teachings, he could not hold the good at fault for fighting against the darkness.

***

Years before, Emilia had talked Joe into building a screened-in "chapel and dining room" out along the north fence by his barbeque pit and outdoor kitchen. Crosses and crucifixes of various kinds adorned the back wall of the chapel, and a statue of Mary looked down from a platform high on the wall.

As nightfall drew near, Joe asked how they would feel about him grilling steaks and vegetables, and eating in the chapel. They thought that was a great idea, and it became even better when he brought his boombox out and played upbeat gospel and praise music on the cassette player.

They kept a pleasant family conversation going, designed to keep Jeannie's mind off the rescue mission, and she responded well enough; but the tension was obvious, in her and in her father. She ate less than anyone, but did pick at her food and continue to converse with them.

After the meal, Kathy began putting the paper plates and plastic utensils in the trash, while Joe cleaned up the grill. Emilia opened the storage door under the tiled serving shelf, which also served as an altar, and got out four kneeling pads. After setting them on the shelf, she took a jeweled box from the cabinet, turned back to her daughters, handed each a rosary, and suggested, "Perhaps this would be a good time to recite the rosary, say three Hail Marys, and ask Mother Mary to intercede on our behalf."

Rather than answer, Jeannie took the beads, laid a pad in front of the alter, looked up at the statue of Mary, and knelt in prayer; the others quickly joined her. With the music playing quietly in the background, they recited the rosary, and then recited Hail Mary three times.

Jeannie remained, eyes shut, avidly praying silently for the welfare of those being rescued and the rescuers, until Emilia urged her to sit with them around the table, hold hands, and continue praying. They remained in the chapel until the phone on the back porch rang, sometime after 3 a.m. Joe hurried to the porch and answered the phone. The others scurried back and stood behind him.

"That's not a problem, Ranger. I was having trouble sleeping tonight anyway." He was silent, listening for several minutes, and then laughed a mirthless laugh.

"I appreciate the report, Jim, even if you are as drunk as a skunk! You know I'd have preferred to be there with you guys, fishing all night, but my business called. Glad to know you had a good night, caught a couple of really good ones on the trot lines, and no one got so drunk they fell overboard! Maybe we can get together for a fish fry someday soon, after things calm down.

"Now, all of you need to put the beer away and get some rest. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Hasta luego!"

He turned back to his daughter with a big smile and announced, "If I understood the code -- and I'm pretty sure I do - they rescued the kids; they are safe, and no one on the team was injured!"

Jeannie slumped in relief, but Kathy caught and hugged her.

Joe continued, "Jim was slurring his words. He said they were all drunk, and he suggested I stay up and watch the early news like they were going to do, because there were rumblings about something big happening out on Lake Travis. I assume that malarkey was in case someone was listening in, but I think we do need to put some coffee on and watch the morning shows that begin at 4:30."

The coffee tasted good and smelled better, but there was nothing on the 4:30 segment. Just after the five o'clock segment began, they had a BREAKING NEWS interruption, and the morning anchor described a terrible explosion and fire at a home on Lake Travis. He said the building was leveled and the inferno still roared. A gas leak that filled up the basement before igniting was suspected, because the explosion was so devastating and the fire so intense.

No mention was made of survivors or the dead, so they waited for more news.

Jeannie got a phone call at 8:30 from the DPS. After apologies for calling early and for the bad news he had to deliver, the official said it had been determined, through identification of prints from a severed finger, that her husband was dead.

She asked how they knew he was dead rather than injured, and he explained that forensics showed the person was already dead when the finger was removed.

He told her that no other remains had been found, but a search was being conducted where the finger was found, near Pleasanton. She knew the actual remains were 75 miles away to the southwest under a mountain of red sand, and the body would likely never be found. That made her heart flutter with sadness.

After getting another cup of coffee, she screwed up her courage and called his parents in Chicago. They were distraught at the loss of their son, and his mother made it clear they blamed Jeannie because she had abandoned him. She took a deep breath, expressed her sorrow, and talked about some of the good times they had shared with his parents as recently as last Christmas.

After they discussed having a memorial service as soon as the body was recovered, the conversation became stilted, and his mother started crying again. She wished them well, said they would talk again after more was known, and hung up.

She thought, 'They blame me because I left him? If only they knew!' and then began crying again. Some of the tears were because her husband was dead, but more were because she was the one who killed him and brought so much grief to his parents.

Exhausted, Jeannie fell asleep on the couch; her mom covered her up, and she and Kathy went upstairs to nap. Joe went to his dealership to check on things, but returned a couple of hours later and joined the sleepers.

***

Around 12:30, the phone rang. Emilia picked it up, and then went into Kathy's room, woke her, and gave her the phone. She talked for ten minutes or so, before going to the living room and waking her sister.

"Jeannie, Alan called. He said Tim's boys were found in the brush near the site of the fire; they were with two high school students, and all are safe! He also said Tim was going to the morgue to identify his wife's remains. She was found on a boat across the lake from the fire. She had been raped and strangled."

Jeannie cried tears of joy for Tim and his sons, and then tears of sorrow for Karen. Whatever she had done, she did not deserve to die like that!

Tim called a few hours later, using his distant, formal voice. He expressed his sadness at Larry's death, and offered his condolences. She donned her formal voice and responded in kind, expressing her sorrow at the loss he and his sons had suffered. She offered her assistance; he thanked her but declined, and then offered his assistance to her; she politely declined as well.

She knew they couldn't be together in these circumstances, but she had never needed anyone more than she needed Tim right now, and she cried about that.

The Hildebrands ate a very late lunch or early supper together -- canned chicken noodle soup and crackers -- and then went to bed after the evening news, which added little of substance to the earlier story.

***

Emelia woke her daughters at seven and insisted they come eat breakfast tacos before they got cold. Joe had eaten earlier and gone on to the dealership, and, before he left, he had said there was nothing new about the house fire on the morning news.

The three women ate and drank coffee, and carried on a pleasant conversation that avoided all the trauma, drama, death, and disasters of the recent past. At ten thirty, they decided to go buy groceries, and maybe stop by North Star Mall for some leisurely shopping. After discussion, they decided to 'dress up' a bit, hoping that would improve their attitudes, and each wore a sun dress with comfortable heels.

Emelia called the dealership and left a message for Joe telling him where they were going. Mom and Sis were heading out the door into the garage when Jeannie remembered daddy's warning. "Mom, Kathy, did you bring your pistols? I'm going back to get mine; do I need to bring yours too?" She did; although they and Joe had been regulars at the nearby gun range for years, carrying guns was not a part of their daily routine...yet.

North Star Mall came first, since their grocery list included food that had to be refrigerated, and they enjoyed shopping and buying clothing more than groceries. They had a bag from Foley's and another from Frost Brothers when they stopped for a bite at the food court, and added another bag each at their next stop, Joskes.

Happy and heavily laden, they left Joskes' and walked toward Emelia's car, which was close to the new "Giant Justins" boot sculpture on the north parking lot.

What made her do it she never understood, but for some reason Jeannie began watching a white service company van that was moving slowly along, keeping pace with them, three rows over. She watched for a few more steps, and then called out to her mom and sister, feigning the need to stop and rearrange her bags. They were laughing at her, until they saw the look on her face.