Ghosts of the Past

Bobby Joe Hutchins sat handcuffed to an interrogation table in a Los Angeles police station Thursday evening, February 7, 1957. "This is bullshit! I haven't done anything! You can't hold me here! Lemme go!" he ranted at the two-way mirror on the wall. "I know you bastards are watchin' me! Somebody get in here and tell me what the hell's goin' on!"

Agents Charles Richards and Tom Seldon, L.A.P.D. Detective Jonathan North, Officer Rick Estevez and Hutchins' friend, Billy Green, stood on the other side of the mirror watching the man's face and neck turn red as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Billy shook his head. "I always knew Bobby Joe had a temper. And I kind of figured he'd get involved in something illegal if someone offered him enough money. But I never would've suspected that Uncle Harold was into something this deep. I kind of wondered why he called me out of the blue last fall and offered me a job workin' at his warehouses and asked me to bring along anyone I thought would be trust-worthy enough to do what they were told without any questions. I figured he was just hard up for labor.

"But when Bobby Joe came braggin' to me last night about this bundle of money he was goin' to make just by takin' care of a couple of Feds... I knew I had to let someone know right away! And I had no idea it would turn out to be you guys! Boy... if Bobby Joe had suspected that you two were the ones he was after, he'd have probably done it for free! And I never would've suspected it was Uncle Harold! I'm just glad you guys picked Bobby Joe up before he got around to doin' anything about it.

"And by the way, Bobby Joe and I were supposed to be doin' somethin' else for Uncle Harold this weekend that he wouldn't give us much information about. We were supposed to hitch a ride on a railcar up to this place called Benicia and meet someone to pick up a load of merchandise... no questions asked... and then return with it to the port docks."

Charles looked at his partner with his eyebrows raised. Tom put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We appreciate your help, Billy, but we need you to act like nothing's happened. If your uncle asks, you just tell him that Bobby Joe disappeared and you have no idea where he went. And you tell him that he'll have to find someone to take Bobby Joe's place this weekend. Can you do that?" Billy nodded. "Thanks... you can go now, and just stay calm... everything will be over with soon."

As Billy was leaving the room, two other men arrived. Chief Henry Nelson and Detective Dick Thompson closed the door behind them. Thompson scowled at the other four men.

I know you bastards all think you're above the law... You all act like vigilantes...

He was still pissed that they'd gotten away with killing a man last Thanksgiving just because they felt it was justified.

Chief Nelson looked at Tom and Charles. "Agents Seldon... Richards... we meet again. Hopefully no one will get killed this time, though I understand this guy was hired to kill you two. Is that right?" Tom and Charles nodded. "Well, then... would you like to have a crack at him first? If he won't talk for you, then Thompson and I will see what we can get out of him. Fair enough?"

Charles and Tom glared at Thompson when he snorted in disgust. Charles said, "Thanks. We've had a run-in with this guy before and I think his surprise at seeing us again will work to our advantage. Hopefully, this won't take very long!"

They left the observation room and entered the interrogation room. Bobby Joe opened his mouth like he was going to issue a stream of curses at them, but he stopped with his mouth gaping open. He frowned briefly and then his eyes widened.

He said quietly, "I know you guys... I've seen you somewhere... Where was it?" He frowned hard, turning his head sideways as he searched his memory.

Charles walked over behind the big redneck, grabbed his free left hand off the table, twisted his arm up behind his back and slammed Bobby Joe's head down onto the table as he howled in pain. "Maybe this will refresh your memory... asshole!" he growled. Then Charles immediately released him and backed away.

Bobby Joe's head sprang up from the table, his eyes wide again. "Shit! Now I remember! Vegas! You were the two asshole Feds that stuck your noses into my business with Dawnie in Vegas! What the hell are you doin' here? And why am I bein' held fer no good reason?"

Tom grinned. "Oh... we have a very good reason for holding you! Do you have any idea what our names are?" Bobby Joe frowned harder and shook his head. Tom continued. "Well... let us introduce ourselves. I'm Agent Thomas Seldon." Bobby Joe's eyes rounded nervously.

Charles leaned down next to him. "And I'm Agent Charles Richards." Hutchins' head snapped around to face him as his eyes turned to saucers. Charles stood up and chuckled. "Gee, Tom... he looks like he's seen a ghost... or maybe a couple of them! Isn't that what you were hired to do, Hutchins... turn Agent Seldon and me into ghosts?"

Before he could think straight, Bobby Joe blurted, "How the hell do you know about that?"

Charles slammed his hands down on the table in front of Hutchins and got right in his face. "You stupid asshole... it doesn't matter how we know. What matters now is that you just admitted to it. So, if you want to make things go easier for you, you'd better cooperate and tell us everything you know."

"I ain't tellin' you nuthin'," Bobby Joe said sullenly.

You might know I was hired to kill you, but I doubt you know by who...

Charles stood up straight. "Well... that's just as well. We know everything we need to know and we already have enough evidence to convict you of conspiring to commit murder for hire. And being that we're federal officers, I'm sure the Attorney General will go for the maximum punishment... life in prison without the possibility of parole."

Tom chuckled.

Damn Charles...you're good! That's a crock of shit but it sounds good and I'm sure this asshole doesn't know that...

Then he added his two cents worth. "Yeah... we don't need you to tell us that Harold Green hired you to kill us... we already know. So I doubt there's anything you could've told us that would've helped you have any chance at getting out of prison at some point. Nope... the only thing that might help you now is if you can help us get evidence to convict Green as well."

Chew on that for a minute Bobby Joe...

Hutchins closed his eyes as his mind whirled.

How the hell did I end up in this mess? How did they find out? How am I gonna get outta this?

He opened his eyes and looked at both of the men now standing at the other end of the table from him. "How on earth would I be able to help you get evidence that Green was the man who hired me? He didn't give me written instructions with his signature on it! It would be his word against mine! And who would believe me?"

Tom and Charles glanced at each other and grinned. Then Tom said, "It'll be really simple, Bobby Joe. All you have to do is make a phone call to Green and convince him that the job has been done. Then make arrangements with him as to when and where you're to get paid for it."

Hutchins frowned. "Well, there's a problem with that part. I'm supposed to be doin' another job for him this weekend and I wasn't goin' to get paid for this until that part was done and then I'd get all the money at once."

"What's this other job you're supposed to do for him?" Charles asked quickly as he glanced at Tom.

That's good, partner... don't let on to him we already know about that. It might tip him off that Billy was one who turned him in...

"Me and Billy Green were supposed to take a train ride somewhere to pick up some merchandise for him... no big deal. But Green was goin' to pay us a lot of extra money for our time. And I'm sure when I call him he's goin' to ask me if I'll be ready for that trip. So what'll I tell him?"

Tom responded casually, "Just tell him that it wasn't such an easy job taking care of two highly trained FBI agents and that you were injured in the process so you can't do the job this weekend. But you tell him that you still expect to get paid the full amount because of your injuries. That way, he won't get suspicious at all... he'll think you're mercenary, like he is, and he'll respect you for it!"

**********

The next day, the FBI had Bobby Joe Hutchins brought to their office with a phone set up to record the conversation between him and Harold Green. Charles sat him at the table in front of the phone. "You'd better make this sound good or we'll make sure the Attorney General knows that you didn't cooperate!"

Hutchins took the phone from the agent who handed it to him after they dialed Harold Green's private office number. After two rings, Green answered. "Mr. Green, it's Bobby Joe. It's done. Those problems you wanted taken care of have been... eliminated."

"Well done, Hutchins. I'll add that ten grand to your payment for this weekend's work."

"Yeah...about that, Mr. Green. You see..." He paused and hissed through his teeth like he was in pain. "I can't go anywhere for a few days. I've cracked a few ribs and I think I may have sprained an ankle taking care of those problems for you. There's no way I can make this trip now. You'll hafta find someone else."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Hutchins. Then I guess I'll have to give your other two grand to someone else."

"Oh, no you don't, Green! I earned that money, and more, taking care of this other problem for you! It ain't so easy trying to take care of a couple highly-trained FBI agents! They nearly beat the shit outta me before I could shoot 'em! You'll pay me the other two gees or I'll tip the Feds off as to who had those two G-men killed and then I'll just disappear! They've had you under investigation so they won't have any trouble believin' it!"

"ALL RIGHT!" Green shouted into the phone. Then he hissed, "All right... you'll get your money! But this money is also buying your promise to keep your mouth shut! Besides... if the FBI finds out about this, you'll be in just as much trouble as me! Even more... since you're the one who actually pulled the trigger! You just remember that, Hutchins. You'll get your money next week as planned. Don't let me hear from you again until then!" The line went dead.

"Good job, Bobby Joe. We got everything we needed. We'll put in a good word for you with the prosecutor. You can take him back to jail, now," Tom said to the two policemen who had escorted him to the FBI office. "Just make sure everyone at the jail knows that he's to be held in isolation until further notice from us." The policemen nodded their understanding.

**********

Saturday night, February 9th, the FBI, with the cooperation of the M.P.'s at Benicia Arsenal, set up lookouts and observed and photographed the transfer of munitions from a storehouse at the facility to two railcars contracted by Green Worldwide Enterprises. Photographs were obtained of William Bradley and his source... Captain Gary Butler.

Charles lowered his binoculars and muttered quietly, "I knew it! I knew that guy was involved! He must be the one who notified Green that we were on to them! But at least now we've got the source! He'll be one less bastard out there leaking arms into the black market!"

Tom sighed heavily and shook his head. "I just don't understand what happened to them. When I knew these guys, they were good men. I would never have believed they could get into something like this! There's got to be some reason why they'd do this!"

Charles looked at his best friend and partner. "Well... when we arrest them and take them in, you can ask them. But I doubt you'll like their explanations. Come on, partner. As soon as the train leaves, they're going to take Butler into custody."

**********

Late Saturday night, Gary Butler was sitting in an interrogation room in the San Francisco FBI offices. Tom walked in the door and Butler looked startled. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Tom narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Gee... I'm so happy to see you, too, Gary." Tom sat down across from him and stared at him for a moment. "Why, Gator... just tell me why?"

Butler snorted a harsh laugh, showing off his big teeth. "Oh, man, Tommy... you were always such a boy scout... with such high ideals... expecting everyone around you to adhere to your standards of conduct and decency. Except when it came to women... A good lookin' guy like you never had a problem getin' any dame he wanted! But guys like me and Bradley... women don't pay attention to guys like us unless we've got money.

"That's the only reason I got into it... money. Bradley and I have made a pretty good profit the last five years working together. And you had to go and fuck it all up for us! It's too bad Bradley couldn't bring himself to take care of you and your partner personally. At least I know he'd have been able to get the job done.

"I just don't understand why he didn't want to take care of it himself! It's not like he owes you any loyalty since you stole the woman he loved! Hell... I'd thought he'd have wanted to kill you with his bare hands... especially since she's dead because of you!"

Tom reached across the table and grabbed the front of Butler's shirt. "What the fuck are you talkin' about, Gator?!!"

Butler laughed sarcastically. "Oh, man... you really don't know, do you? I guess Yakira never told you! She was the one who helped Bradley disappear. He wanted out of the war. He was burned out. He'd fallen in love with Yakira and he was gonna stay with her on Okinawa and start a new life. Only he knew they were gonna send someone to take his place to finish the mission, so he left the island.

"When he came back and found out that Yakira had fallen in love with and married you, he went ballistic. He raped her... just for revenge... and left the island again, intending never to return. But he couldn't forget her; and once the main invasion started, he went back to take her away himself. Only he got back about the same time you did and he didn't know where to find her. He found her family near Yonobaru and beat her dying brother until he told him where she was. He got to that beach just in time to see Yakira get shot as she was running toward you. He watched her die in your arms. He said the only reason he didn't kill you on the spot was because he wanted you to suffer knowing that she died because of you..."

Butler was cut off when he was yanked up from his seat when Tom stood up and hauled him up by his shirtfront. "YOU'RE A FUCKIN' LIAR, GATOR!!! Bradley has told you a pack of lies!!!" Tom yelled hoarsely through his tight throat.

Butler put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I'm not lyin' Tommy! How would Bradley have known about that scene on the beach? Do you remember seein' anyone else on that deserted stretch of beach besides that Jap sniper you killed after he shot Yakira?"

Tom half growled and half sobbed as he shoved the man away from him so hard that he was thrown into the wall behind him. Tom turned around and stalked away, dragging his hands roughly through his hair when Charles came through the door. "I'll kill him... I'll kill him..." Tom whispered hoarsely as tears gathered in his eyes.

Charles took Tom's shoulders and led him out the door of the interrogation room. "Come on, partner. I think that's enough. I told you you weren't going to like their explanations as to why they did this."

But I didn't expect it to be so personal...

**********

Sunday morning, February 10th, Lynda held her husband as they lay in their bed. Tears slowly trickled from her eyes as he sobbed silently in her arms after telling her what he'd found out about his long-dead first wife.

"I have no way of knowing now if the baby Yakira was carrying was my child or Bradley's! That bastard! I can't believe he raped her!" he cried hoarsely as another wave of sadness swept through him.

Lynda held him tighter. Then she felt a strange sensation. There was a fluttering in her lower abdomen... almost like she was being tickled from the inside.

The baby...

She sniffed and said excitedly as she grabbed at her husband's arms around her, "Tom! I just felt the baby move!"

He lifted his head quickly to stare at her, tears still swimming in his eyes. "What?" he asked, not sure he'd heard her correctly.

Lynda pulled at his right arm around her waist until she could get to his hand. She placed it on her bulging lower abdomen and pressed firmly in the spot she'd felt the movement. A few seconds later, she felt it again. "There! Did you feel it?" He frowned and shook his head. She pressed his hand a little firmer and felt it again. His eyebrows went up. "You felt that, didn't you?"

A huge smile came to his face even as more tears welled in his eyes. "Yes... I felt that!" He moved down and laid his head on her stomach and stroked his hand on the swelling flesh just below her navel. "Hey you... this is your Dad talking! We've been waiting for you to make your presence known! We can't wait to meet you in another four months or so. But I'll keep talking to you until then... We love you and we're anxiously awaiting your arrival!"

**********

Monday night, February 11th, the FBI and the L.A.P.D. had a whole team assembled, ready and waiting to move in on the exchange as it was taking place at the port docks. Everybody was in position and everything was going smoothly until...

Robert Warren/Clark froze when he heard a gun being cocked behind him. He turned around slowly. "Don... what the hell are you doing?" he asked as Price leveled a gun at his face.

"You didn't think I wouldn't figure out that you were planning on running off with Lisa after this deal went through? How else were you planning on fucking me over, Bob... old buddy? You take your share of the profits... you take my rich little wife and you disappear with all your contacts so that Green and Bradley are forced to deal only with you, cutting me out of the picture completely! Some friend you've turned out to be!"

"Don... that's not how this is going down! I never planned on... Who the hell is that?" Robert looked over Price's shoulder when he saw car headlights coming up fast behind him.

Price turned around just as the vehicle came to a screeching halt. Lisa jumped out of the driver's door and screamed, "Robert! Run! He intends to kill you!"

Price muttered, "You stupid little bitch!" as he aimed the gun at Lisa.

She screamed when Robert jumped on Price from behind, knocking him to the ground. The disturbance had William Bradley and Harold Green rushing over to see what was going on. In the midst of the scuffle, the FBI ordered everyone to move in on the targets. Tom and Charles drew their guns and headed toward the sounds of the disturbance.

Just as they approached, Donald Price was standing up with his gun aimed right at Robert Warren/Clark. Charles yelled, "This is the FBI! Drop your weapons and put your hands up!" Price swung his gun toward Charles. Both he and Tom had him in their sights. "Don't do it, Price! Drop it right now!" Just as Price was lowering his gun, Charles caught Bradley Williams bringing a gun up, cocking it and aiming it right at Tom.

"TOM... LOOK OUT!" Charles shouted as he swung his gun toward Bradley and fired. Bradley went down; the bullet hit him square in the chest.

At the same moment, Donald Price re-aimed his gun at Charles, but before he could pull the trigger, Robert Warren/Clark quickly drew his gun and shot Price in the shoulder.

By this time, the group was surrounded by more than twenty federal agents and law enforcement officers. Jonathan North and Rick Estevez carefully approached Charles and Tom's position to check on their friends. Tom had gone to where Williams fell. Charles moved to where Robert Warren/Clark was standing over the whimpering Donald Price.