Betrayal Ch. 07 - The Epilogue

Jeannie positioned herself with her back to the van, and motioned with her thumb for them to look behind her.

"Don't stare, but pretend you're looking at me and look over my shoulder: see the white van? It has been moving slowly to intercept us near the car. I don't know whether we are actually in danger, but to be safe, let's go back inside the mall and call Dad! If they turn around or back up when we start back to the mall, drop your bags and run!"

She laughed loudly, pointed toward the mall, and started walking that way, with her mother and sister following. As soon as they reversed course, the van backed up, turned around, and sped up to cut them off from the relative safety of the mall. They dropped their bags and started running, but it was soon clear they were too far away to beat the van.

Jeannie directed them behind a big 4x4 double-cab pickup and drew her pistol from her purse; mom and sis followed suit. They crouched behind the pickup, with Kathy watching the van over the hood. "It stopped, and three men jumped out! They're running toward us, dodging between cars, and they are carrying something in their hands!"

Jeannie took charge: "Mom, go to the front; you take the one on the right. Kathy, you can see over the hood; take the one in the middle. I'm going behind the truck; I'll take the one on the left. Wait until they emerge from the next row to shoot!"

The only concern the men showed was that their prey might escape; they were running pell-mell toward the women. Each had a pistol, but the pistols were pumping up and down as they ran, not being pointed toward the women. The one on the right emerged first, and Emelia fired; a heartbeat later Kathy fired.

The gunman on the left stopped and snapped a shot at the pickup, breaking glass but not hitting anyone; Jeannie shot him in the chest, and, when he didn't go down, shot him again.

The van had continued down the row toward the mall, then turned north onto the row they were on. When they saw the women were firing, the van accelerated toward them. Jeannie moved to the back corner where she could get a shot at the driver; Emilia and Kathy took positons facing the van and prepared to shoot.

Jeannie saw that the man her mom shot was trying to reach his gun, which was laying in front of him a few steps. She fired at him, striking him in the shoulder, and yelled that if he moved again she would kill him!

A rifle emerged from the passenger window of the van, and the man leaned out the window to get a shot. "Shoot the driver!" Jeannie yelled, and she fired twice at the passenger with the rifle. She heard four more shots, and the van veered off and ran into the rear corner of a Lincoln that stretched further into the lane.

It was quiet for a minute, and then a man jumped from the sliding door with an automatic rifle, and sprayed their pickup. When he stopped firing and started running, Jeannie steadied herself and fired twice, hitting him in the lower back and dropping him like someone shot in a movie. He sprawled out on the pavement, screaming in pain.

Mall security and a SAPD patrol car arrived within a minute; the women remained crouched behind the truck, taking no chances in case there were more gunmen, or one of those they shot was playing possum. The police ordered everyone to come out with their hands in the air, but Emelia yelled, "We're not coming out until you check the van and the wounded men over here by us! They shot at us and tried to kidnap us, and we don't know if it's safe yet!"

A second and third police cruiser arrived, surrounding the crime scene. No one forced them to come out, but a sergeant with a bullhorn warned them that they needed to lay their guns down before the officers would begin their examination of the van and those lying on the pavement.

They laid their pistols on the pavement and raised their hands, but stayed behind the truck. Two officers immediately approached the van; one examined the man lying in the lane moaning in pain, and two more checked the men closest to the women.

They then turned their attention to Jeannie, Kathy, and Emilia, insisting they come out from behind the truck; they did, with hands raised.

***

They were held at the police station for over three hours, while the police sorted through the flood of information coming in from law enforcement, and from the survivors. Joe and his lawyer were there within fifteen minutes of being called, but little was asked of the women during the first two hours.

Things suddenly changed after the police identified the men as members of a local gang. They read them the laundry list of crimes they had committed today, and the sentences they faced for the attempted kidnappings and other crimes. In response to an offer to "speak with the DA about reducing their charges if they cooperated," the gang leader, Darius, confessed they were contacted by a man who offered them $20,000 each for Emilia, Kathy, and Jeannie. He didn't know that man's name, but they were given a phone number to call when they had the women.

That's when the FBI was called in.

The Feebees, informed by law enforcement documentation of potentially connected events, first questioned Jeannie about the attempted break in at the Haussmann's, about the charges of abuse she filed against Larry, and about his recent demise. She stuck to her story, her family backed her up, and, after Joe threatened to have Jeannie stop cooperating and get his lawyer involved, the Feds decided the more rewarding strategy was to catch whoever hired the five gangsters.

San Antonio police and the FBI concocted a plan. They had Darius call the number and say they had captured all three women; what were they to do with them? They were told to bring them to a warehouse on the southwest side, off US 90, near Kelly Air Force Base.

On the off chance that a demand for ransom would be forthcoming, two agents accompanied Joe back to his business to set up a recorder for incoming calls. No one, including Jeannie or her family, believed the attempted kidnapping was for ransom; everyone believed it was somehow tied to the previous threats made by her husband, and the bounty for her capture, but it was worth taking the chance.

Joe and the agents had stopped in the dealership's service waiting room for coffee and some pan dulce from the local panaderia before entering Joe's office and setting up the recorder. They were relaxing, enjoying the sweet bread and coffee, when the receptionist transferred a call to Joe.

"Joe Hildebrand, how may I help you?"

A somewhat muffled voice replied, "We have your women, Joe Hildebrand. We intended to fly them to another country, and then auction them off to the highest bidders. Though older, your wife will fetch a good price, but those daughters of yours... yum, yum! No telling how much we can get for them!"

"What do you mean you have them? I talked to them a few hours ago and they were shopping at the mall. You're full of shit!" Joe challenged.

"But you haven't heard from them since, and you won't -- unless you agree to our demands."

"I still think you're full of shit, but what demands are you making?"

"First, you bring us $100,000 per woman. When you deliver the money, you tell us where Tim Kelly is. We have men all over the state, and when you tell us his whereabouts we'll verify it, and then turn you and the women loose. Of course, if you involve the cops in any way, we'll kill you and sell the women. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand, but I need to verify you have my family; let me talk to one of them."

"They're bound up in another room; I'll show them to you when you get here in an hour. If you aren't here by then, throw them a goodbye kiss."

"Do you think I have $300,000 lying around in my office? I'll need a couple of hours just to put the money together!"

"You have one hour to get the money together. I'll call back then. If not, bye bye babies!"

The agents checked with the phone company, and then immediately called their superiors. SAPD had already secured another service van from the company from which the first had been stolen, and the SWAT team was ready to roll. The plan was for them to drive straight to the warehouse, wait for the doors to be opened, and drive right in. An armor-plated truck would be standing by just out of sight, and would respond if the situation inside he warehouse warranted.

There was only one problem with the plan, but it was a dozy; the ransom call came from the local office of a state senator!

Joe and the two agents remained in his office; the SWAT team started toward the warehouse at the 40 minute mark, intending to enter only after the second ransom call was made. Another squad was dispatched to the senator's office, standing by to see if the second call came from there as well.

It did, in exactly 60 minutes. The SWAT team was in the building within two minutes of the call being received, and they captured five more members of the local gang without a shot being fired.

The senator and three other men were in his office when the police burst in with riot guns and pistols at the ready. He was still on the phone with Joe, setting up the drop, when his world of arrogance and privilege ended.

Joe and Jim Boyd made the strategic decision not to tell Tim about the attempted kidnapping, knowing that he would take it personally and wade in. Tim did learn about the attempt, through TV and newspapers, but not until they had it wrapped up with a bow on it, so they were able to persuade him it was over and done. He made it known he wasn't pleased about not being notified, but accepted the outcome.

***

Over the next few days, the Hildebrands watched much of the state government implode on TV, and then wealthy businessmen, preachers, and even some women, go up in flames over the next few days, as exposé after exposé hit the evening news. They had no doubt as to the source, but no calls of congratulations were made; this was not the time to come out of the shadows.

They did attend Karen's funeral, which had been delayed by the investigation and autopsy. It was held in her home town, and they sat toward the back with Jim Boyd and his wife, the Haussmanns, Alan, Chet, Jennifer and Randy Jackson, and dozens of Karen and Tim's other friends and colleagues.

Tim's eulogy and closing remarks brought all of them to tears. They gathered outside before going to the graveside service, where Alan called them together, quietly bemoaned Karen's mistakes and early death, and asked them to join him in silent prayer for her soul. Jeannie prayed for her fervently, and vowed to take the best possible care of her babies, if given the chance.

After the brief graveside service, the reverend invited everyone to the American Legion Hall for a commemoration of Karen's life and service to school children. There were mementos and photos of her personal and professional life all around the room, and a beautifully framed eleven by fifteen photo of her with her sons and husband stood at the center of the table where food and drinks waited. They were all smiling brightly in the photo, which only seemed to make the circumstances leading to her death more tragic.

The little boys had remained stoic throughout the afternoon, and remained so while standing in the receiving line with both sets of grandparents and their daddy. The façade cracked when Laura and Will hugged them, and broke completely when Patti and Jeannie knelt in front of them and held their arms out. They jumped into their arms, hugged them tightly, and sobbed inconsolably on their shoulders.

That brought the line to a halt, and Tim suggested loudly that the reverend say a prayer, and everyone go ahead and get a plate; they would try to see them all before they left. He turned his back and sobbed a few times himself before gaining control and wiping his eyes with his coat sleeve.

He turned back in time to see the women rise with the boys tightly held in their arms, and speak to the grandparents. Chet wrapped an arm around his shoulders on one side, and Will bear hugged him from the other side. "God damn it all to hell, Tim!" Will said, his voice thick with emotion.

"And God damn THEM all to hell too!" Jim Boyd added quietly, as he stood in front of Tim. "I can hear their sorry asses sizzling and their pitiful cries, yet I wish I could somehow make it worse for the whole damn bunch! I do swear to you, buddy, that I WILL make it worse for the ones still alive!"

"I'd like to resurrect them, just so I could kill them again, but slower and more painfully this time!" Tim hissed.

He hugged the ranger, Chet and Will hugged him, and then they all stepped apart, slightly embarrassed by their display of emotion. The focus of the crowd, however, was on Patti holding Mark and Jeannie holding Patrick on their hips as they picked the food for their plates.

Tim knew he would have some explaining to do to Karen's parents, but the story was innocent enough that he wasn't concerned. Nonetheless, he didn't want them thinking poorly of Jeannie and Patti, so he would find a way to enlighten them.

Tim joined his sons at the table and picked at his food, but the emotions of the day had taken their toll on him and food was the last thing he wanted.

Jim, the Haussmanns, Chet, Alan, and the Hildebrands were all very solicitous of Karen's parents and her other kinfolk. Tim's parents, Linda and Nate, and Jan and Gary also did their best to keep them occupied so their minds could have a brief respite from the sorrow they had endured for weeks. It seemed to work, because, although they ate little, both smiled a few times during the meal.

***

In his absence, the board had offered Tim the job of head football coach and director of athletics, but had allowed him a month of leave and time to decide whether to take it. A big chunk of him wanted simply to move on, but he finally decided to take the job, sell the house they had lived in, and buy another closer to the high school. There was no running from Karen's memory anyway, and the only surviving member of the 'poker players', John Allen, had fled to another state after being sued for divorce by a very spiteful wife.

It would take time to sell the house, but he couldn't force himself to live there surrounded by memories, so Tim rented a nice older house with a big yard. It was furnished, because the older couple that lived there had recently moved in with their daughter up in Dallas due to their declining health. Tim switched out the mattresses, but used the rest of their furniture.

In some ways it upset the boys to not be at home, but it was a new adventure, so they quickly adapted.

Even though both returned to work in late April, out of respect for Karen's memory Jeannie and Tim had agreed to confine their relationship to casual conversations in the workroom or halls of the school, and department meetings. Her heart hurt for Tim and his boys, but they needed time to mourn, and she needed time and counseling to overcome the trauma of the battle at the ranch, and Larry's demise at her hand.

Knowing she would never live there again, she put their house on the market and moved into an apartment.

When school ended in mid-May, Tim took the boys to visit their maternal grandparents for a week, and them to visit his parents for a week. His trepidation at talking to them about the events that led to Karen's death was unfounded; she had already told them everything, and she had been honest -- at least at the higher levels, if not in detail.

Tim explained that the boys had gotten close to Patti and Jeannie when they were staying with the Haussmann's, just before he was ambushed. They knew that also, because the boys had told them. Gramps finally stopped him and said, "Look Tim, you were a great husband to our little girl; you're a great father to our grandchildren; and you're a great son-in-law. We understand that you need to move on. All we ask is, help the boys remember their mother, and let us be in the lives of our grandchildren."

He smiled, and asked, "Children can never have too many grandparents, can they?" Tim agreed they could not, and swore he would always honor Karen to her boys, and always include them in their lives.

Tim had begun calling Jeannie every few days after school let out and she returned to San Antonio, but theirs were friendly rather than romantic conversations. They were both damaged, and afraid to take the next step.

Larry's parents decided to hold his 'celebration of life' in Chicago on the weekend of Memorial Day, but neither she nor her parents were invited. They held a remembrance of their own, focused entirely on the early days and the good times. She apologized again, and prayed for Larry's soul.

That was a miserable night, and she was back at her counselor on Tuesday to talk again about the existential conflict of loving someone who hurts and then tries to destroy you, and of defending yourself from that person.

On the second Wednesday in June, Tim called and had the boys ask Jeannie if she would like to go to the coast with them for a week. She excitedly replied that she would like that very much, and asked when they would leave. They boys celebrated noisily before Tim came back on and asked if she would be willing to drive down to the ranch tomorrow, visit with his family and her new friends for a couple of days, and then go on down to Port Aransas.

She arrived in time for lunch with Tim's family on Thursday, spent the afternoon with him and the boys, got a guided tour of his hometown, and met some more of his friends and relations.

Friday she spent the morning with Tim, Patrick, and Mark seeing more sights around the town and area, ate a delicious lunch with the family, and then they went swimming in the city pool that afternoon. As modest as her suit was, Jeannie still drew a lot of attention from the moms watching their kids swimming; almost as much attention as Tim received.

The four adults played games with the kids that evening, and put them in bed at eight. A very relaxed but fulfilling day.

Saturday they went to the museum in town, which featured exhibits about local pioneer families, including Tim's mom's family and his dad's family.

Saturday night she was treated to a relatively restrained evening with Los Ratones and their spouses in the shed at the ranch. It was a covered dish supper this time, and each woman delighted in placing "just a little" of her specialty on Jeannie's plate, insisting that she "just had to taste it!"

With a stern but lighthearted warning that la guera was too small and too gringa for what they were feeding her, Teodora stepped in and saved her.

That happened, however, only after she had eaten ten thousand calories or so, and had gulped a gallon of iced tea trying to reduce the burning in her mouth and throat! She felt like she had swallowed a burning volleyball, and dreaded tonight's heartburn and tomorrows #2s.

No alcoholic beverages were served, because this wasn't a celebration; it was an opportunity to come together in appreciation of the unlikely facts that none of them had been injured and their goal had been accomplished. Sheriff Miguel stood, held his tea glass out, and offered thanks to all of them for standing together when necessary, and thanks that they were all here together tonight.

He then yielded to Tim, who fervently expressed his gratitude and love for them all, before choking up and sitting down. It was silent for a moment, but Jeannie stepped up, thanked them for welcoming her and making her a part of their 'pandilla', and, with a laugh, thanked the women for teaching her the fabulous Mexican dances last time they were together and for the delicious dishes tonight.

She lightened the mood, and soon the fiesta atmosphere returned. It was after mid-night when they returned to Tim's parent's home. He kissed her gently on the lips, and they went to their respective rooms, as if the spark hadn't passed between them and reignited their feelings for each other.