C.: Oh, no! I overslept! I’m going to be late for work…wait a minute. It’s Wednesday. I’m not scheduled to go back to work until Friday. Still, I WAS supposed to do something today, but what was it? Hmm. I have a couple of texts on my phone. Maybe that will tell me what I forgot I was going to do. Let’s see, the first one is from Jodi. I wonder what my youngest female offspring is going to tell me?
JODI: Mom, like, I’ve been waiting for ever so long for you to meet me here at the corner bus stop. Did you forget about our shopping date? It’s been over five whole minutes! I hope you’re not dead or something, but I’ll just can’t wait any longer. I’m going to go hang out at the mall with my friends. So, Mother Dearest, if you get this text, and you’re not dead or something, text me tomorrow. We can do lunch then, maybe. If you are dead, I’ll see you at your funeral.
C.: All my offspring would be forty-two if they were humans from this planet! She still wants to talk and act like a teenager. I’m glad I missed that date. I don’t need anything from The Cat’s Meow, or any other store at the animal mall.
Let’s see, the second text is from d.c. Why is he texting me?
d.: Cal.E. I guess, since I can’t reach you, I’ll be doing the blog solo today. I can’t discuss the Astros today. I’m too upset about the way they played last night. I just want to run this excerpt from one of my books by you and see if you like it. Please open this attachment when you awaken and let me know what you think. It’s a short chapter from THE MAGRUDER MYSTERIES A FULL PARDON; A GRAYING OF THE LAW.
CHAPTER THREE: THE FRONT LINES
Baron Mayes walked out of the Harris County courthouse and drew his nine-millimeter pistol. After securing the silencer on the barrel of his weapon, the officer of the court shot the first vagabond he saw in the alley in the head. It was good to keep in practice, he reasoned.
Baron felt no remorse for killing the passed-out drunk, just as he had felt no remorse for killing the people he had been ordered to kill as a Marine MARSOC. As a special forces soldier on the front lines, it was his job to make sure that the enemy's best soldiers didn’t infiltrate his company’s headquarters. He was one of the soldiers assigned to keep the officers, as well as the rest of the enlisted men in his company safe.
Baron aimed at the next drunk who had passed out in the alley behind the courthouse where he was now employed. He wanted to keep the place safe from people like this. It wouldn’t portray a good image of his workplace if people like the two vagabonds were allowed to sleep in the alley that was closest to the federal building. He felt was on the front lines again.
Just as Baron aimed his weapon, his cell phone rang. His first inclination was to ignore it, but he reasoned that it may be someone important. His instincts were correct. The call was from his boss.
“Yes, Taylor, what is it?” The bailiff asked, rather impatiently.
“ I’m glad that your military service got you the job as bailiff at the courthouse, but I need you to lay low for a while. Call in sick tomorrow, because I think that lawyer may call in the detective you’ve been surveilling as a character witness. Say you have the symptoms of Covid and don’t want to infect anyone else.
“Jay Magruder may be getting along in years, but his memory is still sharp. Additionally, he seems to have nine lives, like a cat. I’ve tried many times in the last thirty-nine years to rid the earth of him, but he still exists.
“You must be careful when dealing with the detective. He has ties to the FBI and the CIA. He’s a dangerous man. Just don’t do anything stupid to call attention to yourself. No one knows that you aren’t who you claim to be. I’ll give you directions when this court case blows over.
“If it weren’t for that insurance agency wanting to sue the doctor, I could continue with my plan. They really screwed things up for me, but they have more than adequate security. I can’t get to anyone in that organization to ‘discourage’ them from continuing this lawsuit. Just lay low until I figure this out.”
As he hung up his cell phone, Baron holstered his weapon. The two things he knew about “Taylor” was that he was a patient man, but he was also a dangerous one. Those who didn’t do his bidding often disappeared, never to be heard from again. Many of those people's family members also disappeared. Baron knew what he must do. Getting rid of the body would be problematic for most people. However, Baron Mayes was six feet, five inches, and two-hundred forty-five pounds of muscle and fury.
Baron hoisted the vagabond onto his shoulder and carried him to the nearest trash dumpster. He unceremoniously dumped the body into the dumpster and covered it with several bags of garbage that had been left by the dumpster. He then slammed the top of the dumpster shut and went to his apartment to consume his evening meal, whistling as he walked. His actions of the day had piqued Baron’s appetite. He decided to order a double bacon cheeseburger, with all the fixings from his favorite fast-food restaurant that was conveniently located on his way to his apartment.
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