Chapter XXIV
t was nearly dawn when William made the call to enter the straight in approach on runway three four for Stillwell Municipal airport. The runway lights were not on so he keyed his mike button five times to turn them on. He'd already located the beacon, and was on the final approach.
He announced when he was clear the runway, and was soon at his own hangar. The outside lights were still bright, and within a few minutes he had the hangar door open and was looking for the keys with which to move his pickup. He'd forgotten they'd driven Sharon's car and stored it in the hangar while they were away.
Finally, after realizing which vehicle they'd driven, located the second pair of spare keys, started and moved the car out of the way. In another fifteen minutes, he had the plane stowed, hangar door lowered back down into place, hangar locked and was driving out the gate. The smells in the car caused a flood of memories to come crashing down on him as he remembered the wonderful times they'd had together.
He drove to the house they'd lived in, actually his, well, now hers as he had given it to her. There was a light on, and a strange car in the drive. He was beginning to feel a jealous twinge, then saw Len and Melinda come out to the car to carry in some luggage. Looked as if they were moving in.
William didn't have a good feeling about the whole mess, and purposed in his heart to make an impromptu call on Lane Wardlow first thing in the morning.
It seemed as if Len Mathers was getting too close, much too close for comfort. Was there an ulterior motive to his buddy buddy business? When he was holding the gun on William in the plane while the guards shackled him, there was no friendliness to his demeanor then. He wondered what was the real reason for Len Mathers friendly actions.
He decided to drive down to the local Denny's for some breakfast, intending, as soon as Lane Wardlow's office opened, to call for an appointment stressing his need to see him as soon as possible. He pulled into the restaurant and walked in. He hadn't been there but a couple of minutes when Chief of Police, Walter Bension pulled in to the parking lot. He came straight into the dining area, and straight over to Williams table.
"Heard you were in town," he said as he sat down without an invite. "Thought I'd just sit and chat for a while. How have you been William?"
William was taken aback, and wondered at all the unwanted attention he was getting. He wasn't aware of anything happening, but it sure seemed as if everyone else knew it. "Well, Chief, I thought I was doing real good, but it seems that everyone knows I'm coming before I do. It seems every where I go, someone comes in and sits down to chat for a while. How have you been Chief?"
"William, you don't have to be coy with me. I'm an elected official, sworn to do a job, and I'm going to do it no matter what people think. Mind telling me what your plans are?" Chief Bension asked.
"Well, I thought I'd pick up my clothes and a few items I didn't think Sharon would want, throw them into my pickup since I've given everything I owned to Sharon, and just leave out. I had no intentions of ever leaving this place, but now, with everything so messed up, I can't see ever building a life here. I can't get any privacy, people won't let me alone, I can't fly in a commercial jet, heck, I can't even have breakfast in peace. Any more questions Chief?" William was not happy.
"No, no more questions. But I'd sure hate to see you leave town. There's an awful lot of people here who think an awful lot of you. I'd sure hate to see you throw all that away."
"You mean I have friends here? Friends who don't want the Codes, friends who won't bother me all the time, people who will just let me be? Who? I am the victim here, but it seems like I've been branded as some kind of public offender." William paused for a few seconds, then went on.
"From whom did you get your information that I was on my way back to town? Do you mind telling me that? Or should I just tell you? The last time I saw you, you were wielding a gun, and from all I could tell, you were on my side. What happened? What changed? Have you learned something about me that causes you concern?"
"Now look William, I am your friend. And yes, to all the questions above. And others too. They think the world of you, but there have been some issues raised" protested the Police Chief.
"Like what?" William refused to back down an inch. He'd been a lot deeper in trouble than this, and he was getting tired of all the innuendos, insinuations, and the fact that everywhere he went, he was treated as a national security threat. A lot of it had been brought on because he simply refused to stand up for himself, but now, that era of Williams life was over!
Williams breakfast came, and he pushed it over to the Chief, and said "here. Have some breakfast. I'm not hungry any more." He then got up and walked out, dropping a twenty dollar bill on the table. Chief Bension was not bashful, and grabbed a fork and started cutting up the eggs. He drove straight to Lane Wardlows' office, and walked in. The secretary greeted William warmly, and offered him some coffee and a donut which he gladly accepted.
She disappeared for a few seconds, then stepped back into the office. Lane will see you now she said cheerfully. She pointed to the door, and sat down.
William set the donut apart from the others, refilled his coffee cup, and walked through the door indicated. Lane stood as he entered, offered his hand, and shook vigorously. The smile was genuine, and he asked William to sit. "What can I do for you today William?"
"Well, first, I wanted to thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I promise I won't make a habit of this. Also, I didn't get the chance to thank you for coming to our rescue over in Vegas. So, thank you. I owe you big time. If there's ever anything I can do for you, please, it would be an honor to get to do it for you."
"You are very welcome. You are kin now, and I want you to know that I have a lot of confidence in you." Lane responded.
William waited for Lane to finish, then began again. "Plus, I just came to check on things and see if my wishes had been carried out. I wanted to know what still needs to be done, and how much I owe you. Then, I need to ask your advice on a couple of matters."
"Well, on the matter of which you spoke, things are on the way to getting done. It's hard to get much done in just a couple of weeks. As far as what needs to be done, same answer. As far as how much you owe, same answer. Now, on what did you need advice?"
William hesitated, then, after a long breath, started. "I'm thinking of moving to another city. It seems as though everywhere I go here in the great city of Stillwell Creek, I am accosted by the law wanting nothing more than just to sit down and chat, or, ask me a few questions. What is this all about? I feel like I have a Death Sentence hanging over my head. What can I do about it?"
"No one has had the authority to tell you this, and I only learned about it on the way home from Vegas in the jet of Wade Meltons. Walter Bension heard it the same time I heard it, and we are wondering just what kind of conspiracy is up. Chief Bension is concerned about you and the effect it is going to have on your life. When he tried to talk to you at Denny's this morning, you were pretty touchy on the subject."
Lane never slowed down a bit. He just kept on feeding William information. "But you have been the target of a federal investigation, and because you wouldn't give up the disks to Dr. Kny-pel, and you won't give them to Len Mathers, they feel you are a threat. And, viewing it from their point of view, you probably are a threat. I just don't agree with the tactics with which you were treated."
"But William, hold onto your socks, because what I'm about to tell you, will blow your socks off. The President of the United States ordered your pickup.
Dr. Kny-pel was involved in a scheme to get the disks for his own personal use. He intended to get them, then do away with you and Sharon. When you slipped his thug Chris James, Dr. Kny-pel had him killed. Dr. Kny-pel had already comissioned his common law wife murdered for what reason we don't know."
They found the corpse of Chris James and Connie Ellis both at the same time, half burned in a house fire intended to be blamed on you. On your flight to Sacramento, after Len Mathers picked you and Sharon up when you stopped in Reno, he was told by Dr. Kny-pel that you were extremely dangerous, and could snap at any time. That's the reason he held the gun on you. According to Dr. Kny-pel, you were capable of killing anyone within reach with your bare hands, and never even realize you'd done it."
William just sat there in amazement. Maybe he'd been too hard on Len Mathers. Maybe he was a friend after all. He came back to the conversation when Lane called him back. When William was fully cognizant of his surroundings, he continued. "As far as Len knew, you could instantly become like an animal, with no means of controlling you, no means of stopping you if you were pushed over the edge."
"Len had been told that the least provocation could set you off. Len didn't know you. All he'd seen of you was that you'd take a gun and shoot your entire family. He couldn't take that chance with not only himself, but Melinda, Mulons, and the entire crew of the plane as well. So, personally, I think you own him an apology."
William felt a stab of guilt in his heart. It was akin to the Death Sentence. The Death Sentence was something that was a common, constant reminder of death, but more than that. It was a constant companion, and the sentence was, that he had to die. The cold hand of the grim reaper ran icy fingers up the spine of William Travis, and he shivered as a result.
He was convinced that death was on his trail . . .
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