In The Defendant's Chair Read online

  “I don’t know, Madam President, but you’ll get to the bottom of it—you always do.”

  “Thank you again and don’t forget Dr. Greghardt.”

  “Never do. I had no plans on leaving him out.”

  As the door shut behind Strickland, Tina stood in front of the television and watched in horror as the devastation in West Virginia unfolded before her eyes.

  “How long have you lived here?” the newscaster asked an elderly woman in ragged clothes.

  “I ben ’ere about ’ifty years now. I was born in deese ’ills and I’ll die in deese ’ills.”

  “What is your name, ma’am?” the newscaster asked, shoving the microphone into the woman’s face.

  “You don needs stick that thin in me face… me nam’s Etta Mae Hanna… me family settled in deese ’ills ’ears before I came into dis ’urld.”

  “Did you see the explosion Ms. Hanna?”

  “See… felt… taste… I knew me days were a ending, I knew dat fer sur!”

  “About how far away were you from the blast?”

  “One ridge away and it ‘till set our trees on fire. See!” The woman pulled on her hair to show the singed edges. “It burnt me ’air too.”

  “What used to be there? What do you think could have caused such an explosion?”

  “‘Ere ’as strange thins going on o’er dare I tell yah. Strange.”

  “What do you mean by strange?”

  “Funny peeple live dere. At first we tot it’s a ’ospital of some kin, cuz only dokters wood cum an go. Da patients… da peeple dat lived dare… now dare the strange lookin… scary… I’m glad it’s gone. Beddar dat way. Day ain’t God-like I tell yah, it just ain’t right.”

  “Tell me about how these people looked…”

  Tina shut off the television and stared out the window into the beautiful day on Capitol Hill. All was calm and peaceful. People were busily going about their business as though everything was normal. But the day was anything but ordinary. With a deep breath and a sigh, Tina thought she felt a little better. She had a job to do and didn’t have any more time to waste. As she glanced around the room, she felt proud to be the president’s assistant. But again, she sometimes wished she had a normal job in a normal office building.

  “Sometimes knowing is the worst,” she whispered to herself. “What if what they say is true and it was a meteor after all? Would there be more to come? Would they be larger than the first?”

  Chapter 8

  “EARLY? I’M DR. BARNES. Do you remember me?”

  Early sat staring into her hands. She didn’t move nor did she speak.

  “Early, it’s okay if you talk to this doctor,” Drake said.

  Early refused.

  After what felt like many minutes, Barnes finally said, “I’ll order some stronger sedatives so she can get some sleep. Maybe when she has a chance to clear her mind she’ll be able to talk to us.” He excused himself and motioned for Drake to join him outside the room.

  “So, what’s the diagnosis, Doc?” Drake asked.

  “Anterograde amnesia,” Barnes explained. “It’s a form of memory loss, where new events are not transferred to the long-term memory of the brain. In other words, the sufferer is not able to recall anything that occurs during a current period in time.”

  “I don’t get it,” Drake said. He was suddenly feeling very stupid.

  “Drake…” the doctor said. “After we finish this conversation, you will remember most of what we said. Or at least you’ll remember having a conversation with me, correct?”

  “Well, yes,” Drake replied.

  “Anterograde amnesia victims remember nothing about an event. What this means to Early is that everything she experienced in that courtroom she forgot as soon as it happened. Nothing was retained.”

  Drake stared at the doctor. “Then what in the hell made her forget and is able to last this long?”

  “We’re not sure yet,” Barnes answered. “But we did find something very curious in her blood work. We detected Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid or more commonly known as GABA. The only type of drug I know of that produces these symptoms. But its effects are not long lasting. Someone must have fed it to her and when they stopped, the drug wore off. Thus she began to store experiences in her long-term memory again and she woke up.”

  “Someone was feeding drugs to my client?” Drake yelled. “While under my care?”

  “Please, Drake,” Barnes said. “Let’s not draw too much attention to this just yet.”

  “Sorry,” Drake added, realizing his outburst was probably not appropriate. “But you’re saying that someone slipped her that drug while she was in her cell?”

  “I guess I am. And if so then whoever did must have strong connections,” Barnes added. “We need to tread lightly or we could be their next victims.”

  “Terrific,” Drake whispered taking another sip of his drink. Pausing, he studied his glass. He looked up at the doctor and said, “I guess it really wouldn’t be difficult now would it? Thank you, Doc.”

  Drake entered Early’s room and closed the door. He sat on the old rickety chair in front of her and lowered his head. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he thought in a sorrowful and regretful manner, This is my first real case and I’m going to screw it up. Moments later he felt a light touch on his arm and glanced up to find Early staring at him through saddened eyes.

  “I’m afraid,” Early whispered.

  “I am too,” Drake replied. Now he had her somewhat talking, he knew he had to keep her talking. It was important he completely understood what happened to her that horrible night that changed her life forever.

  “I have to know what happened,” Drake whispered. “Even if it’s painful for you.”

  Early’s eyes fell back to her lap and Drake felt his heart stop beating. If she clammed up now, he may never get her to talk again. Did he just mess it all up by asking her that awful question too soon? What a dumb shit I am.

  After several long and agonizing minutes of a painful and eerie quiet, Early finally whispered to him in a meek and frightened voice, “I honestly don’t know what happened. Can you help me find my husband, and where my children are? I don’t understand why I’m here. Those pictures you showed me are not real. Who’d do that to my family?”

  Drake held Early’s hands and rubbed them gently as he spoke. “You have to trust me, sweetheart. I’m here for you and I’ll do everything it takes to get you out of trouble. But you must talk to me.”

  “I don’t know anything,” she replied tearfully.

  A loud bang echoed through the room from some far off place. For a brief moment they both froze awaiting the evil to overtake them. But nothing happened and all became quiet again.

  “Okay then,” Drake said, pulling them from their thoughts. “Let’s go back in time and examine everything that you do remember minute by minute, second by second.” He let go of her hands and stood up. He paced the floor while asking the questions, but he was cautious to ask only the ones that would not throw her back into her deep and silent world.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Drake prayed Early needed to talk to someone. She held herself as she rocked back and forth on her cot. He knew she was afraid and in pain.

  “I checked on the babies, and they were asleep. Alex and I… well… we made love in front of the fire. I love fires.” Early paused and Drake almost panicked believing he had lost her again, but she yelled instead. “Why… why would anyone…”

  “Okay, that’s a start,” he interrupted, trying to keep her focused. “Then what happened?”

  “I woke up next to you,” Early screamed between sobs. “I woke up next to you.”

  “No… no… sweetie,” Drake whispered kneeling next to her. “Don’t cry, we’ll get through this. You and me, we’ll do it together, okay?”

  Early looked into Drake’s eyes. “Help me find them… please.”

  “I will help you, I
will… I promise you, Early, I promise. But we can’t find…”

  “They’re not dead!” Early screamed. “They’re not dead.”

  Drake continued to kneel next to Early and hold her hands for what seemed like hours before he dared to ask, “Did you have anything to drink that night? Wine? Soda?”

  That question stopped the panic and tears as she thought before answering. “We both had a glass of wine. Why?”

  “Great, great. We’re getting there.”

  “Time’s up,” the guard ordered from the hall. “Let’s go. Now.”

  Drake gave the guard an ugly look, then turned and smiled warmly at his client. “Early, don’t give up. I’ll be back… real soon.”

  Drake stood up reluctantly and glanced around at the filthy cell. He knew he had to get her out of there before they could actually get anywhere. But how would he accomplish it? Leaving her cell, his heart broke to see the fragile woman gaze aimlessly out the tiny slant of a window into the sinking sunset.

  Chapter 9

  “GOOD MORNING, LADIES,” Lewis said with a huge smile to his small and obviously bored audience. After clearing his voice when he didn’t get any type of a response, he added, “You may or may not know each other so I’ll just introduce everyone. I’m Dr. Jeff Lewis, head of The Agency and here to my right we have Agent Skyler Brighten,” Lewis waved his hand toward Skyler. “Agent Carrie Clarke to my left and Agent Lacey Harris at the other end of the table.” Each time he pointed to one of the young ladies they nodded. “Believe it or not, each of you have a lot in common.”

  The three women glanced back and forth at each other with fake smiles.

  “Agent Brighten,” Lewis continued.

  “Yes?” Sitting more upright in her chair.

  “You are smart, inquisitive and eager to solve problems. Not to mention you’re an expert in explosives and how they affect the human body…”

  “Yeah,” Skyler smirked. “They blow them apart… oh, and can make a good day turn into an ugly one real fast.”

  “Funny, Agent Brighten,” Lewis scolded. “Real funny… Agent Clarke, you are one of my best agents.”

  Carrie frowned and lowered her eyes.

  “There’s never been a challenge you could not overcome. You almost lost a leg on your last assignment, but you never gave up. You’re not afraid to do what’s needed to get the job done.”

  “Yeah, right,” Carrie answered, rolling her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

  “Agent Harris,” Lewis announced with a wave of his hand. “We welcome you.”

  Lacey nodded her head.

  “Agent Harris is an oldie to this Agency but one of our newest Agents. She’s been around and has experienced things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies. Although her right arm doesn’t work quite as well as her left,” he paused winking at her, “she refuses to let anything stop her. Oh no, not Agent Harris. She has determination and an eagerness to prove herself. Welcome, Agent Harris.”

  “Thank you,” Lacey responded with her cheeks turning red as she smiled.

  Carrie leaned over to Skyler and said, “Fresh meat you mean.”

  Ignoring Carrie’s sly remark and giving her a quick look of non-approval, Lewis continued his short speech. “Well, let’s get down to business shall we? You three are being assigned to the recent mishap in West Virginia…”

  “Mishap?” Carrie mimicked. “The whole state’s almost gone in a cloud of dirt and dust and no one knows why, and you call it a mishap?”

  “I’m trying to put it lightly, Carrie,” Lewis added with a frown on his face.

  “Jeff, just get to the point will yah?” Skyler said. “Is it a meteor or not?”

  Carrie also spoke up. “Yeah, the point would be nice about now.”

  “Yes… well, I’ll get to the point then,” Lewis replied feeling somewhat shifted and off guard. He had to smile to himself though. These three women were some of the toughest, but at the same time some of the most innocent agents he had the pleasure to work with. They could either brush you off or shoot you, made no difference to them one way or the other. But you would not want to get in their way unless you wanted a bullet between the eyes or a blade between the shoulders.

  “As you may know, last Thursday afternoon there was an explosion just outside the small town of Prestonia, West Virginia. The blast was strong enough to leave a crater over ten miles wide and about five miles deep,” Lewis said.

  “If it wasn’t a meteor, then what was it?” Carrie asked. “A bomb? Maybe someone needed to get rid of something fast?”

  “We need you three to find out what that big, ugly and embarrassing something is… or was. We were able to determine it was not a meteor or other large object that fell from the sky. Because, we know the explosion came from below—not from above. However,” Lewis opened up his eyes to hush the girls before they could say anything. “Don’t get your hopes up because it wasn’t volcanic either. And as always, you’ll have the full support of The Agency during your mission. You’ll be disguised as tourists. So don’t push yourselves around too much. Be sweet… kind… gentle. We need to know everything, not just what the local law or news reporters know. Got it? And as far as the press is concerned, it still has not been determined whether it was or was not a meteor. I don’t need any unnecessary rumors. Not until we know for sure what’s going on. And that’s where you three come in.”

  All three nodded at the same time but remained silent.

  “So get to know each other, pack your things, but be on your way by morning. Remember, you’re on holiday not a mercenary killing spree. Make up any stories you want as to why you’re there, but at least try and make it credible. And Carrie, please don’t kill anyone.”

  Chapter 10

  MARTY CUDDLED LITTLE Lizzie in her arms and sang softly. Lizzie’s white and golden hair grew longer every day.

  “Hello, Marty,” Spangleholtz said entering her room. “How are you doing today?”

  “Hello,” Marty answered not removing her eyes from her little girl. “I’m fine. Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “Yes she is, Marty,” he replied approaching her bed. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you and for your daughter. Your husband… he’s been in an accident, Marty.”

  “I know,” Marty said, gently stroking her daughter’s hair and allowing it to fall through her fingers. “It almost feels like corn silk straight from the cob. Don’t you think?”

  “She’s beautiful. But, how did you know about your husband?” Spangleholtz asked.

  “Lizzie told me silly.”

  “I see. And what else has Lizzie told you?”

  “She tells me lots of things, and she says she loves me and I love her and everything will be fine—just fine.”

  “Now we all know Lizzie can’t talk, she’s only a baby,” Spangleholtz said, but something was bothering him from deep inside. “She’s just a baby.”

  “But she’s my baby and I can hear her,” Marty stated. Her voice rose but then softened. “When can we go home?”

  “We have a new home for you waiting in Washington. It’s a special place where no one will ever bother you.”

  “But I want to show her off to my children and all my friends. Her sisters will want to see her and she has many aunts and uncles and…”

  “I’m sorry Marty, but Lizzie is too special to share with just anyone. I’ve sent for your girls, and they will meet you at your new home. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

  “Lizzie won’t like Washington, it gets cold there,” Marty replied. “She just told me so.”

  The doctor watched as Lizzie’s little fuzzy hand stroked her mother’s cheek.

  With an air of caution, he added, “As I said, all of you will be fine. You’ll have your own house and a big yard for Lizzie and her sisters to play in.”

  Marty stared into her little girl’s eyes. Little Lizzie reached up and it looked as though she was rubbing the side of her mother’s face. But how could that be?
Lizzie is a newborn. The bond seemed to be very strong between the two, which was beginning to make Spangleholtz nervous.

  “Will she be able to speak one day?” Marty asked, then added in a strange way, “She wants to know.”

  The doctor stared at the mother and child, and wondered whether or not the mother was losing her mind, or was there something else happening—something he needed to worry about.

  “We won’t know until she’s much older,” he said. “She has vocal cords, but well we’ll just have to wait and see how they work with her jaw line. If nothing else, she can learn sign language. She’ll be able to communicate with you in one form or another.”

  Tears fell from Marty’s eyes as she sighed. She snuggled her baby even closer to her chest before saying, “We communicate just fine, doctor. Just fine.” Marty looked up at Spangleholtz with a wickedness that frightened him.

  As the doctor turned to leave the room, he could hear Marty whispering to her daughter, “What should I do now, Lizzie?”

  Chapter 11

  “SO, WHY DID you want to meet for dinner way out here?” Tyler asked as she placed her napkin in her lap.

  Caiden glanced around then leaned toward her. “We’re in trouble, Tyler.”

  “Trouble? For what?”

  “For knowing too much…They’re watching us.”

  Tyler leaned over the table and said, “Okay, I’ll fall for it. And the They are who?”

  “You’re mocking me,” Caiden replied, lowering his eyes. “I wouldn’t have asked you out here if I wasn’t concerned about telling you the truth.”

  Tyler giggled. “Oh well, I thought you asked me here ’cause you liked me or something like that.”

  Caiden shook his head then blinked his eyes several times. “Why is it every time a guy has something important to tell a woman, they always think it’s some kind of a come-on?”

  Tyler twitched her nose and sat back. “Okay fine; then you don’t like me.”