honest, Elliott, I’m not sure how to react.”
Elliott gave Hal a reassuring look, a partial smile and watched as the plane came to a stop.
Hal took a deep breath as he watched George step off the plane. George then went to the side and unloaded his bag. Hal and Elliott walked toward him.
The moment George saw them, George saluted Hal.
It took Hal aback, but he returned the Salute. “Mr. Hadley. Captain Hal Slagel.”
“I knew as soon as I saw you.” George smiled and shook his hand. “My God do you look like your father.”
“Thank you.”
“My condolences on your loss. I mean it.” He gave a squeeze to Hal’s hand.
A pause. A nod. “Thank you. May I introduce you to my right hand man? Sgt. Elliott Ryder.”
“Sgt. Ryder.” George shook his hand
“Elliott’s new role is one such as Nolan Howell’s when you were in office.”
Gorge nodded. “Secretary of State.”
“In a way. Yes, sir.” Elliott said.
Hal spoke, “Elliott will be taking you to Beginnings. You’ll be staying there.”
“Good. Good. I was hoping. I’m also hoping to just blend in for a while, like the old days. I’m here to discuss strategy, yes, but I want to take in Beginnings.”
“Absolutely,” Hal said “I know my brother has an early evening meeting planned. I’m not sure what his agenda is as far as taking you to see the other leaders. This was quite the surprise visit. We didn’t have much time to plan.”
“I understand.”
“I have some business to attend to here, and some training to overlook. But I’ll be in Beginnings shortly.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Well,” Hal exhaled. “Elliott, if you’ll drop me in town, then you can take Mr. Hadley to Beginnings.”
“Yes, Captain.” Elliott reached for George’s bag.
George stopped him. “I packed them, I loaded them, I can carry them. Thank you. Sgt. The ride and escort is plenty.”
“As you wish.” Elliott nodded, turned and began to walk with Hal.
George followed. “Oh, Captain. There is one request. I’m not sure if you or your brother can meet.”
“And that is?” Hal asked.
“Above all else. Before anything else …I’d really like to see my wife.”
It was a request they didn’t expect. Hal nodded. “We’ll see what we can do.”
<><><><>
Hal bid a pleasant farewell to Elliott and George as they dropped him off in New Bowman just near a training section of the town. But Hal needed to get something from his office and turned around, heading there.
He was surprised as he passed the mess hall and saw his brother Robbie in there. Robbie was alone, sitting at a table eating.
Hal again, two steps back, opened the door to the mess hall and went in. “Robbie.” He called out pleasantly.
“Oh, hey, Hal.” Robbie looked up.
“Not heading back to Beginnings yet?”
“I was,” Robbie replied. “But when I found out they were having Oodles of Dan Noodles I had to stop in.”
Hal chuckled as he sat down. “They always seem to prepare those when there’s something happening in town at night. All the men want to get out quickly.”
“What’s happening in town?” Robbie asked.
“Line dancing.”
Robbie partially smiled, shook his head and dove back into his bowl.
“What has happened to my brothers?” Hal asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You are not the same anymore Robbie. Frank is not the same.”
“Frank’s the president and trying to be something he’s not,” Robbie said.
“And you aren’t?”
Robbie shook his head. “Nope. Just busy. Pissed. I’m head of Security now; I have that to deal with. But then Frank oversees everything I do. Pisses me off. I’m pissed because I have this investigation. My own father’s murder. Pisses me off that I have to do it and pisses me off that I’m not making progress. It also pisses me off that the fingerprints aren’t Dean’s.”
This caused Hal to sit back. “Six times you used a derivative of the word ‘piss’, and when Robbie did this
Elliott gave Hal a reassuring look, a partial smile and watched as the plane came to a stop.
Hal took a deep breath as he watched George step off the plane. George then went to the side and unloaded his bag. Hal and Elliott walked toward him.
The moment George saw them, George saluted Hal.
It took Hal aback, but he returned the Salute. “Mr. Hadley. Captain Hal Slagel.”
“I knew as soon as I saw you.” George smiled and shook his hand. “My God do you look like your father.”
“Thank you.”
“My condolences on your loss. I mean it.” He gave a squeeze to Hal’s hand.
A pause. A nod. “Thank you. May I introduce you to my right hand man? Sgt. Elliott Ryder.”
“Sgt. Ryder.” George shook his hand
“Elliott’s new role is one such as Nolan Howell’s when you were in office.”
Gorge nodded. “Secretary of State.”
“In a way. Yes, sir.” Elliott said.
Hal spoke, “Elliott will be taking you to Beginnings. You’ll be staying there.”
“Good. Good. I was hoping. I’m also hoping to just blend in for a while, like the old days. I’m here to discuss strategy, yes, but I want to take in Beginnings.”
“Absolutely,” Hal said “I know my brother has an early evening meeting planned. I’m not sure what his agenda is as far as taking you to see the other leaders. This was quite the surprise visit. We didn’t have much time to plan.”
“I understand.”
“I have some business to attend to here, and some training to overlook. But I’ll be in Beginnings shortly.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Well,” Hal exhaled. “Elliott, if you’ll drop me in town, then you can take Mr. Hadley to Beginnings.”
“Yes, Captain.” Elliott reached for George’s bag.
George stopped him. “I packed them, I loaded them, I can carry them. Thank you. Sgt. The ride and escort is plenty.”
“As you wish.” Elliott nodded, turned and began to walk with Hal.
George followed. “Oh, Captain. There is one request. I’m not sure if you or your brother can meet.”
“And that is?” Hal asked.
“Above all else. Before anything else …I’d really like to see my wife.”
It was a request they didn’t expect. Hal nodded. “We’ll see what we can do.”
<><><><>
Hal bid a pleasant farewell to Elliott and George as they dropped him off in New Bowman just near a training section of the town. But Hal needed to get something from his office and turned around, heading there.
He was surprised as he passed the mess hall and saw his brother Robbie in there. Robbie was alone, sitting at a table eating.
Hal again, two steps back, opened the door to the mess hall and went in. “Robbie.” He called out pleasantly.
“Oh, hey, Hal.” Robbie looked up.
“Not heading back to Beginnings yet?”
“I was,” Robbie replied. “But when I found out they were having Oodles of Dan Noodles I had to stop in.”
Hal chuckled as he sat down. “They always seem to prepare those when there’s something happening in town at night. All the men want to get out quickly.”
“What’s happening in town?” Robbie asked.
“Line dancing.”
Robbie partially smiled, shook his head and dove back into his bowl.
“What has happened to my brothers?” Hal asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You are not the same anymore Robbie. Frank is not the same.”
“Frank’s the president and trying to be something he’s not,” Robbie said.
“And you aren’t?”
Robbie shook his head. “Nope. Just busy. Pissed. I’m head of Security now; I have that to deal with. But then Frank oversees everything I do. Pisses me off. I’m pissed because I have this investigation. My own father’s murder. Pisses me off that I have to do it and pisses me off that I’m not making progress. It also pisses me off that the fingerprints aren’t Dean’s.”
This caused Hal to sit back. “Six times you used a derivative of the word ‘piss’, and when Robbie did this
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