by D. J. Holmes
There are times when life decides to throw you a curve. Ruthlessly, it grabs you by your throat, thrusting you into the air with your arms flinging out to your sides, and your feet dangling below. Not willing to let go, it continuously takes your last ounce of strength, pushing you on to your next challenge. Some days are up; some days are down and other days are too hard to handle.
This is what Evan and Julia had been feeling like after the death of their fellow officers. Life seemed to have beaten all the strength out of their souls; their beautiful world was no longer bright. Gray hues now coved the horizon, as hopelessness filled the air. Their hearts, which normally were full of excitement, determination and trust, were now empty.
Julia masked her trauma with a smile on her face and cheerfulness in her voice.
Evan, on the other hand, knew something that Julia didn’t. He had his suspicions, but was never able to get the proof that he needed. Now, having found the first few letters of his superior’s name, written by Jasmine in her own blood, he knew that his suspicions were not all in his head. Now, all he had to do was to get enough proof to go to the Governor and present his case.
All night long Evan’s mind had kept him awake reliving the “what if’s” that could have happened to the hostages and to his whole team. Had their rescue plan not worked, the fire that had raged throughout the nostalgic paddle-wheel restaurant of the Sacramento Delta King while the terrorists held the governor’s captive, could have had a different twist. Just one mistake and so many more could have died.
Though he was glad to be alive, Evan was angry that his supervisor had connections with the terrorists. How could these foreigners have been able to get so close to the Western States Governors without a man on the inside? Because of the takeover of the Delta King, many other people had put their lives on the line to help rescue the Governors; with two of his comrades finally dying during a firefight.
Planning his strategy to trap his superior was going to be hard; the Governor had no idea what a traitor this man was, in fact, Evan had heard that they were great lifelong friends.
Today’s sun was bright and warm, but Evan and Julia were still feeling the pain of the loss of their comrades. This celebration for their efforts in protecting the lives of the Western States Governors from terrorist threat was embarrassing to them. Neither one wanted to be recognized independently from their team. Their only thought was to get recognition for everyone, and especially for their fallen comrades.
Evan finally dragged himself out of bed.
Julia was already at the celebration watching the last minute preparations take place.
After driving through the morning traffic, Evan finally arrived. Getting out of his car he walked toward Julia greeting her with, “Good morning,”
Grateful that he had finally arrived, she responds, “There you are Evan. What took you so long to get here?”
“I got caught in traffic,” not wanting to tell her of his restless night.
“Why didn’t you just put on your siren?”
“You know that I can’t do that!”
“I’m just teasing,” she smiled.
“Oh,” he said finally realizing that she was joking. A minute later he began talking about their latest encounter with a group of International Terrorists. “I don’t know if I ever told you, Julia, but I was really impressed with how we worked together the moment that we both realized that the lives of all the Governors were in danger. To me, that whole situation was surreal. To realize that they were all being held as hostages, but thought that their predicament was just part of the Delta King, Mystery Dinner Theater presentation.”
“I was thinking about that very same thing just a minute ago, Evan. We had to do some real acting during that time didn’t we?”
“What do you mean? I was in my element. I wasn’t nervous then, like I am now,” Evan, stated with a boyish smile. Talking a breath he looked directly at Julia and became very serious, “Actually, I really don’t know how we did it! At any given moment, everything could have turned the other direction and everyone on that river boat, including us, would have been dead.”
“I know.” Julia put her arm around his waist, as they stood side by side.
In their minds they traveled back in time, silently thinking of their recent experience. Yet, physically they continued to watch all the loose ends being brought together for the ceremony.
“Did I ever thank you for saving my life that day, Evan?”
“You’re my partner, Julia. Partner’s watch each other’s back.”
Trying to change the subject they revert to their typical daily small talk.
“Yes, they do.” Turning her head toward Evan’s back, taking in his whole beautiful, American Indian, five foot eleven stature, Julia added with an approving smile, “in fact I’m looking at yours right now. You look nice in your uniform, Evan. I like a man in uniform.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I don’t know what it is, if it’s the uniform, or the confidence a man seems to have when he wears it.”
“I do like the way it makes me feel, Julia.” He held his collar, moving it slightly with an approving look on his face. “Sometimes, I get tired of wearing my regular street clothes while I’m at work; I’d rather wear my uniform so that I stand out. I’m proud of the work I do.”
“I’m proud to have you as my partner, Evan. You’re a great officer! And you’ve been a great example to me.”
Evan heard the sincerity in her voice. Rather than scanning the area they were in, as he usually did, he finally looked directly at her for more than a moment. “You know what? I love seeing you in a dress when we work. You’re so darn cute and feminine. But seeing you now in uniform, I never realized that you were so short. How tall are you anyway?”
“I’m 5 feet 4 inches.”
“You look taller than that when we work. It must be because of the heels that you wear.”
“Since we are undercover, they ARE a part of my uniform. You know that I have to fit in with the civilians. And then of course, I don’t have to do the running. You do. I just call for back up.”
“Ah…now I know why you just stand in place, open up your purse and start talking into it. I always thought the backups that helped me just read my mind, riding in on their white horses just in time to save me,” he said with a playful smile. “So why didn’t you wear them today?”
“Wear what?”
“…Your heels.”
“I’ve got heels…look,” and she lifted one foot up to show him the sole of her shoe.
“No, the high heels that you wear when we work.” His smile just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Smiling back, Julia answered, “I wanted the option to quickly run away. And who knows I might feel like running any minute now…chuckle. Actually, I didn’t have any that would go with my uniform. Besides I wanted to match your outfit.”
Evan and Julia have a close brother, sister relationship. Yet, for some reason, Julia always gets nervous when she senses his complete attention on her. Smiling, she changed the subject.
“Have you noticed everything that has been done here?” she questions, “I can’t believe that they’ve gone to all of this preparation. The lawn is perfectly manicured. And my favorite Camellia tree...I’ve always loved its colored blossoms.”
“Oh, so you like pink, white and red, hanging on the limbs of a tree?”
“I do…it’s just all so stunning.” Turning around she puts her left hand up to her mouth to hold back a scream. “Look over there by the West steps.” They actually put up a stage for this ceremony with a huge American Flag covering the back!”
The extravagance of this celebration brings them back as to why they are on the Capitol grounds.
“Wow! You’ve got to be kidding. This is really something. Look at how beautiful the Capitol Building and that huge, and I mean HUGE flag look together. This is amazing isn’t it, Julia?”
“It is. I never expected any
thing like this.”
“Me either, but I still wish they were honoring someone other than us. I’d rather be in the audience with the rest of our team, than up on the stage for this ceremony.”
“Me too…. Rather than going up on stage, why don’t we just go sit in the audience?”
“If you lead, I’ll follow.”
“I thought that you were MY leader, Evan.”
“Not for this.”
“Ok then, are you ready? …One thing, I’d like to ask you, leader of mine, what are we going to do when they call our names?”
“Sink down in our seats….”
“Now what kind of a leader is that, Evan?”
Pointing toward the stage he comments, “…One that doesn’t want to go up on that stage.”
Julia looks back to the Capitol Building, “Well, I think that it’s kind of late to carry out our plans, all of the dignitaries, including the Governor, are walking down the West steps toward the stage. They would see us if we ran for seats in the audience now. I guess we had better go behind the stage, and wait until they call us.”
“Lead on, my fearless one,” Evan says, looking at the ground with a nervous twinge in his voice.
“If you’ll remember, I was going to blaze our way to chairs in the audience, before the Governor appeared.” Julia explained, “Now you get to traverse our way to the back of the stage.”
“…Traverse?”
“Yes, traverse, Evan. You get to plot a pathway to the stage.”
“Plot a pathway?”
“Oh…I know what you’re doing. You’re stalling.”
“Julia, I don’t want to go….”
“Start marching or I’ll slap your butt!”
“Now, now Julia, remember you’re in uniform.”
“Yea…yea…yea. Start marching. Hip-two, hip-two.”
Evan, starts marching in the opposite direction of the stage.
“Where in the heck do you think that you are going?” Julia laughs as she steps in front of him.
Evan responds looking down to the ground, “…In the direction that I want to go in.”
“Not in that direction, Evan. You don’t get your way today. March straight for the back of the stage, and put on your leader face, not your little boy face.”
Laughing, Evan, just had to get in the last word, “Ok, mommy.”
Waiting behind the wings of the stage, they stood so that they could see the audience, but couldn’t be seen.
Julia spotted the Bagpipe Band dressed in their ceremonial best, “Evan, come over here and look at that group of men.”
“…Where?”
“Over there in the garden.”
“Oh, that group over there?”
“Yes.”
“I think that you need more training, Julia. Are you sure that they’re men? They’re wearing skirts.”
“They’re not skirts. They are wearing Kilts.”
“Well, it looks like a skirt to me,” Evan said with his smile coming to the surface.
“Personally, I think that you’d look really cute in a kilt, Evan. In fact, I think that I’ll get you one for Christmas.”
“I won’t wear it if you get me one, Julia!” he says adamantly, his smile fading.
“I’ve heard that men that wear a kilt for the first time have a strong sense of masculinity overcome them.”
“I don’t care what you’ve heard. I’m not going to wear it in this life time!” Looking down and directly at her face, he adds, “I mean it, Julia! I’ll never wear a kilt!” His arm makes a gesture toward the ground.
Quietly laughing inside and continuing her teasing she says, “Yea, yea, yea. We’ll see Evan….”
Julia finally remembers the name of the Pipers attire.
“…The Prince Charlie!”
“There’s a Prince here?”
“No, I mean the Prince Charlie, Highland Dress outfit. It’s only worn on extremely special occasions.”
“Are you talking about the skirts that they are wearing again?”
“Evan, would you stop it? Its tradition and it’s very manly. Did you know, that the average skirt that a woman wears today only takes from three to four yards of material to make? But a kilt needs eight yards, because of the pleats in the back of the kilt.”
“Yea, pleats, Julia. Does that sound like anything that a man would wear?”
“Well, just remember, Evan, when you wear yours, the pleats go in the back!”
“I told you, Julia. I’m not wearing one of those skirts!”
“I think that I’ll get you one like they have. And, of course, we’ll have to make sure that it hits just below the knee, so that your knobby knees don’t show.”
“I don’t have knobby knees!”
“Ah, so you’ll wear one?”
“No, Julia, I won’t wear it.”
“Evan, did you know that back in the middle ages, a kilt was not considered something that a woman would wear? A man wore this type of outfit because, when he was out on the battle field it was easier to relieve his bowels, and continue fighting at the same time.”
“Now, that’s something that I wouldn’t have thought of! Although I would imagine, that when fighting face to face on a battle field all day, when nature calls one couldn’t possibly say ‘excuse me for a moment,’ walk off, come back a little later and continue fighting.”
He begins to laugh “What if another enemy came up to them to fight, while his opponent is gone doing his thing, what are they supposed to say? ‘I’m sorry. I’m in the middle of fighting another man, but he’s indisposed right now. Could you pick on someone else until I’m through with him?’”
Starting to laugh even louder, yet trying to keep it as quiet as he could, Evan says, “Or, maybe, I could say, ‘Watch your step. The guy that I was just fighting did his thing right where you are standing.’”
“My goodness, Evan, do you have to be so graphic? If you laugh any harder you’re going to fall over.”
“Hey, you’re the one that started the subject matter.”
“Well it’s fact! But we don’t have to go into detail about it…. Ok now let’s approach this subject matter another way. If you were asked to describe this group of pipers, how would you describe what they are wearing?”
“Black and red plaid skirt, with pleats in the back; black jacket with matching vest; white shirt with a black bowtie; cufflinks; a belt with a buckle, which I would think would match the cufflinks and they wear something that’s tied around their hips and it hangs down in front….”
Julia jumps in, “That’s called a ‘sporran.’ It’s a type of purse placed discretely in front, to act as a cod-piece and to protect their modesty.”
“I can see where that would do the trick Julia,” he says with a grin.
Julia could see the wheels spinning in his head, but stops him from saying what he is thinking, “Don’t you dare say anything, Evan. Just continue on with your description.”
“Their legs are black.”
“They’re not black Evan, they are wearing hose.”
“Hose? …Men wearing hose?”
“Evan!”
“Ok, Julia, ok. I’ll try to stop, but I really want to know. What are hose?”
“Evan, are you really serious?”
“I’m serious, Julia. What do you mean by hose?”
“It’s what we call stockings.”
“Oh,”
Yes, and they roll them down to show off the small colorful flags attached to the garters on the outside of each leg…. Do you see them?”
“Yea, that’s neat.”
“And look at the Brogues.”
“…The what?”
“The black shoes, Evan. Do you see the long laces that cross back and forth as they are wrapped up the leg?”
“Yea, it kind of reminds me of a ballet shoe!”
“Evan, would you stop it? I thought that you were going to be serious.”
“I’m trying,
Julia. I’m really trying! ” he says as he steps back holding his hands up, and out to each side in front of him.
“These pipers are classy, Evan!” she says with her hands on her hips and a pout on her face.
Walking back over to her, he stands to Julia’s right, his left arm wrapped around her shoulders and looks at her with his teasing little smile, “I know they are. I’m just having fun with you.”
She finally begins to smile back at him, “You can always get me to smile, can’t you?”
Just then the sun caught some type of metal, and the light flashed back into, Evan’s eyes. “Wow, what was that?” he asked.
“It was probably the decorative handle of the sheathed knife, hidden in one leg of their hose or it was the metal kilt pin.”
“I can understand a hidden knife, but why do they have a pin in their kilt?”
“That all came about one day when Queen Victoria had a military inspection. It was windy, and as one of the privates was standing at attention, the wind kept blowing his kilt open, and there he was for all to see.”
“What do you mean, Julia? She was there to look at her soldiers.”
“Evan…the soldiers don’t wear any underwear under their kilts. She was there to see the uniform. Not what was under the uniform?”
“Oh!”
“Anyway, she took out a hat pin and secured his kilt, thus preserving his modesty. And since that time it has been traditional for a kilt pin to be worn with the kilt.”
“That’s interesting, Julia. A Queen using one of her hat pins to help her soldier. What’s the story on the hats they are wearing?”
“First of all, it’s called a bonnet and it actually doesn’t have any real ancient history. It basically grew from a pillbox style, you know, small and squatty?” She fashions her hands into the size of a small squatty box. “And then you know how things go. Everyone has to have more of something than other people have.”
“Ah, so the hats, excuse me bonnets, just continued getting bigger and bigger, with everyone trying to out do the other person. Is that right?”
“Yes, it was kind of like that.”
“It doesn’t sound like they were too much different than we are today?” he said kind of under his breath.
“And then their instruments… aren’t they beautiful?”
Before Evan can answer, the first sounds of the Bagpipe Band can be heard playing, ‘Amazing Grace’. Tears begin rolling down their cheeks as the faces of their dearest, newly fallen fellow officer’s flash so clearly in their minds.
Julia begins singing the words, “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound.”
A short time later Julia comments quietly, “Look at their posture, they look so dignified, I feel like I’m in a romantic, far away country, watching them march through the King’s garden as they play their bagpipes.”
Later as the second verse starts, the drum section of the Bagpipe Band begins playing with the bagpipes, “I have goose bumps all down my arms Evan. It’s so beautiful.”
“For all my teasing, Julia, I will agree with you. They are very impressive.”
As the music begins to end, both, Evan, and Julia quietly sing…“was blind, but now I see.”
The Governor of California stands up to the podium and thanks the Pipers for their rendition of, “Amazing Grace”. They acknowledge the Governor with a small tip of their heads, and click of their heels. As they turn around, the drummers play as they exit the area. The Governor then sits down.
The Attorney General approaches the podium and begins to speak. “The Public Safety Office, Medal of Valor Act, Effective January 1, 2003, authorizes the Governor of California to award a Medal of Valor to one or more public safety officers who are cited by the Attorney General for an extraordinary act of heroism, above and beyond the call of duty, to save the life of another person, or at risk to their own life, to save someone.”
“The Special Act, Gold Medal, is awarded for an extraordinary act of heroism, by a state employee extending far above, and beyond the normal call of duty or service performed at great risk to his, or her own life in an effort to save a human life.”
The Attorney General ends with, “Would Officer Evan Meyers and Officer Julia Lloyd please come up on stage?” On cue the Governor stands up and shakes their hands. As he begins to speak, the Attorney General sits down.
For the first time Evan notices that his superior is standing next to the Governor. In his mind he yells, “You bag of fermenting garbage!!! It is because of you that our governors were almost taken hostage and it is because of you that Jasmine and Juan are dead…. Don’t worry though I’ll get you! Someday I’ll get you for all that you have done to our team, to our dead comrades, to their families and for what you tried to do to our state and country.”
After he adjusts the microphone the Governor begins his speech.
“On September 9, 2009, Officers Evan Meyers and Julia Lloyd were at Sutter’s Fort, doing their part as plain clothes officers, of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail. We had been told that the Al Entisar Brigade was planning a terrorist attack somewhere in our country, but we didn’t know where all their terrorist cells were located. What we did know was that after all of the Governors had arrived, we had sightings, here in California, of Abdul Al-Esawii, a famous terrorist and leader of this brigade. With this information, Evan and Julia were to keep their eyes and ears open while patrolling Sutter’s Fort, one of our popular tourist destinations in the middle of our beautiful Capital. This would be a place where anyone not familiar with the area could meet and not be questioned, while all the Governors of the Western States were here in Sacramento for a Western States Conference on Water Conservation.”
Standing on stage during the Governors speech, Evan could hardly keep his eyes off of his supervisor, wishing he could arrest him right there and then. Julia’s mind had gone blank and she barely heard the Governor when he said:
“Toward the end of the Mystery Dinner Theatre, after defusing the bombs on the hull of the river boat, the Special Enforcement Detail had taken the place of the original Can-Can dancers. While entering the stage they were ready to put on their own great dramatic ending taking as many Governors with them as they could.”
“I must say at this moment, that the skills that our officers have are the best in America. But I have to tell you, since I was there, that they were some of the ugliest Can-Can dancers that I have ever seen.”
Laughing came loudly and quickly after this statement, as all of the officers patted each other on the back. The movement of the audience, and loud laughter brought both Evan and Julia back to the present.
After the laughing died down, the Governor continued, “Drawing attention away from the now substituted Can-Can dancers as they entered the stage to do their dance, one of the terrorists ran across the dining room to tell his commander that the Chef had accidentally set a small fire in the kitchen, and they hadn’t been able to put it out. Without knowledge that the bombs they had secured to the hull of the Delta King, had already been disarmed, the terrorists began to panic.”
“Taking advantage of this chaotic circumstance, the Can-Can dancers invited some of the Governors up on stage to dance with them, and somehow managed to shuffle them off the boat.”
Looking out to the audience, the Governor laughed, as he said “You’ve got to show me the steps to your shuffle. I would like to use it in some of my meetings.” The audience began to laugh, knowing and understanding the politics of the State of California.
Getting back to his speech, the Governor continued, “Abdul, finally calmed his men and got everything under control. As he looked around he became furious, when he realized that during all the commotion, many hostages and the Can-Can dancers had escaped. In his rage, he ordered his team to explode the bombs they had planted on the hull a few nights before. When this was unsuccessful, he realized that the bombs had probably been disarmed and became extremely angry.”
“
Since their first plan had not worked, they initiated a second plan by starting a larger fire in the middle of the Pilothouse, Mystery Theatre Dining Room. There were yells and screams as the remaining hostages began to panic. Abdul then took the Governor of Arizona, along with the Governor of California as hostages while he and his team left by the main door, having chained and pad locked all of the other exits.”
“As the fire raged, several of the hostages, who were left behind, tried to leave the restaurant through the same doors. This action resulted in several of them being wounded by two of the terrorists who were standing guard just outside the door, while their leader, and those who were with him, left.”
“The soldiers of the Al-Entisar Brigade, by the main door, were in the sites of the SWAT Team, and were wounded. The SWAT Team had orders not to kill anyone, unless they were instructed other wise, as the terrorists tried to escape.”
“The Special Enforcement Detail Officers surrounded the leader and those that were with him. After a long fire fight, both Governors were rescued, and the wounded terrorists were taken into custody. Sadly, during the conflict, two of our officers, Officer Juan Martinez and Officer Jasmine Kim, were mortally wounded. We will be eternally grateful for their sacrifice.”
The Governor paused for a few moments of silence in memory of these officers.
“On the inside of the Delta King, Officers Meyers and Lloyd were able to quiet the remaining hostages. Finally, while Officer Lloyd stayed with the wounded hostages, Officer Meyers found an escape route through a back door in the kitchen that the terrorists had over looked.”
On stage Evan and Julia looked at each other, remembering how Evan’s clothes had started to catch fire several times, as hot ashes dropped, and bursts of flames had reached out to stroke his shirt, and pants.
Julia remembered how her hair had come out of the bun that she had it in, making it more accessible to the hot ashes flying through the air, as she was trying to help the hostages through the kitchen.
With a stroke of good luck, Julia had found towels in a nearby drawer and socked them in water, handing one to Evan and each of the hostages as they were ready to run through the searing flames to safety.
Visions of their assignment fade and thoughts come back to what the Governor is saying as they hear him report new information, “What we have found out, through several interrogations with each of the captured terrorists and specifically their leader, is that their plan was to hold the Governors for ransom. They needed the money because they were in the process of sending aid and weapons to help the Syrians, knowing that they would be involved in war after the Libyan revolution. In their first shipment they had ordered 2,000 metric tons of rocket propelled grenade launchers, general purpose machine guns and ammunition, but it had been seized off the coast of Lebanon. Their second shipment was to consist of weapons hidden among 460 metric tons of aid destined for refugees…. This is what they needed the ransom money for.”
Looking directly at Evan and Julia he states, “It is because of you that their second shipment of weapons will not be delivered. And because of your efforts our soldiers are a lot safer today.”
“For being instrumental in capturing these dangerous men and for helping several of the wounded hostages to escape the increasing intensity of the fire, while returning several times to retrieve the wounded, at the peril of their own lives, today I have the honor of awarding Officers Evan Meyers and Julia Lloyd, the State of California Special Act Gold Medal of Valor.”
As the Governor puts a medal around Julia’s neck and shakes her hand; he turns to get the second medal and puts it around Evan’s neck and shakes his hand. Looking at both of them he privately says, “It is a privilege to be in the company of such brave individuals. You both represent the courageous spirit of California that has always made our state so great.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Julia graciously responds.
Evan asks, “Governor, would it be alright if I asked you a question?”
“Certainly Officer Meyers, what is it that you would like to ask?”
“Governor, with your permission, I would like to have everyone that helped that day, to stand. Would that be all right?”
“That would be fine with me, Officer Meyers,” the Governor responded.
Evan went to the podium and asked for everyone that helped to resolve the incident that day, to please stand. No one wanted to be recognized, so he said, “Officers Anderson, Johnson and Schriever, please stand up.”
Out of respect for Evan they finally stand up.
“Now, the rest of you, please stand. We wouldn’t have been able to successfully finish this assignment, if you wouldn’t have been there also.”
There was no movement in the crowd. Raising his hands he added, “Come on….Come on now,” the rest of the unit slowly stood up. Evan continued, “This Medal of Valor belongs to all of you and it will be displayed at our department headquarters. May we always work together, as well as we did, on September 9, 2009.”
Everyone responded with applause, and whistles, finally acknowledging their part, in the rescue of the Governors from all the Western States.
After the award ceremony, Evan and Julia walked around Old Sacramento. They finally found themselves standing on a corner facing the Delta King River Boat.
“I’m hungry…shall we?” Evan asks as he gestures toward the paddle boat.
“Why not, it looks like it has been refurbished.”
As they walked in through the main entrance Officers Anderson, Johnson and Schriever, who had arrived before them, began clapping and whistling. Julia’s face turned a bright red, and Evan motioned with his hands, to quiet down. They were escorted to a beautiful table by a window overlooking the Sacramento River.
The Delta King and her (I say her, because a ship is always referred to as a female, because it protects and eventually delivers her cargo, or passengers, as does a mother with her child) sister ship the Delta Queen were the finest paddle wheelers traveling between Sacramento and San Francisco from 1927 to 1940. The refurbishing that had been done since September 9th had regained the charm, grace, and elegance that it first had during its glory years.
“Look at the cute couple. They never seem to go anywhere, unless they are together. I think that there is something going on that’s more than partners on the force,” Schriever derides, as he looks in their direction.
Johnson, added, “You could be right, Schriever. I wish I had a partner like, Julia. Not only is she a good officer, she really looks good in that uniform.”
“Hey guys, give them a break. Schriever, you and I are partners, and we go everywhere together,” Anderson remarked.
“I’m thinking that that’s a little different, Anderson. We’re buddies.”
Quietly, Anderson answers. “Maybe that’s all that’s between them also.”
“Look at her! There’s no way that any man could be just a buddy with her. Men and good looking women cannot be buddies!” stated, Schriever.
“You know what? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Johnson, admonishes. “Whatever it is, let them be. They make a great team.”
Anderson looked up and noticed that Evan and Julia were walking out of the restaurant. “Where are they going? They just got here. Do you think that it’s too soon for them to be here, at the Delta King?”
“No. That terrorist incident was two months ago. I saw Evan reach for his cell phone just a minute ago. As soon as he hung up, he leaned over to Julia and talked to her. They must have to go somewhere,” Johnson, added.
“I hope that they didn’t hear us talking about them,” Schriever shamefully stated.
“Excuse me, we weren’t talking about them. You were talking about them, Schriever,” Anderson, scolded.
“You’re right. Sorry guys.”
Evan and Julia had been summoned to an emergency meeting with their commanding officer. During the last three months there had been several young boys killed, always under the lig
ht of a full moon. Their commanding office wanted Evan, to head the task force. He also wanted Julia to help when she returned from her vacation. They had both agreed to be part of his team to find this mass killer, but Evan was anxious to take this assignment hoping he could also get more proof, connecting his supervisor to the terrorists.
Julia’s premonition at the very moment she agreed to be part of the task force was that this could possibly mark the beginning of the possible end of her life. Yet, she also felt that it would open memories of a true love that had been forgotten through a web of time.
Her awakening memories would, little by little, reveal a hidden history that Evan never wanted exposed again; memories buried so deeply, he had become a different person to escape them. Though it could possibly be an end for both of them, it is truly just a part of their own heroic beginning.
Through these courageous soul experiences, Evan and Julia would learn that life isn’t what we have planned. Life is a part of destiny that has a way of guiding us to where our heart truly resides.
For now, leaving on her vacation was what she needed. She decided to take it a day at a time, but it quickly passed. After returning home from visiting with her family in New Mexico, she renewed her determination to concentrate just on that, taking it a day at a time.
Worried about Evan, and curious about his new investigation, she had returned home earlier than planned, and had two more days until she had to report to work. Having made no specific plans in advance, Julia thought, “Maybe I’ll just take a short nap on my favorite sofa.” She quickly fell asleep.
When she woke up she called her mother and said, “Mom, while I was sleeping, I had a dream that was so real, it seemed like I was there. I wasn’t looking at this person. I WAS this person! It was like my face was in a mask, and through my own eyes, or from the holes made in the mask for my eyes I could see what was happening. I was on my knees, bending over a wood block, with my hands behind me. I looked up to my left. I could see a man with his hands stretched high above his head, holding an ax. I knew that he was going to use all of his strength, to sever my neck from my body with one slice.”
“What do you mean Julia?”
“I don’t know mom, but this is the second time, that I have had that dream.”
“What?”
“The first time I saw it, my breath was taken away, and I was extremely shaken. But this time, I decided to face this experience, and took the time to look at the ax. To my amazement, I actually found it to be very beautiful. It had a long wooden handle. At the upper end of the handle there was a beautiful silver ax, with decorative scrolls cut through it at the thicker end and at the thinner end, it was very clean and sharp. The executioner was about 6 feet tall…”
“You saw the executioner?”
“Yes. He had blonde hair and a blonde beard. He was very muscular and had a very concerned, but determined look on his face. Within my heart came the understanding that my husband had made the decision that I was to be beheaded. I knew at that moment, that it was not in this time; it was another moment in time that I had been given a glimpse of. Strangely, I felt very calm, and at peace when I looked up at him. As the ax was about to come down, I suddenly woke up to the ringing of my cell phone. It was Evan.”
“Thank goodness he called you, Julia. That was a scary dream. What did Evan want?”
“He was calling to see if I could go out to dinner tonight. There was someone that he wanted me to meet.”
“Good, you won’t be alone after a dream like that.”
“It was rather strange wasn’t it?”
Julia hears a knock on the door.
“I have to go now Mom, they’re here.”
“Ok sweetie, have a nice evening. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
Evan and his friend were standing on her door step. He introduced Julia to, Jon. The lighting was poor, but she immediately thought that Jon looked familiar. His stance made her think that she had stood next to him, somewhere before. It seemed like there was a wall in her brain, that wouldn’t come down, because she couldn’t make sense of her feelings. Nevertheless, they all walked out to the car, got in, and Evan, drove toward the freeway.
“I want to take both of you to a new Chinese Restaurant that I found, just before I went to the Beach House.” Evan’s mouth began to water, as he fantasized about Sweet and Sour Pork, and his favorite, Beef and Broccoli. He was unexpectedly brought back to reality when he received a call from his team, notifying him that he was needed at the newest crime scene, that something very important had been found.
Since Jon, and Julia were with Evan when he got the call, and they were on the freeway, there wasn’t anywhere Jon and Julia could be dropped off, so they traveled with Evan to his assignment.
The team had called to say that they had found two new bodies that could possibly be part of the current serial killings. As soon as Evan received the call, he put the red and blue revolving dome light on the roof of his car. Within a second, Evan was driving at lightning speed.
Arriving at the crime scene, Evan got out of the car. Looking around at his team he asked Julia if she would stay with Jon, since she was still officially on vacation, until he could get back.
“I’d be glad to Evan,” she responded.
After Evan left the car, Jon and Julia sat for a while in silence. Then her curiosity became too much to handle. Julia asked, “What is in the backpack that you are carrying, Jon?”
“It’s a notebook. I have written all of my most cherished memories in it and I keep it with me in my backpack.”
“Would you feel comfortable in sharing any of them with me?” she asked.
Jon changed the subject, and stated, “Evan is really a great guy, isn’t he?” His voice sounded like he was reminiscing.
Julia realized that he was uncomfortable talking about his notebook, so she followed his lead, and asked him, “Are you a police officer also?”
“No. I’m an Attorney in Los Angeles.”
“What are you doing here in Sacramento?”
“I needed to come to talk to, Evan, about a case that I am helping a fellow attorney with.”
“You needed to come to talk to Evan about something that is happening in Los Angeles?” She asked in a surprised tone since each court district has different laws pertaining to crime.
“Had been happening,” he emphasized. “My client, the person who the police arrested for the same type of serial killings in the city of Los Angeles, escaped from the Court House during a pre-trial hearing, when he realized that he was going to be kept in jail for three months, until his trial.”
He continued, “About a month after he had escaped, I heard a news report concerning the same type of killings that had been happening in Los Angeles, were now happening in Sacramento. They were all happening under a full moon, just as they had in Los Angeles.”
“I went to the Internet, and saw the picture of you and Evan, that had been posted when you both received your Medals of Valor.”
“Next to that article was the article that said that Evan was in charge of this investigation. The killer seemed to have the same M.O. that my client was suspected of, so I came to see if it was my client, or possibly someone else, so that I could potentially clear my client. I also wanted to congratulate, Evan, and meet you.”
Jon, immediately sat back, and was quiet once again.
Julia was sitting in the front passenger seat. She tried to turn around to completely face Jon, but realized that she hadn’t taken off her safety belt. Rather than turning completely around to talk to him, she put down the front visor, and opened the mirror so that she could see him as they talked. The light was shining just bright enough that she could barely see him. Trying to adjust her eyes, she was shocked when the car was in the direct line of a light that was being used at the crime scene. It was the first time that she truly got a good look at what Jon actually looked like.
Stunned she couldn’t
move! She believed in Evan, as far as his choice of friends and her safety was concerned. But, she also believed her dream. She sat there stiff as a board, juggling her thoughts back and forth. “He looks like the executioner, but how could that be? Was my dream a warning?” she said over and over in her mind. Confused and very frightened, her body froze. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t talk.
“Julia, are you ok?” Jon asked with a concerned tone.
“It’s him! It’s got to be him.” She said to herself as her mind began to thaw out, and she began to think. “My dream was a premonition. This man was probably the person that has been following me home from work. And if my dream is correct, he is going to kill me.”
Julia didn’t know who to trust. She hadn’t had time to talk to Evan because he had been at the Beach House for some reason. Now she was alone in a car, with a man who looked like the executioner in her dream. And Evan, the person that she completely trusted, was several yards away in the woods investigating his newest crime scene.
Along with her dreams, she had been receiving letters which were very creepy. They were filled with words made up from individual alphabet letters, torn from newspapers and magazines. They had then been pasted onto paper, to spell out words and sentences that threatened her life.
Her dreams… the letters… together with being followed as she walked home from work. All of these experiences came flooding into her mind. Taking a breath, she tried to relax and then asked, Jon, “How long were you at the Beach House with, Evan?”
“I’ve been at the Beach House off and on for the last few months. But, I was just there for a day before we traveled to come to see you.”
Julia had her answer, it must be him! She decided to get out of the car as fast as she could. Quickly opening the door, and walking a few steps, she saw something move in the shadows to her right. She reached for her gun, but it wasn’t there.
With pictures quickly flashing in her mind, reminding her that she wasn’t wearing her official uniform, she was wearing her favorite basic black dress.
“Ahhh… I remember. Evan, my partner, and Jon, his friend, were taking me out to dinner and I put my gun by my side on the seat.” Unexpectedly she was distracted by someone yelling her name, directly behind her.
“Julia!”
The sound of having her name yelled had attracted the attention of the person she had seen moving in the shadows, on the perimeter of the crime scene. She could see his piercing dark eyes as he turned, looking in her direction.
At that same moment loud running steps were quickly coming up behind her. Julia quickly turned. It was Jon.
“You left your gun in the car,” he said out of breath and with a great deal of concern in his voice.
As Jon was handing the gun to her, he instantly realized that there was another person walking out of the shadows, coming towards both of them. He had a gun raised and pointed in her direction, ready to shoot.
“Julia,” the stranger said, more as a statement, than a question.
At that very moment she wanted to tell Even, her very best friend about her predicament in these words, “His dark eyes glistened with excitement, penetrating my very soul, making me feel like I was his prey. His smile made me feel like we knew each other. Yet at the same moment, I realized that he was very pleased with the situation that he found us both in.” But Evan wasn’t there.
Feeling apprehensive, she answered, “Yes?” Hoping that he was part of the crime team.
Smiling, he then said, “You’re still much prettier in person.”
Two shots were suddenly fired from the stranger’s gun. Julia was stunned, not knowing how she should feel, realizing that years of training had taught her how to take the shots, but now she would know what it felt like.
Within seconds, she prepared herself mentally to take the hit, when she suddenly realized that Jon had thrown himself in front of her. Both shots hit him directly, and he fell to the ground, as the shooter quickly ran back into the woods. Julia looked down at, Jon, not believing what had just happened. He wasn’t moving. A pool of blood was accumulating on the ground under him. His breathing was labored.
Kneeling by his side, Julia cradled his head in her lap. “Jon, why didn’t you stay in the car?”
Jon looked up at Julia and said, “Katherine I will always love you. Our ring is in my coat pocket. Please give my backpack to Evan. He’ll know what to do with it.”
“Jon, why did you throw yourself in front of me?” she questioned. “Why did you do that? He wanted me, not you, Jon! You could have saved yourself.”
Everything seemed so weird. Julia was having trouble connecting with reality. Finally her mind cleared, and she began to realize the veracity of the situation. In a pleading voice, she commanded, “Jon, don’t you die! You hear me? Stay with me, don’t die.”
Jon looked up once again at Julia and softly said, “I love you, Katherine.” His facial expression slowly faded, and his breathing stopped as his head slowly lowered to his left side.
The sound of shots being fired brought the Crime Team running with their guns drawn. They arrived, just as Jon’s body went limp.
“What happened?” the first officer asked.
Julia was still in shock, but tried to remember her training. “The shooter is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, a slim build with long black hair, and dark piercing eyes. He is wearing a plaid cowboy shirt, with blue denim pants, dark brown moccasins, and a turquoise necklace. His belt has a huge silver buckle, and he is armed with a Beretta 92 FS. Be careful. He’s dangerous.” Looking to her right, she added, “I saw him run toward that grove of trees.”
Jon’s motionless body lay on the ground with his head still lying in Julia’s lap when Evan arrived. Suddenly her whole being was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of grief. She began to cry uncontrollably.
Julia’s reaction to this situation frightened her. “I couldn’t understand what my body was trying to tell me. Was I losing it?” She had always been able to understand death, and sadness, but this was uncontrollable grief. “Why would I react this way toward someone that I have just met?” she questioned.
In all of their police work as partners, Evan had never seen Julia lose her composure in any situation, much less uncontrollably crying after a shooting.
When they helped the Governors on the Delta King River Boat, running back and forth, helping the hostages escape the fire, knowing that they could die at any moment, Julia had never felt like this! Several days after the terrorist episode was over, when she would have flash backs remembering specific parts of that assignment, she still never reacted like this. It was just part of the job, and she dealt with it.
But today, within three minutes after she had left Evan’s car, Jon was dead. His blood was soaking his clothes, and Julia was kneeling by his side with his head on her lap.
Reliving the past few minutes she voiced to herself, “This man, whom I felt I had been forewarned to be a danger to my life, in truth, at this very moment, had been my protector.”
Looking down at him, through new eyes, she wondered, “What is this peaceful look that he has on his face? What did he mean when he called me Katherine? Who was Katherine? What was written in his notebook, that he had carried in his backpack? What did he mean when he said “our ring”?
After this terrible incident, and misinterpretation of her dream, she had a lot of questions that she wanted to ask Evan about Jon.
“Are you ok?” Evan asked with a feeling of uneasiness in his voice.
Julia still couldn’t talk, so she just shook her head up and down, to let him know that she was ok. Finally, through her tears, she could see his concerned look and finally spoke, “Jon threw himself in front of me Evan…he saved my life.”
“Why did you get out of the car?” he asked. “I told you both to stay where you were, to keep you safe.”
“Initially, it was because of a dream that I had.”
“A dream…?” Evan, spoke in a tone that
sounded like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yes. I tried to tell you about it, when you called earlier.”
Just at that moment, Evan’s crime team came back from searching the woods, telling him that they had searched the perimeter, and couldn’t find anyone fitting the description that Julia had given them.
Evan responded to his men. “We’ll have to bring in more officers and widen the search. Sanders, would you call an ambulance? Anderson, Johnson and Schriever, stay here with Julia, and wait for the ambulance, while I finish this crime scene investigation.”
“Yes, Sir,” they all replied in unison.
“Julia, I’ll talk to you in a little bit. Are you feeling well enough that you could stay here with Jon, while I get this other business taken care of?”
“Yes. I’ll stay with him, until you are through.”
Two small bodies were found. They were young boys and their throats had been slashed from side to side. Evan would now have to look at Jon’s notes, to see if the throats were cut in the same way here, as they had been in Los Angeles. He would have to find out, if all of the bodies in Los Angeles were found in a woody area, and was it always a full moon?
As for now, it was late, and Evan wanted to make sure that Jon’s body was taken care of. When he returned to Julia, he asked once again. “How are you doing?” concerned with her emotional status.
“I’ll be fine, as soon as I process everything that has happened.”
“I’m going to have Anderson drive you in my car, while I accompany Jon. Would you do that, Anderson?”
“It would be my honor, Sir.”
“Thank you. Julia, you and I will talk later.”
Julia rode behind the ambulance with Anderson, as Evan accompanied his friend on his last journey in this life.
Leaving the morgue, Evan and Julia, dropped Anderson off at the station. They then drove to Julia’s apartment where they rested, and thought about the events of the evening.
Finally, Julia handed Jon’s backpack to Evan. “Jon asked me to give you this.”
Evan looked at the backpack covered with Jon’s blood. There was silence for a while, and then Evan said, “I remember watching Jon carry this all the time at the Beach House….he told me what he had written in it.”
Again, silence over came both of them, as they washed his blood off of the backpack, remembering Jon, and the sacrifice that he had made for Julia.
After an extended amount of time, Evan broke the silence with, “Julia, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”
She finally told him about the life threatening letters that she had been receiving, and the fact, that someone had followed her home from work.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“I tried to….”
“I know that you tried to tell me earlier today, but why didn’t you tell me about this when it first began?”
“You’ve been at the Beach House. What could you have done about it, Evan?”
“I’m sorry, Julia. You know that it wasn’t a vacation. And I needed to be there longer than I had planned. But don’t you know that whenever you are in danger, I’ll be there for you?”
“Yes I know that, but you’ve been under so much stress lately. Then you were assigned to this case….”
Evan instantly interjected, “Which brings up a point, you said that the person in the shadows knew your name?”
“Yes. When he called me, Julia, he wasn’t asking me if I was Julia. It was like he knew who I was. And then, he told me that I was still prettier in person.”
Evan raised his voice. “He said, still?” Evan, paused, and then asked, “Did you know him?”
“No. I don’t remember ever seeing him before.”
“How would he know who you are then?”
“Well, for one thing, Jon called my name when he was bringing my gun to me.”
“Yes, but was this man calling you by your name just because he heard, Jon, call out your name, or did he realize that you were the person that he had been looking for?”
“Are you saying that he is the person that has been sending the creepy life threatening letters and following me home from work?”
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to figure this whole thing out.”
“Evan, why would anyone connected with these killings be after me?”
“Maybe it has nothing to do with these serial killings. Tonight, you were wearing a dress, and your hair was down. You weren’t wearing a uniform. Yet, you were the one he was coming after. When did these letters start coming?”
“Do you remember when we had both received our Medal of Valor awards, and then we were assigned to this detail, but I already had my vacation planned?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well, the letters started at the beginning of the month. When I came back from vacation, I had a couple of these letters in my mail box.”
Thinking for a moment, Evan says, “Julia, do you remember a few days after the award ceremony, I had put out an article in the newspaper that specifically targeted the killer, saying that I would get him?”
“Yes, I remember that.”
“Do you have either of those articles?” Evan asks.
Julia walks to her den, with Evan right behind her.
Picking up her scrapbook, she turns the pages, showing every newspaper article that appears in print, concerning her police work.
“Here are the articles. The only one that has a picture is the Medal of Valor ceremonies, where we are both together. Here it is.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO
OFFICER EVAN MEYERS and OFFICER JULIA LLOYD.
ON SEPTEMBER 9TH OF 2009,
THEY UNSELFISHLY RISKED THEIR OWN LIVES, TO SAVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
FOR THIS HERORIC DEED
AND FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY,
WE ARE AWARDING EACH OF THEM
THE SPECIAL ACT, GOLD MEDAL OF VALOR, THE HIGHEST AWARD
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
MAY THEIR LIFE TOGETHER BE AS WONDERFUL AS THEY HAVE MADE OUR LIVES.
After looking at the picture and reading the caption, Evan said, “I always wondered if that last sentence would come back to haunt us. Why does everyone automatically think that we are a couple?”
“Maybe because we get along so well, and they are jealous?” Julia said with a questioning smile.
Evan responds, “Obviously the individual that is killing these boys, also reads the newspaper. I wonder if he is finding them through articles in the newspaper, the same way that he found out what we looked like.”
“Evan, if that’s true, once he finds a boys name, or sees a boys picture, he could then find an address, go on the internet and find out where the house is.”
“Exactly…. And he’s coming after you because he knows that I am the head detective on this case. I threatened him in the newspaper article telling him that he couldn’t escape; that we would find him. From this picture, he thinks that we are a couple.”
“Yes?” Julia questioned, wondering what Evan would say next. “Come on, Evan, out with it.”
“Well, his answer to that challenge is to come after you, letting me know that I am not the one that is in control here. We’ve either got to get you to a safe house, or I have to be taken off of this case.”
“Evan, he’d still come after me, even if you were taken off the case. What would you think of me going back to my mother’s house?”
“No, I don’t think that would be safe enough.”
“Evan, she lives in New Mexico. Do you know how far away that is?”
“Yes, I’m well aware of how far it is, Julia. But I just couldn’t handle it if anything ever happened to you.”
“I’ll take a leave of absence, go to my mother’s, and you and I will talk everyday on our cell phones. That should work, Evan.”
“I don’t know. Let me think about this. Just get your bags packed, ok?”
“That would be fine, sir,” and he got out of the car, walked over to another car, and drove with a different officer so that they could be alone.
After Evan and Julia got into their assigned car, all of the cars began driving out of the underground garage and onto the surface streets at the same time. The windows were tinted, so that no one could tell who was in any of the cars. They all drove as a caravan until they approached the freeway, and one car after another went in different directions.
Evan and Julia drove for two hours. After going north for half an hour they exited that freeway, and entered another freeway going west. They turned around again and reentered the Interstate going east. Evan’s thought, was that they didn’t know who would be following us. Julia didn’t know who had come from the shadows at the crime scene. And she certainly didn’t know who was sending the messages. But, the mere fact, that they could be followed was enough to have a plan to drive in several different directions, to lose anyone who might be inclined to follow them.
Finally, Evan was confident that they were not being followed. After traveling on a few side streets, he entered a freeway, heading south to their final destination.
As they began to feel safe once again their thoughts returned to Jon. Julia wanted to know. What was the bond that Evan and Jon shared? And who was Katherine? What did Jon mean when he said, “Our ring is in my pocket?”
Julia had made sure that she retrieved the ring from Jon’s pocket, and had taken his backpack off of his shoulder, before he had been put in the ambulance and taken to the morgue.
The ring was beautiful. It was a small red rose set on a gold band. On the inside of the ring was the word, “Destiny” and a carving of a small boat. What meaning did a red rose, the word destiny and a small boat have for Jon, and Katherine? What had he written in his notebook?
Many questions continued to formulate in Julia’s mind. How could she have been so wrong in her interpretation of the dream that had frightened her just yesterday?
Looking at Evan she asked, “Can we talk about the dream that I had yesterday afternoon?”
“Sure, Julia I’m ready to listen.”
She told Evan about her dream, the ax and the executioner. “The executioner, looked just like, Jon.”
Evan interrupted Julia, “Jon and I were talking about that when we were on our way to get you for dinner.”
“How could you and, Jon, know anything about my dream before I even told you about it?”
“It’s not that I knew about your dream, but I know what you are talking about.”
Julia looked at him wondering if he had really heard her.
“Evan, I had a dream that really, truly, scared me…. My interpretation of this dream, lead to the death of a man, who had become your best friend. And here, you are calmly telling me, that you know what I was talking about?”
“Let me explain, Julia. Jon and I were at Daniel’s Beach House in his great room. I don’t know what it is about that room. It just makes you feel like you’re at home, and that you can say anything to anybody. It has beautiful comfortable furniture, befitting a beach house; a gorgeous rock fireplace and lots of huge long windows, to look outside at the magnificent movement of the ocean waves. The ceiling is open to the second floor, which has a balcony overlooking the first floor. It emanates an overwhelming feeling of love, and freedom.”
Evan looked into Julia’s eyes, wondering if she would, or even could, remember anything from the description of the great room that he had just told her. When she didn’t give any indication that she did, he continued.
“Anyway, Julia, we were sitting in Daniel’s great room, we were both very vulnerable, and ready to talk about our past.
Jon began telling me his story with, ‘I’m telling you this, because I know that you will believe me.’”
“He told me everything he remembered, and I did believe him, Julia.” Evan looked into her eyes again. “Someday I’ll tell you why I believed him. For right now, here is Jon’s backpack. He wrote his memories in a story form. Why don’t you read it while we’re driving? It will explain your dream, and all of the questions that are buzzing around in your cute little head.”
Julia looked at Evan with a puzzled look, wondering what he was talking about. She decided to pick up the backpack, open it up, and take out the notebook, silently reading what Jon had written.
Evan looked over and smiled at Julia. “Why don’t you read it out loud? I’d like to hear it again.”
CHAPTER 2
Today, as I was driving back to the office from the District Court, the taxi drivers were honking their car horns at everybody that got in their way. There was the typical noise from construction, and throngs of people driving their cars with radio’s blasting away. But it didn’t bother me. Nothing bothered me, as I drove my car with all the windows rolled completely down. I was one with the wind. It was part of my soul and no one could take that away from me.
* * *
“Say, Julia, would you read just a little louder? I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Ok. Let me know if I get too soft again. Do you want me to start over?”
“No. He’s just talking about the taxi drivers, loud radios and construction, isn’t he? Just continue on.”
“Ok. Here we go.”
