Revenge - A Jessie Carr Novel #1

by JL Schneider

  We meet again at Harry’s. The usual scotch, I make him pay. He is shaking his head. “I swear, this is the first time this has happened. Nobody has ever tried to rip us off before.” I believe him; it was in his best interest to keep me alive. He continued, “I talked to my guy in Hoboken. It looks like a couple of his employees wanted to make their own deal. He didn’t know anything about it.” I didn’t know if that were true, but I wasn’t going to put myself in that position again. I nodded “I got the drugs, but one of the guys I shot had the money, so it’s gone.” There was no way in hell I was sharing that money after what I went through.

  Sunday noon the mall opened and Rachael, Jasmine, I go clothes shopping. The two of them picked out clothes and personal items while I wandered about the stores. Shopping has never been my strong point. Jasmine and Rachael manage to spend several thousand dollars and we go to lunch. I think how much I enjoy the company of these two women and wish this could go on forever. I know I am dreaming nothing ever stays the same. Spending time with two beautiful women during the day and sex with a beautiful woman at night what a life.

  Monday night in the Calliope, no problems, just like before, same guy, same routine, same payment. I take the money home, Rachael is working and Jasmine waiting for me. I tell her I will be right down and go to my office. I divide the money into two stacks and put them both in a Walmart bags and throw them in my locker. This money cost three men their lives but I could care less. I am safe, that is what matters. I go downstairs and grab a beer for me and a ginger ale for Jasmine. I sit with her and watch TV for awhile, but TV bores the hell out of me so I just make conversation with Jasmine. I am hoping some memory of her former life would return, but no such luck. She only knows her name because I told her what it was. Her beauty is definitely returning. Her green eyes are bright and her smile is infectious. I feel a wanting for her but know it’s a very bad idea; Rachael has been so good for both of us I don’t want to mess that up. Rachael returns at 11:30 PM, grabs a beer and joins us. We all make small talk for a couple of hours and turn in. I am exhausted but Rachael’s desire is unquenchable, we make love and finally fall asleep even more tired than before.

  Chapter 24

  Tuesday night I meet Buckle in the usual place. I give him his cut and we shared a drink. He is in a good mood, but I’m about to sour it. “I been thinking, I’m not doing that again. Alone I’m a sitting duck. I want a partner for all pickups. This isn’t open for discussion. I want someone I know I can trust covering my back.” He is unhappy, but it’s not his ass on the line. “Your happiness isn’t my concern, my ass is. So if I get no backup, you make the pickups.” This calms him down somewhat, so I piss him off again. “I been thinking about it, I have an idea for someone to back me up. I need to check on their availability. But if I get who I want, they're a full partner.” He is about to blow a gasket. I sit there and just let him vent. When he finally calms down, I say, “You feel better now? I’ll be in touch next week and introduce you to your new partner.” I down my scotch, tell the barman to bring him another, flip a couple of hundreds on the bar and depart.

  I had two close friends in Vietnam. One was my partner who I had scouted with. The other was a pilot who flew medivac and cover missions for us. I had not been in touch with Carl Rome my partner for many years, but I had kept in touch with Shelby Wilson. Shelby was a Warrant Officer and helicopter pilot. He had the biggest balls of anyone I had ever met. I had kept in contact with him and he had shown up at my wife’s funeral. I had been numb and really didn’t get to speak with him during that time. I decided if I needed someone to cover me, he was the one. I called his home number, but it had been disconnected with no forwarding. I tried his cell, disconnected. I had met his wife a couple of times and was able to reach her on her cell. She told me Shelby and she had divorced one year ago and he had lost his job. She didn’t know where he was and I suspect really didn’t care. He lived in Baltimore; I had to see if I could help. He had wanted to talk to me at the funeral but my mind was elsewhere.

  Chapter 25

  Shelby Wilson

  Shelby Herbert Wilson was born on March 9th 1948 to Drs Herbert and Diana Wilson. Both Dr. Wilsons' had thriving practices in the Baltimore area. Dr Herbert Wilson was a thoracic surgeon and Dr Diana Wilson practice was in plastic surgery. They were, to say the least, extremely successful. Growing up Shelby Wilson had everything he could possibly want, except involved parents. He was raised by a nanny because the Wilson's careers were their lives. They were often gone sixteen hours a day and many nights didn’t return at all. Shelby rarely saw his parents and even during summer break they were often jet setting around the world while Shelby stayed with his nanny. There was nothing particularly noticeable about Shelby. He was an average kid. He played sports but never excelled. He was a slightly better than average student.

  When Shelby entered High School his parents sent him to a private boarding school in the Baltimore area. Again he had very little contact with his parents except for a very rare phone call. In his junior year his family finally came to the school to see him. Actually they were there to tell him they were getting a divorce. This had very little impact on Shelby because he had so little interaction with them growing up. His father informed him he had decided that Shelby should become a doctor and follow in his footsteps. Shelby had never really considered what he would do with his future. So he agreed with his father to attend Harvard, his father’s school, after high school graduation.

  During the summer of his senior year in high school he and some friends attended an air show. Watching the aircraft mesmerized him. He fell in love with the idea of flying. All thoughts of medical school went out the window, he wanted to fly. He called his father to inform him of his decision to change from medicine to aeronautics and to attend Emery-Riddle University. His father was livid. His son would do nothing less than attend Harvard and become a surgeon. Shelby pleaded his case but it fell on deaf ears. His father would not waste his money on some flight of fantasy. Shelby would attend Harvard and like it. Shelby was devastated. His father would pay for nothing but Harvard. If he would refuse to attend Harvard, his father would not pay for any further education. Shelby reluctantly agreed, but the thought of flying never left his mind.

  Harvard proved to be everything Shelby hated. Boring students with ideas of grandeur in their future. Wannabe doctors, lawyers, politicians expounding on the merits of their profession. His grades reflected his dislike for his surroundings. He was getting by, but just barely. His grades would never get him into medical school. He saw his father now more than he ever had growing up. He was there to berate him to apply himself and not embarrass the great name of Wilson. Dr. Wilson constantly reminded him that he had graduated at the top of his class.

  By the end of his sophomore year, he could take it no more. During his summer break he drove to Daytona Beach Florida. He went to the admissions office of Emery Riddle University and applied for admission. He had his transcripts from Harvard and took an entrance exam. He was accepted for the next semester. He called his father and told him of his decision. He begged and pleaded. His father hung up on him. He called back several time and never got pass the receptionist.

  He applied for financial aid, but of course, his family had too much money. He met with a counselor at the school looking for any way he could attend. His counselor told him several students were attending with the government paying their tuition. They had served three years in the military and were eligible for GI Bill money. Shelby in the military, his father would have a coronary. He left the campus and go to the nearest recruiting office. As luck would have it the first recruiter he saw was a Staff Sergeant in the Army. The recruiter looked at Shelby’s records and listened to his story. He told him since he had two years of college he could get him into Warrant Officers Training School after basic training. If he had the aptitude he might be accepted into Rotary Wing Training. Shelby couldn’t believe his ears. He could possibly be a pilot within a y
ear. He filled in all the paperwork, took a test and signed on the dotted line.

  He called his father and this time got thru. His father called him a dumb jackass and told him to never call back. He was officially disowned. He had a month to kill before beginning basic so he sold his car and stayed in a motel in Daytona Beach. The date was July 12th 1966, he was eighteen years old. The morning he reported to the embarkation center he didn’t have a dime to his name. He was now Recruit Shelby Wilson, U. S. Army.

  Shelby completed his basic training at Fort Campbell Kentucky in September and was scheduled to report to Fort Rucker Alabama in January to attend the Army Aviation Training. He volunteered for Army Jump Training and attended the school in November. He wanted to see his mother and father during his December leave, but, no one would answer his calls and he was told by his father’s receptionist he wasn’t welcome. He spent a lonely December on base at Fort Rucker.

  In January he began his training. He immersed himself totally in the experience. He excelled in every aspect from physical training to flight training. He felt he was completely in his element. He was the first student in his class to solo. He graduated in October a newly minted Warrant Officer 1 with his wings. He stayed at Fort Rucker for two more months training on the UH1 Iroquois. In December his orders came through sending him to Vietnam in January to be attached to the 44th Medical Brigade. He was promoted to Warrant Officer 2. He would be flying a medical evacuation ship.

  In late January 1968 Shelby arrived at Long Binh in the Republic of Vietnam. Nothing in life could prepare him for what was to come. He spent two weeks being shuffled around offices and filling in paper work. Finally in mid February he was assigned to his unit and reported to his Commanding Officer. He would be stationed at Long Binh and support combat units in III Corps. He was assigned to a ship commanded by Captain Bill Chapel. Chapel had been in country for three months and was considered an old hand. For the first month they flew medical transport in the rear area. Things began to heat up in April and extractions under fire became the norm. After several pilots were wounded Shelby was promoted to Command Pilot and given his own ship. He quickly established a reputation as the pilot who could be counted on no matter what the circumstances. In December Shelby was transferred back to Fort Rucker and became an instructor pilot. After his combat tour he longed for action again. In May he requested a second tour of combat. Initially he was turned down. There was a shortage of experienced instructors with combat experience. Finally in July his orders came through, but he was to be assigned to the 101st Airborne Brigade Air-mobile. He was to be transitioned to gunships. He was trained in a UH-1 equipped with rocket pods and mini guns. He was shipped out to Da Nang to join his new unit in August

  He flew close air support for ground troops and completed over one hundred missions. In January Shelby was shipped back to the States to train on the new AH-1G Cobra gunship.

  One month later he returned to Vietnam. On March 26th an urgent call came in to extract a LRP (Long Range Patrol) in the Arizona Territory. A sniper and spotter were under heavy fire and one was wounded. Shelby’s gunship and a troop ship were rerouted to the LZ. The two men were pinned down by a company size unit of North Vietnamese regulars. While Shelby’s gunship strafed and rocketed the NVA the troop ship slipped in and extracted the team. The Scout was badly wounded and was bleeding. The sniper’s name was Carl Rome. They did their best to stop the flow of blood from the scout’s wounds and delivered him to an emergency MASH unit. Shelby’s ship had escorted them back to the hospital and both ships needed refueling. The doctors were working on the Scout and there was nothing else anyone else could do for him. The Gunship and Troops ship’s crew decided to grab some chow. Later in the mess tent Carl Rome walked in. He grabbed some chow and sat with the air crews. He told them the doctors said his scout would make it, but he was going home. He thanked both crews for pulling them out so fast and they asked what had happened. They had been sent to scout what was believed to be a trail used by the Vietnamese to move equipment at night. It turned out the area was a bivouac area for a NVA Company. Military Intelligence strikes again. A patrol spotted them and the two of them managed to hold off the assault for three hours.

  Carl Rome’s reputation had preceded him. He was known as the top sniper in Vietnam. This was his first tour and had over sixty confirmed kills to his credit. It was said he had once made a kill from 1700 yards. Carl and Shelby were to become fast friends. Carl was assigned a new spotter, Jessie Carr and he became a close friend. Whenever operating in the same area they would look each other up and tell tails. All of Carl’s tails were harrowing.

  In February of 1968 Shelby again returned to the States. He was eligible for discharge and was considering reenlistment when he met Cathy Reagan. Shelby and Cathy became inseparable and were married in May. He applied for and was granted a discharge from active service. Cathy didn’t want him returning to Vietnam. He found a job as a corporate helicopter pilot and ferried executives around DC and New York. Many times he had tried to contact his parents and was always turned away. He went so far as to show up at their homes unannounced but was told by the house keeper no one would speak to him.

  He decided to finish the education he started way back when. He attended night school at the University of Baltimore. He attained a Masters of Economics. He began taking fixed wing aircraft classes at a local aviation school. He became multi engine and instrument rated and acquired his Air Transport Rating. He became the Chief Pilot for Executive Aviation Services. He was flying every type aircraft the company owned all over the world. His life was on track.

  Years passed, there were no children, Shelby wasn’t able. He became Vice President and was pulling in a lot of money. He thought his success would open the door back to his family, but he was still turned away. Nothing he could do was good enough.

  Then on April 12th 1994 Shelby was informed that Executive Aviation Services was filing for Bankruptcy. No one in the company had known that all their aircraft had been mortgaged to the hilt and the President had been living in high style. That same day the creditors were informed that the company no longer existed, and all accounts were frozen. There was no money for payroll, therefore, everyone was let go. Everyone was to clear out their personal belongings and be escorted from the building. Shelby and the other employees were in shock. Three hundred people out of a job. Shelby drove home trying to think of a way to inform Cathy. He usually arrived home around 6 PM; but today it was a little after 1PM when he entered his house. Cathy’s car was in the drive but she wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen. He walked down the hall to the bedroom and found her in bed with a neighbor and supposedly Shelby’s best friend. Everyone starred for a moment and Shelby turned and left.

  He went to a nearby bar and tried to drink his sorrow away, but he still loved her and wanted her back. He returned to the house and she was gone. He waited and she returned very late. He told her he understood, he was gone too often and she needed him there. She simply told him she didn’t love him and the affair had been going on for years. She wanted a divorce so she could marry someone else. He begged and pleaded, but she would only say she wanted out. First his parents, how his wife, he left never to return. He turned all the assets over to her and signed the divorce papers. He crawled into a bottle hoping never to come out.

  Chapter 26

  I flew to Baltimore the next day, and grabbed a rental car. I contacted Shelby’s ex wife again and told her I wanted to help. She told me Shelby had been in trouble with the police and they might know where to locate him. I went to the local police station to see what they could tell me. I explained I was trying to locate an old friend. They checked the computer. Shelby had been arrested for drunken disorderly and assault several time. He had given the address of a homeless mission and was assumed to be living on the street. He was not currently in jail. I asked to speak to the officer who had arrested him last. They put me in touch with a patrolman by the name of Manning. Shelby had
been arrested several times near a bar in Hampden, east of the city. The dump was named Sonny’s. It was a real shithole that served wine from a window.

  I was surprised to be here trying to find Shelby. Shelby was always the one in control. Calm, smart, confident; when I first met him I thought he was an arrogant shit. Shelby was a small skinny black man from the northeast, I was a white southerner. He had helped pull Carl Rome out of many a tight spot, but when Carl introduced me to him he seemed full of himself. I was to learn he had an immense amount of confidence in his flying ability, but otherwise was a very humble and brave man. I took a lot of grief from white soldiers for hanging out with a black who was also an officer. But I didn’t care, I knew when I needed someone to cover my back, Shelby was the man I wanted there.

  That is what brought me to Baltimore and Sonny’s. I parked where I could watch the window and waited. The place did a booming business. I must have watched a hundred men and women purchase through that window. Black, white, Hispanic, they all had one thing in common, they were drunks. They would stumble up with a handful of changed they had bummed, and leave with some kind of cheap liquor in a paper bag. I waited for four hours. Around the corner came a skinny black man, I look closely and was sure it wasn’t Shelby too skinny and too old. He stumbled up to the window. I couldn’t hear what is being said, but there is a lot of gesturing going on.

  A guy came out of a small door ten feet down from the window. He points at the black man and then gives him shove. The black guy falls in the street and is struggling to get up. The big guy walks over to him. I thought he was going to help him up. He kicks him in the side and I watch him fall over again. The big guy is laughing and drawing a crowd. He takes a step and kicks the man again. I figure the black guy is down for the count, so does the big guy, but to play to his audience he takes another step and winds up to kick. Suddenly the guy on the ground shoots his leg straight up and catches the big guy right between the legs. He bends over grabbing his crotch and the guy on the ground kicks again and catches the big guy on the side of his head with his right heal. The little black man is on his feet and standing over the big man.