Forging Truth (The Truth Saga)

by Raymond Masters

  It was Kade’s voice.

  He hit delete, and played the second recording: “Liberty is gone.” Third message. Fourth. Fifth.

  Kade snapped the phone shut and threw it as hard as he could, lodging it in the sheetrock, beyond the baptistry. Chunks of plaster rebounded into and around the pool and he …

  He awakens in the darkness of his economy apartment, bathed in sweat and aquatinted light. The light was from a blinking 12:00 LED readout from the kitchenette vent-a-hood. It was perpetually 12:00 in there. A flick of a switch and he checks the bedside alarm. He has six minutes to sleep. He forfeits them, pushing the ALARM OFF button, aborting the self-destruction its piercing cry always seems to foretell.

  It is too early to call about the message from the night before, so he gets up and grabs a copy of Wired at random from his bedroom/living room bookcase. Passing the small table on the way to the bathroom, Kade stops short, his heart racing. His cell is blinking a prophetic red in the darkened room. He flips it open and then closed again. He is increasingly uneasy, as he resumes his mission, though he cannot say why. Certainly he isn’t thinking of the dream he had awakened from, not a quarter of an hour ago. Besides, the readout didn’t say 99 NEW MESSAGES, it said 1 OLD MESSAGE, and he had already listened to it. No menace there, just

  (Liberty is gone.)

  a friend offering a secure line of work and an opportunity to play catch-up on whose life sucks the most and who has been getting the most.

  Until recently, he would have undoubtedly won the prize for the former and lost the latter. For the past three weeks, however, Kade had been engaged to Jessie, his on-again/off-again girlfriend of the past few years.

  6

  They met at Kade’s first reunion with The Sisters. The festivities weren’t much on entertainment, but, after all, they were nuns. Recreation aside, it was still most enjoyable to get to spend time with his prior roommates. It was great to see Mason again, with his new wife Bobbie, of the ugly wreath. They were the first to join Kade’s table, but it was the next arrival that caught Kade’s full attention. She was beautiful, especially in those bland surroundings. She was wearing a dress that was, at the same time, conservative and provocative. She glided to his table in her black dress and gripped his hand. “You must be Mason. Stephen has told me so much about you.”

  His heart sank instantly, and it wasn’t because of the case of mistaken identity either. This stunning addition to his table was already taken – unless, that was, Stephen Marks had brought his kid sister to the party. And, of course, Kade knew he had none. Stupid only child.

  “Hey, Jessica, I see you’ve already met my two best buds! Kade, you dog, you’d better not get too attached to my girl,” came the voice that would one day irrevocably change Kade’s life.

  Kade looked up, masking his momentary heartache. Realizing he still had hold of Jessica’s hand, he smiled sheepishly – how the hell do sheep smile, Kade wondered, distractedly. “Well, at least you didn’t have a repeat of our senior dance and have to force your mom to come with you.” On impulse, Kade bent and kissed Jessica’s hand. He released it, saying, “You’ve got yourself a great man. He introduced us, after all.”

  “Okay, you two cut it out! Kade, man, long time no see. Great to be with you guys again.” Then, to Mason: “Hey, remember that stupid wreath you put up every Christmas? You hated that thing, too!” He started to laugh. “Remember!” He was outright guffawing now, ignoring – or not noticing – the deer-in-the-headlights look of panic on Mason’s face. “Heh, I’ve gotta piss.”

  7

  After the festivities and trip down memory lane on the quad, the five of them went out for drinks at the Only Bar & Grill. This was fitting, since it was the only one for 40 miles. By quarter past seven, they were all well on their way to being pleasantly lit, and by 8:00, they were “totally faced” according to Stephen. While the three ex-roomies brought each other up to speed on the events of the past two years, Bobbie and Jessica got to know just what type of men they’d fallen for. They heard tales of broken homes and heartache, of cruel-but-not-too-cruel practical jokes the three had pulled at one another’s expense.

  When the food arrived, the conversation turned to relationships and “did Kade have any prospects.” The only Mrs. Truth he had ever had was his mother, whom he still had not completely forgiven for sending him away from home. He said none of this, but only, “I just haven’t found the right woman, that’s all.”

  “Perhaps you’re simply not looking hard enough,” said Jessica. Her eyes caught Kade’s for perhaps a second or two longer than required.

  “Yeah, man. Keep looking. I mean, maybe some day you’ll have a perfect woman, like me.”

  “I agree,” Mason said, batting his eyelashes, “You really are the perfect woman, man.”

  “Get bent, helmet. I’m already taken anyway, big boy,” It was nearing 10:30, and Marks’ voice was losing some of it’s liquid quality. They had to leave in a couple of hours, and none were so far gone they couldn’t realize the only thing they needed, at this point, was coffee: black, and lots of it.

  “Your right, Stephen. You and Mason definitely are lucky at love. That said, here’s a toast to the two lovely ladies at this table: May you realize your mistakes and both come to me for comforting.” This was answered with natural laughter, catcalls, and a handful of limes thrown from a nearby wooden bowl.

  8

  Two years later, the group had gotten together again. This time, it was at a Hilton banquet hall. Also different, was the fact Jessica was on Kade’s arm, instead of Stephen’s, and she answered to Jessie or Jess, instead of Jessica.

  Kade and Jessie had run into one another, oddly enough, in Eugene, a town just twenty-seven miles south of his hometown. She had been consoling a newly widowed aunt and he was working as a guard at a small savings and loan. They instantly picked up where they’d left off at the reunion, just under nine months prior. Apparently, Kade’s bud had needed his freedom, and that was more than peachy with Kade. He sure didn’t mind making good on his post-reunion toast … well, half of it, but the serious half.

  They dated from that day on, Kade driving to West Texas every third or fourth weekend to visit for a week. This went on for a couple of years before Kade finally proposed, over what would be the most expensive meal of his life, at a restaurant with a name he couldn’t even hope to pronounce. They had grown to love one another, as well as, their humble small town surroundings. They were planning on having the perfect Victorian-style house, near the Oklahoma/Texas border, the perfect family, and the perfect life. Now, though …

  Kade picked up the phone and began to dial the number from his cell phone’s caller ID. There was a pause before the phone at the other end began to ring. Then, a lady’s voice came on, saying, “Statue Security, this is Rita.” Her voice had that smoker’s quality to it that reminded him of some of his teachers back at The Sisters.

  “Uh, yeah, er, yes ma’am, this is … I’m Kade Truth,” he said, sounding as uncertain as he felt.

  “Oh, well, congratulations, to you, sir. What can I do for you?”

  A smartass, wonderful. Smiling, Kade replied, “I’m returning a call I received last night. From Mr. Stephen Marks.”

  “Please hold, and I’ll connect you to Mister Stephen Marks.”

  Another pause. A click. Then: “Stephen Marks.”

  “Your secretary really ought to quit smoking,” Kade said.

  “Waddup, man! How the heck are you? I knew you’d call! I’m so glad to hear from you, too. Got one heckuva deal for you, if you’re interested. Wait, of course you are. Two words for you … well, three, actually: Statue of Liberty.”

  “Isn’t she the big-boned, greenish colored chick that never smiles?”

  “That’s the Mona Lisa, Kade. Seriously, man, we could certainly use someone of your training and expertise on our security team, here,” Marks pleaded.

  “Wait. Here? As in here in New York, that here?” Kade was at a loss.


  “Well, duh, man. Or, I could talk with some of the guys and see how much it’d cost to bring her out west to Podunk, Oklahoma? So what do you say, Kade?”

  “I don’t know what to say. Kinda engaged and thinking heavily of settling.” He doesn’t hesitate in bringing up the engagement. There has never been animosity between the two over Jessie. Even the reunion after Jessie had moved on to Kade played out as if this was the way it had been destined.

  “You finally asked her, huh? You bum. No more fun for you, and I mean of any kind.”

  “Yeah, well …”

  “Seriously, congrats. Even though it didn’t work out between us, I’d have to be blind not to see how special she is. Jessica’s the luckier of the two of you, though. Whoa! Who the hell said that?”

  “Wow. Thanks. Means a lot from you.” Kade couldn’t believe the compliment, though he clearly knew he was the luckiest man in the world, as far as he was concerned.

  “Okay, now down to business. I need you to be here in two weeks. I’ll have someone help you move. He’ll be there Wednesday and …”

  “What? You’ve been breathing too much New York air, buddy. I don’t think I can …”

  “Can you for two hundred grand? What do you say, man?”

  What Kade said was nothing. If he was shocked by where his friend wanted him to work, he was absolutely comatose at this. His calculator didn’t even go that high. When he did find his tongue, Kade managed a dry “That’s what I made in the last three years.”

  “And then some, actually. I checked before I called yesterday. So?”

  “Can I call you back tomorrow? I need to speak with the future Mrs. Kade Truth. This is … just too much.”

  “Hey, of course. Tomorrow, then.”

  “Talk to you later, then. Bye.”

  “Hey, Kade? Remember: my guy’ll be there Wednesday.” With that, Stephen was gone, robbing Kade of the chance to even begin to formulate a rebuttal.

  9

  Jessie had her MP3 player docked and was listening to her favorite songs while cooking some stir-fry, when Kade pulled into her driveway. Surprised by his unscheduled visit, she ran out on the porch in her skimpy red Winnie the Pooh panties and matching top. “My baby,” she exclaimed, “What do I owe this surprise visit to?”

  “I just stopped off for a nooner,” Kade said slapping her on her underoo-clad bottom.

  “Fresh,” She said with a faux expression of shocked disbelief.

  “Does anybody actually say that anymore? And what, I can’t come see you a couple of miles away, but for years, I could drop in once a month when you lived hundreds of miles away?”

  “Come on in, I’m – .” There was a loud smack as she was interrupted with a kiss to the corner of her pouty lips. – “We were making stir-fry, would you care to join us?”

  Kade looked perplexed at Jess, wearing only her skivvies. “Um …We?”

  “Pooh Bear and I,” she explained. “Duh, who else?”

  On the way inside, Kade asked, “Babe, what’re your plans for tonight? Other than supper at home, I mean.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Kade. I was planning on taking a long hot bubble bath, calling my fiancé, and finding out about his day. Then, I was going to curl up in bed and nod off to Conan. You?”

  “About the same, except I was thinking maybe we could do without the phone, but keep the bubble bath. Also, can we cut out Conan O’Brien, Jess?”

  “What’s the matter, baby, afraid you couldn’t compete?”

  “Well, look at him,” Kade smiled, “he’s the man’s man all the way. Can I help you with this?” He motioned at the electric skillet on the countertop. Compared to his apartment, Jessie’s rental was a mansion; her counter alone was a good foot longer than the vinyl area his landlord kept insisting was Kade’s kitchen.

  “Sure. If you’d like to tackle the main course, I’ll start a pie,” she said, pulling a frozen Sara Lee from the freezer. She opened a drawer on her right, bringing out an oven mitt. This had a picture of the old-style Winnie the Pooh with the saying, “I luv you, Hunny.”

  As they cooked, they engaged in the lightest of conversations, swapping Dixie Chicks for Lincoln Park on the player. Kade wanted to ease the subject of his new job and subsequent move (Remember my guy’ll be there Wednesday). I’m already thinking of it as my new job. Amazing. He thought he’d wait and smoothly bring it up during dessert or possibly not until they were both comfortable, soaking in the promised bath. The subject of moving was apt to be a combustible one, and he figured the only dessert he was going to be having tonight was the Sara Lee. Could be worse, though. Nobody does it like her, from what I hear. Kade smiled at the thought.

  The lack of sex wasn’t that big a deal, really. What mattered was their relationship remained strong and intact. He would refuse both the offer and the money, which came with it, for her. He hoped it wouldn’t come down to that, though. Two hundred thousand was a buttload of money. Certainly, other jobs paid well, but he didn’t want other jobs. When had he ever cared for anything, other than the security field? More importantly, when was the last time someone offered to double his earnings? Never and never, respectively. Besides that, he’d be able to get a real place, rather than live in that crummy work-provided efficiency apartment.

  10

  Kade bussed the dining room table (he was quietly envious her apartment even had a dining room) while Jessie checked on the progress of the pie. He watched her bend to remove the pie with her “I luv you, Hunny” mitt. It smelled like Dutch apple, his favorite. As she placed it on the stovetop, he thought of how great it would be once they were married and living together. He had never quite gotten used to his own cooking after his mom … “After she did what she had to do.” He was unaware he had spoken this aloud.

  “Pardon?” Jessie turned to him, arching her eyebrows.

  “Just thinking I should probably call mom and send her a wedding announcement. Something.”

  “You should call her, babe. How long’s it even been with you two?”

  “A while, I reckon,” he said, adding in a low, thick voice “Too long.”

  11

  They were seated on the small sofa in Jessie’s living room, with their dessert plates in their laps. Kade was finally ready to bite the bullet. “I’ve been offered a job in New York,” he said without preamble. He chased this statement with a hefty bite of Dutch apple. He tried to appear nonplussed. He glanced at Jessie for her reaction, but she just stared at him, baby blue’s unreadable. The longer she stared, the louder his heart rapped in his ears.

  “Stephen,” she said, with a nod, and looked away.

  “Yeah. He says he’s got me a spot lined out with Statue Security at the freakin’ Statue of freakin’ Liberty! Can you imagine? Guess I’ll be guarding her from vandals and would-be graffiti artists and such, what with her being pretty much closed down after 9/11. I don’t know what all I’d be doing, really. To hear Steve say it, it sounds like I’d be heading up the operations side of the house.

  “Vandals? Graffiti artists? What’re you, ten? You’re just as likely to be guarding against terrorists, Kade, the Big-T …” Her eyes began to rim with tears.

  “Jessie. Jess, c’mon.”

  “Sorry, I really am not trying to sound like a parade pisser. How much did he offer you, Kade? Is he, at least, matching what you’re making?”

  “How about more than double?” he asked with a Cheshire Cat grin. She was a ghost of her former self. Kade thought he was going to have to catch her. “Heh, maybe I should’ve had you sit first?”

  “Double? As in twice what you’re … ?”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s wonderful, except …”

  “Except you have to move away from me,” she said, “to New York. I mean … We survived a long distance relationship for years. It’s just, I was kinda getting used to … this.” With that, she let the tears that threatened to fall earlier come.

  He followed her into the bathroom and to the oversize
d tub on the far wall. A Dining room and a tub? Never mind. “Oh, babe. Honey, no,” he soothed. She had begun running water and poured in a capful of bubble solution. As the water reached the appropriate level, Jessie turned on the jets. When he spoke next, he had to practically shout to be heard. “I sorta hoped it’d be we. As in, we have to move. I wouldn’t go without you. You’re my good luck charm, right?”

  “Let’s not talk about this yet. Let’s just enjoy the bubbles for now, alright?”

  “Okay,” he replied, pulling her into his lap. They held each other that way for a long time, neither of them saying a word.

  12

  This is it, Kade thought as he lay in bed after his “relaxing” bath. Jessie was still in the bathroom taking care of her bedtime rituals, he supposed, but whenever she came to bed, they would undoubtedly talk this New York move out. They had never really had any major fights, but he knew the old saying about there always being a first time for everything. Why shouldn’t they argue? Hadn’t his mom been his best friend at one time? He had ended that with his stupid pride, though. Now, he threatened to end his marriage before it had even begun. No, I won’t go through with it if she doesn’t want me to. Besides, what business do I have leaving my rural upbringing and heading off to a godforsaken city like New York? Stephen would accuse him of being a drama queen. I’d just get lost there, anyway. I’d …

  He let his thoughts trail off.