Doing Time In Texas, Book 3
Page 21
Behind the courthouse a black sedan sat next to the curb. “Der goes dat sheriff fella,” Birdie said.
A few minutes later, “Well now, dat be the deputy what be a few minit late for him den’al pointment. A feller bes be takin care of dim pearly whites. If he want to work on de groceries, don you know,” Grey Jack said with a laugh.
It took only a minute for the two men to walk along the sidewalk and open the office door with a special key. Once inside Grey Jack installed a silencer on his pistol while Birdie picked up the keys to the cell block. In the well-lit corridor they found only one cell occupied. That was good, no witnesses to deal with. Bart Wells was fast asleep. The stress of the last few days had worn him down and he slept a deep sleep. The men looked at one another and nodded their agreement. Bart laid on the cot; his back to the cell door. Two shots then the two calmly retreated, locking the cellblock door as they went. Stepping from the jail, Birdie relocked the office door and they made their way back along the square. Twenty miles out of Huntsville they changed cars at a junkyard and headed north.
“I kinsa’ hate leavin’ Texas…de Shine Ghost…and de sheriff bof in one lick. Uh nudder cuppl week and we could retar. Dat Judd was right on the money…we leavin Texas wit two sack full,” Birdie laughed.
Just a couple of blocks off main, Ed Weeks lay in the old van. A light rain cooled the temperature. His eyes pierced the darkness and his mind went over what was left in his life. ‘Tom Cat had been the only person he really called a friend. The boy had a great mechanical aptitude and together they had made cars that were mechanical wonders. The speed and abilities of the cars they had literally made from their combined ideas would never be known. Bart, well, he was just a lowlife described by Thomas as nothing but continually self-serving’. Laying there in that old van a loneliness crept over him that always robbed him of desire to go on, void of reason or purpose. ‘Why not just walk down to the courthouse and turn himself in?’
Sitting in the dark cab he smoked and watched people moving about the town square. Charley Sloan drove up to his paper machine outside Becker’s Grocery and filled the machine. Mr. Becker wouldn’t be opening the store for another thirty minutes. Licking his lips, he quickly eased along the street in the early morning darkness. He put a dime in the slot and grabbed a morning paper. Back in the van he read of all the news. A full page was dedicated to him alone. Where had they got all this information? A statewide hunt had been initiated for information to his whereabouts. His hand shook as he read the paper.
Just about midnight Ed Weeks opened the gate and drove the van out of town in a heavy downpour. His exit went unnoticed. The adrenalin he was on kept him driving far into the nights of the next week. Weeks later he sat on a deserted beach on the pacific side of Mexico. Sitting in the sand under a full moon, he looked at the moonlight glow through a bottle of West Virginia Shine. The better days of his life were all behind him now. Bart was history, Thomas was dead, his business was gone. Ed chuckled to himself. Then a solemn look crossed his face and he thought, ‘Now What?’ Reaching in his pocket he removed a small revolver. Looking up at the starlit sky he took a deep breath and blew the cold cloud into the night air. “Tennessee Whisky, look at what you have done to me!” he shouted. Shaking the empty bottle in front of his face his eyes blurred and he cried out, “Now even you have gone.” Looking around he said, “What am I doing here? I don’t belong here! My life is back in Texas. I should have never left!” A loneliness enveloped him that he had felt many times since Thomas had been killed. Looking into the heavens he said, “Thomas where are you boy…I’m coming.”
Willy Baker was acquitted, and his life became a living testimony of how God can change a man’s heart. He lived to the ripe old age of eighty-three. With the help of his Jesus, Willy put a light in Bonnie’s heart that never went out. Now that’s what a real man under the influence of a loving Savior can do.
THE END
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Previews
In spite of the evil, this story creates lasting memories of soul-searing redemption and how the love of God can change the hearts and lives of even those on the dark side.
Lynda B.
Book three delivered in an unexpected and exciting conclusion! The good news is that James E. Ferrelll left room for more and I cannot wait!
Robert N.
List of Series Main Characters
Albert Swift - CEO Southern Crest / Company trying to take over Hamilton International
Alice Parks - Down and out friend of Willy Baker / wife of Billy Parks
Alvin "The Stump" LaSalle - Gino LaSalle's nephew / mobster
Amy Hamilton Anderson /Melba / Amy Rash - Drew Hamilton's daughter
Annie Parker - Willy and Bonnie's neighbor
Bart Wells - Sheriff / shine runner
BB Crawford "The Albino" - Worked for Gino LaSalle / mobster
Betty Taylor / Granny - Shane Thomas Taylor's Grandmother
Billy Parks - Down and out friend of Willy Baker / husband of Alice Parks
Bonnie Wilkerson - beaten by boyfriend , befriended by Willy
Buford West - Marvin West's brother / Christine's uncle
Cage Cruise - Texas Ranger
Captain Daniel Eastman - Captain of the Texas Rangers
Chief David Lightfoot - Texas Ranger / Comanche Chief
Christine West / Christine Green /Ramsey Phillips / Christine Wright / the Scrapper - daughter of Marvin West
Dr. Nathan Mueller / Nate / Doc- Huntsville town doctor
Drew Hamilton - CEO Hamilton International / Amy's father
Earl Kaminski - Works for Drew Hamilton
Ed Weeks - aka Taller Man / Mechanic and owner of Auto Shop / shine car maker /
Gino LaSalle - Chicago mobster boss
Jack Majors - Organizer to take over Hamilton International
Jesse Rash / Harlan Williams - Main character / know nothing security clerk at Hamilton Int'l / chosen for of his low profile and background in criminal justice and drama / hired to rescue Hamilton's daughter
John Baker - Willy's brother
John Hannibal - Harlan's friend in the desert
Judd Smith - Sniper/shine runner with Harlan Williams / rancher
Lennie Cobb - Majors' "get-it-done" man
Marvin West - Christine West's father/all around gangster
Odell West - Marvin West's brother / Christine's uncle
Rayford West - Marvin West's brother / Christine's uncle
Shane Thomas Taylor / Thomas / Tom Cat - Main character/Shine Ghost/Grandson of Betty Taylor
Smitty McGuire "The Mechanic" - Gangster for McDonald
Strete "Sonny" Green - Ex-Sheriff of Huntsville
Val - Gangster for McDonald
Walter McDonald - Irish Boss from Chicago
Willy Baker - Main character, ex-con, jokester
About the Author
Times they are a changing. To consider who I am always brings me back to the life-changing events that have shaped, corrected, disciplined, grieved and uplifted my soul throughout my time on this terra firma planet. Without a doubt, I believe the unseen force that has shaped my life started early in my youth by example. The same spirit saved me in my teens. The recipe for my life was set in the small sawmill town of Pineland, Texas, where a sweet spirited mother loved, corrected and tolerated ten children by example. There was also a hard-working father that kept us fed and gave us a strong work ethic. I worked for 43 years in the chemical industry along the Mississippi River and Texas coast. I am married to my wife, Linda, of 51 years. We have 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. My wife and I are active members at our church where I am a deacon. We also teach Sunday School for the third and fourth grades. Below is the prayer I pray over each book that I am blessed to write.
Heavenly Father,
Please honor my wishes that this book opens a window by which all who read it may see the truth of sinful living. I ask that you transform my work of fiction to appeal
to all in an understanding way. As my fingers pass over the keys, guide them to present how the dark side controls all that do not practice self-control and destroys all it controls. Let it help them walk a path around the pitfalls of sin that I have so often fallen into. Please forgive me for all my past present and future sins and put into my books your truths that can save and transform broken lives. I take no credit for any good thing you may do through this book, but pray it brings a thought-provoking change in many lives.
In Christ’s name
Amen
Also by James E. Ferrell
Cross-Pull
Doing Time in Texas,
Book 1: Always Have a Plan
Book 2: For Love of Money
Book 3: Every Road Leads to Huntsville
Books soon to come by James E. Ferrell
Cross Pull (2nd Edition)
Winter Crossing
Class of 64
Contact Us:
Grey Ghost Publisher
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Shiro, TX 77876
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Letter from the Author
In this life there is much speculation as to whether there is life after death. If sin is real. If there is someone out there that really cares. I came to the right conclusion early on. The experiences of my life have proven to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a God of all creation who has His hand on me. That God loves people so much that he even proved it without us even asking. Then to make it even sweeter he gave us a guide book. Do you know that the King James Bible was never copywritten? Anyone can reproduce it in its original 1611 form. Any other version is man’s versions anyway and they hold copywrites. You want the right one that God authored, it has no copywrite.
‘If we Christians could go back and erase the grief and hurt, we had caused ourselves and others in our struggle through life, we would have learned nothing from life’s journey. Even worse, the glorious work of rebuilding human lives God does in the lives of His people would be nullified. This would be the real shame. After all, He was a Carpenter.
God Bless You… I hope you enjoyed my books
James E. Ferrell