Chapter Thirty
Today, after Angie broke out of the hospital, she’d see the work Jack had managed to accomplish to update her casita. Though he wanted to be there when she arrived, he had a full itinerary.
Umpteen hours working in his office building over the last few weeks had been spent on his campaign.
So many, that it become headquarters, with Brian moving into a small cubbyhole in the front.
Managing his contracting duties and giving any free time to help the volunteers, his employee appeared in his element.
Remembering the broken man he’d hired over three years ago, this image of Brian today made Jack glad he hadn’t given up.
Some vets needed to know they had a role in life, and that they mattered.
Just recently, shyness hovering in eyes that were clear from drugs, Brian had shared with Jack that his wife had returned with their twin boys, and they were giving their relationship another chance.
Brian wavered and finally accepted when Jack reminded him of the hours he wouldn’t be available himself now that he had other responsibilities. That he’d be dependent on Brian, who needed to be mobile and ready.
Jack had decided that others could speak for him in many areas, but when anything was to be said to the crowds, they needed to be his words.
Therefore, he spent multiple hours late into the night researching the past, checking the ongoing government news and preparing his speeches to highlight the information he’d found.
Promises to do much better if he were elected became the focal point of his words. Terrible wrongs would be righted. And the city would become a place for all it’s inhabitants, not a playground for the rich while destroying the infrastructure and future water for the less fortunate folks.
While doing his due diligence, it didn’t take him long to see why Angie and many more in the city had a problem with Matt Lotborn.
The man squeaked with corruption. His upcoming plans for the fancy playground for the wealthy would bankrupt their small coffers, to say nothing about the lack of fiscal responsibility.
And don’t get him started on the jobs for the development.
Maybe if the plans were for local businesses to reap rewards by employment opportunities, it might not seem so bad. Unfortunately, Matt had already spoken to outside contracting firms about bids for the mega expansion, and they sure as shit didn’t involve any of the local companies, his included.
While pouring over the small print, frothing, seeing red everywhere he turned, Jack shook his head at the obvious dishonest exploitation.
After a while, he’d noticed other huge amounts of monies were being invested by wealthy corporations. Ones who cared less about their city and more about sinking a lot of money into a place where payback was assured and a future where they’d make a ton through the markets.
Because of the shortage of local water for such a huge development, the sleazy bastards were trying to pass a bill so they could take water from the Harquahala Valley, a region about 60 miles west of Phoenix.
In the world of Arizona water, it is known mostly because it is one of a handful of rural areas from which the state or a political subdivision, like a city, can legally appropriate water and bring it into an urban area.
But there are strings attached that are meant to keep this precious commodity from being wrongfully used, strings that Lotborn and his cronies were taking corrupt pinking shears to so they could benefit.
Stretching after several early-morning hours of study, Jack felt his back creak like an old man’s. He needed to get moving; he still had a full day ahead.
Staring around, he noticed more tables set up at the back of the large room and another bunch of placards leaning against the wall.
Thankful for the spacious area he’d begun renting last year, more to help a friend who needed the rent money, he’d kind of liked having a spacious place.
When he’d taken over and finished his renos, he’d set up two nice-sized offices and filled the main space with couches and a large TV so whenever the men were there for their daily briefs, they’d be comfortable.
Even the lunchroom he’d organized was way bigger than necessary, but it suited them well. Now, he thanked the gods for his earlier decisions in modernizing it into a multi-functional space.
Though Brian kept up with their daily routine for the contracting end, more often Jack had seen him and many of the other fellows who worked for him over in the portion of the main room where volunteers had piled in, moving furniture to add a number of tables, and setting up ports where they could plug in their cellphones.
They’d started waging “Jack’s War on Corruption” and it had taken off with a bang. There were “Vote for Jack” signs everywhere, and each day saw more people wanting to help.
Deciding he’d leave before the others arrived back from an early lunch, he jumped into his truck and headed in the direction of Angie’s house.
As he drove, taking the less-traveled route he liked, he noticed a similar large truck, big and black, crawling along behind him.
He’d never seen it in town before. Considering how much Maricopa had grown lately, that wasn’t a shocker.
What did shock was the fact that the truck pulled up next to him and started aiming his way to force him off the road.
Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem to hit the ditch, but in a few seconds, they’d be driving on an overpass, and the drop below would be hundreds of feet, with a lot of traffic below.
Threatened, he pressed hard on the horn. When that didn’t get the hoped-for response, he turned his wheel so that he’d careen into the side of the truck unless they steered away. He hoped his move would wake up the idiot behind the wheel, and he’d pull over.
Except, it didn’t have the desired results. The driver in the truck next to his kept angling closer until he bashed into the side of Jack’s vehicle.
Pissed, Jack went to push on his brakes and found it didn’t help. His foot was down hard on the brake pedal, but he didn’t stop because he was being forced to keep going by the truck he saw in the rear-view mirror. Another black truck behind him, pushing his back end, forcing him forward.
The two bastards had sandwiched him between them and had full control. Shards of fear began to seep into his anger. A voice in the passenger seat next to him stopped it from becoming all-consuming.
“Calm down, Jack. Don’t panic.”
“Lucas… man, they’re trying to run me off the road. If I go over the railing, for sure I’ll land on one of the vehicles below and kill someone. Help me.”
“Jack, the guy in the truck next to you will swerve to force you into the railing. Then chances are, he’ll turn away so he doesn’t follow you, hoping the one behind will push you over.
That’s when you punch it, hit the gas and don’t let up.
You’ll have inches to spare, but if you’re careful, you’ll make it. ”
Jack did exactly as Lucas told him. As soon as he saw the window of opportunity Lucas promised, he stamped down on the gas hard. The grating sounds of their two trucks colliding and the broken mirror didn’t deter him. Not with Lucas yelling at him to go hard.
Spurred on, he kept up the pressure. Soon, his truck shot ahead at an alarming speed, scraping the railing as he escaped.
He didn’t let up until he noticed the black truck who’d tried to force him off the road had slammed into the barrier, and the second black truck that had followed behind him, had smashed into his partner.
“Yeehaw!” Jack let out a holler that Lucas mimicked.
Adrenalin rampant, Jack laughed. “You can say that again.”
So, Lucas did.
The foolishness made Jack smile, while his relief left him weak. “What was their problem, Lucas? What the hell was that all about?”
“Don’t know for sure, Jack, but I do know one thing. You might want to ride with a partner from now on, someone who can handle himself. Them dudes aren’t fooling around.”
“Seems rather personal, and I have no enemies that I know of.”
“That’s not true, Jack. You’re sticking a cold iron into a keg of molten steel, kid. The big shots aren’t impressed. They want you out of the running.”
***
While Mia and Angie were having lunch, Jack stopped at the police station to file a report on his near miss with the barrier and the highway below.
Lucas had lit a candle in his head and now explanations for the dire action became feasible. The more he delved into the idea, the more furious he became. If Matt Lotborn and his cronies were behind this shit, he was in danger.
Becoming angrier as he finished explaining the circumstances around the confrontation to the cops, he expected them to show more interest.
To his dismay, he couldn’t give any descriptions of the drivers in the other trucks. Nor, any of the license plates. He knew the models of the vehicles, but that’s about all.
The officer he talked with would check it out but there wasn’t a lot they could do without more to go on.
“We’ll look into it, Jack. Just wish you had a dash cam. A lot of folks are using them these days.”
“Never had need for one before, but you can bet your bundle, I’ll be getting one installed real quick.”
“If you come up with anything else, you be sure to let us know.”
“You’ll maybe want to question the local mechanics and garages to see if any black Ford trucks fitting the descriptions come in for repairs.”
“We’re on it, Jack. We’ll get back to you if we find anything. But in the meantime, you be careful.”
“Will do. Thanks.”